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Black Canyon of the Gunnison |
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The Black Canyon of the Gunnison's unique and spectacular landscape was formed slowly by the action of water and rock scouring down through hard Proterozoic crystalline rock. No other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths offered by the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The Canyon is located near Montrose. |
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California National Historic Trail |
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The California Trail carried over 250,000 gold-seekers and farmers to the gold fields and rich farmlands of California during the 1840's and 1850's, the greatest mass migration in American history. Today, more than 1,000 miles of trail ruts and traces can still be seen in the vast undeveloped lands between Casper Wyoming and the West Coast, reminders of the sacrifices, struggles, and triumphs of early American travelers and settlers. More than 240 historic sites along the trail will eventually be available for public use and interpretation. The trail passes through the states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, and California.
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Celestial Seasonings Guest Tours |
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Celestial Seasonings offer tours of its facilities, including an art gallery, teapot and teacup collection, the herb garden, and the factory. Special highlights include the tea sampling and a trip through the Mint Room, which houses crates full of peppermint and spearmint. The tour is free. Located in Boulder, Colorado. |
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Cheyenne Mountain Zoo |
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Situated on 146-acres, 70 of which are developed, at an elevation of 6,800 feet in Colorado Springs, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is the only mountain zoo in the United States. The Zoo is home to more than 600 animals representing some 142 species from around the world, over 30 of which are classified as endangered or threatened. Special features include Primate World, Wolf Woods, Asian Highlands, and Lion’s Lair, My Big Backyard, and the new African Rift Valley.
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Colorado National Monument |
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Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grand landscapes of the American West. Sheer-walled canyons, towering monoliths, colorful formations, desert bighorn sheep, soaring eagles, and a spectacular road reflect the environment and history of the plateau-and-canyon country. Historic Rim Rock Drive offers 23 miles of breathtaking panoramic views and numerous overlooks. Trails lead across mesa tops and to spectacular overlooks or into backcountry canyons. Picnicking and camping are available. At an average elevation of 6,000 feet at the rim, the climate is relatively mild but can change rapidly to snow or summer storms. Around 275,000 people per year visit Colorado National Monument to enjoy these and other opportunities. The monument encompasses some 20,500 acres, and much of which has been recommended to Congress for designation as wilderness. |
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Curecanti National Recreation Area |
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Three reservoirs, named for corresponding dams on the Gunnison River, form the heart of Curecanti National Recreation Area. Panoramic mesas, fjord-like reservoirs, and deep, steep and narrow canyons abound. Blue Mesa Reservoir is Colorado's largest body of water, and is the largest Kokanee Salmon fishery in the United States. Morrow Point Reservoir is the beginning of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and below, Crystal Reservoir is the site of the Gunnison Diversion Tunnel, a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Recently discovered dinosaur fossils, a 5,000 acre archeological district, a narrow gauge train, and traces of 6000 year old dwellings further enhance the offerings of Curecanti.
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Denver Botanic Gardens |
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With more than 32,000 plants on 23 acres from such far-away places as Australia, Africa and the Himalayas, Denver Botanic Gardens is recognized as one of the top five botanical gardens in the United States. Open year round. |
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Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield |
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Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield provides a picturesque setting among the grasslands, ponds and cottonwood banks of Deer Creek. Facilities include nature trails, display gardens, educational exhibits, a historical farm and one-room schoolhouse, working beehives and picnic areas. |
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Denver Museum of Nature & Science |
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The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is the Rocky Mountain region’s leading resource for informal science education. A variety of exhibitions, programs, and activities help Museum visitors experience the natural wonders of Colorado, Earth, and the universe. Includes an IMAX theater and a planetarium.
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Denver Zoological Gardens |
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The Denver Zoo houses more than 4,000 animals representing nearly 685 species, and the nation's first environmentally-friendly natural gas-powered zoo train. The new 5,500 square-foot Dragons of Komodo exhibit for the rare Komodo dragon features the largest indoor habitat for Komodo dragons in North America. The Denver Zoo's other state-of-the-art exhibits include Tropical Discovery, an indoor rainforest where visitors journey past waterfalls, darkened caves, jungle ruins and tropical riverbank exhibits, and Primate Panorama, which spans seven acres and exhibits 29 of the world's most spectacular species of primates and features a one-acre habitat for the endangered western lowland gorilla.
