Kindergarten

Earthseekers is a year-long environmental education program at Tayamentasachta for kindergartners, The aim is to connect Tayamentasachta, school, and home to create a comprehensive learning experience. At Tayamentasachta, the students are introduced to the puppet Mother Nature and her Wonder Trunk. Through seasonal activities using the five senses, the students train to become “certified Earthseekers”. This program also provides students the knowledge necessary to safely explore the outdoors.

First Grade

“‘Whooo’ takes care of the Earth” is the first grade environmental education program. It introduces students to OWL, a puppet who leads them on a magical adventure. Along the way, students participate in learning activities designed to enhance the use of their senses in nature. The first graders also learn the difference between living and non-living objects found in the natural world. To generate a caring attitude toward the Earth, each first grade class visiting Tayamentasachta plants a tree at the center.

Second Grade

The Earth Encounters program is a series of outdoor lessons designed to provide second graders with concrete experiences which demonstrate the interdependence of all things in nature. The students meet a new puppet, Rawena, the everything maker. Rawena guides students to activities which focus on complex concepts such as soil building, the water cycle, and the gas cycle in a manner consistent with with the developmental stage of second grade students. A clear understanding of interrelationships at an early age creates patterns of environmentally conscious actions actions throughout life.

Third Grade

“The Earth: Whose Home?” is a nature study experience that introduces third graders to both large and small communities such as forests, fields, and marshes. Role playing serves a large portion of the program while other activities require hands-on experiences with the Earth. The program concentrates on how organisms are dependent upon certain communities for their home and needs.

Fourth Grade

Earth Caretakers is a program where fourth graders spend a full day at Tayamentasachta. The program requires the students to solve a riddle to find out how Earth Caretakers respond when the Earth asks for their help. They explore and discover some of the wonders of the natural world and learn about the flow of energy and food chains. Earth Caretakers introduces the learner to the secret of solitude- spending time alone with the elements of life which provides a unique opportunity to reflect on one’s relationship with the natural world. Most importantly, the students are asked to make a personal commitment to change some environmentally unsound habits. The program continues in the classroom with several follow-up activities.

Fifth Grade

Earthkeepers is a magical learning adventure designed for fifth grade students. This three-day program helps young people understand the life support systems and develop a personal relationship with the Earth and its life. The program deals with four basic ecological concepts: The flow of energy, the cycling of materials, the interrelating of life and the changing of form. Participants also experience the richness of the Earth through first-hand contact with the natural world. Another important component of the program is personal lifestyle, committing to individual changes that reduce impact upon the systems of life.
Becoming an Earthkeeper is an important task and each learner is rewarded after each step with a special key. These keys open boxes, each of which contain a secret meaning of nature. As the learners earn four keys for their key rings, they not only discover how life functions ecologically on Earth, they find out how they are both part of our environmental problems and solutions.

Sixth Grade

“Discover the Earth” is an Earth education program designed for sixth graders. It focuses on discovery and understanding the importance of diversity of life on our planet Earth. The students visit the environmental center three times, in the Fall, Winter, and Spring, for two hours each. During each visit, the students experience discovery and solitude enhancement activities.