Explorer Annual Report 2010-2011

To view and print the Field Studies Brochure; please click here.

Immerse your students in hands-on learning as they explore our 83-acre living museum. Staff members and trained docents lead the students through a variety of activities designed to stimulate interest and foster inquiry.  During their field study, all students take a narrated tram tour of the garden, participate in a propagation lesson in the outdoor classroom and take a botanical souvenir home.

These programs offer guided, grade specific tours for grades K-5 students, and are aligned with Florida's Next Generation Sunshine State Standards. Classroom curriculum activities designed to introduce science-based concepts and allow for student assessment are provided free of charge. The field study experience combined with pre and post-visit activities will enhance your students' FCAT performance and environmental understanding.

Program Costs and Registration:

• $6 per participating student.
• Maximum of 60 students.
• Maximum of 6 chaperones.
• Accessible to students with special needs.
• For scheduling, please call 305.667.1651 ext. 3322 or email education@fairchildgarden.org
• Tour dates fill rapidly. Make reservations early!
• Please refer to our Policies and Information document for further details.

Programs:
Living with Plants - Grades K-2, Mondays and Fridays
Plants are amazing! Students will discover plants from root to shoot as they journey through Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, participate in a plant part scavenger hunt, color matching activity, and meet some trees with high cultural, commercial and historical value. 
Policies and Information                                      Vocabulary List                                                         Post-visit Activity: Flower  Friends 
Next Generation Sunshine State Standards    Pre-visit Activity: P.L.A.N.T.S. Needs                     Post-visit Activity: What's in the Soil
Pre/Post Visit Activities                                         Pre-visit Activity: Plant Parts                                    Plant Care and Information
                                                                                  Pre-visit Activity: Things We Get From Plants      Suggested Reading

Life in a Rainforest - Grade 3, Wednesdays
Discover the amazing plants that gave us chewing gum, vanilla and chocolate in Florida's largest rainforest exhibit. Students use hand lenses to take a closer look at the plants, insects and decomposers found on the forest floor. Guides demonstrate authentic rainforest tools and toys as students compare their lifestyle with that of the Chachi people of the Ecuadorian rainforest.
Policies and Information                                         Vocabulary List                                                 Post-visit Activity: The Water Cycle
Next Generation Sunshine State Standards       Pre-visit Activity: Life in the Layers                Plant Care and Information             
Pre/Post-visit Activities                                             Pre-visit Activity: All About Biodiversity         Websites for More Information

Where We Live - Grade 4, Tuesdays
South Florida is home to a variety of unique ecosystems. Students investigate mangrove and pine rockland ecosystems by identifying native plants, searching for native wildlife and digging in the soil. The day ends with students acting out a food web to demonstrate how energy flows through a mangrove ecosystem.
Policies and Information                                         Vocabulary List                                           Post-visit Activity: Mangrove Connections
Next Generation Sunshine State Standards       Pre-visit Activity: Ecosystem News         Plant Care and Information                      
Pre/Post-visit Activities                                             Pre-visit Activity: Soil Detectives              Websites for More Information

Tropical Explorations - Grade 5, Thursdays
Photosynthesis and plant reproduction come alive as students learn about tropical plants and discover some astounding relationships between animals and plants. Using hand lenses, students examine the reproductive parts of plants from spores and seeds to flowers and cones.
Policies and Information                                         Pre/Post Test                                                    Answer Key
Next Generation Sunshine State Standards       Pre-visit Activity: Photosynthesis                   Plant Care and Information
Pre/Post Visit Activities                                            Pre-visit Activity: Plant Reproduction             Websites for More Information
Vocabulary List                                                         Post-visit Activity: What's the Weather?         Measurement Worksheet

Questions? education@fairchildgarden.org
updated 9/2011