With traditional field trips currently on hold due to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Curriculum and Instruction Department at the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) has been hard at work to bring some of these formative experiences online. SCOE collaborated with the American River Parkway Foundation (ARPF) to create an engaging series of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) video lessons for students, recorded on location at the River Bend Outdoor Education site and the Effie Yeaw Nature Center.
SCOE and the Parkway Foundation have been working together since 2015 to bring fourth- through seventh-grade students to the River Bend site to learn about STEM topics. More than 6,600 students from 76 Sacramento-area schools have attended the program, exploring the 10-acre outdoor oasis on the banks of the American River.
After completing the new video series, families are encouraged to visit the American River Parkway in person—making sure to take appropriate physical distancing and safety precautions—to experience one of Sacramento’s finest natural resources and make real-life scientific observations.
American River Parkway STEM Video Lessons
River Bend Virtual Field Trips
- Nature Hike at River Bend Park (8:49)
- Exploring the Banks of the American River (7:41)
- Observing Nature Up Close (5:31)
Effie Yeaw Nature Lessons
- Sharing Wild Spaces: How Close Is Too Close? (2:20)
- Plant Adaptations: Reaching for the Sky (1:04)
- Building Materials: Using What Nature Provides (3:29)
- Animal Habitat: Why Live Here (1:29)
- What Are Those: Growing on Oaks (1:56)
- To Cut or Not: Managing Natural Spaces (1:57)
- Choosing Wisely: How Big Is Too Big? (2:00)
Related Resources
- River Bend Outdoor Education Website
- Visiting the American River Parkway
- American River Parkway Foundation Programs
- American River Parkway Junior Parkway Ranger Activity Book
- SCOE-Produced Video Catalog—collection of enrichment videos to enhance in-class and remote learning