Conshohocken Elementary first graders explore wetlands at Peace Valley Nature Center

On a recent visit to the Peace Valley Nature Center, Conshohocken Elementary (CE) first graders were able to see some of the things they had learned in class in their unit on wetlands. “We had these little cups, and we would scoop up water and pick up rocks to see if anything was living on them or attached to them. We found snail eggs and lots of bugs and insects,” said first grader Lucia Coyne. “My favorite part was when we got to see a crayfish.”

During science lessons in the classroom, the children talked about marshes, bogs and swamps and read books about the animals and plants that live in the different kinds of wetlands. At the nature center, they were able to do more hands-on learning in an actual marsh. “I really enjoyed watching the students. They were getting muddy and dirty scooping things out of the water with their hands, talking about what they were finding and passing the magnifying glass around,” said Kim Carter, who teaches first grade at CE. “It was great to see them so excited to really dig into hands-on science.” In addition to supporting the first grade science unit on wetlands, the field trip to the Peace Valley Nature Center also reinforced lessons about Earth Day and respecting the environment.