Nature Exchange

Target Learners: Grades K-7

Students are encouraged to explore the natural world around them through a trading process. Students are to investigate nature around them, whether it be in their backyard or around their community, and record their findings in a nature journal. These journals will be marked, and points rewarded based on effort. Once the points are collected, they can be traded for a prize.

Nature Journals can contain pictures, thoughts and research.

Example: If the student sees a fox outside their window while eating breakfast, they can draw a picture or take a photo of the fox and record what they saw (“I saw a red fox with a white-tipped tail in my yard this morning.”)

The students will get points based on the amount of effort put into the nature journal. Students are encouraged to research the items in their journals and record that information as well (“The red fox lives in shrublands and meadows, they eat small rodents, birds and insects, and they are active from dusk to dawn. They live to be around 10 years old, have been known to have up to 12 pups, and their natural predator is the coyote.”) 

Based on the size of the class, we will limit the number of pages in nature journals being marked to 2-5 to ensure everyone gets their pages marked, points rewarded, prizes picked, and still have time to explore the museum.

Students are more than welcome to continue working on their nature journals and can bring them back later to gain more points to trade.

Students will also be given a scavenger hunt to complete. All the items can be found around the museum.

Curriculum Connections: Demonstrating curiosity and a sense of wonder about the world, experience and interpreting the local environment.