Expeditions
Our archive of previous expeditions describes the learning goals, activities, field studies, challenges, and culminating projects for expeditions we accomplished in prior years.
Selected final products are available for purchase. Please go to "Purchase Final Products" for a listing of available products and ordering information.
Corn and the Seneca
Kindergarten, WINTER 2007-2008
Students learn about the importance of corn in the lives and culture of Seneca people.
Read MoreSeasons of the Seneca
1st Grade, WINTER 2007-2008
Students discover how the Seneca people of long ago relied on the natural world throughout the cycle of seasons.
Read MoreAn Artifact Story
2nd Grade, WINTER 2007-2008
Students study the relationship between geography, natural resources, and the culture of Native Peoples in six different regions of North America.
Read MoreLocation, Location, Location
3rd Grade, WINTER 2007-2008
Archaelogoical evidence and traditional stories help students learn how early Native Peoples survived.
Read MoreLeaving Traces
4th Grade, WINTER 2007-2008
Students critically examine scientific theories related to early people.
Read MoreBeing Human/Human Being
5th Grade, WINTER 2007-2008
Students discover the unique features of their own bodies and look to the past for clues as to how we've come to be the way we are.
Read MoreDissecting the Hive of Knowledge
6th Grade, WINTER 2007-2008
Students begin their study of Colony Collapse Disorder by learning about bees and their long history as food providers for humans.
Read MoreTell Me A Story
Kindergarten, FALL 2007-2008
Kindergarteners learn how fossil evidence gives clues to the Earth's story
Read MoreGet a Clue
1st Grade, FALL 2007-2008
Students help Great-Great-Great Grandmother Earth tell the story of her past.
Read MoreIs Pluto a Planet?
2nd Grade, FALL 2007-2008
During this expedition, students investigate the mysteries of space as they search for answers to these questions.
Read MoreWhat's Up?
3rd Grade, FALL 2007-2008
Students ask questions and test their theories as a way to uncover the mysteries of our earth's place in the solar system and universe.
Read MoreThe Great Old Genesee River
4th Grade, FALL 2007-2008
Students research the geology of the Genesee River in order to understand the forces of nature that shape the region we live in.
Read MoreLike A Rock
5th Grade, FALL 2007-2008
Evidence of a changing earth helps students uncover how our region has been transformed by the Genesee River and by forces deep within the earth.
Read MoreIt's Up To You: The Quest for Rochester
6th Grade, FALL 2007-2008
Students learn about a range of "hot topics" currently concerning the people of our city, and prepare proposals for the action research project they will undertake for the remainder of the year.
Read MoreHave to Have a Habitat
Kindergarten, SPRING 2006-2007
Students studied the habitats, adaptations, and life cycle of birds.
Read MoreFollowing the Trail of Garbage
1st Grade, SPRING 2006-2007
Students explored garbage, recycling, and the impact of waste on the natural world.
Read MoreA Walk through Highland Park
2nd Grade, SPRING 2006-2007
Students used Highland Park as a lens through which to study the relationship between animals and their habitats and the impact humans have on that relationship.
Read MoreThe Raptors of Rochester
3rd Grade, SPRING 2006-2007
Third Graders investigated the adaptations of birds of prey within and beyond the city of Rochester.
Read MoreHaste Makes Waste
4th Grade, SPRING 2006-2007
Students learned about the impact of hazardous waste through the study of three local brownfield sites.
Read MoreTesting the Waters
5th Grade, SPRING 2006-2007
Students studied the ecology of the local waterway.
Read MoreLearning from Our Community: Reshaping Rochester
6th Grade, SPRING 2006-2007
Students continued to explore the Grasso-Zimmer plan to re-water the old Erie Canal bed, assessing local awareness of the plan.
Read MorePlaying Along
Kindergarten, WINTER 2006-2007
The class looked at toys and play over time, beginning the late 1800s until modern times.
Read MoreEvery Picture Tells a Story
1st Grade, WINTER 2006-2007
Students learned how the camera and film business developed in Rochester at the same time that city infrastructures were expanding.
