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Click on titles or look below for program details. |
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Classroom Outreach multi-season project. Our programs connect indoor lessons with outdoor investigations of the local landscape and school grounds. Field Studies Outdoor Days Residential Programs Educator Workshops & Resources Community Festivals
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Outreach Programs are two hours in length and explore science concepts through inquiry based activities in a familiar setting. Fees: $90 per class (up to 30 students - $3 each additional student) Seasons Guide: Fall Natural Connections - Farm to School - Bring the farm to the classroom with MOSS! Connect your students to the foods we eat, the local farms our food comes from, Montana's agricultural history and the natural world. Students engage in hands-on farm activities on soils, animals, plants, pollinators and more! Birds - Utilizing bird specimens, students explore the unique features of various birds. Students investigate the structure and function of birds' body parts, as well as special adaptations for survival. Snow Science - Students conduct in-depth field studies of the physical properties of snow - including snowfake composition, snowflake structures, snow pack observations and avalanche safety and prediction. Animals in Winter - Students investigate different strategies that animals use to survive the Montana winter. Using actual specimens, students explore special winter adaptations including locomotion, camouflage, insulation and more! Weather and Climate - Through inquiry-based research, students investigate the differences between weather and climate. Students create weather stations and learn about making weather predictions based on observation. Plants - Students discover how plants produce their own food, provide food and shelter for animals and change with weather patterns. Using plant specimens, students learn basic plant parts, functions and how to identify plants using field guides and dichotomous keys. Reptiles and Amphibians - Students engage in the study of herpetology through live specimen investigations. Students also learn about similarities and differences of reptiles and amphibians- including life cycles, habitats and adaptations. Water World - Through hands-on investigations, students explore the water cycle, watersheds and the importance of water both in Montana and on Earth. Survival Skills - Students learn about what it really takes to go “into the wild.” Students develop survival skills through team building, trust, communication, orienteering and more!
Medicinal and Edible Plants - Students will explore the use and importance of medicinal and edible plants from a scientific and historical perspective. Students also learn how medicinal and edible plants can be used and create a take home project. Noxious Weeds - Students engage in an investigation of the environmental and economic impacts of noxious weeds in Montana. Students also learn how to identify noxious weeds in the field and as well as appropriate management techniques for lessening the effects of specific noxious weeds. Insects - Students will be given the opportunity to learn about insects’ basic structure, various species’ adaptations and insects’ significant roles within an ecosystem through the use of actual specimens. Mammals - Student will use study skins and mammal field guides to identify mammals’ unique characteristics, conduct investigations and present findings.
Tuning into Nature - Using their senses to tune into the natural world, students compare and contrast personal experiences with that of other creatures in the animal kingdom.
Ways of the West (WOW)
Field Studies - Discussion and an exploration will guide students through a study of parts of a bird and bird characteristics, varieties of birds, bird adaptations and bird habitats. Students will also investigate bird specimens and explore what it's like to be a bird before conducting bird surveys of the school's natural area. Grades 4, 5, or 6
MOSS provides field studies for elementary and intermediate grades throughout the year. The following course descriptions include recommended grade levels and seasons. All of these programs can be offered as a half-day or full-day program. Half Day Programs are 2-3 hours in length and focus on natural science concepts while meeting state standards. Fees: $9 per student - $90 minimum Full Day Programs offer students an in-depth study of key concepts in naturals sciences. Each day focuses on one of the following topics and offers and comprehensive field exploration. Fees: $15 per student - $150 minimum Full Day Program Option - Choose two half-day programs and design your own full day program that fits the needs of you and your students. Habitat Hunters Grades Pre K-3 Using observational skills, students study the needs and interrelationships of organisms in a local habitat and thereby gain an understanding of habitat as a place where plants and animals can live successfully. Students conduct field investigations of plant and animal life cycles and their corresponding seasonal adaptations.
Students utilize observation skills, binoculars and field guides to identify birds in the field. Students also investigate birds' specialized adaptations to their Montana habitat.
