What is SEEDS? Frequently Asked Questions Reservations and Resources 3rd Grade Program 4th Grade Program 5th Grade Program Ready for OUTDOORS? Ready for HANDS-ON? Ready to DITCH THE CLASSROOM? Then you're ready for S.E.E.D.S.! tudents xperiencing, xploring and iscovering cience S.E.E.D.S. is a hands-on, interactive, outdoor learning experience. This program gives students the opportunity to experience the design of nature first-hand through direct observation, role-play, and scientific experiments. It's all neatly packaged into a one-day field trip led by the SMCC staff, so that Students can Experience, Explore, and Discover Science for themselves! Purpose: Our three-fold purpose is to aid students in discovering the design of nature through hands-on study in outdoor science labs, to generate interest among elementary students in the study of nature, and to introduce students to the ministry of SMCC. S.E.E.D.S. is directed toward 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students of North Carolina. Curriculum is designed to meet grade-specific competency goals as outlined by the North Carolina Course of Study. Our objective is to provide a unique opportunity for school teachers to cover a large percentage of the science learning objectives for North Carolina grade level competencies in a low-cost, one-day field trip. The activities utilized by this program will be age-appropriate, employing high-activity, hands-on discovery. Philosophy: S.E.E.D.S. works on the principles of experiential education. Many educators agree that students retain more knowledge from direct experience than from reading, listening, or even observing. By enabling students to experience nature through first-hand study, we see greater results in the area of comprehension than what can be attained through book study. Science is one of several areas of study which are not often given sufficient time and attention in the classroom. Many students know very little about science; and, as a result, are not interested in the subject. S.E.E.D.S. will generate an increased interest in this subject by exposing students to the fascinating design of nature. While we cannot complete an entire year's worth of study in one day, we do give students enough exposure to nature science to elevate their curiosity and leave them with a desire to learn more. We also give them a foundation of experience upon which they can build their book knowledge. Since the program is built around the specific learning objectives used by the school systems in North Carolina, teachers should have no trouble making full use of the experience when applying it in the classroom. Students will not really learn about a subject until they are interested in it. Temporary memorization is often used by students in order to reproduce answers for a test, but real learning has not taken place. Until students develop a genuine desire to learn, they will not allow the information in their minds to mature into true knowledge. But if a student has a motive for studying, the results will be sincere appreciation and understanding for a subject.