​Project Based Learning Electives provided by the Berrien Springs Virtual Academy​​​​
GVNCP: Habitats and Wildlife                                                  Spring 2021
​Students and teachers must be able to readily switch to online lessons at any point in the semester in order to register for classes. All students must complete a project for these classes.

Teacher:  Zoe Elrick   269-612-8172  
galienvalley@gmail.com
www.z-hub.org/galienvalleyncp.html
Format: In-person

  ***Please email instructor that you signed up for this class.***


Habitats and Wildlife
Locations: Fernwood Botanical Gardens 13988 Range Line Road, Niles, MI 49120
Warren Dunes State Park 12032 Red Arrow Hwy, Sawyer, MI 49125
Galien River Park 17424 Red Arrow Hwy, New Buffalo, MI 49117
Mud Lake Bog 905 E. Elm Valley Rd, Buchanan, MI 49107
Warren Wood State Park Elm Valley Rd, Three Oaks, MI 49128

Time: Wednesdays,  2 - 4 PM    
Start Date: Jan. 27 Feb 10, Feb 17, Mar 10, Mar 17, Apr 14, Apr 21, Apr 28
Ages: 6-18

Description:  Class is all outdoors. Dress for weather. Class will not be indoors. This class is both informative and fun! Come enjoy the winter and early spring outdoors of southern Berrien County from Warren Dunes to Fernwood, explore its natural habitats - it’s prairies, woodlands, and wetlands. Learn about nature through a variety of hands-on nature-exploration skills and 4 habitats. To keep warm in the winter and early spring, we’ll be moving and hiking and doing brief nature-exploration activities. Parents Needed to be in Class. One or two parents (or adult relatives) must attend class with student(s), per family. The parents / adult relatives are to help guide their kid(s) along nature trails. Along nature trails, there will be designated spots for each family to take turns to stop at, to do a brief nature activity with their kid(s). Habitats and Wildlife Topics include: Southwest Michigan local habitats; Prairies; Lake and Dunes; Woodlands; and Wetlands; Nature Journal; Deep-Sensing Nature; Tracking and Awareness; Plant Identification; and Local Plants and Animals. Plus, each class day, students get to enjoy the features, plants, animals, and nature at various locations. During each class, students will be outdoors, studying nature. Habitats and Wildlife – 4 Habitat Units are Prairies; Lake and Dunes; Wetlands; and Woodlands.

(Required) Required to bring to class (provided by student/family): Dress for outdoor weather. Mask. Little Bottle of Hand Sanitizer. Pencils, paper, and a storage clipboard with a 3-ring binder inside the storage. Bottle of Drinking Water. (Snacks optional)
Syllabus

​*Please note: it is important to make as informed a decision as possible when choosing your student's Community Resource classes. Most locations will allow a student to drop a class after one meeting, at no charge if it wasn't a good fit for the student, but not all. Some classes plan ahead based on the number that have signed up and have purchased materials, hired teachers, etc. and there might be a fee for class time or materials given to the student if the student drops after one or two meetings. The school cannot pay for classes that students do not complete, so choose wisely; if you do not take the class off of your student's schedule by the deadline, you may be asked to pay for the class time incurred prior to dropping the class.
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Teacher of Record: ​Tom Hurst