School Visits
About Powell Gardens’ School Programs
We are excited to announce K-5 school programs for the 2020-2021 school year! These standards-based school programs are designed to supplement science content covered in the classroom with fun and engaging learning activities. Use our programs to introduce new concepts or provide students opportunities to apply previously learned content in the natural world. With more than 900 acres of cultivated and natural landscapes, we have hands-on learning opportunities for all students.
Each program is 90 minutes and incorporates using field journals, investigating nature, practicing science skills, and playing nature games. Once the school program is finished, spend the day touring the other garden areas. Students love climbing the barn silo, playing in the children’s garden, and spotting wildlife throughout the gardens. Space is limited so reserve your program today!
K – 5th GRADE VISITS
Powell Gardens offers a variety of themed program options for youth K-5. All reservations are first-come, first-served based on availability. Total payment for program admission is due in advance. Call 816.697.2600 to submit payment. One adult chaperone is required for every 10 students (teachers/staff may serve as chaperones).
Guided programs must be booked at least two weeks in advance of the desired date and are scheduled during weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. All guided programs are 90 minutes and begin when you arrive. Any remaining time may be spent as a self-guided visit to experience all other garden areas. Guided K-5 program reservations require a group minimum of 10 students and a maximum of 80 students per time slot. Larger school groups may be divided into two programs and will be scheduled in back-to-back time slots.
Self-guided groups wishing to visit the gardens should use the schedule a self-guided visit link to ensure we have you on our group visit schedule. We like to greet all our groups to ensure they have a pleasant experience.
Guided Program Fees
Students – $8
Teachers/Staff – free
Chaperones/Parents – $10
Self-Guided Visit Fees
Students – $4
Teachers/Staff – free
Chaperones/Parents – $10
Guided Program Options for 2020-2021
Why are squirrels often found in woodlands? Why are spring peepers always near small forested ponds in spring? Why are antlions always in loose soil? These are among many of the questions in nature students will discover answers to. This program takes students through our 170 acres of cultivated and natural landscapes to discover the relationships between the needs of different plants and animals and the places they live. Students will use their five senses to discover the natural world during this 90-minute nature walk. Field notebooks and other observational naturalist tools are used in this experience.
Standard: K.ESS3.A.1 Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live.
Essential Question:
What needs of local plants and animals are met by the places they live?
Goal: Students will learn that plants and animals have unique needs and those needs influence where plants and animals live/survive.
Program Fees
Students – $8
Teachers/Staff – free
Chaperones/Parents – $10
Which flying insects use straws to drink in nature? Which Missouri amphibian is the local version of the chameleon? Why do seeds have parachutes? Students discover answers to these questions and explore the many other examples of biomimicry in our 170 acres of cultivated and natural landscapes. By the end of this 90-minute program, students will have brainstormed solutions to human problems by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs. Field notebooks and other observational naturalist tools are used in this experience.
Standards: 1.LS1.A.1 Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.
Essential Question:
What problems can humans solve by using ideas from nature?
Goal: Students will learn about the unique characteristics of plants and animals and use those traits to solve challenges and problems in our lives.
Program Fees
Students – $8
Teachers/Staff – free
Chaperones/Parents – $10
Why could one argue that squirrels are better gardeners than us? Why is poison ivy actually a good plant to have on your property? Why do seeds comes in all shapes and sizes? Bring your students to Powell Gardens to find out answers to these questions and many more related to plant pollination and seed dispersal. This 90-minute program takes students on a journey during which they learn ways insects pollinate flowers and seeds are dispersed. Students will become pollinating bees, investigate pollinators in the garden, and mimic seed dispersing behaviors. Field notebooks and other observational naturalist tools are used in this experience.
Standards: 2.LS2.A.2 Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.
Essential Questions:
What makes pollinator and plant relationships unique and essential?
How do seeds move from their mother plant to new locations to grow?
Goal: Students will learn how plants and animals have unique relationships that help accomplish plant pollination and seed dispersal.
Program Fees
Students – $8
Teachers/Staff – free
Chaperones/Parents – $10
Have you ever seen a banana tree growing bananas? Do you know what a pollywog is? What is the inside of a caterpillar’s chrysalis like before emerging as a beautiful butterfly? All species of plants and animals have life cycles ¬¬ many of them are similar but many more are so unique they are hard to believe. Bring your students to Powell Gardens to investigate the life cycles of some of the resident plants and animals in our 170 acres of cultivated and natural landscapes during this 90-minute program. Students will take home their own bean plants to complete the life cycle, from seed to harvest. Field notebooks and other observational tools are used in this experience.
Standards: 3.LS1.B.1 Develop a model to compare and contrast observations on the life cycle of different plants and animals.
Essential Question:
How are animal and plant life cycles similar but different?
Goal: Students will gain understanding that all animals and plants have life cycles even though some may look different than others, take different amounts of time to occur, and have differing numbers of stages.
Program Fees
Students – $8
Teachers/Staff – free
Chaperones/Parents – $10
Why do flowers have colors and designs we cannot see? Why does a caterpillar inflate part of its body when it is touched? How can birds fly without flapping their wings? Bring your students to Powell Gardens to discover answers to these questions and learn about many more fascinating plant and animal structures. During this 90-minute school program, students will conduct an experiment involving bees, pollination, and flower designs. By the end of the program, students will have formulated an evidence-based conclusion regarding how flower structures function to support survival and plant reproduction. Field notebooks and other observational naturalist tools are used in this experience.
