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Each subject we teach has a Teacher's Guide to provide you with background information you may find useful in preparing your lessons in anticipation of our visit. You may request this guide when you complete your request for service in the spring.
We also invite you to make use of our Teacher's Linking Kits. These kits are components of our Baylands, Foothill, Marine, Earthquake Geology, and Nature in Your Neighborhood programs. These concept-bridging units include EV materials and instructions. They are used by the teacher between the classroom presentation and field trip. They are delivered and picked-up by The EVs.
Our Environmental Education collection includes books and videos to help teachers, parents and youth group leaders teach about the environment. It is housed in the ACTERRA's Environmental Library, in our building, at 3921 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, and includes natural science reference books, and children's books. You may use resources in the library or check them out with an ACTERRA library card. Librarians' help is available many weekday afternoons.
The following sections are descriptions of school services for which teachers may sign up. Our docents receive special training in order to best present lessons to your students, from backyard snoops to far away field trips.
Once you've seen what kinds of services we offer, the next step is to sign up for the service that best matches your grade level standards or interest.
Please remember to read and accept our Service Agreement before signing up for a service.
Baylands Ecology
How can a salt marsh harvest mouse survive in all that salty wetness? How does salinity shape the lives of salt marsh plants and animals? Can you find the bay by smell alone? What does the scent of a bay tell us about the health of that environment? Healthy bays contain an abundance of life as well as decay. Knowing about the health and interrelationships of this environment also teaches children why the San Francisco Bay is one of the largest significant estuaries in the world.
We will look at the animals and plants of the diverse Baylands ecosystem, its history and its importance to our region.
Presentation only: Grades 1 & up: 1.5-hour in-class presentation --
$130 for class sizes of 24 students or less. $160 for class sizes between 25 and 32 students.
Presentation with Field Trip: Grades 1 & up: 1.5 hour in-class presentation, 2 hour field trip to the Palo Alto Baylands --
$215 for class sizes of 24 students or less. $260 for class sizes between 25 and 32 students.
Forest & Foothills Ecology
"It was moving fast, probably scared". Learning how to "read" tracks and "see" animals who stay invisible is only one of the many stimulating activities offered through this program. How an owl flies silently and a hawk can find its prey from high in the sky, are also part of the Foothills learning adventure. What does a tooth tell us about an animal's diet? Why has a weed, like plantain, become a key component of a local food web? To fully appreciate nature we must understand the significance of all its aspects.
We will identify the interaction and adaptation of species in a Foothill environment, and share an appreciation for organisms and plant communities.
Presentation only: Grades 1 & up: 1.5-hour in-class presentation --
$130 for class sizes of 24 students or less. $160 for class sizes between 25 and 32 students.
Presentation with Field Trip: Grades 1 & up: 1.5 hour in-class presentation, 2 hour field trip to Huddart Park, Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve or Steven's Creek Park --
$215 for class sizes of 24 students or less. $260 for class sizes between 25 and 32 students.
Please note: Jasper Ridge does not allow carpools; bus transportation only. Only 3rd grade and above can request a field trip to this site.
Marine Ecology
How can the largest mammals on earth survive by feeding on microscopic life? What if the kelp ecosystem disappeared? Where does the salt in oceans come from? How does the moon influence the tides? Do animals from inertial zones interrelate? Is living in a tide pool easy? The marine program teaches about the physical and biological world of beaches and tides as well as the fascinating, often exotic looking inhabitants.
We will focus on human impact on the ocean environment, adaptations of marine animals and plant life, and tidal action.
Presentation only: Grades 3 & up: 1.5-hour in-class presentation --
$130 for class sizes of 24 students or less. $170 for class sizes between 25 and 32 students.
Presentation with Field Trip: Grades 3 & up: 1.5 hour in-class presentation, 2 hour field trip to Fitzgerald Marine Reserve tide pools --
$215 for class sizes of 24 students or less. $260 for class sizes between 25 and 32 students.
Due to tides, Marine field trip dates are VERY limited.
Earthquake Geology and Preparedness
An exploration of California geology must include what is going on above and below the earth's surface. The structure and formation of plates, magnetic fields, magma cycling, soil composition and volcanoes play crucial roles in when and where earthquakes will occur. Californians must be prepared mentally and physically to deal with the inevitable outcome of living along and on top of active faults.
