NRT's Education Department offers a variety of hands-on and standard-aligned place-based programs for students throughout grades K-12. These programs aim to provide unique and real world field opportunities that would not be experienced in a traditional classroom setting! Programs can range and our educators can alter the content of many programs to suit the needs of your group. There may be minimum and/or maximum group sizes that can be accommodated per day, depending on programs chosen, the age of students, and other factors. 

Please contact the NRT Education Department for program recommendations, pricing details and scheduling information. Read more about our current program offerings below!
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​Recommended for Grades K-1

Bugs & Insects
Topics: insect body parts, adaptations, habitats
​Alignment with Life Sciences Pre-K-LS1-1(MA), K-LS1-1 and K-LS1-2(MA)
What are the characteristics of a true insect? Investigate the forest and wetlands to catch, identify, and explore interesting invertebrates.​​



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Fresh from the Farm 
Topics: needs of living things, working farm dynamics, animal husbandry Alignment with Life Sciences PreK-LS2-1(MA), PreK-LS2-2(MA), K-LS1-1, and
​1-LS3-1
Did you know almost everything in your kitchen came from a farm? Meet the farm animals, make homemade butter, and create wool bracelets from our sheep. ​

Weather Watchers
Topics: weather types, cloud formation, making predictions
​Alignment with Earth and Space Sciences K-ESS2-1 and K-ESS3-2
Students will learn how interpret different nature signs to make weather predictions! Observe cloud types, measure wind direction, use a compass, look for hemlock cones, and more! 
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Animal Characteristics 
Topics: reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds, adaptations
Alignment with Life Sciences K-LS1-2(MA), 1-LS1-1, 1-LS1-2, and 1-LS3-1
Using turtle shells, furs, feathers and more, explore what characteristics distinguish one animal group from another! 
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Recommended for Grades 5-6

Exciting Ecosystems 
Topics: ecosystem interactions, dynamics, energy transfer, biotic and abiotic factors and ecology. Alignment with Life Sciences 5-LS2-1.
Who are producers, consumers, and decomposers, and why are they important? Find out how energy moves through the food web by investigating biotic and abiotic factors in our local ecosystem. 

Geology Shaping Our World 
Topics: erosion, weathering, glacial formations, geomorphology
​Alignment with Earth Sciences 4-ESS1-1, 4-ESS2-1, 5-ESS2-1, and 5-ESS2-2
Explore the past, present and future with geology! Visit Sheep Pasture's glacial features and conduct hands-on experiments, modeling, hiking, and more!​

​Recommended for Grades 2-4

​Happening Habitats 
Topics: habitat requirements, native species, adaptations, habitat health
Alignment with Life Sciences 1-LS1-1, 2-LS2-3(MA), 2-LS4-1, and 3-LS1-1
Delve into some of Sheep Pasture's natural habitats with hands-on activities, hikes and exploration. Discover what kinds of animals live in each habitat, how they meet their basic needs and more.

​Interesting Inheritance 
Topics: inheritance, variation of traits, fitness, environmental impact
Alignment with Life Sciences 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-2, 3-LS4-3, and 3-LS4-4
Through observation, art, and play, students will learn about traits, inheritance and variation found in nature. 

Seeds and Trees
Topics: seed dispersal, plant adaptations, habitat requirements, tree anatomy Alignment with Life Sciences 2-LS2-3(MA)
Using seeds collected while hiking through Sheep Pasture, students will explore the various methods of seed dispersal. Afterward students will learn tree anatomy by building models with their own bodies! 

Bird Biologists
Topics: bird identification, characteristics, adaptations, habitats, native species
​Alignment with Life Sciences 3-LS4-2 and 4-LS1-1
Using field guides, binoculars, models, and more, students will immerse themselves in the bird world at Sheep Pasture! Visit different habitats, identify various species, and become an amateur birder!

Animal Trackers
Topics: tracks and scat identification, characteristics, habitats
​Alignment with Life Sciences 4-LS1-1
Practice your tracking skills by learning how to identify the clues left behind by our native wildlife! Students will spend time making observations of sample animal tracks, scat, pelts and more to draw conclusions about their lifestyle, diet, and general behavior at Sheep Pasture.
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Recommended for Grades 6-12

​Stream Ecology
Topics: ecology, biodiversity, macro-invertebrate identification, bioindicators, habitat surveys, water quality, field data collection/analysis human impact Alignment with Life and Environmental Sciences 7.MS-LS2-1, 7.MS-LS2-4, 7.MS-LS2-6(MA), 8.MS-LS1-5, HS-ESS3-3, HS-LS2-1, HS-LS2-6, and
​HS-LS2-7
Examine the health of a stream ecosystem through
hands-on field studies. Measure water quality, collect macro-invertebrates, survey riparian zones and more!
*Applicable to AP Biology and Environmental Science​

​*Custom Programming
Based on your curriculum, we can customize our programs to meet our needs! Most programs are adaptable for grades K-12. Contact us to design a  program most relevant for your students.



Click here for in-school programs and programs for young children! Questions? Email us!