The St. Charles Park District has partnered with Community Unit School District #303 to offer programs that correlate to specific Natural Science Units.

Kindergarten – Recycling Program
Have the “Trash Lady” come to your classroom to talk about recycling, have the kids practice recycling and recognizing what can and cannot be recycled.

Length of program: 45-1 hour
Location: Classroom
Offered: Winter (generally Feb-Mar), two classes/program, morning or afternoon
Cost: $30/program

First Grade – Seeds and Cycles
Flowers, flowers everywhere! First graders come out to learn about the parts of the flower, how they are pollinated, seed dispersal and even get to plant native seeds!

Length of program: 1 ½ hours
Location: Campton Hills Park
Offered: Spring (Late April - May), up to 2 classes morning or afternoon
Cost: $3/student

Second Grade – Bug Biographies (New in 2008!)
What is an insect and where does it live? Students explore in woods, water and fields to see if they can find a variety of insects, learn about the life cycle and how we benefit from some “yucky” bugs!

Length of Program: 1 ½ hours
Location: Timber Trails Park
Offered: Spring (May), up to 2 classes morning or afternoon
Cost: $3/student

Third Grade – Native Illinois
From under water to covered in ice, Illinois has been through many changes that have produced a variety of natural resources. These resources have attracted the Native Americans and other settlers to this region and help them to survive. Students “walk” the timeline to a dig site, where they can unearth artifacts from various geologic eras. They will also visit a wigwam site and participate in activities that Native American children would have done. Thank you to the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Greater St. Charles Education Foundation for financially supporting this program.

Length of Program: 2½ hours
Location: Campton Hills Park
Offered: Fall (Last week of October – November), up to 2 classes morning or afternoon
Cost: $4/student

Fourth Grade – Forest Ecology
To understand forest ecology, students must look at the different pieces that make up a forest. Students look at the five layers of the forest, learn about the food web and how animals survive there. They also investigate the soil and logs as they discover how everything is related and recycled. Finally, they learn to identify different trees and their parts.

Length of Program: 2 hours
Location: Delnor Woods
Offered: Fall (Last week of September - October), up to 2 classes morning or afternoon
Cost: $4/student

Fifth Grade Program – Wetland Study
Jump in, the water’s fine! Students will learn what makes a wetland a wetland and how it differs from a creek habitat. They will look at food webs, wetland creatures and feel the gushy soil! And of course, they will get wet as they get in the creek to catch critters and determine water quality.

Length of Program: 2 - 2 ½ hours
Location: Otter Creek Bend
Offered: Fall (September), up to 2 classes morning or afternoon
Cost: $4/student

Seventh Grade Program – Fragile Fragments
Immerse your students in an ecosystem and see how they rate its quality. With green space becoming a premium, Kane County has decided to try and save corridors of open space and to protect or restore these areas. Students spend a day investigating the plants, soil, creatures and abiotic components that make up an ecosystem through data collection, experiments and games. They evaluate the site for suitability for a specific animal and perform restoration efforts specific to their habitat. Students complete the day by comparing their ecosystem with another ecosystem and discussing the importance of saving green space. Thank you to the St. Charles Community Unit School District 303, the St. Charles Education Foundation and the Wal-mart Foundation for financially supporting this program.

Length of Program: 5 ½ hours (full day field trip), maximum 150 students
Location: Campton Hills Park
Offered: Spring (May)
Cost: $7/student

For more information or to schedule a program, please call 513-4347.

With the assistance of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois State Museum, the Park District's Naturalist Office has enhanced and developed natural science programs that correlate with the St. Charles School District's curriculum.