Outdoor School Course Descriptions & Activities

Academies are 3 day/ 2 night visits.
Excursions are a single day visit.
Units will be modified for excursions/day visits.

Elementary Curriculum

Aquatic Biology: Students will use a multitude of tools collect data and macroinvertebrates to determine water quality hands-on in South Llano River.

Understanding Watersheds: Students will build a model to determine watershed, interact with a rainfall simulator, learn about the riparian zone and identify its plants and how they affect the river.

Astronomy: Discover the phases of the moon, and relative positions of the Earth, Moon and Sun. Identify constellations and use a telescope to look at the night's sky.

Night Predation: Dissect an owl pellet and learn about the adaptations of the great horned owl, before going on an evening hike to look for owls.

Hiking/Naturalist: Learn hands-on about the native species on our campus as we identify and discover their interconnected relationships and their adaptations to the environment.

Geology: A field adventure where students use tools to learn about minerals, sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rock and their characteristics.

Pedology: Students compare texture and permeability of soil samples, soil properties, and perform soil tests hands-on.

Quail CSI: An in-depth investigation on adaptations as students determine predation of quail nests by looking for clues.

Teambuilding: Using the three C's (communication, cooperation, and commitment) students learn to function together as a group to accomplish goals on our low ropes course.

Biodiversity: Students will examine the interconnection of life and develop an appreciation for the effects on human actions.

Circuits: Apply concepts about electricity and energy to build a variety of electrical circuits using renewable and nonrenewable resources.

Lepidoptery: Learn the wonder of the butterfly's lifecycle and adaptations before embarking on an outdoor adventure capturing butterflies.

Orienteering: A scavenger hunt designed to apply compass and map skills.

 

Secondary Curriculum

Aquatic Biology: River Study: While navigating the South Llano River by kayak, students use a multitude of data and macroinvertebrates to determine water quality hands-on.

Field Ornithology: After studying bird anatomy, students will go into the field to observe and identify Texas Hill Country birds.

Quail Necropsy: Students will examine and identify the internal structures of a bobwhite quail.

Wind Energy: Students are engineers in discussion of the pros and cons of energy sources before building and testing their own wind turbine model.

Advanced Pedology: Students use the scientific method and tools to examine properties of soil and the vegetation it sustains.

Advanced Watersheds: Study land/water interface and discover the importance of a healthy riparian.

Photovoltaic Cells: This unit focuses on harnessing the sun's energy using photovoltaic cells and electronic equipment.

Stream Flow: Students become hydrologists and use integrated science and mathematics to determine the velocity of the South Llano River.