School Field Trips*

are offered in the spring and fall

To request a program, click on the Preschool or Elementary School link below
Registration for Fall (mid-Aug-early Nov) begins the first Monday in August.
Registration for Spring (April/May) begins the first Monday (non-holiday) in January

School Field Trips* - Pre-K to 5th grade

Bring your classroom to Knoch Knolls Nature Center and Park for a day of exploration and investigation of the natural world!

Led by Naturalist staff
Two classrooms maximum per field trip day
Offered April/May and late August/September/October/early November
Programs start at 10 am
K-5th grade programs incorporate Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core standards.
Playground time is included in the programs for K-2nd graders; playground can be visited after the program for Preschool, 3rd – 5th grade, or homeschool groups
Picnic areas are available for use at no extra cost but must be requested at time of booking
Field trips must be booked at least two weeks in advance
$75R/$112NR preschool and homeschool program fee for up to 20 students/adults.
$6R/$9NR per student in grades K-2nd; $7R/$10NR per student in grades 3rd - 5th
To request a program or for more information:

2024 Preschool & Homeschool Field Trip request form

2024 Elementary Field Trip request form

R = Resident - Naperville Community School District 203 & Indian Prairie School District 204

NR = Nonresident - Outside of the school district's listed above

Homeschool fees are based on the district boundaries for the school district's listed above.

*Need money for a field trip? Grants are available from various organizations.

Available Grants

Preschool & Homeschool Programs*

I Love Spring or I Love Autumn

1 hour program
Each programs highlights the season during a hike, introduces students to a live animal and allows some time to view the nature center's indoor exhibits. Playground time is not included but you are welcome to visit the playground with your group after the program.
$75 for up to 20 students/adults
For groups of 21-40 students/adults, two programs must be booked.
Payment due no later than the day of the field trip

*Homeschool groups may also book a K-2nd grade program listed below if their group meets the minimum of 25 students.

K – 2nd grade programs

1.5 hour program
Minimum of 25 students; two classroom maximum - divided into three groups
Three station rotation (30 minutes each)
Two different guided stations led by a naturalist
Playground time (station) supervised by teachers/chaperones ( ½ hour for snacks, restroom breaks and playtime at our nature themed playground)
$6 per resident student; $10 per nonresident student; teachers/chaperones are free
Payment due no later than the day of the field trip

Kindergarten program

Staying Alive

It's not just a song; it's what all plants and animals are trying to do! We'll figure out what plants and animals need to survive, including humans. During a hike students will investigate the life of an oak tree and a beaver and visit the DuPage River. Our live animals will provide students with the chance to view, touch and compare animals. Students will also discuss some ways animals and plants change their environments and simple ways people can reduce their impact on the Earth.

Program based on:

NGSS - Life Science: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystem: Animals, Plans and their Environments plus Earth and Space Science: Earth's Systems & Earth and Human Activity
PE: K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-3
DCI: LS1.C, ESS2.E, ESS3.C
CCSSC: K.MD.A.2
CC: Patterns
SEP: Analyzing and Interpreting Data, Engage in Argument from Evidence

1st Grade Programs

It's a Birds Life

(Spring)

Springtime is a great time to study birds! Students will learn what makes an animal a bird, compare bird feathers, go on a hike to look for birds, discover how adult birds care for their young, and investigate how beaks are adapted to eat different things.

Program based on:

NGSS - Life Science: Structure, Function and Information Processing: From Molecules to Organisms & Heredity
PE: 1-LS1-1, 1-LS1-2, 1-LS3-1
DCI: LS1-A, LS1.B, LS1.D, LS3.A, LS3.B
CCSSC: W.1.8, 1.MD.A.1
CC: Patterns, Structure and Function
SEP: Constructing explanations and using empirical evidence

Plant Power

(Autumn)

Where would we be without plants? Students will discover the parts of plant and how plants grow, investigate plants by making leaf rubbings and comparing their sizes, experiment with how plants may communicate with each other and find out about some inventions that were inspired by plants. They will also get a chance to view the nature center's Living Wall of plants and say “thank you” for all that plants provide for us!

