Students search for plants that look like animals and other objects. The “stars” of this safari are plants that have animal’s names.
- Academic Standards: N/A
- Suggested for: Pre-K
- Start Times: 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
- Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
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Students discover the magical world of desert plants through a variety of activities designed to captivate young minds. Students learn the role of roots, what is hidden in leaves, a secret about stems, and more.
- Academic Standards: Kindergarten
- Suggested for: Advanced PreK-1st
- Start Times: 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
- Duration: 2 hours
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Students will be intrigued by our unique Sonoran Desert plants and animals and the way they help each other. Students investigate the desert habitat and its interconnections of living things.
- Academic Standards: Grade 1
- Suggested for: Grades 1–2
- Start Times: 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
- Duration: 2 hours
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Students examine the life cycles of the saguaro, the agave and a cactus wren. Stories and activities teach students about the importance of each stage in these organisms’ lives.
- Academic Standards: Grade 2
- Suggested for: Grades 1-3
- Start Times: 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
- Duration: 2 hours
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Students explore the amazing ways that plants have adapted to the desert environment. Activities help students investigate how stems store water, roots gather water and leaves keep water from escaping.
- Academic Standards: Grade 3
- Suggested for: Grades 2-4
- Start Times: 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
- Duration: 2 hours
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Students will discover how native plants are used for food, shelter and tools and how people rely on plants today, just as they have for thousands of years.
- Academic Standards: Grade 4
- Suggested for: Grades: 4-12
- Start Times: 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
- Duration: 2 hours
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Students go through the steps of the scientific method and simultaneously learn about desert plants. Students need their critical thinking hats on this tour!
- Academic Standards: Grade 5
- Suggested for: Advanced 4 - 6
- Start Times: 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
- Duration: 2 hours
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Students investigate the path that water follows through a plant using challenging experiments and field study.
- Academic Standards: Grade 6
- Suggested for: Grades 5-7
- Start Times: 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
- Duration: 2 hours
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Students will explore the Garden as they use a dichotomous key to learn about agaves, wildflowers, cacti, and trees. Using this biological tool, students will sharpen their observation skills, learn botanical leaf terminology and correctly identify desert specimens.
- Academic Standards: Grade 7
- Suggested for: Grades 6-10
- Start Times: 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
- Duration: 2 hours
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This tour will lead students to explore the reproductive process of flowering plants. Students investigate the structure of seeds, flowers and fruit, match plants with their pollinators and use a Punnett square to cross genetic traits.
- Academic Standards: Grade 8
- Suggested for: Grades 7-9
- Start Times: 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
- Duration: 2 hours
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Students discover desert wildlife along the trails and learn the habitat needs of hummingbirds, butterflies, wildflowers and others through a variety of activities. Students gain experience planting seeds and create a design for their own wildlife garden.
- Academic Standards: Grades 3-5
- Suggested for: Grades 3-5
- Start Times: 9:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
- Duration: 2 hours
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Children will experience a tour designed specifically for them, as homeschoolers from around the valley come together for our monthly Homeschool Days. Children start together with a group activity and then divide into multiple groups to tour the Garden.
Small school groups and high school groups visit the garden on their own, with their teachers and chaperones serving as guides. This option is restricted to weekdays after 12:30 p.m. or weekends during regular hours of operation. For school groups with less than 10 students, other times are available.
- Academic Standards: N/A
- Suggested for: All school groups
- Start Times: Weekdays after 12:30 p.m. or weekends
- Register for a field trip
