Field Trips

2023 & 2024 Ranger-led Programs at Sleeping Bear Dunes

Grade Level:
Lower Elementary: Pre-Kindergarten through Second Grade
Subject:
Science,Social Studies

See below for descriptions of ranger-led hikes or programs offered at Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Questions about logistics? Visit the planning page.

PreK-1st grade

Dunes Survival

 Students will learn that all living things need food, water, shelter, air and space to survive. They will discover that there are special plants and animals that live in the dunes that use their external parts to get what they need to survive. Students will understand that national parks like Sleeping Bear take care of the places where plants and animals get what they need to survive.

This program can be faciliated in two locations:

  1. One-way along the Cottonwood Trail. The bus drops the students off at the Picnic Mountain location on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and then picks up students at the Dune Climb. Requires advanced planning to shuttle chaperone vehicles.
  2. The Heritage Trail along the base of the Dune Climb.

Maritime Museum Exploration

Step back in time on a tour of the Maritime Museum. Complete a scavenger hunt and participate in a mock water resuce. 

2nd and 3rd grade 

Habitat Needs

Students will discover what plant and animal species live in or travel through the dunes here at Sleeping Bear, what factors make the dunes a challenge, and learn about the ways they adapt to survive in this harsh environment. Students will also understand that animals and plants use their adaptations to find food, water, shelter, air and space to survive.

This program can be faciliated in two locations:

  1. One-way along the Cottonwood Trail. The bus drops the students off at the Picnic Mountain location on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and then picks up students at the Dune Climb. Requires advanced planning to shuttle chaperone vehicles.
  2. The Heritage Trail along the base of the Dune Climb.

Maritime Museum Exploration

Step back in time on a tour of the Maritime Museum. Complete a scavenger hunt and participate in a mock water rescue.

Winter Experience

Students will use the Lakeshore as a placed-based example of watershed dynamics. Then they will use FREE lesson plans and their creativity to design a machine to help rangers clean microplastics off of Sleeping Bear Dunes' beaches.

4th grade

Winter Experience

Students will use the Lakeshore as a placed-based example of watershed dynamics. Then they will use FREE lesson plans and their creativity to design a machine to help rangers clean microplastics off of Sleeping Bear Dunes' beaches.

Geology

Students will learn that wind, water, and ice are the forces that drive weathering, erosion, and deposition. They will discover that some of these processes occurred long ago, and some are still occurring today. Students will make observations about the rocks and minerals that make up our sand. Students will understand that the dunes at Sleeping Bear are special and that plants that grow on them can change them, too.

This program can be faciliated in two locations:

  1. One-way along the Cottonwood Trail. The bus drops the students off at the Picnic Mountain location on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and then picks up students at the Dune Climb. Requires advanced planning to shuttle chaperone vehicles.
  2. The Heritage Trail along the base of the Dune Climb.

Maritime Museum Exploration

Step back in time on a tour of the Maritime Museum. Complete a scavenger hunt and participate in a mock water rescue.

5th grade

Winter Experience

Students will use the Lakeshore as a placed-based example of watershed dynamics. Then they will use FREE lesson plans and their creativity to design a machine to help rangers clean microplastics off of Sleeping Bear Dunes' beaches.

Dunes Food Web

Students will understand the components of a food web and how they interact. They will create a food web based off a “mini ecosystem” that was marked out along the trail. They will define “invasive species” and identify common invasive species in our area.

This program can be faciliated in two locations:

  1. One-way along the Cottonwood Trail. The bus drops the students off at the Picnic Mountain location on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and then picks up students at the Dune Climb. Requires advanced planning to shuttle chaperone vehicles.
  2. The Heritage Trail along the base of the Dune Climb.

Maritime Museum Exploration

Step back in time on a tour of the Maritime Museum. Complete a scavenger hunt and participate in a mock water rescue.

Middle School

Ecosystem Comparison

Students will compare the biotic and abiotic factors of a forest and a dune ecosystem, enabling them to discover why the dunes are a challenging, yet unique ecosystem. Students will also learn that animals and plants have developed adaptations that help them live or travel through the dunes.

This program can be faciliated in two locations:

  1. One-way along the Cottonwood Trail. The bus drops the students off at the Picnic Mountain location on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and then picks up students at the Dune Climb. Requires advanced planning to shuttle chaperone vehicles.
  2. The Heritage Trail along the base of the Dune Climb.

High School

Succession Data Collection

Succession is an important ecological process. It provides information about particular communities at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The dunes provide a wealth of information regarding succession, the health of the dunes and the apex forest.   

This program can be faciliated in two locations:

  1. One-way along the Cottonwood Trail. The bus drops the students off at the Picnic Mountain location on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and then picks up students at the Dune Climb. Requires advanced planning to shuttle chaperone vehicles.
  2. The Heritage Trail along the base of the Dune Climb.

Schedule your field-trip.

 

Contact

Education technician
email us
231-326-4735

Tags: michigan midwest nps

Last updated: February 1, 2024