The “Natural World” tour addresses topics in science for students in the third-, fourth-, and fifth grades.

Students study plant growth and how the quantities and qualities of nutrients, light, and water in the environment affect plant growth. They study the life cycle of plants and pollination of bees. They learn the basic components of soil. They study the patterns of movement of objects in the sky such as the sun and moon and stars. They observe the change in the apparent shape of the moon from day-to-day over a month. They follow and record the apparent movement of the sun in the sky during the day and observe the patterns of stars in the sky at night. They study the human body, specifically the skeleton as a system in the body and the function of bones, joints and muscles.
Students build on their knowledge of animals learned in earlier grades and focus on how living and nonliving things such as other animals, plants, weather, and climate affect the life of an animal. They learn how behaviors and body structures of animals help them to survive in particular habitats. They learn about electricity and its applications. They learn the parts of light bulb, the nature of electrical circuits, and the electrical discharge of lightning. They learn how foods provide energy and nutrients for living organisms.

Students learn about the interactions of organisms in an ecosystem and how humans affect ecosystems. They learn about landforms, the forces that change landforms, and plate tectonics. They build on their knowledge of weather and climate learned in earlier grades and study the water cycle. They study technological designs and how machines use energy to move. They learn how people use machines to solve problems.

Please note that the entries in this tour are not in any particular order.