for grades: 2 i 3 | 4 | 5
Habitats of the Hudson
Offered at: Wildlife Education Campus or In-school
Description: Students will learn about animals of the Hudson River as they explore their unique needs and niches. The presentation begins with an overview of the Hudson River from its beginnings at Lake Tear of the Clouds on Mt. Marcy all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. We will discover many changes in physical characteristics as the river makes its journey southward, and the wide variety of habitats that exist along the full length of the river. Students will then engage in a fun, interactive role-playing activity as they become creatures of the river and try to find their perfect habitat. The program concludes by meeting a Hudson River resident and working as a team to find their perfect habitat.
Learning Objectives: In this program, students will learn topics such as estuaries, watersheds, tides, salt fronts, currents, turbidity, food chains, habitats, and niches. Students will understand these topics through interactive role-playing activities and meeting an animal that resides in the Hudson River.
NYS Core Curriculum Standards:
2nd- Structure and Properties of Matter, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, and Earth’s Systems: Processes that Shape the Earth: 2-PS1-2, 2-LS2-2, 2-LS4-1, 2-ESS2-2, & 2-ESS2-3
3rd- Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems & Inheritance and Variation of Traits: Life Cycles and Traits: 3-LS2-1, 3-LS4-3, 3-LS4-4, 3-LS3-2, & 3-LS4-2
4th- Structure, Function, and Information Processing: 4-LS1-2
5th- Structure and Properties of Matter, Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems, & Earth’s Systems: 5-PS1-2, 5-PS1-3, 5-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1, 5-ESS2-1, 5-ESS2-2, & 5-ESS3-1
as a field trip
Program Length: 90 minutes
45-minute presentations/activities
30 minute guided hike
10-15 minutes in the Hall of Animals
Gift shop available upon request
Picnic area available upon request
Program Cost:
$250 for up to 25 students
Staff is free
Location: Wildlife Education Campus
(25 Boulevard, Cornwall-on-Hudson NY, 12520)
in the classroom
Program Length: 45 minutes
Program Cost:
$275 plus mileage cost, for the first program
$250 for each additional program on the same day
Please Note: The Hudson Highlands Nature Center and its professional staff are fully licensed by state and federal agencies to maintain a collection of live native animal species for the purpose of education. Choice of animals is at the discretion of the Nature Center staff, based on availability.