Elementary (Grades 3-5)
Learn with Wave Hill
Engage your class in a unique adventure at Wave Hill, during which we will venture through, and learn from, the natural world! Skilled educators work individually with each class to provide rich experiences for all.
Time of programs: 10-11:30AM
Maximum class size: 30 students
Program fee: $150; 20% discount for Title I schools
Select programs are available in your classroom during the winter. These one-hour programs include hands-on inquiry, object exploration and an interactive art component for $120 per program (20% discount for Title I schools).
Special Needs: All programs can be adapted to suit the particular learning styles of your students. Please communicate your class’s needs upon booking so that we may provide the most engaging program possible.
Reservations
All groups require a reservation in advance. To make a reservation, contact:
Amazing Mammals
Seasons offered: Fall and Spring at Wave Hill
Get a behind-the-scenes look at urban wildlife while discovering ecology, animal adaptations and the mammals of the New York metropolitan region. After learning about key differences between various local mammals and their unique adaptations, students explore their woodland habitat and analyze data from camera traps to see what kinds of mammalian visitors call Wave Hill home.
Native Knowledge
Seasons offered: Fall, Spring and Summer at Wave Hill
Students look to northeastern Native American cultures to build community with plants. Participants act as multi-sensory observers, seeing herbs for their beauty, utility and diversity. They deepen their understanding in an interactive exploration of companion planting, a woodland walk to meet plants discovered by First Nations scientists, and then practice herbalism to create natural bug repellent.
Pollination Pals
Seasons offered: Spring and Summer at Wave Hill
Visit Wave Hill’s gardens and beehives to discover the partnerships between plants and their pollinators. Students observe honeybee specimens and live relationships at work, and then explore the gardens to find flowers that attract different pollinators. As a culminating activity, students create a watercolor painting based on the flowers and pollinators they’ve seen.
Trees and Ecology
Season offered: Fall, Spring and Summer at Wave Hill; Winter (one hour in your classroom)
Join us for a creative adventure into the ecology and anatomy of trees. Students explore the parts and functions of trees, and how trees interact with and affect the ecosystems in which they live. In this lesson, students embody different stakeholders in New York’s forest ecosystem, engage in an exploratory forest walk and collaborate on an imagined ecosystem of their own.
Visualizing Nature
Seasons offered: Fall and Spring at Wave Hill
Experience dynamic works by contemporary artists on exhibit in Glyndor Gallery and natural wonders in the gardens and woodlands. Explore the connections between environment and community through an interactive class art project. Students develop their observational and descriptive language skills as they connect with Wave Hill’s inspiring galleries and gardens.
Drawn to Nature
Seasons offered: Summer at Wave Hill; Winter (one hour in your classroom)
In this program, students are invited to situate themselves in the natural world and view themselves as artists and scientists. Through nature journaling, they engage in scientific observation, creative expression and mindfulness, exploring skulls, seed pods, pressed flowers and more to create original sketches, paintings and poetry.
Self-Guided Nature Walk
Seasons offered: Fall, Spring and Summer at Wave Hill
Fee: $40 per class; 20% discount for Title I schools
Guide your class on an independent exploration of Wave Hill's gardens and grounds. Prepare for your visit by downloading the attached PDF, which offers guidelines and two activities for your class to enjoy.