Standards: 4.LS1.A.1 Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and plant reproduction. [Clarification Statement: Examples of structures could include thorns, stems, roots, colored petals, heart, stomach, lung, brain, and skin.]
Essential Question:
How do animal and plant internal and external structures function to support survival, growth, behavior, and plant reproduction?
Goal: Students will improve their understanding of how animals and plants use their internal and external structures to survive and reproduce.
Program Fees
Students – $8
Teachers/Staff – free
Chaperones/Parents – $10
From where does a tree get its mass (it’s not from where you likely think it is)? Matter is cycled, but how is the energy lost? Bring your students to Powell Gardens to discover answers to these and many more plant life cycle questions. During this 90-minute school program, students will engage in hands-on investigation and exploration to determine what plants need to grow and where the plants get what they need to survive. Students will go full circle with the plant life cycle to gain understanding of how matter is cycled and energy is acquired to produce edible fruits and vegetables. Students will investigate seeds, produce, and tree cookies during hands-on lessons. Field notebooks and other observational tools are used in this experience.
Standards:
5. PS3.D.1 Use models to describe that energy stored in food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun. [Clarification Statement: Examples of models could include diagrams and flow charts].
5. LS1.C.1 Support an argument that plants get the materials (i.e. carbon dioxide, water, sunlight) they need for growth chiefly from air and water. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the idea that plant matter comes mostly from air and water, not from the soil. Clarification Statement: Do not assess photosynthesis.]
5. LS2.B.1 Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the idea that matter that is not food (air, water, decomposed materials in soil) is changed by plants into matter that is food. Examples of systems could include organisms, ecosystems, and the Earth.]
Essential Question:
Where does the matter and energy come from for plants to grow in our gardens?
Goal: Students will gain understanding of the process of how matter and energy are part of the growing processes in our gardens.
Program Fees
Students – $8
Teachers/Staff – free
Chaperones/Parents – $10
This is a private after-school content-driven experience available all year that a middle school team (or a district’s middle school) can book and plan together with Powell Gardens’ education staff. Students arrive by bus with the required number of chaperones (one for every ten students) to explore aspects of their science curriculum. A general theme shapes the evening and three hands-on stations and a short talk comprise the events. Food is available onsite for purchase. All bookings must be made at least three months prior to the desired date of the program.
Maximum group size is 100 students
Additional supply fees may be required based on content
Program Fees
Students – $8
Teachers/Staff – free
Chaperones/Parents – $10
- $4 per student
- $10 per adult
- Teachers are free of charge
For the best experience and as a courtesy to the garden and its fellow visitors, please reserve a time in advance. This allows us to make sure your group is included on our group visit schedule so we can greet you and ensure you have a quality experience at the Gardens. One chaperone for every ten students is required—no exceptions. Chaperone guidelines will be emailed to you prior to your visit.
Summer Programs
This summer, Powell Gardens will offer a variety of themed programs! These offerings are suitable for children entering Kindergarten through 6th grade. The recommended program time is 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., with room to accommodate 15-60 children. Powell Gardens has plenty of room for groups to eat lunch and explore other parts of the Gardens after their program.
Total payment is due before the day of your visit. Call Powell Gardens at 816.697.2600 to make a reservation and pay for your group. One adult chaperone is required for every 10 students.
Guided programs must be booked at least two weeks in advance of the desired date and are scheduled during weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. All guided programs are 90 minutes and begin when you arrive. Any remaining time may be spent as a self-guided visit to experience all other garden areas.
Guided Program Fees
Students – $8
Teachers/Staff – free
Chaperones/Parents – $10
Self-Guided Visit Fees
Students – $4
Teachers/Staff – free
Chaperones/Parents – $10
Reserving Guided or Self-Guided Tours (COVID-19 Update)
We look forward to having your group in the Gardens! Group reservations should be made two weeks prior to visit. Advance registration is required. These precautions are in place to ensure we have plenty of space in the Gardens for your group to spread out in accordance to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines.
To reserve a visit for your group, fill our the guided or self-guided visit form linked below. Once received, a staff member will call to confirm the details of your visit and take payment over the phone.
SCHEDULE A GUIDED PROGRAM SCHEDULE A SELF-GUIDED VISIT
If you have questions or need help with scheduling your visit, please call Powell Gardens at 816.697.2600.
Summer Programs at Powell Gardens
Engage with the Gardens through outdoor art activities while experiencing how nature inspires creativity and appreciation. Groups will be guided on a sensory walk through the gardens, observe and mimic the unique sounds and motions of plants and animals, and design and build miniature gnome houses. This program includes watercolor paintings, drawings, short skits, and journaling prompts.
Take a journey through the life cycle of a butterfly through art activities, games, and exploration. Groups will play a butterfly migration game, create butterfly life cycle bracelets, examine the caterpillars and butterflies in the Native Butterfly Habitat Garden, and participate in silly caterpillar-themed team-building games. This program includes crafts, journaling prompts, and games.
Follow along with a seed as it journeys through its life cycle — dispersal, germination, and growth. Build and launch seed boats in the lake; play seed-themed games; design and create animal sculptures from seeds; examine numerous plants and their seeds; and plant and take home a bean plant. This program includes crafts, journaling prompts, games, and exploration.
Follow in the footsteps of Captain Plant-It and the Plant-it-teers to discover how you can help the Earth and all of its flora and fauna. Participants will develop an appreciation for nature through games, journaling prompts, art activities, play, exploration, and investigation. This program involves examining ponds, digging in dirt, hugging trees, and sowing seeds while experiencing how nature plays an important part of all our lives.