Read MoreFlour City to Flower City: An Expedition on Growth and Change
2nd Grade, WINTER 2006-2007
Second graders explored the concepts of growth and change through the historic lens of Rochester's economic shift from "Flour City" to "Flower City."
Read MoreGrowing Through Time: Rochester as the Flower City
3rd Grade, WINTER 2006-2007
During this expedition 3rd Graders explored the growth of local seed companies and how land use changed
Read MoreCommon Threads
4th Grade, WINTER 2006-2007
Students studied how immigration influences society, how technology has changed the world, and how people's ideas changed our city.
Read MoreThe Land of Opportunity
5th Grade, WINTER 2006-2007
Students explored the experiences of immigrants in the past as well as today.
Read MoreLearning from the Past: Uncovering the Flow of Ancient Civilizations
6th Grade, WINTER 2006-2007
Students examined the common threads in early civilizations and explored how canals enabled the rise of early cities.
Read MoreThe Apprentice
Kindergarten, FALL 2006-2007
Students learned about communities, jobs, and how kids learn to be grown-ups both in the past and today.
Read MoreCart Wheels
1st Grade, FALL 2006-2007
Students learned how Rochester transitioned from a farming community to a city with specialized jobs, and worked with mentors who have jobs similar to those of long ago.
Read MoreThe Flour City: Following the Life Of a Wheat Berry as it Interacts with Simple Machines
2nd Grade, FALL 2006-2007
Students explored the big idea that a combination of wheat, mills, and the Erie Canal caused Rochester to grow.
Read MoreCanal Connections
3rd Grade, FALL 2006-2007
Students learned about Rochester's "Flour City" days through the examination of artifacts.
Read More1853: A Snapshot in Time
4th Grade, FALL 2006-2007
Students explored the topics of slavery, the Underground Railroad, women's suffrage, and Rochester's unique role in the fight for freedom.
Read MoreWe the People??
5th Grade, FALL 2006-2007
Fifth Graders focused on the rich history of the Rochester area, examining local figures who courageously fought oppression in the 19th century.
Read MoreLearning from the World: The Nuts and Bolts of Canals
6th Grade, FALL 2006-2007
Students researched the reason for building canals as well as the design and engineering challenges of canals.
Read MoreSettling Rochester
Kindergarten, SPRING 2005-2006
Students learned what life was like for settlers of early Rochester in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Read MoreSettlement Survival
1st Grade, SPRING 2005-2006
Students took part in a simulation to learn about the roles of settler family members moving from New England to Rochester in the early 1800s.
Read MoreThe Seeds of Settlement
2nd Grade, SPRING 2005-2006
Students used case studies to examine different settlements and looked at how settlers used tools (simple machines) to meet their basic needs.
Read MoreSettle Down!
3rd Grade, SPRING 2005-2006
Students learned about the Rochester area's first seven settlements and explored what the river and surrounding land was like at the arrival of the first settlers.
Read MoreWe the People...
4th Grade, SPRING 2005-2006
Students studied the birth of our country, beginning with contact made by European explorers and concluding with the adoption of the Constitution.
Read MoreExploring the Way to Freedom
5th Grade, SPRING 2005-2006
Students studied the exploration and colonization of North America and the subsequent fight for independence from Brittain.
Read MoreSpeak Out, Rochester!
6th Grade, SPRING 2005-2006
Students continued researching how cities make decisions that impact their economic development. They compiled and analyzed data collected in previous expeditions, and presented findings to Rochester city officials.
Read MoreThe Story of Corn
Kindergarten, WINTER 2005-2006
Students learned how corn was important in Seneca culture.
Read MoreSeneca People and the Natural World
1st Grade, WINTER 2005-2006
Students learned about Seneca life, beliefs, and traditions long ago and today.
Read MoreExhibiting Culture
2nd Grade, WINTER 2005-2006
Students explored how artifacts are used to interpret the daily lives and cultures of others.
Read MoreLiving with the Land
3rd Grade, WINTER 2005-2006
Students examined Native American artifacts and researched flora, fauna, and geography of the Northwest Coast, Arctic/Subarctic, Southwest, Plains, and Northeast regions.
