Students will hike through native oak, riparian, and coastal sage scrub ecosystems. Along the way, they will study ecology, investigate plant and animal adaptations, and identify edible and useful plants. They will also visit the park zoo which specializes in native animals.
NGSS Standards Supported:
4-LS1-1., 4-LS1-2., 4-ESS1-1., 4-ESS3-2., 4-ESS3-1.
Scat
Students will examine scat from several different animals and compare and contrast how different structures support survival and growth in native animals.
Live Animals
Students will see and touch live program animals representative of those found locally and learn how important adaptations are for their survival.
Zoo
Students will take a guided tour of the zoo and make observations and inferences to discover the adaptations of California native animals. They will also show their naturalist the different animals’ external survival adaptations using various hand signs.
Geology
Students will explore the complex patterns of rocks, minerals, and geologic structures in the riparian and coastal sage scrub ecosystems.
Fire Ecology
Students will explore the recent burn area and learn about the ecosystem adaptations for fire through hands-on learning.
Plant Uses
This station will be taught again once the plants recover from the Canyon Fire 2.
Students will go on a plant scavenger hunt and identify plants in the coastal sage scrub ecosystem. They will experience how Native Americans use plants for living and how animals also use plants for food and shelter.
Site Details
Location: Irvine Regional Park - Click
here for a map to the site. The address is on the map.
Time: Full day site 9:00 am - 2:30 pm
Parking: $3.00 per vehicle
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Visit OC Parks
website for Irvine Regional Park
