Nebraska Extension Fillmore County - School Enrichment Programs
2024-2025 Listing
PreK Programs
My Clothing and the Weather
Description: Understand how clothing provides protection from the weather and understand how to dress for the weather they will be in. Youth will participate in a hands-on activity to understand basic scientific weather-related language. Nebraska Science Standards addressed SC.K.12.3.A
My Mouth is a Volcano
Description: Think of a time when you had something important to say. Did you blurt it out or wait your turn to share? The book My Mouth is a Volcano paired with a STEM activity will allow students to think about the importance of waiting their turn and listening to others.
Can Cat and Bird Be Friends?
Description: What qualities do you look for in a close friend? In the book Can Cat and Bird Be Friends the cat and bird think it’s impossible to be friends but, in the end, they are able to see past their differences.
I am a Kindness Hero
Description: Through the book I am a Kindness Hero and a hands-on STEM activity students will learn about several different ways to help one another.
Ag Literacy Focused: K-6th Grade
How did that get in my lunchbox? (Kindergarten & 1st grades)
Description: How did that get in my lunchbox? Students will learn about the agriculture industry based on the needs of your classroom. Lessons can range from pumpkins to dairy and honey to hatching chicks. The opportunities are endless for your students to learn about Nebraska Agriculture!
Pumpkin Life Cycle (Grade K-2)
Description: Students will learn the concept of a life cycle by recreating the various stages of growth and development of a pumpkin through a hands-on activity. Learning about life cycles will help in understanding the many elements of agriculture. Nebraska Science Standards addressed: SC.K.7.2.A, SC.K.12.3.B, SC.K.12.3.C, SC.1.6.2 ,SC.2.7.2
Positively Popcorn (Grade 2)
Description: Learning about solid, liquid, and gas stages with a tasty product. Students will explore and describe the physical properties of matter and its changes through a hands-on activity of how popcorn pops.
How Did That Get in My Lunchbox? (Grades K-1)
Description: Introduce healthy choices and a balanced meal and understand how their food is produced. Nebraska Science Standards addressed: SC.K.7.2.A, SC.K.12.3.B, SC.K.12.3.C
How Did That Get in My Lunchbox? (Grades 2-3)
Description: Introduce the concept of sequence or story order to youth by learning how their food is produced. National Learning Standards: NL-ENG.K-12.1 -4. Reading for Perspective, Reading for Understanding, Evaluation Strategies, Communication Skills & NS.K-4.1 Science as Inquiry. Nebraska Science Standards addressed: SC.2.7.2
The Plant Parts We Eat (Grades 1-2)
Description: Apply knowledge of seeds, soil and sun to the larger concept of agriculture and understand the process of photosynthesis; identify plant parts humans & animals use for food. Nebraska Science Standards addressed: SC.K.7.2, SC.1.6.2, SC2.1.1, SC.2.7.2
Dairy vs. Beef (Grades 1-3)
Description: Learn the differences between dairy and beef cattle
Swine & Pork Products (Grades 1-3)
Description: Learn how all the products we get from swine
Embryology (Grades 2-3) SPRING ONLY (First-come, first-serve basis)
Description: Is there a better way to learn about the life cycle than by hatching classroom chicks? We don’t think so! This series of four lessons will walk students through the process of hatching chicks while incubating eggs! Please contact Alexis as soon as possible to allow time for eggs to get here. Nebraska Science Standards addressed: 1.1.3, 1.4.1, 1.4.2, 4.4.1, 4.4.2, 4.4.3, 8.4.1
Tops & Bottoms (Grades K-2)
Description: Learn about how different plants can grow above or below the soil
Escape through Nebraska (Grade 4)
Description: Can you unlock the history of Nebraska through these challenges? Escape through Nebraska is designed with 4th grade standards in mind and is a great way to test student’s Nebraska history knowledge in a fun way.
Healthy Lifestyle K-12 Grade Offerings
Bacteriology (Kindergarten)
Description: Keep those germs away! Kindergarten bacteriology teaches students the importance of washing their hands through a visit from Germy to see how many germs are on their hands.
Fight Bac/Bacteriology (Grades 5 – 6)
Description: Upper-level students learn about the spread of germs, grow, and observe cultures of bacteria common in our lives. This can also tie in safe food handling and personal hygiene. Nebraska Science Standards addressed: SC5.2.1, SC.5.3
Health Rocks (Grades 4-12)
Description: Health Rocks is a healthy living curriculum aimed to bring families and communities across the US together to reduce tobacco, alcohol, and drug use by youth. This curriculum has a beginning (Grades 4-6) and intermediate (Grades 7-12) level with several chapters and activities. Contact Alexis for more questions.
Leadership & Personal Development K-12 Grade Offerings
Purple Ribbon Kid Lessons (Grades 2-4th) Social-Emotional Learning & Leadership
Four lessons can be selected which focus on the following:
-Belonging (Define belonging using their own words and demonstrate what it means to belong to a group or team.)
-Generosity (Define generosity as it applies to our lives, test the principles of equity and abundance and generate discussion and apply the abundance mindset to potential future scenarios.
-Inclusion (Identify what it means to be included and be able to identify similarities and differences between themselves and others.
-Mastery (Understand how repetition and practice creates mastery of a skill.) Nebraska Standards addressed: SS 2.1.2. SS 2.4.3, SS 3.1.2, SS 3.4.2, SS 4.3.3
Strengths Explorer (6-9th Grades)
Description: A series of lessons to build off the Wellness Day introduction to Strengths and Strengths Themes. Lessons will reintroduce students to strengths and how they can embrace the unique talents they share and recognize the strengths of others to create a well-rounded team. Funding will be required for students who did not complete the assessment for the spring day.
