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Conservation Garden Activity Guide
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Yuma Conservation Garden Activities
Click on the activity
in which you are interested below.
All documents are in PDF format and can be read using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Please check the Activity Matrix to
determine which activity you might want to use based on the topic presented or
the skills needed or practiced.
Garden Activity Journal: for on site visits. This link will take you to PDF copies of a generic journal to be used when visiting the Garden. Copy the pages and assemble in the numbered order. It is designed to provide space for 3 activities, notes and a visit evaluation. A "clothespin necklace" will be provided at the Garden for students to use during their visit to keep their journal papers organized and hands free for activities.
This table below is designed to assist groups to select activities to do while at the Garden. Almost all the activities can be modified for any grade level. The grade level column to the right indicates the level that most closely matches the Arizona Articulated Science Standard for content and most of the activities incorporate Inquiry Strand One. Many of these activities will also assist in teaching Performance Objectives in many content areas other than science. A planned Garden visit can incorporate a full days curriculum for a class.
Activity Title |
Description | Grade(s) | Science Content Strand | Other Content Areas |
Collect and observe pond water samples | 1, 6, 7, 8, HS | 1, 4 | ||
Use microscopes and hand lenses to observe microscopic life | K, 1, 6, 7, 8 | 1, 4 | ||
Identify producers and consumers in an aquatic food chain | 3, 4, 7 | 4 | ||
Collect and filter pond water samples | 6, 7, HS | 1 | ||
5. Parts Per Million | Explore mathematical concept of parts per million | HS | 1 | Math |
Measure and compare water temperature at varying depths in the pond | HS | 1 | Math | |
Estimation perimeter and area of an irregular shape | 6, 7, 8 | 1 | Math | |
Explore pond water quality including pH | 6 | 1,5 | ||
Animals and their adaptations to desert climate | 1, 2, 4, 6 | 4 | ||
Plant and animal relationships of symbiosis, commensalisms, mutualism and parasitism | 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, HS | 4 | ||
Compare and contrast adaptations of the tortoise and jack rabbit | K, 1 | 1 | Reading | |
Identify animal tracks | K, 2, 6 | 1, 4 | ||
Plant and animal interdependence | 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, HS | 1, 4 | ||
Observe evidence of life in the Garden | K, 1, 4, 7, 8 | 1, 4 | ||
15. Mr. Arthropod's Neighborhood | Arthropod identification | 4, 7, 8 | 1, 4 | |
16. Polar Bears in Yuma! | Animal to climate adaptation | 4, 6, 7, 8, | 1, 4 | |
Study desert riparian habitats | 4, 7 | 1, 4 | ||
Vocabulary associated with riparian habitats | 7 | 1, 4 | Reading, Writing | |
19. Ants | Observe and describe ant behavior in a natural setting | K, 1, 2 | 1, 4 | Writing |
20. Desert Plants | Observe and describe desert plant adaptations | 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 | 1, 4 | Writing |
21. What Leaf is This? | Observe and classify leaf structures | 3, 4, 6 | 1, 4 | |
22. How Big is That Cactus? | Measure cactus heights using a variety of methods | 6, 7, 8 | 1, 4 | Math |
23. Exploring the Desert | Sketch and describe desert plant characteristics | 3, 6, 7 | 1, 4 | Writing, Art |
24. Cactus Kids | Collection and storage of water by cactus | 3, 4, 6, HS | 1, 4 | |
25. Desert Trees Are Terrific | Examination of tree adaptations to desert climate | 3, 4, 6, 7, HS | 1, 4 | |
26. YCG Detective Agency | Examine cause and effect relationships | 7, 8, HS | 1 | Writing |
27. Habitats of the Conservation Garden | Examine different habitat zones in the Garden | K, 1, 4, 7, HS | 1, 4 | |
28. Fibonacci Patterns in Desert Flora | Analyze plant growth patterns | HS | 1, 4 | Math |
29. Litter Analysis | Analyze litter in the Garden | K, 1, 4 | 1,3 | |
30. Mapping a Pond | Create a map of the pond area | 6 | 1 | Social Studies Math |
Create underwater topographic map | 6 | 1 | Social Studies Math | |
Construct a contour map of a hill | 6 | 1 | Social Studies Math | |
Examine all that exists in a small area of the Garden | 1, 3, 4, 7 | 1, 4, 6 | ||
Classify and identity rocks | K, 3, 7 | 1, 6 | ||
35. Mineral Lotto | Play a game to learn about minerals in rocks | 3, 7 | 6 | |
36. What Settles First, Sand or Rocks? | Examine sediments from a pond sample | 6 | 1, 6 | |
37. Rock Hounds | Classify rocks using multiple attributes | K, 1, 6, 7, | 1, 6 | |
Record and compare temperatures in different locations | 6, HS | 1,6 | Math | |
Identify natural objects that could be used as simple machines or tools | K | 1, 5 | ||
Study ecosystem relationships | 6, 7, HS | 1, 4 | Writing Art | |
Identify location of objects in the Garden | All | 1 | ||
Read stories about history of the region | 3, 6 | 2, 3 | Reading | |
43. Characters Sketches | Examine antique farm machinery | K, 6 | 1, 6 | |
44. Aliens in the Garden (Weeds) | Use map skills to locate weeds in the Garden | 3, HS | 3, 4 | Social Studies |
45. Simple Machines | Identify simple machines as used in antique farm machinery | 6 | 1, 5 | |
46. Off Road Vehicle | Examine impact of off road vehicle use and its impact on the fragile desert environment | 4, HS | 1, 3 | |
47. Letter to Farmer Hank | Examine antique farm equipment, predict uses and write a letter to "Farmer Hank" for verification | All | 1, 5 | Writing |
48. Air Quality | Study of air particulates in the Garden environment | 4, HS | 1, 3, 6 | |
49. Shapes | Identify shapes in the everyday objects in the Garden | K, 1 | 1, 5 | Math |
50. How Much Water and Soil Is There? | Discover how limited our soil and water resources are by using an apple or water analogy | 4 - 12 | 1, 3, 4 | Math |
51. Oh Coyote! | Examine changes in a species with changes in its habitat | 4 - 12 | 1, 4 |