Program based on:

NGSS - Life Science: Structure, Function and Information Processing: From Molecules to Organisms & Heredity
PE: 1-LS1-1, 1-LS3.1
DCI: LS1-A, LS1.D, LS3.A, LS3.B
CCSSC: W.1.8, 1.MD.A.1
CC: Patterns, Structure and Function
SEP: Constructing explanations and using empirical evidence

2nd grade program

Pollination Station

Spring and Autumn

Why is pollination important? Learn about the Park District's pollination stations and view Knoch Knolls Park's Monarch Waystation. In the spring students will investigate animals that pollinate flowers and how pollination works. In autumn students will discover the product of pollination - seeds – by participating in hands-on activities that illustrate ways plants disperse their seeds.

Program based on:

NGSS - Life Science: Independent Relationships in Ecosystems: Ecosystems & Biological Evolution
PE: 2-LS2-2, 2-LS4-1
DCI: 2-LS4.A
CCSSC: W.2.8, 2MD.D.10
CC: Structure and Function
SEP: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, developing and using models

3rd – 5th Grade Programs

2 hour program
Minimum of 25 students required; two classrooms maximum, divided into three groups
Three different stations; topic depends on grade level
4th Graders should be prepared to get wet and possibly muddy; wear boots or shoes that can get wet; bring a change of shoes and socks
$7 per resident student; $10 per non-resident student; teachers/chaperones are free
Payment due no later than the day of the field trip

3rd Grade Program

Once Upon A Time

What used to live here and is it different than what lives here now? Discover fossils from the past, including Illinois' bizarre Tully Monster, and what they tell us about Illinois' previous environment. Then explore two different habitats at Knoch Knolls Park, the pond and prairie, using scientific instruments to collect and analyze pond life and prairie critters.

Program based on:

NGSS – Life Sciences: Interdependent Relationships: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
PE: 3-LS4-1, 3-LS4-3
DCI: LS4.A, LS4.C
CCSSC: MP.2, MP.5
CC: Observable phenomena across time; Scale, proportion and quantity, patterns, cause and effect
SEP: Practices for K-12 Science Classrooms

4th Grade Program

The Hidden Life of M & M's

Discover the secret lives of freshwater macroinvertebrates and mussels by collecting aquatic critters from the West Branch of the DuPage River. Learn about their physical adaptations for life in an aquatic environment and how they use their senses to survive. Based on what organisms are found in the water, students will also be able to assess the health of the river. Please note: Everyone will be wading into the river so prepare to get wet and possibly muddy!

Program based on:

NGSS – Life Sciences: Structure, Function and Information Processing: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
PE: 4-LS1-1, 4-LS1-2
DCI: LS1.A, LS1.D
CCSSC: 4.G.A.3, MP.2
CC: A systems is its components and their interactions.
SEP: Construct an argument with evidence, data and/or a model.

5th Grade Program

Conservation Nation

Take a look at Earth's major systems (geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere) and how they are interconnected. Focus on the hydrosphere to determine the amount of water on earth and what is actually available to people to use and drink. Then discuss how human activities affect these systems and what efforts are being made to protect our natural resources, including a tour of the L.E.E.D. Platinum Knoch Knolls Nature Center's sustainable features.

Program based on:

NGSS – Earth and Space Science: Earth's Systems & Earth and Human Activity
PE: 5-ESS2-1, 5-ESS2-2, 5-ESS3-1
DCI: ESS2.A, ESS2.C, ESS3.C, ESS3.D
CCSSC: MP.2
CC: Systems are components and their interactions; standard units are used to measure and describe quantities; science questions are answered with empirical evidence
SEP: Describe and graph quantities such as area and volume to address scientific questions.