About Our School Programs...

Willow Bend offers 45 in-class programs designed to supplement teachers’ science curricula. Our programs are locally focused, standards-aligned, and activity-based. They are available to teachers at schools where we are currently contracted: Flagstaff Unified School District, Williams Elementary, Maine Consolidated, and Fredonia Moccasin Unified School District. To schedule a program at one of these schools, contact Sapna Sopori. To become a Willow Bend School, contact Christine Newell.

Classroom Programs
- Kindergarten
- First Grade
- Second Grade
- Third Grade
- Fourth Grade
- Fifth Grade
- Sixth Grade
- Middle School & High School
Field Trips
- Overview & Logistics
- Recycling Tour
Educational Resources
- Willow Bend Kits
- Other Resources
Teacher Trainings
- Program Description

Classroom Programs: Sixth Grade

To ensure a high-quality educational experience, we work with only one class at a time. Programs run 50 minutes unless otherwise noted.

Adapt, Survive and Find Your Niche (1 hour): Students will understand how natural selection affects adaptation and their role in evolution. These ideas are reinforced through an interactive “niche” game.
Bio Bug and Alternative Energy Sources (1 hour): Using the Willow Bend BioBug as an example, students will explore the main sources of energy in our world today and how greener alternatives can help the earth.
Everybody Counts (1 hour): Population dynamics, with a focus on doubling and exponential growth. Students participate in a simulation of the use of resources by human populations and generate a graph of world population trends.
Mapping Migration: Through a slide show and fun game, students will learn about the journey that migratory birds make to their winter home.
New! Materials Life Cycle: Plastic Bags: Through a slide show and discussion, students will learn about the life cycle of a plastic bag and the effects these everyday items have on our planet.
Secret Life of a Shoe (1 hour): Your shoe has been all over Earth! Join us for an eye-opening look at the manufacture and production of shoes, and consider consumer choices and sustainability.
Trash and the Three R's: Students learn how to reduce waste, reuse materials, and recycle in Flagstaff. *Suggested follow-up field trip: “Recycling Tour” through Willow Bend*