Read MoreLeaving Traces
4th Grade, WINTER 2005-2006
Students study early people from their beginnings to the development of cultures and their arrival in the Americas.
Read MoreThe Game of Life
5th Grade, WINTER 2005-2006
Students examined archeological evidence and theories about human evolution and migration.
Read MoreUnLOCKing the World
6th Grade, WINTER 2005-2006
Students continue their examination of the Grasso Zimmer proposal to rewater the Erie Canal in downtown Rochester, with attention how the construction and uses of canals have changed over time.
Read MoreDigging for Clues
Kindergarten, FALL 2005-2006
Students explored the elements of a story, and then learned the story of the earth and its first living creatures.
Read MorePuppestory (Puppets and Prehistory)
1st Grade, FALL 2005-2006
This expedition consisted of in-depth investigations of living things, using specific local fossil finds from three time periods of prehistory.
Read MoreTime to Find the First Fish
3rd Grade, FALL 2005-2006
Students explored in depth three related topics: time, the solar system, and origin theories
Read MoreTime Travel Along the Genesee
4th Grade, FALL 2005-2006
Students researched how our region has been shaped over time, the geological evidence that shows the earth’s history, and how geological evidence of the past helps us predict geological events of the future.
Read MoreThe Genesee: Carving into the Past
5th Grade, FALL 2005-2006
The Genesee River provided a unique lens through which students examined our region’s prehistoric past. They explored topics such as river formation, rocks and minerals, glaciers, erosion, continental drift, fossil formation, and other processes that occur over thousands and millions of years.
Read MoreFilling in History?
6th Grade, FALL 2005-2006
Students begin a year-long investigation of the pros and cons of a new proposal to revitalize downtown Rochester by re-watering – rather than filling in – the Erie Canal in downtown Rochester. During the fall expedition, students learned about common threads in early civilizations and explored how canals enabled the rise of early cities.
Read MoreFor the Birds
Kindergarten, SPRING 2004-2005
Kindergarteners learned which birds live in a variety of local habitats including the pond, the woodlands, and the swamp.
Read MoreRun River Run
1st Grade, SPRING 2004-2005
Students studied the Genesee River and the plants and animals along its banks. They discovered how plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment, and the positive and/or negative impact humans have on the natural world.
Read MoreGone Fishin'
2nd Grade, SPRING 2004-2005
The class looked closely at the life of Seth Green – the Father of Fish Culture – and investigated the Genesee River biome, the life cycle of the salmon, and adaptations the species has undergone to survive in various parts of the world.
Read MoreBirds, Beaks, and Biomes: An Expedition about Animal Adaptation and Survival
3rd Grade, SPRING 2004-2005
Students explored global biomes and habitats and the unique ability of birds, particularly the Barn Owl, to adapt to such diverse environments.
Read MoreBringing Voices Together
4th Grade, SPRING 2004-2005
Fourth Graders examined Rochester today, and the different individuals, organizations, and institutions that interact and make decisions.
Read MoreThe Art of Arguing
5th Grade, SPRING 2004-2005
Through an in-depth study of current hot topics in Rochester, students learned to mold their arguing talents into effective skills of persuasion. Initially they explored several current issues our community is facing.
Read MoreDoes Energy Matter?
6th Grade, SPRING 2004-2005
Students explored types of energy and principles of physics by learning about automobile systems.
Read MorePlaying Along
Kindergarten, WINTER 2004-2005
Kindergarteners explored how and why toys, games, and play have changed since the late 1800’s.
Read MoreEvery Picture Tells a Story
1st Grade, WINTER 2004-2005
First Graders learned about how the invention of the camera changed the way we learn about the world.
Read MoreRochester in Transition: From Flour to Flower
2nd Grade, WINTER 2004-2005
Students confronted the notion that the local flour industry declined and new businesses provided continued economic growth for Rochester.
Read MoreReynolds Arcade: Marketplace of Ideas
3rd Grade, WINTER 2004-2005
Students examined a local marketplace which thrived in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, as a central market of goods and services.
Read MoreInventing a Future in Rochester
4th Grade, WINTER 2004-2005
The class explored immigration, the Industrial Revolution, and important businesses and inventions native to Rochester.
