1st & 2nd Grade – Pioneers Park Hike

Please contact your front office staff or principal to obtain the most current schedule. 

LPS Hike Scheduling for 1st and 2nd Grades

  • Hike Times: 10:00 – 11:30 and 12:30 – 2:00. The 1 hour gap is for lunch and hike prep.
  • Hike Duration is 1.5 hours.
  • Schools with 1, 2, 3 or 4 classrooms at a grade level will come as 1 group (1 field trip).
  • 4 classrooms schools will be scheduled on Wednesday or Thursday.
  • Schools with 5 classrooms at a grade level will come as 2 groups (2 field trips. One day with 3 classrooms and one day with 2 classrooms.).
  • Schools with 6 classrooms at a grade level will come as 2 groups (2 field trips with 3 classrooms each day).
  • PPNC sends out email confirmation 2 – 3 weeks prior to field trip.
  • Schools are expected to bring 2 adults (teacher + parent volunteer or para) for each classroom to satisfy standard protocol of 2 adults (1 PPNC + 1 LPS) with groups of children. Schools may not bring more than 4 adults per classroom (2 adults per group).
  • Field trips will not be cancelled due to inclement weather. PPNC provides alternative indoor programs when necessitated by weather. [We will defer to principal’s decisions]
  • Field trips will not be cancelled due to dangerous air quality indices. PPNC provides alternative indoor programs when necessary due to air quality concerns. [We will defer to principal’s decisions]

Hikes Themes and Descriptions

1st Grade Field Trips

Animal Classifications

Students explore how animals are classified into different groups using body covering, number of legs, backbone vs. exoskeleton, lungs vs. gills, etc. Specific aspects for animals (e.g. diet, migration, hibernation) are discussed as animals are encountered.

Life Cycles

Students investigate the differences in Life Cycles for Vertebrates, Invertebrates and Plants by comparing concepts such as eggs, life birth, parental care, social groups and non-social groups for organisms. Metamorphosis and thermoregulatory aspects for different animals will be introduced.

2nd Grade Field Trips

Habitats

Students discover the 4 necessary parts (food, water, shelter, space) of every Plant and Animal Habitat. Students explore Habitats in woodland, wetland and prairie systems and discuss the specific requirements for different animals and plants

Natural Energy Cycles

Starting with the sun, students will explore how plants are able to use energy from the sun to make food. They will also discuss how energy is transferred from plants to animals through food webs and differences in animal diets. There will also be discussion of how energy and resources consumed through food webs is eventually recycled back into the ecosystem via decomposition.