Bring outdoor learning to your classroom!
Boyce Thompson Arboretum classroom outreach brings outdoor learning to your school through S.T.E.A.M. units offering inquiry-based, engaging lessons that explore the world of plants as well as the phenomena of the Sonoran Desert. All lessons are aligned to Arizona State Science Standards. For more information and to request a booking, please see below.
Outreach Offerings
The Secret Life of Seeds | K – 2nd Grade
AZ Science Standards: K.L1U1.6 K.L1U1.7 1.L1U1.6 1.L2U1.8 2.L2U1.9 2.L2U1.10
Learn how plants grow and what plants need to survive. This S.T.E.A.M. workshop will have students using their creativity and plant knowledge to germinate seeds before playing a game.
Activities Breakdown:
- Activity 1: The Parts of a Plant
- Students will learn about plant structures before studying live plants to apply their new knowledge.
- Activity 2: What Do Plants Need to Grow?
- Students will conduct a scientific investigation and grow their own seeds in order to discover what plants need to grow before playing a game of Plant Needs Jenga!
Time Needed: 1 hour
Max. Number of Students: 32 per class
Cost: $150 per class, FREE for schools within the Copper Corridor
Amazing Adaptations of the Sonoran Desert | 3rd – 4th Grade
AZ Science Standards: 3.L1U1.5, 3.L2U1.8, 4.L4U1.11, 4.E1U3.9
Students will act as junior biologists as they discover how different species are adapted to survive in the Sonoran Desert by studying real native plants and animal biofacts.
Activities Breakdown:
- Activity 1: Desert Plant Adaptations
- Students will study live plants and determine how well they are adapted to the Sonoran Desert before designing their own desert plant.
- Activity 2: Desert Animal Adaptations
- Students will study animal biofacts and learn about different species in order to determine how well they are adapted to the Sonoran Desert. They will then put their knowledge to the test with a game of Adaptations Bingo!
Time Needed: 1 hour
Max. Number of Students: 32 per class
Cost: $150 per class, FREE for schools within the Copper Corridor
Humans and Habitats | 5th – 6th Grade
AZ Science Standards: 5.P2U1.3, 5.L4U3.11, 6.L2U3.11, 6.L2U1.13, 6.L2U1.14
This S.T.E.A.M. lesson will have students exploring the interconnectedness of ecosystems before examining how human activities might impact those systems and the species within them.
Activities Breakdown:
- Activity 1: Ecosystem Connections
- Students will explore how the abiotic and biotic factors of an ecosystem are connected.
- Activity 2: Human Impacts
- Students will study various threatened Sonoran Desert species to determine why they are threatened and how we might protect them. They will then play a game of Habitat Battleship to discover how human activities might impact other species’ chances of survival.
Time Needed: 1 hour
Max. Number of Students: 32 per class
Cost: $150 per class, FREE for schools within the Copper Corridor
Make a Pollinator Paradise | 1st – 3rd Grade
*Only available to Copper Corridor Schools
AZ Science Standards: 1.L2U2.7, 1.L2U1.8, 2.L2U1.9, 2.L2U1.10, 3.L1U1.5, 3.L2U1.8
In this S.T.E.A.M. lesson, students will let out their inner gardeners by designing and creating their dream school garden! This hands-on workshop will get classrooms started with an above-ground planter that can be used later on for classroom investigations. Classes will also receive supplies for a follow up activity once their garden has had some time to grow.
Activities Breakdown:
- Activity 1: How are Plants Pollinated?
- Students will create their own fuzzy bee to model pollination before playing a pollinator/ plant matching game.
- Activity 2: Let’s Get Planting!
- Students will help to design their garden before filling the planter with soil, putting in seeds, planting plants, and putting in different habitat elements for pollinators.
- Activity 3 (Post-activity): Who is Visiting Our Garden?
- Students will keep track of the pollinator species that they see visiting their garden.
Time Needed: 1.5 – 2 hours
Max. Number of Students: 32 per class
Cost: FREE for schools within the Copper Corridor
Make a Pollinator Paradise | 4th – 6th Grade
*Only available to Copper Corridor Schools
AZ Science Standards: 4.L4U1.11, 4.E1U3.9, 5.L4U3.11, 6.L2U1.13, 6.L2U1.14
In this S.T.E.A.M. lesson, students will let out their inner gardeners by designing and creating their dream school garden! This hands-on workshop will get classrooms started with an above-ground planter that can be used later on for classroom investigations. Classes will also receive supplies for a follow up activity once their garden has had some time to grow.
