FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Contact:
214.515.6518
amarshall@dallasarboretum.org
LEARN AND GROW:
Educational Opportunities Available at the
Field Trips
The Arboretum offers a
unique, opportunity for outdoor class field trips. Reservations are required to
receive discounted school admission. Trips can be self-guided or led by an
Arboretum educator. The Adventure
Backpacks field trip, available in Spanish or English, includes an
instructional backpack filled with hand lenses, books and other learning materials
for up to 30 students to give a hands-on, learning experience. Other trips
include Wild Walkabouts, a guided program
exploring the wonders of nature on trails not open to the public,
and Tree Works, a hands-on program
that teaches about the giants of nature—trees.
The Texas
Pioneer Adventure offers the perfect
out-of-school program that integrates social studies, science and language arts
curriculum. Students explore a tepee, sod house and two settlers' cabins with
our staff educators at this nationally-recognized, two-acre exhibit. As they
record data and experiences in their explorer journals, students use their
imaginations to find practical solutions to problems faced by
Classroom Programs
Located on-site, the
Trammell Crow Visitor Education Pavilion has two classrooms, each with an
outdoor garden component, giving an opportunity for real world connections to
abstract science concepts. All classroom lab programs cost $4 per child, which
includes admission to the gardens.
Early childhood
classroom programs cater to children in pre-K through first grade, and incorporate
storytelling and hands-on activities to help youngsters learn and grow as they
explore topics such as geology in the Ready
to Rock! class or flowers and seeds in Awesome Blossoms.
The Crow Pavilion
also plays home to classroom lab programs for children from first through sixth
grades. Students can really dig into nature as science is brought to life with
all-weather, technology-enhanced programming. The Arboretum offers these older
kids ten different classes, including Adapted
for Life and Systems for Survival,
two classes that help students prepare for the science portion of the TAKS
test.
After-School Programs
For schools looking
for the Arboretum experience closer to home, arboretum teachers can visit
classrooms with after-school programs for students in the first through sixth
grades. Whether in a six-week residency or a one-time session, students will
explore nature beyond the classroom walls through hands-on activities, science
experiments, journals and nature walks. The programs last from
Outreach Classes
During the school day,
the Arboretum also offers outreach classes that send teachers from the
Arboretum to classrooms instead of the other way around, saving class time and
transportation costs. Degreed instructors teach a variety of science topics,
taking over students’ science class with hands-on education. Programs help
students prepare for the TAKS, with a TAKS/TEKS-based curriculum.
Little Sprouts
The Arboretum also
offers special programs such as Little
Sprouts, an early childhood program including a puppet show and butterfly
hunt. Little Sprouts is a free
program to all Head Start classrooms, and has hosted over 2,000 children a
year. Little Sprouts is also
available as a field trip for other pre-K and kindergarten classes.
The Dallas
Arboretum is located on the southeast shore of
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