Clark Botanic Garden

Workshops for Elementary School Groups

Clark Garden would like to invite students in grades K-6 to come to the garden to learn about the natural world and the importance of botanic gardens. A tour of Clark Garden is included with each workshop. Highlights on this tour include an apiary, ponds, and seasonal display beds.

Each workshop is approximately one hour. Group size is limited to 25 students. Facilities can accommodate two groups simultaneously. You must have 4 supervisory adults per class. Classes are held between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM. The fee for each course is $135. Once your trip is booked, you will be mailed a confirmation form to be signed and returned. Payment is due two weeks prior to the trip. Checks should be made payable to Clark Botanic Garden.

• POND STUDY

  Pond plants and animals must continually adjust to the changing environment of the pond, as seasons change and years go by. The web of life concept is presented in this workshop, and the children will learn the definition of producers, consumers, and decomposers. Each class will visit one of our ponds and discover the wonders of pond life. A PowerPoint presentation shows "A Day in the Life of a Clark Garden Turtle". This class is recommended for grades 3-6. Late April - October only.

• PROPAGATION

  Students will learn how plants repopulate themselves. Reproduction through seeds, runners, stem cuttings, division, and pollination will be demonstrated. Students will propagate a plant through one of the described methods, and will take their planting home to observe its development. This class is recommended for grades K-4. Year round.

• LIFE OF A PLANT

  This is a basic botany workshop where students will learn about plant parts and their functions. Each plant part will be examined and explored. Seasonal changes in the plants and their life span, including germination, reproduction, and photosynthesis, will be discussed. Students will plant their own seeds to take home and watch grow. This class is recommended for grades K-4. Year round.

• TERRIFIC TREES

  Children will learn how trees differ from other plants and how the two main classifications of trees are told apart. We will discuss the parts of the tree and how each part functions. The students will see an actual tree trunk slice to read the biography of that tree by studying its rings. The importance of trees in our environment will also be discussed. Each child will get a tree sapling to take home to plant and watch grow. This class is recommended for grades 3-6. September-November and April-June only.

• POLLINATION

  How does a flower become a fruit? A delightful animated PowerPoint presentation examines the process of pollination, motivation of pollinators, and the adaptations of bees and butterflies that make them effective at their jobs. It also illustrates the role of fruit and seeds. This class is recommended for grades 3-5. Year round.

• TERRARIUM WORKSHOP

  Each class will learn how terrariums are created and how they are related to different habitats in our environment. This workshop also explains the water cycle and environmental issues that affect our planet. Students will create their own terrarium to take home. This class is recommended for grades 2-5. Year round.