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Dinosaur National Monument |
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Dinosaur National Monument protects a large deposit of fossil dinosaur bones--remains of the so-called "terrible lizards" that lived millions of years ago. The dinosaurs weren't really lizards, and most of them weren't even terrible. But some of the first dinosaur fossils ever found were huge bones and teeth, very lizard-like except for their size, and so the idea of monstrous lizards was born. Today, many ideas about dinosaurs are changing, and the fossils at Dinosaur National Monument continue to help us learn more about these fascinating animals. There is also more to Dinosaur National Monument than dinosaurs. The 210,000 acres within the park will grab your attention with its beauty, rugged wildness, solitude, and silence. |
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Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument |
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A beautiful mountain valley just west of Pikes Peak holds spectacular remnants of the earth's prehistoric life. Huge petrified redwoods and incredibly detailed fossils of ancient insects and plants reveal a very different Colorado of long ago. Almost 35 million years ago, enormous volcanic eruptions buried the then-lush valley and petrified the redwood trees that grew there. A lake formed in the valley and the fine-grained sediments at its bottom became the final resting-place for thousands of insects and plants. These sediments compacted into layers of shale and preserved the delicate details of these organisms as fossils. The Florissant Fossil Beds are world-renowned, and in 1969 were set aside as a part of our National Park System. |
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Great Sand Dunes |
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Nestled in southern Colorado, North America's tallest dunes rise over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The wind-shaped dunes glow beneath the rugged backdrop of the mountains. This geologic wonderland, containing 30 square miles of dunes, became a national monument in 1932. With the passage of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000, resources now also include alpine lakes and tundra, six peaks over 13,000' in elevation, ancient spruce and pine forests, large stands of aspen and cottonwood, grasslands, and wetlands--all habitat for diverse wildlife and plant species. |
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Mt. Goliath |
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Mt. Goliath, a mountain peak section of the Mt. Evans area, is located 17 miles from Idaho Springs, within the Arapaho National Forest. This trail winds through subalpine and alpine areas. Volunteer guides from Denver Botanic Gardens give free wildflower hikes that follow the Mt. Goliath M. Walter Pesman Trail. |
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Ocean Journey: Landry's Downtown Aquarium |
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Located in downtown Denver, This world-class aquarium doesn't just display underwater creatures - it recreates their habitats and tells a story of two great rivers and their journeys to the ocean -- the Colorado River as it flows to Mexico's Sea of Cortez, and Indonesia’s Kampar River along its journey to the South China Sea. The aquarium displays 15,000 specimens, representing 300 species of fish, birds, mammals, and invertebrates, including tigers and sea otters, living amidst 1,000 live plants. |
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Plains Conservation Center |
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A visit to the Plains Conservation Center offers a unique way to experience the natural and cultural heritage of the High Plains of Colorado. |
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Pueblo Zoo |
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The Pueblo Zoo covers 25 acres, is located in Pueblo City Park and was established in the 1920's. It is easily accessible for all visitors including those using strollers & wheelchairs. The zoo exhibits more than 300 animals of 110 different species from throughout the world. Under the Zoological Society's direction, the zoo is being developed as a "biopark," a place where animals are exhibited in natural settings, where the interdependence of Earth's life - plants and animals, including humans - is made clear for all to see.
