By Brenna Archibald
Conservation Education and Outreach Coordinator, Nevada Outdoor School
WINNEMUCCA - Nevada Outdoor School (NOS) is full of exploration, excitement and critical thinking this February. Elementary students across Humboldt County are participating in animal-themed lessons this month. Students are getting hands-on opportunities to explore the many paths of science.
More than 65 classrooms are exploring animal habitats, unraveling reptile misconceptions and learning about processes needed by all forms of life on Earth.
Second-grade students this month are investigating real animal skulls! Students work to identify animal species and their eating habits based on information collected by dental and skull structure. Classes then discuss the terms carnivore, herbivore and omnivore. The lesson concludes with students studying other animal remains including pelts, scat molds and tracks. This encourages students to consider the great amount of information scientists can learn from the study of animal remains.
The fourth-grade lesson is popular this month with the assistance of a real live snake who visits each classroom! Groups of students have an opportunity to touch or hold the friendly snake, Rudy, from Great Basin College while their classmates research snake facts. Students clear up misconceptions that all snakes are dangerous and unfriendly, and discover the importance snakes have in our local environment.
NOS would like to give a special thanks to Great Basin College and Dr. Doug Hogan for their generosity in loaning Rudy for the fourth-grade lessons and their continued support of science education in northern Nevada. NOS would also like to thank Nevada Muleys for funding all the lessons this February.
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