Plants & Our Planet Discover how plants produce their own food, provide food and shelter for animals, and change with weather patterns. Studying in local forests and meadows, students identify basic plant components and their corresponding functions while learning about the resources plants need for survival and their interrelationships with other organisms.
Exploring a local stream gives students the opportunity to determine its relative health, physical attributes and plant / animal populations. During the investigation, collect and classify aquatic insects and learn how they are adapted to stream life.
This investigation encourages an appreciation of wildlife in the absence of actual sightings. At the beginning of the course, students learn about animal movement and behavior. Applying this knowledge, students make inferences about animal habits as they inspect animal tracks and signs. Preserving tracks in plaster casts concludes the field study.
Students explore the interdependent relationships between soil, seeds and plants. The “classroom” is the forest and meadows where students collect and classify soils. As part of this investigation, students use a simple color key to examine soil plugs to determine layer composition and find out where seeds germinate.
Winter Ecology & Exploration at MOSS' Outdoor Classroom Grades 4-8
Grades K-6 Visit a local farm with MOSS and connect your students to the foods we eat, the farms our food comes from, Montana’s agricultural history and the natural world. Students engage in hands-on farm activities on soils, animals, plants, pollinators and more!
Students learn about what it really takes to go “into the wild.” Students develop survival skills through a field session of team building, trust, communication, shelter building, orienteering and more!
Becoming a Naturalist Grades K-6
Jouney Underground - Soil Field Study Students engage in a study of soil, including collection of soil samples and examination of soil horizons, soil particles, and other soil properties. Students unfold the secrets of life underground, as well as the importance of soil in an ecosystem.
Noxious Weed Pull and Field Study Students engage in an investigation of the environmental and economic impacts of noxious weeds in Montana. Through a noxious weed pull, students also learn how to identify noxious weeds in the field and as well as appropriate management techniques for lessening the effects of specific noxious weeds.
Field Geology
Grades 4-8
Grades 4-8
MOSS presents an interactive 1-2 day program that compliments your curriculum. Students explore natural science concepts as they rotate through selected stations. Choose from 4 to 8 stations, each station is 1 to 1 1/2 hours long. Fee: $15 per student per day/$9 per student per half-day Grades: 1-8
Aquatic Macro-Invertebrate Study - Study a stream, identify macro-invertebrates and discover their role as stream water quality indicators. Green Side - This activity introduces students to the use of the dichotomous key as a tool for conducting scientific observations in the natural world.
MOSS is pleased to offer Residency Programs, either offered in the residence of your classroom throughout the school year or multi-day overnight programs. Custom budgets are created for each unique program's needs.
Science in Residency Program (SIRP) Receive a visit from MOSS in your classroom once a week throughout the school year, where students explore scientific concepts through hands-on investigations, learn scientific vocabulary, and participate in a creative activity. Programs are catered to meet school' science curriculum standards. Yellowstone Residential Program Visit Yellowstone National Park and explore the hear of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Students engage in hands-on exploration of predator-prey relationships, learn about the history of Yellowstone, conduct chemical tests of geothermal features, learn about Yellowstone's geologic make-up, and discover the microscopic extremophiles living in the hot waters of Yellowstone. Educator Workshops and Resources Host a MOSS educator workshop at your school! Educator workshops provide opportunities to enhance your curriculum, illustrate concepts, and build stronger relationships with and between your students and peers on any of the curriculum found in these program offerings. MOSS also offers training at the statewide Montana Educator's Accociation and Montana Environmental Education Association annual conferences each year. MOSS and partners organize community festivals each year that aim to expand participants' appreciation and understanding of the natural world. These community events are free to the public.
Scholarships are available on a financial need basis. Please contact the MOSS office for an application and more information. Montana Outdoor Science School operates under a special use permit from the USFS, Gallatin National Forest Bozeman District and by permission from generous landowners. Course Information
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