Among its exhibits are the African Lion exhibit; the Ecocenter, where visitors will find a tropical rainforest and the Black-footed penguin exhibit; the Herpetarium, which houses a collection of cold-blooded creatures including reptiles, amphibians and insects; the education building, which houses the hands-on Mahlon T. White Discovery Room; and the Pioneer Farm with its many domestic animals that can be fed by visitors. |
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Rocky Mountain National Park |
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Rocky Mountain National Park includes elevations ranging from 8,000 feet in the wet, grassy valleys to 14,259 feet at the weather-ravaged top of Long's Peak. Wildlife include elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep, black bears, coyotes, cougars, eagles, hawks and scores of smaller animals. With 359 miles of trail, there are endless opportunities to hikers, backpackers and horseback riders. There are sixty peaks rising above 12,000 feet challenge intrepid hikers and climbers. Trail Ridge Road is the highest, continuous, paved road in the United States, topping out at 12,183 feet. RMNP is located between Estes Park and Grand Lake. |
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Arbor Day National Poster Contest |
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Join over 74,000 fifth grade classrooms and home schools across America in the Arbor Day National Poster Contest. The theme chosen will increase your students’ knowledge of how trees produce and conserve energy. The free Activity Guide includes activities to use with fifth grade students to teach the importance of trees in producing and conserving energy. These activities correlate with National Science and Social Study Standards. The Guide also includes all of the information you need for poster contest participation. |
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Bird Cam |
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In 1997, Xcel Energy installed the first of their Bird Cam cameras in the King plant falcon nest to increase awareness for conservation efforts and provide the public with opportunities to watch the birds and their growing families each spring on their Web site. Bird Cam continues to grow in popularity, and with the number and variety of birds that choose the power plant nest sites for their homes, they have been able to expand Bird Cam to include: four falcon cams, eagle cam, owl cam, and osprey cam. Bird Cam offers great educational opportunities for the general public, birding enthusiasts and students.
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Kids' Book Project |
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Kids between the ages of 10 and 14 can submit essays reflecting on the splendor of nature. Winners receive cash prizes and will have their essays published in a book. |
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Apologia publishes several science textbooks that are especially suited to the homeschool environment. They are filled with easy to understand lessons and experiments which can easily be performed at home. The curriculum is also backed by a question/answer support system. This set of textbooks is written under the "Exploring Creation" name. There are three elementary level texts:
Their middle school and high school texts include:
- Exploring Creation With General Science
- Exploring Creation With Physical Science
- Exploring Creation With Biology
- Exploring Creation With Chemistry
- Exploring Creation With Physics
- The Human Body: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
- Exploring Creation With Marine Biology
- Advanced Chemistry in Creation
- Advanced Physics in Creation
- Plus other texts
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Considering God's Creation is a creative in-depth encounter with natural science from a biblical perspective. It is adaptable for grades 2-7. This is a large 272-page book that comes with a Teacher's Manual with audio CD. |
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Great Science Adventures is a series of books that offer a creative approach to learning science. Each one showcases the series' method of using creative, hands-on activities to enhance exploratory learning. Each book contains 24 lessons, with 2-3 lessons completed each week. The unique format contains activities and basic content appropriate for grades K through 8. Perfect for multilevel teaching or if you want to challenge your advanced students individually. Titles include:
- Discovering the Human Body and Senses
- The World of Tools and Technology
- Discovering Earth's Landforms and Surface Features
- The World of Space
- The World of Insects and Arachnids
- The World of Plants
- The World of Light and Sound
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Stratton House sells hands-on science kits with everything you need, including equipment and lessons. They are designed for children in grades 1-8, with the added bonus of allowing different ages to work together. In fact, each kit has enough equipment for two children to share, with extra supplies for additional children available. Subjects covered include astronomy, birds, magnetism, insects, optics, microscope use, and more. |
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A History of Science is not a textbook, but is a guide to help parents and children study science through literature. It is intended for children in elementary grades. |
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With Jim Arnosky as your guide, an ordinary hike becomes an eye-opening experience. He'll help you spot a hawk soaring far overhead and note the details of a dragonfly up close. Study the black-and-white drawings -- based on his own field research -- and you'll discover if those tracks in the brush were made by a deer or a fox. In his celebrated style, this author, artist, and naturalist enthusiastically shares a wealth of tips. Jim Arnosky wants you to enjoy watching wildlife. He carefully explains how field marks, shapes, and location give clues for identifying certain plants and animals wherever you are. He gives hints for sharpening observational skills. And he encourages you to draw and record birds, insects, shells, animal tracks, and other finds from a busy day's watch. |
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CM Nature Walk & Nature Study Group |
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This group is set up as a resource for enhancing your own Nature Walks and Nature Study activities within your Charlotte Mason homeschool or co-op group. |
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