Program Highlights
This interactive school program was developed specifically for students in grades two and three, based on the latest Atlantic curriculum outcomes. It encourages student participation in activities that show how native plants and animals develop and encourages students to compare and contrast those developments.
Step into the role of a botanist, conduct tests and record your results, engage with museum specimens and exhibits! Using engaging, hands-on activities, students will be introduced to the concept of lifecycles for both plants and animals. Starting with a group discussion, students will move through activities in small groups to discover what resources Nova Scotia plants and animals need to develop throughout their lifecycle stages.
Curriculum Outcome Links
Science - Grade 2
Outcome 2: Students will compare, in detail, stages in the life cycles of different animals.
- Ask questions about animal growth.
- Make observations and record data on the life cycle and growth of animals.
- Identify and describe similarities and differences between life cycles of familiar animals.
Science - Grade 3
Outcome 2: Students are expected to explore and investigate plant growth and changes in various conditions.
- Ask questions about plant growth.
- Make observations and record data about the life cycle and growth of a plant.
- Observe and describe how (living) things affect and are affected by plants.
Program Length
90 min
Program Capacity
- 2 classes (60 students maximum)
- 1 chaperone for every 5 students
Cost
The charge for this program is $3.55 per student which includes the tax. The teachers are admitted free of charge. One chaperone is admitted free for every five students (1:5 ratio).
Activities
10 minutes: Introduction
The program begins with a group introductory discussion on what plants and animals need to grow. Facilitated through visual examples of plants, animals and their needs, the students will examine what plants and animals need to grow and be healthy, and how this connects to their lifecycle.
35 minutes: Animal Life Cycles
In small groups, students will be introduced to several native animals from Nova Scotia and their lifecycles. Students will compare the ways in which the animals develop as they move through the museum’s exhibits, interacting with Museum specimens and observing live animals.
35 minutes: Plant Life Cycles
In four smaller groups, students will take on the role of botanists and rotate through a series of stations studying plant growth and development. Through hands-on investigations and experiments, students will record their observations on seeds, roots, leaves and flowers.
10 minutes: Conclusion
In a concluding activity, students will each be given a picture that represents one life stage of an animal or plant. They will then be challenged to work together to group themselves into complete life cycles.
Information and Reservations
This program is fully booked for the fall. To book a visit in April, May and early June 2024, please email mnhgroups@novascotia.ca