Read MoreRetracing Footsteps
5th Grade, WINTER 2004-2005
Students examined reasons people chose to leave their homelands and move to the United States between 1860-1960.
Read MoreThe Story of Stuff
6th Grade, WINTER 2004-2005
Students studied the culture and people in their river systems as they explored basic concepts related to living in a global economy.
Read MoreTools of the Trade
Kindergarten, FALL 2004-2005
Kindergarteners investigated why people make tools, what tools were used in early Rochester both at home and at work, and how these tools have changed over time.
Read MoreWork and Community
1st Grade, FALL 2004-2005
First Graders learned about the early occupations in Rochester and the interdependence of people in a community.
Read MoreSeeing Rochester in a Grain of Wheat - The Flour City
2nd Grade, FALL 2004-2005
Students learned how Rochester’s first settlers changed this area from a small village to a thriving city through the booming industries of farming, milling, and the Erie Canal.
Read MoreLife on the Raging Canal
3rd Grade, FALL 2004-2005
Third Graders investigated how the canal affected the lives of people in Rochester and other communities along the Erie.
Read MoreThe Courage to Care
4th Grade, FALL 2004-2005
Through field studies, readings, and local experts, the class explored the lives of such figures as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, and many others, whose courageous acts of service and words of inspiration led countless people to freedom.
Read MoreSearching for Freedom
5th Grade, FALL 2004-2005
Students researched the many pivotal events in the quest for freedom that were rooted in Rochester.
Read MoreWho Says So? Power, Politics, and Persuasion
6th Grade, FALL 2004-2005
Students explored the concept of power at many levels – personal, community, national, and global. They examined the political process and roles in decision-making both at home and in key river communities around the world.
Read MoreSettling Rochester
Kindergarten, SPRING 2003-2004
K and 1st Grade students worked in crews to investigate why people settled in Rochester and what they used to meet their needs, focusing on agriculture/food, homespun, shelter, and geography/travel.
Read MoreSettling Rochester
1st Grade, SPRING 2003-2004
K and 1st Grade students worked in crews to investigate why people settled in Rochester and what they used to meet their needs, focusing on agriculture/food, homespun, shelter, and geography/travel.
Read MoreMilling About
2nd Grade, SPRING 2003-2004
During this expedition, the class explored the economic and mechanical workings of the mill, and experimented with the simple machines that make work easier.
Read MoreBefore the Bridges
3rd Grade, SPRING 2003-2004
Students investigated the seven settlements that emerged on the banks of the Genesee, and learned about the people and resources that led to the development of a city in this place.
Read MoreHow'd We Get Here?
5th Grade, SPRING 2003-2004
Fifth Graders researched exploration, colonization of North America, and the American Revolution.
Read MoreSeneca Story Then and Now
Kindergarten, WINTER 2003-2004
The class compared and contrasted the life of a modern Seneca woman, Ronnie Reitter, with Seneca life of long ago.
Read MoreThe Seneca Story: Keepers of the Earth
1st Grade, WINTER 2003-2004
In this expedition, students examined Seneca traditions and beliefs through oral stories and artifacts.
Read MoreExhibiting Culture
2nd Grade, WINTER 2003-2004
Students learned about the many elements of culture by examining their classroom environment and the artifacts museums collect.
Read MoreCan You Dig It?
4th Grade, WINTER 2003-2004
Students learned how anthropologists and archaeologists interpret artifacts and collect data to reconstruct the lives of early people.
Read MoreHumans, Time, and Dead Bodies
5th Grade, WINTER 2003-2004
Students explored sources of scientific evidence and theories, as well as personal beliefs, about the history and movement of early humans.
Read MoreStories and Prehistory
Kindergarten, FALL 2003-2004
Students explored types of stories and then investigated how we know about the earth’s story and its living creatures from long ago.
Read MoreWhat Lived Here Long Ago? How Do We Know?
1st Grade, FALL 2003-2004
During this expedition students studied prehistory through the lens of “the life of a rock.”
Read MoreLooking at Luna
2nd Grade, FALL 2003-2004
Students explored the origins of the solar system, focusing on the moon.
