Our desert is the perfect classroom.
And your kids can experience a fun and engaging lesson at a free nature day hosted by the Cooper Center for Environmental Learning (AKA, Camp Cooper) in partnership with the University of Arizona and Tucson Unified School District on Saturday.
Families with children ages 3-6 can explore the desert on a guided nature walk as part of a new initiative to help early childhood education students learn how to teach science.Β
First-graders from Lineweaver Elementary School get a chance to touch the bottom portion of a Saguaro cactus in the desert during a hike on a school field trip at Camp Cooper, 5403 W. Trails End Road in Tucson, AZ. on October, 2017.
Kids will get to meet two Cooper Center celebrities, Ziggy and Elvis β friendly king snakes β as well as participate in hands-on activities to learn about our natural surroundings.
In other words, this isn't your typical boring classroom lesson.Β
On the 40-minute walk, led by student teachers in the UA Early Childhood Education program, plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert will serve as jumping off points for informal lessons.Β
Six exploration centers along the trail will engage kids. They'll participate in nature rubbings to teach them to look closely at what's around them in nature, a scavenger hunt to explore shapes and colors and lessons on how to classify different kinds of rocks.Β
The event is designed to help kids develop a personal and positive connection with nature using inquiry-based teaching model, which uses shared experiences, questions and scenarios to engage kids to explore while actively building knowledge.Β
Lineweaver Elementary School first-grader Jada Kendricks and her classmates enjoy a refreshing "car-wash" water-spraying activity by the adults during a field trip to Camp Cooper at 5403 W. Trails End Road in Tucson on October, 2017.
"Our hope is that Family Nature Day will give kids and families a fun, safe way to get outside together, be curious and explore the Sonoran Desert," said Beau Vezino, a graduate research and teaching assistant at the UA and creator of the event. "But beyond that, our goal is to help UA student teachers practice giving inquiry-based science lessons for young children. This is a chance for them to teach in and about the natural world and see first-hand why it's important to take students outside to connect with nature."
If you go
What: Family Nature Day
When: 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Cooper Center for Environmental Learning, 5403 W. Trails End Road
Cost: Free
Info: Bring sack lunches, sun hats and water. The 40-minute walk begins at 10:30 a.m., followed by a picnic and other activities. RSVP here.
