Discovery Boxes
As part of Crowder Park's
environmental education agenda, discovery boxes are available for use at the park office. Discovery boxes are packaged lesson plans intended for use by teachers or parents who wish to educate a group of children without requesting a program through the office. These boxes are available at the office and must be signed out for use. Discovery boxes are also available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Discovery Box Topics
Who Dirtied the Water
In the process of reading a story about a lake near Eagle Rock, North Carolina, participants will dump different "pollutants" into the "lake" as the story is read, in an effort to understand where water pollution comes from and how a seemingly insignificant event can alter a body of water's health.
Crowder's Critters
Through a version of 20 questions, participants will discover the different plants and animals found at the park. Each student will have a plant or animal tagged to the back of their shirt and must ask other participants yes/no questions to discover what it is. This game also serves as an excellent ice-breaker activity.
Birds and Worms
By simulating birds in search of worms, participants will realize just how large a part camouflage plays in the game of survival. Participants will compare different methods of camouflage to see which is the most effective for a particular environment.
Bird ID Bingo
Participants will play a version of bingo where the cards list several different bird species at the park and in order to mark one off, they must find that bird in the park. This box teaches participants how to use field marks to easily identify animals in the wild.
Little Sprout
This discovery box introduces a participant as "Sprout" the hiker and covers many things that seeds have in common with a hiker. By comparing the hiker and the seed, participants will understand how a seed is prepared to brave the elements until it is time to grow.
Fox Hunt
Participants will discover what a carrying capacity is and what factors regulate an animal population. By "hunting" for food while exhibiting several limiting factors (i.e., feeding young), participants will understand how a population is kept from growing or shrinking out of control.