Chicago Botanic Garden

Education

Student Field Trips

PHOTO: School Field Trips 7 - 12

Guided Programs 6 – 12

Water Quality
Ecosystem and Plant Adaptations
Photosynthesis Lab
A Journey Through Rare Books
Green Buildings

Water Quality
Pre- and Post-Trip Activities
September 6 – October 14
Mon. – Fri., 10 a.m. – noon
$115
Maximum number of students: 30
A 1:10 ratio of chaperones to children is required.

Note: Due to space restrictions, only one group can be accommodated per day.

Students will learn about aquatic ecosystem by collecting and testing water samples, identifying organisms that indicate water quality, and conducting a chemical assessment. Please prepare your students to be outside.

Tentative activities include the following:
• Macroinvertebrate collection and analysis
• Chemical collection and analysis

Ecosystem and Plant Adaptations
Pre- and Post-Trip Activities
October 31 – November 11
January 30 – April 6
Mon. – Fri., 10 a.m. – noon
$115
Maximum number of students: 30
A 1:10 ratio of chaperones to children is required.

How do plants fit their place? Discover how plants have adapted to abiotic factors in an ecosystem. Student investigations include learning about the unique abiotic conditions that define many of the biomes of the world, including Illinois, weather depending.

Tentative activities include the following:
• Plant structure and function analysis
• Potting a plant with adaptations to take home

Photosynthesis Lab
Pre- and Post-Trip Activities
October 31 – November 11
January 30 – April 6
Mon. – Fri., 10 a.m. – noon
$115
Maximum number of students: 30
A 1:10 ratio of chaperones to children is required.

Note: Due to material restrictions, only two groups can be accommodated per day.

Students will explore photosynthesis, investigating how and where it takes place, how plants obtain the materials necessary for it to occur, and its products. Programs include a gas experiment in the Garden collection.

Tentative activities include the following:
• Stomata observation and analysis
• Oxygen and carbon dioxide measurement and analysis

A Journey Through Rare Books
Pre- and Post-Trip Activities
January 30 – April 6
Mon. – Fri., 10 a.m. – noon
$115
Maximum number of students: 30
A 1:10 ratio of chaperones to children is required.

Note: Due to space restrictions, only one group can be accommodated per day.

Investigate the history of books and botanical illustration. With group research projects as the focus, students will explore the Lenhardt Library’s rare book collection and see books dating back to 1483. This program incorporates plant science, library research skills, exposure to rare books, and Garden exploration.

Tentative activities include the following:
• Plant observation and analysis
• Resource selection and investigation

Green Buildings
April 23 – June 8
Tuesday & Thursday, 10 a.m. – noon
$115
Maximum number of students: 30
A 1:10 ratio of chaperones to children is required.

Note: Due to space restrictions, only one group can be accommodated per day.

Visit the Daniel F. and Ada L. Plant Conservation Science Center to learn about the state-of-the-art conservation features of this remarkable building. Grades 6 through 8 will investigate the rain garden and build a model to test which materials are best for water conservation. Grades 9 through 12 will experiment with different building materials to learn about energy- and water-saving potential.