Activities Breakdown:
- Activity 1: How are Plants Pollinated?
- Students will play a pollinator/ plant matching game before creating their own flower craft complete with adaptions for one of the Arizona pollinator species.
- Activity 2: Let’s Get Planting!
- Students will help to design their garden before filling the planter with soil, putting in seeds, planting plants, and putting in different habitat elements for pollinators.
- Activity 3 (Post-activity): Who is Visiting Our Garden?
- Students will keep track of the pollinator species that they see visiting their garden.
Time Needed: 1.5 – 2 hours
Max. Number of Students: 32 per class
Cost: FREE for schools within the Copper Corridor
Schedule a program by clicking below. For questions, contact Boyce Thompson Arboretum Outreach Coordinator Annie Johnson at [email protected] or (520) 689-4689.
#1Arb
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@btarboretum #1Arb
You know about tree huggers - but where are the cactus huggers at? 🌵
We kid. Please don`t hug any cacti. 😅We`re sure they can feel the love from afar! You can see this towering cardón in our Cactus and Succulents Garden. See the link in our bio to plan your visit today!
#cactuslovers #cardón #naturelovers #arizonanature
Did you know that Jatropha macrocarpa (or Barbados Nut) can be used to produce biofuel? That`s because its seeds contain an average of 34% oil! If you look closely at this plant, you`ll spot little green pods. Inside are developing seeds that will mature as the pods turn yellow.
You can see this remarkable plant up close in the Smith Greenhouse. Plan your visit today!
#Barbadosnut #jatropha #plantlovers #plantfacts #naturelovers #btarboretum
Have you visited our Eucalyptus Forest? Walking through the trails is truly an immersive experience. You`ll see:
🍃Mr. Big, the largest red river gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) in the United States
🍃A rock labyrinth for meditation (located in Conifer Corner)
🍃Eucalyptus trees shedding bark to accommodate their rapid growth
🍃Intricate tree stumps and trunks, some of which have been turned into benches!
🍃Benson Bridge, which crosses over Silver King Wash
What`s your favorite part of the Eucalyptus Forest? Let us know in the comments! 👇
#eucalyptus #redrivergum #australianplants #labyrinthmeditation #btarboretum #ExploreNature
Something new is flowering in the Wallace Region! The Nolina nelsonii, or Blue Nolina, is a slow-growing succulent that may only bloom once in its lifetime. This plant has likely been growing for 15-20+ years, building up to this one spectacular moment. Its truly an honor to witness it`s final bloom.
Plan your visit today to see our summer blooms!
#deathbloom #bluenolina #nolina #succulentbloom #plantfacts #plantlovers
We`re hiring! Join the team that makes this beautiful garden thrive. Open positions include:
🌵 Welcome Center Sales Associate
🌵 Development Administrative Assistant
🌵 Executive Assistant
🌵 Membership Coordinator
🌵 Maintenance Technician
🌵 Marketing Strategist
Apply today at btarboretum.org/careers (link in bio). We look forward to hearing from you!
#btarboretum #superiorarizona #ArizonaHiring #openpositions #WeAreHiring
The littoral zone is the region where land and water meet! At our manmade reservoir, the littoral zone is made up of cattails, which provide habitat to birds, insects, and amphibians.
Next time you visit us, stop by Ayer Lake to see if you can spot any life among the cattails!
#aznature #naturelovers #natureeducation #littoralzone #cattails
If you hear a "tap, tap, tap" above your head while you`re hiking, it might be a Gila Woodpecker! These clever birds search for insects by pecking on tree trunks, shrubs, and even cacti.
The holes they excavate in cacti sometimes become homes for smaller birds later on, making their simple foraging behaviors greatly beneficial to our ecosystem.
#gilawoodpecker #BirdingCommunity #birding #southwestbirding #azbirding #birdinghotspot
This summer, 41 teachers from across Arizona participated in a specialized professional development program designed in partnership with @azgfd to bring hands-on science education into their classrooms.
Made possible through support from @resolutioncopper, the program equipped educators with classroom-ready lessons that connected desert ecology, STEM learning, and Arizona State Science Standards. Teachers left with:
🌱 Lesson plans
🌱 Presentations
🌱 Hands-on activities
🌱 Educational supplies including a classroom set of plants
🌱 Professional development experience they can immediately apply in their classrooms.
The impact extends far beyond a single workshop. Every teacher who participates has the potential to reach hundreds of students, creating a ripple effect that strengthens science education, environmental literacy, and stewardship in the Copper Corridor and across Arizona.