Education Naturally Programs
Education Naturally is the Mississauga Garden Council's outdoor education program for students in Grades 1 through 8. (For details on other programs for young people please see Children's Programs)
Primary Selections Grades 1-3
Grade 1: Living Things
Toads and Vultures and Snakes, Oh My!”
Students discover animal and plant characteristics and patterns using sensory techniques, appropriate tools for magnification and exploratory hikes on the Mississauga Garden Park property. They are engaged in helping the Garden Park catalogue its many species.
Grade 2: Growth in Animals
“My How You’ve Grown”
Students observe various life stages of animals (e.g. toads, tadpoles) and explore their environments and learn how this helps them to maintain optimum health. They experience the tricks of “Survival” by exploring how animals adapt and change their behaviour.
Grade 3: Growth in Plants
“The Tree and Me”
Students learn about plants. primarily trees during their visit. They will explore the way trees live and their importance to the plants and animals that live in and around them.
Junior Selections Grades 4-5
Grade 4: Rocks
“Reading the Rocks”
Students examine local fossils and learn about the ecological history of ancient Silurian Seas. Mineral identification using a variety of geologic tests will take place in the MacEwan House Field Station on site. They explore Riverwood to study a variety of rocks including both local sedimentary and imported examples of metamorphic and igneous rocks.
Grade 4: Habitats
Habitats of the World
Students learn about the various habitats around the world and their common themes. At Riverwood, they examine how these themes can be found in our urban wilderness.
Grade 5: Weather
Note: The new curriculum has eliminated "Weather" but we will continue to offer it during 2008-2009.
“Is It Cold Enough For You?”
Always a topic of conversation, students learn first hand what makes weather happen. Using the MacEwan Field Station students take weather measurements including temperature, wind speed, cloud formation, precipitation and examine atmospheric presure.
New in 2008-2009
Mapping
This is a special unit developed by our staff and delivered on request. Students are involved in reading and interpreting maps as well as mapping the locations of various species seen on the property.
New in 2008-2009
Mapping
This is a special unit developed by our staff and delivered on request. Students are involved in reading and interpreting maps as well as mapping the locations of various species seen on the property.
Junior-Intermediate Selections Grades 6-8
Grade 6: Diversity
“The Living Wilderness”
Students take part in a simulation exercise where they become explorers visiting a “new wilderness”. They follow a route that visits a number of habitats. In each of these areas they observe and collect data about the life forms found in that habitat.
Grade 7: Ecology
“Working The Wild”
Students explore the feasibility of doing their wildlife and ecology research project on the MGP property. In the process they learn about the ecology of the park and the current research on the site. Their work adds to the information being gathered and become an important part of the MGC’s database.
Grade 8: Water
“Fire and Water”
Students study the fresh water environments including the Credit River and local marshes of Riverwood. Evidence of past water movements locally will be studied including Silurian Sea fossils and glacial evidence. They learn about the many ways water plays a role in the Park’s ecology and their lives.