At the core of your student experience, our Outdoor Education Curricula & Activities are designed to meet your classroom objectives and are primarily targeted towards elementary grades. Lessons can be tailored to meet the needs of your students and can be modified to fit your learning goals and specific student grade levels. Please review our options below and reach out to us with any questions about which curricula and activities would be the best fit for your students’ grade level and overall outdoor education experience.
Environmental Science Curricula
Forest Ecology
Student ecologists explore the cycles and systems of forests in the Pacific Northwest. Student ecologists will learn to describe the characteristics of a producer, consumer, and decomposer and model a basic food web that shows relationships between producers, consumers, and decomposers. Activities showcase native Pacific Northwest plants as well as illustrate the diversity and interdependence of plants, soil, water, habitat, and wildlife. Related Next Generation Science Standards: K-ESS3-1, K-LS1-1, 2-LS4-1, 5-LS2-1, 5-PS3-1, MS-LS2-3
Wildlife Ecology
Student ecologists learn about different kinds of wildlife that live in the Pacific Northwest and what their role is in their ecosystem. Students will learn to define adaptation and describe how different adaptations help animals live in their ecosystem. Activities involve learning about adaptations through bone examination and creating your own animal. Related Next Generation Science Standards: K-ESS3-1, K-LS1-1, 1-LS1-1, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3, 4-LS1-1, MS-LS2-1
Marine Ecology
The cold marine waters of Puget Sound and the Washington Coast are some of the most productive in the world. Student ecologists will study the intricacies of a marine environment and how they might compare to life and ecosystems on land. Student ecologists will learn to define habitat and describe what an organism needs to live and grow in its habitat through examining intertidal invertebrates on the beach at low tide. Students will also learn to describe the different tidal zones on a beach and give examples of organisms that live in those tidal zones. Related Next Generation Science Standards: K-ESS3-1, K-LS1-1, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS4-3, MS-LS2-1
Wetlands Ecology
Student ecologists will explore the diversity and dynamics of a wetland. Student ecologists will learn to describe the definition of a watershed and how water moves through one, building their own watershed. They will also learn about methods by which we can determine the health of our ecosystem by taking samples of macroinvertebrates and water. Related Next Generation Science Standards: K-LS1-1, 2-ESS2-3, 3-LS4-3, MS-ESS2-4
Soil Ecology
Forests would not be able to function without hard-working decomposers returning nutrients to the soil. Student ecologists learn about plant growth, decomposition, and soil ecology. Activities may include exploring and working in the garden, plant biology, decomposer scavenger hunts, and helping maintain our worm bin. Student ecologists will describe how nutrients and energy flow through an ecosystem as well as describe what components a plant needs in order to live and grow. Related Next Generation Science Standards: K-ESS3-1, K-LS1-1, 1-LS1-1, 2-LS2-1, 2-LS4-1, 4-LS1-1, 5-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1, 5-PS3-1, MS-LS1-6, MS-LS2-3
Geology
Student ecologists investigate different igneous rock samples to learn about the building blocks of rocks, as well as use a stream table for a hands-on exploration of weathering, erosion, and deposition. Related Next Generation Science Standards: 5-ESS2-1
Predator/Prey
Student ecologists play a combination tag/hide and seek game where they learn about predator/prey relationships and what happens when something upsets the balance of those relationships. Related Next Generation Science Standards: K-LS1-1, 3-LS2-, 3-LS4-4, 5-PS3-1, 5-LS2-1
Indigenous Peoples
Student ecologists learn about the indigenous Sx̌ʷəbabš̌ people of Vashon, their history, and their stewardship of nature. This option can involve either a food/craft-centered curriculum on-site at Camp Sealth, a field trip to the Vashon Heritage Museum to view their Sx̌ʷəbabš̌ gallery and other exhibits, or both. Please contact the Outdoor Education and Retreats Director for more information if interested. Related Next Generation Science Standards: K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3, 5-ESS3-1
Team Building
Initiatives
Student ecologists participate in field game-style team building activities and challenges that can help them get to know each other better as well as introduce basic team building and leadership skills.
Challenge Course
The challenge course is a tool for continued team-building, individual confidence building, and fostering good communication in a group of people (usually done after completing initiatives). Facilitators balance fun, teamwork, and learning through a series of physical and mental activities.
Bouldering Wall
Student ecologists climb horizontally around our water tower using climbing holds with the help of fellow students spotting them. Spotting not only keeps students safe but also provides an opportunity to practice their communication and teamwork skills learned while participating in Initiatives and the Challenge Course.
Outdoor Adventure Activities
Fire Starting
Student ecologists will practice different methods for starting a fire in a controlled and safe setting, discover how to best construct a fire for their intended purpose, and learn how to identify different kinds of firewood.
Shelter Building
Student ecologists learn which natural materials are best for building a shelter as well as best practices when building a shelter made of only natural materials. Then they test their skills by building their own. Be careful of sudden rainstorms!
Knot Tying
Student ecologists learn how knots can be helpful in their everyday lives by learning how to tie different types of knots along each knot’s intended purpose.
Compass Orienteering
Student ecologists learn how to use a compass to determine headings and the benefits of using a compass in the age of GPS. Then they test their skills in navigating our orienteering course!
Archery
Student ecologists will test their skills shooting arrows with recurved bows at our foam targets under the supervision of trained archery instructors. No prior archery experience is necessary to shoot! Archery is offered to students in grades 4 and above.
Guided Hikes
Student ecologists are led on a leisurely hike by a Camp Sealth instructor on one of Camp Sealth’s many trails. These hikes can involve different activities like plant identification, trail games, and solo walks.
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