1st Graders Learn the Ways of Barn Owls
First grade students at Independence, Fries and and Grayson Highlands School learned about barn owls in this month’s K-2 Reading Program.
Volunteer Sarah Osborne read the book Barn Owls, and used talons and feathers from the BRDC collection to engage students in the study of these nocturnal raptors.
First grade students at Independence, Fries and and Grayson Highlands School learned about barn owls in this month’s K-2 Reading Program.
Volunteer Sarah Osborne read the book Barn Owls, and used talons and feathers from the BRDC collection to engage students in the study of these nocturnal raptors. Mrs. Osborne also used the Cornell Lab’s Merlin Bird ID app to play the sounds of the barn owl. After answering questions such as “What do barn owls eat?” and “How old do they get?”, the class played a rousing game of Owl Bingo.
The purpose of the Reading Program is to enrich nature discovery in grades K-2, using stories and illustrations based on the treasures of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This program uses nonfiction, imaginative tales and hands on activities, both indoors and out, to encourage curiosity and build relationships with the natural world.
This school year, BRDC will be offering the program to all first grade classes, once a month. Each month, students will have the opportunity to learn about the habitat, ecology, biological diversity and life cycle of a variety of plants, animals and ecosystems. The November program will feature a book and activity about trees. What a fun way to discover the world around us!
BRDC Partners with Grayson County Schools
We are pleased to announce our partnership with Grayson County Public Schools to connect local youth to the Blue Ridge through hands-on programs with students, providing grade specific SOL’s and STEM learning concepts. The $10,000 award from Grayson County Schools for the 2016-17 school year, supported by matching funds and volunteer support from BRDC, will reach students across the school system and enrich the public school experience through hands-on and interest-driven activities.
We are pleased to announce our partnership with Grayson County Public Schools to connect local youth to the Blue Ridge through hands-on programs with students, providing grade specific SOL’s and STEM learning concepts. The $10,000 award from Grayson County Schools for the 2016-17 school year, supported by matching funds and volunteer support from BRDC, will reach students across the school system and enrich the public school experience through hands-on and interest-driven activities.
BRDC will engage students at several grade levels, utilizing proven programs that teach critical thinking skills through independent learning opportunities, and integrate field trips that introduce our youth to the amazing resources in their backyards. These programs will provide creative and fun opportunities for students to engage their surroundings, look closer, question, and share their findings with others while exploring the wonders in their backyards, parks, forests, fields, rivers and mountains.
BRDC will offer a variety of programs including a reading program for Kindergarden-2nd grade that will encourage student’s curiosity and builds relationships with the natural world, while enhancing listening and reading comprehension skills. Focusing on nature discovery using nonfiction, imaginative tales and hands on activities, the program will bring the treasures of the Blue Ridge to life in the classroom and excite the students’ minds.
4th grade students will participate in The Natural Heritage Program, exploring all aspects of the natural history of the Blue Ridge mountains. Through classroom sessions and field trips, students will study plants and animals in their environment. Through observation and discovery, they will deepen their connection to the region we call home.
Avian Adventures, a citizen science project for 7th graders, will increase awareness of the rich, diverse avifauna of the Blue Ridge region. The program will provide an in-depth study on all aspects of bird life and the potential life-long hobby of birding, and inspire students to become more familiar with the creatures in their own backyards and beyond.
High school students will integrate science and art with a detailed, species specific, illustration study called Blue Ridge Illustrated. Students will explore an area and through observation, specimen sampling, and field sketching, collecting information on the flora or fauna of the area. The students will investigate the life history of the specimens through detailed drawings, literature, and observation. The result is deep engagement with the subject and pride in the end piece of artwork.
Other programs include Trout in the Classroom, an interdisciplinary program for 7th grade combining science, social studies, and math, where students raise trout from eggs to fingerlings for release in the spring; The National Fishing in the Schools Program teaches 9th graders life sciences by investigating water quality and introducing students to the hobby of fly fishing; a Bio-survey for High School Biology or Ecology, where students learn how to conduct a scientific research project from hypothesis, through protocol and implementation, to publication; and an annual Science Fair.
All of these programs explore the rich diversity of the Blue Ridge and help students appreciate these resources, developing critical thinking skills, and inspire deeper engagement in the natural world.