Middle School Leadership Summit (5-8th)
Description: 5th -8th graders will see the world from a new perspective and learn to be more effective leaders, as well as team members, after attending this day-long event. Leadership Discovery and Personality Trait Assessment sessions and engaging interactive leadership development activities will build knowledge of interpersonal and teamwork skills.
Financial Literacy (Grades 5-12th)
Description: We will introduce general concepts related to financial health such as establishing good savings habits and responsible spending. We can focus on a certain topic of finance or have several sessions related to mindful money habits. This curriculum also includes career preparation/entrepreneurship skills. Addresses many of the Personal Finance Standards including: BMM.HS.8.8
STEM-BASED
Edible Color Wheel (Kindergarten)
Description: A color wheel with a tasty twist! This lesson is designed to introduce or reinforce participants’ understanding of mixing colors and color theory.
Spheros (Kindergarten)
Description: This lesson focuses on understanding and following patterns and sequence. Draw paths or use blocks that represent code.
There was an Old Lady who Swallowed some Snow: SC.K.1.1, MA 0.1.1.a
Blasting Off with Rockets (Grade 1)
Rockets- Buckle up we are on an adventure to space! Okay, not really but this lesson will introduce or recap how astronauts can make it to space by having students create their own rocket.
Soil is Not a Dirty Word (Grades 2-3)
Description: Compare different land management practices that are designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land. Nebraska Science Standards addressed: SC 2.1.1, SC 5.1.1, SC.2.7.2, SC 2.13.3, SC 3.7.2
Marvelous Marshmallows (Grades 2-4)
Description: Conduct a marshmallow investigation and launch marshmallows at a target.
Snap Circuits- (Grades 1-4)
Description: A safe way to introduce electrical engineering and understand open/closed circuits! Thanks to a donation from Nebraska Nitrogen we now offer electrical engineering lessons to allow students to see firsthand how open and closed circuits work.
Spheros (Grades 2-8)
***Variety of lessons available and can be developed in conjunction with the classroom teacher.
Description: Draw paths or use blocks that represent code. Utilizing Sphero educational tools, it weaves hardware, software, and community engagement to promote 21st century skills. Nebraska Science Standards that can be addressed: SC.6.4.1, SC 8.1.1, SC 8.4.3
Paper Circuits (Grade 3)
Description: Creating paper circuits is a great way to learn about electrical circuits! This is a low-voltage electronic circuit that uses copper tape, a 3V coin battery, a few LEDs, and paper. Nebraska Science Standards addressed: SC.3.1.1
Magnetism (Grade 3)
Description: Learn what electric charges are and how they move and how magnets attract and repel. Explore which objects allow a magnetic force to pass through them. Nebraska Science Standards addressed: SC.3.1.1
Tec Box (Grades 3-5) A creative problem-solving experiential learning activity.
Description: Youth will explore entrepreneurial skills through hands-on activities. This is a two-part workshop. You will create a product or service to solve a problem in their community using a maker space. You will then build their product into a business and present their idea to investors.
Radioactive Golf Balls (Grades 4-6)
Description: Students learn the basics of engineering science through hands-on activities. Students work in groups and use creativity to develop a new device to transport “radioactive” golf balls safely over 8 feet. Nebraska Science Standards addressed: SC.4.4.2, SC 6.4.1
Latitude and Longitude (6th Grade)
Description: Hands-on learning about latitude and longitude through handheld Global Positioning Systems! A great lesson to review or recap a unit on latitude and longitude while participating in a scavenger hunt using coordinates.
College & Career Readiness 5-12 Grade Offerings
College & Career Readiness (5-8th)
Description: As educators, Nebraska Extension’s goal is to prepare each student for post-secondary success, regardless of what path each may choose. This curriculum is to help youth develop skills and knowledge in career exploration. Aligns with Nebraska Standards for Career Ready Practice
Career Chat Live (5-8th grades)
Description: Career Chat Live offers live, online career exploration opportunities. Each session focuses on a new set of careers. During each session, youth will get to meet workforce professionals in that career field. The youth will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in small group conversations with the guest speakers. Career Chat Live is designed for middle-school-aged youth, and youth do not need to be enrolled in 4-H to participate.
Career Chat Live is scheduled on December 12 https://4h.unl.edu/career-chat-live
Next Chapter (7-9th grades)
Description: Now is a great time to start thinking about the next chapter in a student’s life. Next Chapter is designed to present college and career readiness material to students one chapter at a time. For 7th-9th graders the focus is on creating SMART goals, discovering careers, developing an elevator speech, and learn about the difference between community service and service learning.
Next Chapter (Grades 11-12)
Description: Are your students ready to take the next step in their life? The final two chapters of this program focuses on postsecondary opportunities, resume & job applications, interview skills, reading & note taking, writing a personal statement, scholarships, money management, professionalism, and connecting to your future.
Special Pollinator Curriculum to address Science Standards for Grades K-12
NEBRASKA CLASSROOM CONNECTION OFFERINGS
Whether your classroom is in a school, cafeteria, gym, or living room, learning can happen anywhere. And Nebraska 4-H Youth Development is ready to help.
With a wide variety of program offerings for both in-school or out-of-school delivery, the following experiences are designed for groups of youth in school classrooms, home school co-ops, afterschool programs, and families looking for supplemental learning experiences.
By searching the 4-H Classroom Connection catalog, you will find an experience that is most relevant to the needs of your learners and their environment. All opportunities are supported by a statewide network of Nebraska Extension 4-H Youth Development faculty/staff, bringing the education of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln straight to your classroom.
You will find a variety of programs (some free and some with a cost) that can fit into your curriculum. This listing includes virtual field trips.