Read MoreHere Comes the Sun
3rd Grade, FALL 2003-2004
3rd Graders studied the solar system and universe with a focus on the sun, complimenting the work of 2nd Graders, who focused on the moon this expedition.
Read MoreThe Path of Least Resistance
4th Grade, FALL 2003-2004
Students investigated the formation of the Genesee River Valley and learned about rock formation, erosion, and other geological processes.
Read MoreThe Changing Earth
5th Grade, FALL 2003-2004
This class investigated the processes that gave Rochester its unique geologic features, and ways in which life responded to geologic and environmental changes.
Read MoreAnimals Close Up
Kindergarten, SPRING 2002-2003
The class used Turning Point Park as an outdoor lab to learn about the animals that thrive right here in our city.
Read MoreWhere Does Our Lunch Go?
1st Grade, SPRING 2002-2003
Students sorted, tracked, and recorded the garbage they produced in the classroom and at home, and explored its effects on the environment.
Read MoreThrough the Eyes of a Frog
2nd Grade, SPRING 2002-2003
In this expedition, students studied various habitats around the world and the animals within those habitats.
Read MoreWho Cares?
3rd Grade, SPRING 2002-2003
The class explored how people care for our river and community to help keep it clean.
Read MorePortraits of Rochester
4th Grade, SPRING 2002-2003
In this expedition, students researched changes in our community during the past 50 years.
Read MorePlaying Along
Kindergarten, WINTER 2002-2003
Students examined changes in toys over the last hundred years and the impact that various inventions had on the toy industry and the lives of families and children.
Read MoreRochester Scrapbook
1st Grade, WINTER 2002-2003
Student investigate the impact of the photo industry on the growth of Rochester, along with the science of photography.
Read MoreProgress: The Bridges of Rochester
2nd Grade, WINTER 2002-2003
Students researched the history and structure of Rochester’s bridges over the Genesee River.
Read MoreSeeds of the Flower City
3rd Grade, WINTER 2002-2003
In this expedition, students researched the nursery industry that flourished in Rochester in the late 1800’s, and the climate that made this location ideal for growing flowers, trees, and ornamental plants.
Read MoreInnovations
4th Grade, WINTER 2002-2003
Students investigated industrial changes in our city over time, and the ways in which immigration and migration changed the workforce.
Read MoreMeeting Our Needs
1st Grade, FALL 2002-2003
1st Graders explored the early village and city life of Rochester from 1820-1865.
Read MoreSettler Stories
Kindergarten, SPRING 2001-2002
Students worked in small crews to become experts on various aspects of settler life – homespun materials, food and farming, shelters, music and symbols, maps, and government.
Read MoreSettler Stories
1st Grade, SPRING 2001-2002
Students worked in small crews to become experts on various aspects of settler life – homespun materials, food and farming, shelters, music and symbols, maps, and government.
Read MoreDiscovering the Genesee
3rd Grade, SPRING 2001-2002
Students researched the role of the Genesee River in the settlement of towns along its banks from its source in Gold, Pennsylvania to the mouth in Rochester.
Read MoreSeneca Story
Kindergarten, WINTER 2001-2002
Classes divided into crews to become experts on traditional stories, food, shelter, and uses of the deer.
Read MoreTransitions
2nd Grade, WINTER 2001-2002
Students investigated the culture and traditions of the Iroquois and their connections to the Natural World.
Read MoreNative Peoples
3rd Grade, WINTER 2001-2002
Students researched the cultures and daily lives of native peoples of North America.
Read MoreEarth's Story
Kindergarten, FALL 2001-2002
Students explored elements of stories and then investigated ways in which bones and stones tell the story of the earth.
Read MoreEarth's Story
1st Grade, FALL 2001-2002
Students explored elements of stories and then investigated ways in which bones and stones tell the story of the earth.
Read MoreBeginnings
2nd Grade, FALL 2001-2002
Students investigated the origins of the universe and the beginnings of our school.
Read MoreBeginnings
3rd Grade, FALL 2001-2002
Students investigated the origins of the universe and the beginnings of our school.
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