Conservation

Classroom Programs

Polk County Conservation is putting more emphasis on getting students outdoors. Field trips take priority over classroom programs. September, October, April and May are considered field trip months. If you schedule a classroom program during one of these months, we may call to reschedule in order to make room for a field trip. We encourage you to schedule classroom programs during the winter months. Naturalists can visit your students FREE of charge.

SCHEDULING PROGRAMS
To schedule a program, please fill out the Program Request Form here and e-mail it to: Patrice.Petersen-Keys@polkcountyiowa.gov.

Program List

  • Amphibians (K-3) | 30 minutes - Find out about these smooth, wet animals that seem to magically transform from egg to adult. A live animal will be used if available. Supports Iowa Life  Science Standards.

 

  • Animal Adaptations (3-8) | 45 minutes - Students will discuss adaptations that help animals survive in their environment. Through hands-on exploration of various animal parts, they will learn how animals are uniquely adapted for their environment. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

 

  • Animal Classification (2-6) | 45 minutes - Discover what makes each group of vertebrates (animals with backbones) so special. Students will learn the characteristics of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

 

  • Animals in Winter (K-3) | 30 minutes – Students learn about migration, hibernation, and other ways animals survive the winter. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

 

  • Animals of Iowa (K-8) | 30-45 minutes - What kind of animals live in Iowa? What kind of animals used to live in Iowa? Discover the answers to these questions and more. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

 

  • Bats (3-8) | 45 minutes - Discuss the fears and myths surrounding bats. Students will learn about echolocation by participating in an activity. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

 

  • Bird Bonanza (K-8) | 30-45 minutes - Students will learn about common, and not so common, birds in Iowa. A variety of bird mounts will be used. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

 

  • Earth's Place in the Universe (5-8) | 45 minutes - Students will compare and contrast the apparent size and distance between the Earth, Moon, Sun and stars in a hands-on activity. Supports Iowa Earth/Space Science Standards. 

 

  • Eggciting Facts (K-2) | 30 minutes - Discover the wide variety of animals that develop from eggs. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

 

  • Endangered Species (3-8) | 45 minutes - Identify the factors that cause animals to become an endangered species. A live animal will be used if available. Supports Iowa Life and Earth/Space Science Standards.

 

  • Fossil Fun (2-8) | 45 minutes - Discover Iowa’s fascinating paleontological past through a rock and fossil sorting activity. Students will learn how fossils form and what kinds of fossils we find in Iowa. Supports Iowa Life and Earth/Space Science Standards.

 

  • Habitats of Iowa (K-8) | 30 minutes -Students will discuss that animals live in places where they have the things they need to survive. This includes food, water, shelter, and space. Supports Iowa Life and Earth/Space Science Standards.

 

  • Insects (K-6) | 30-45 minutes - Explore the fascinating world of insects and their bizarre ways of life. Students can go on an insect hunt in their school yard with nets provided. Live insects will be used if available. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards. 

 

  • Landforms of Iowa (4-8) | 45 minutes - Iowa is not the boring, flat state as many think it is. Discover the different features of Iowa's landscape and how they were formed. Supports Iowa Earth/Space Science Standards.

 

  • Mammals (K-8) | 30-45 minutes - Learn about mammals of Iowa's past and present using real animal pelts. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

 

  • Owls (3-8) | 45 minutes - View several taxidermy mounts and discuss how different adaptations of owls enable them to be good predators. A live owl can be brought to the program for a $50 fee. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

 

  • Patterns in the Sky (1st grade) | 30 minutes - Patterns of the sun, moon, and stars in the sky can be observed and predicted. Students will learn that these patterns help us make predictions. Supports Iowa Earth/Space Science Standards..

 

  • Pollination Celebration (2-4) | 30 minutes - Learn what type of animals are pollinators and why they are so important. Students will develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal that pollinates plants. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

 

  • Rocks (2-5)| 45 minutes - Discover how rocks can be exciting! Students will learn how rocks are formed in hands-on activities. Supports Iowa Earth/Space Science Standards.

 

  • Seeds (K-3) | 40 Minutes -Students will try to figure out how the structure of the seeds help them disperse, and how their environment affects their survival. Supports Iowa Science Life and Earth/Space Standards for Kindergarten.

 

  • Skulls (6-8) | 45 minutes - Students will observe "mystery" mammal skulls and compare and contrast the features of each skull. Students will also use their observations and recordings to identify each skull, and discuss how these physical characteristics helped the animal survive in its environment. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

 

  • Soil Science (2-4) | 45 minutes - Soil is home to millions of interesting organisms. Students will learn about the process of erosion, explore the different organisms that live in the soil and understand what makes soil important. Supports Iowa Physical and Earth/Space Science Standards. 

 

  • Spiders (K-3) | 30 minutes - Discuss different types of spiders such as web weavers and hunters. Students will learn how spiders hunt and catch their food. A live animal will be used if available. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

 

  • Reptiles (K-8) | 45 minutes - Discuss the fears and myths about these scaly critters people love to hate. Find out how reptiles smell, see, and move. A live animal will be used if available. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

 

  • Tracks (K-2) | 30 minutes - Become an “animal detective” and learn how to identify common Iowa mammal tracks. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

 

  • Trees are Terrific (K-2) | 30 Minutes - Learn all about trees, their life cycle, and seed dispersal during this program. Students will discuss different types of trees, the wildlife that use trees as a habitat, and see up close just how unique trees are! Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

 

  • Water Cycle - (2-8) | 40 minutes - Students will role-play a drop of water moving through the water cycle and will be able to identify the states of water moving through this cycle. Supports Iowa Earth/Space Science Standards.

 

  • Weather Observations (K) | 40 minutes - Students will explore and identify evidence of different types of local weather. Then they will gather evidence from their own experience and use what they learn to expand on their descriptions of different types of weather. Supports Iowa Earth/Space Science Standards.

 

  • Weather Wonders (3-8) | 45 minutes - Students will learn about weather topics such as: wind, tornadoes, clouds, humidity, temperature, pressure systems, lightning and thunder by rotating through hands-on learning stations. Supports Iowa Earth/Space Science Standards.