We will present interactive models, specially designed by The EV, teach about earthquake geology, plate tectonics and earthquake preparedness.
Presentation only:Grades 4 & up: 1.5-hour in-class presentation --
$130 for class sizes of 24 students or less. $160 for class sizes between 25 and 32 students.
Presentation with Field Trip: Grades 4 & up: 1.25-hour in-class presentation, 2-hour field trip to the Los Trancos Earthquake Trail --
$215 for class sizes of 24 students or less. $260 for class sizes between 25 and 32 students.
Nature in Your Neighborhood (Urban Ecology)
There is a hidden world of birth, life and death within a crack in the sidewalk. A small patch of soil contains an array of food webs. Understanding how animals (raccoons, squirrels, birds, worms and insects) and plants co-exist with humans, thrive in backyards, community parks and vacant lots is an essential lesson that will form a basis for appreciation of all environments.
We will look at the way nature is incorporated into our everyday life, and the adaptation of wildlife to neighborhood surroundings. Includes a "field trip" through the schoolyard.
Grades K-2: 1.5 hour in-class presentation, 1.5 hour ‘Schoolyard Snoop’ --
$215 for class sizes of 24 students or less. $260 for class sizes between 25 and 32 students.
All About Birds
Why is a bird not a mammal? What is "birdness"? What kinds of birds are typically found in our local suburban and urban areas? How can they make such complex nests using only their beaks and feet? How are eggs made, and how do the egg's insides change to hatch out a baby bird? These questions, and many more, are answered through our All About Birds program.
We will investigate the birds' niche in our environment and their adaptations, coloration, feeding and nesting habits.
Grades K-2: 1.5 hour in-class presentation --
$130 for class sizes of 24 students or less. $160 for class sizes between 25 and 32 students.
Water Science and Conservation
A drop of water cycles from air, to ground, to you. The journey is an exciting adventure that teaches children the value of the water they consume. The components of water and how they change in to a liquid, gas or solid state make water the wonder chemical. Human uses of water to maintain life, grow food and produce goods must be carefully balanced to keep the environment viable. Learning ways to keep that balance is an important lesson The EVs teach. The history of California water is a story of intrigue, political maneuvering and magnificent engineering feats making water the key element in the future success or failure of this state.
We will detail the water cycle, pollution, water chemistry, and wise ways to use water as well as the importance of water to all life.
Grades 1 & up: 1.5 hour in-class presentation --
$130 for class sizes of 24 students or less. $160 for class sizes between 25 and 32 students.
Early California Indian Life: An Environmental Focus
In a much earlier time the concept of "preservation for future generations" was fostered by people who fully understood and appreciated their place in the great cosmos. We can learn so much from the way Native Americans interacted with the environment. The Early California Indian program seeks to generate an appreciation for the old ways of co-existing, of living gently on the planet and understanding the concept of living so that the next generation will also enjoy nature's bounty. All materials used in this highly hands-on program come from the environment and teach the value of all life forms.
We will present a historical view of the conservation ethics and environmental impact of local Native Americans. Children participate in hands-on activities, stories and games.
Grades 3 & up: 1.5 hour in-class presentation --
$130 for class sizes of 24 students or less. $160 for class sizes between 25 and 32 students.
Energy and Natural Resources
Our environment provides us with all of the resources we need, but do we use them in a sustainable way? This is a broad question that touches our lives in a variety of ways. We have two unique programs that align directly to the 4th and 5th grade science standards.
The fourth grade program will focus on electricity. Students will explore how we generate electricity and learn that unwanted heat, light, or motion is an inefficient use of electricity. They will learn to evaluate the trade offs of different forms of electricity generation and they will simulate building their own town with a balanced level of electricity supply and demand.
This program aligns directly to 4th grade science standard 1.g and relates to all of science standard 1.
The fifth grade program will look at global climate change within the context of the carbon cycle. Students will discover how human activity alters the carbon cycle and the green house effect. They will look at the impact of the choices they make in their daily lives on the environment around them. By the end, students will know a number of ways they can reduce their impact and be stewards of our planet.
This program aligns directly to 5th grade science standard 1.a and g and relates to much of standard 1 as well as 2f.
Grades 4 and 5: 1.5 hour in-class presentation --
$130 for class sizes of 24 students or less. $160 for class sizes between 25 and 32 students.