K-2 Specific Programs
Sinking Slowly
Students learn the physical characteristics of plankton while they design and create their own using craft supplies. Then students take part in a competition to see whose plankton sinks the slowest in water.
Fish Printing
Gyotaku is a traditional form of Japanese fish printing that was used by fishermen to record their catches. Students explore the external anatomy of a real fish in order to learn how they live and function in the water, and then create this ancient art with life-like rubber fish molds. The students paint one side of the fish mold with various colors and transfer the pattern onto paper or cloth to take home.
Outdoor Excursions
Students explore the treasures of Masonville Cove with bark and leaf rubbings, scavenger hunts, and nature observations with binoculars and magnifying glasses. Although the wetlands are not yet accessible, numerous gardens, a fresh water pond, a short switch-back wooden ramp through a small wooded area, and a bird observation deck are all on site.
Meet the Cove Friends
Students meet and greet our resident inhabitants (various turtles, insects, and crabs), examine our furs, bones, and snake skins on display, and role-play with our animal puppets. Students may also dissect owl pellets or make animal footprint molds from Plaster of Paris.
Chesapeake Bay Treasure Box
Students match representative living and non-living “treasures” of the Bay to clues on an ancient treasure map of the Chesapeake Bay.