Third Grade

Activities a third grade class could expect will be to look for evidence of how animals and plants have developed specific adaptations that help them move, get food, or be protected from enemies. Students are given opportunities to design simple food chains from animals and plants they encounter in the Buttes. The Buttes are also a rich laboratory for experiencing the Maidu presence in the area. There are several grinding rock areas along the trails and students are encouraged to collect and grind acorns in the fall months.

Fourth Grade

The fourth grade is rich in biology concepts. Students will identify the living and non-living aspects of the Sutter Buttes ecosystem and, choosing an animal, evaluate which aspects the animal uses. They are encouraged to develop more complex food chains, starting with the Sun as the primary source of energy. As the students walk through the landscape, they are able to identify more subtle adaptations of both plants and animals, noting the influence of invasive species on those relationships. Enriching the geology concepts, students identify igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks they find along the trail. With a hand lens, they identify crystals found in the rocks. Noting where they find certain rocks, they make predictions about how that rock came to be where they find it. Evidence of erosion and landslides can be found all along the trail.

Fifth Grade

Fifth grade students who come to hike in the Buttes get a chance to review concepts they have learned in prior years. All hikes address adaptation, food webs and chains, elements of ecosystems, and the relationship between herbivores, omnivores, and predators. Students learn how the landscape of the Sutter Buttes has provided a unique ecosystem, enabling certain animals and plants to thrive without much interference from human interface. In a “silent walk” students note what they hear and see to share with others.

Sixth Grade

Comments from Students’ Letters

“I went to the Sutter Buttes …l and I had fun learning about the rocks and the skulls. Now that I think about it (it) has been the only time I have had fun learning. It was cool when I got to pick up the lizard. I never hiked before.” -- Raymond

“Thank you for guiding us through the Sutter Buttes. It was the best! You know some guides are really boring and it feels like you’re going to pass out because they’re talking too much? Well, you didn’t do that at all. You answered every question fast and you were interesting.” -- Grace

“The guides taught us so much about the animals that live in the Buttes. Here’s one thing I learned. A ringtail makes itself like a skunk to scare predators away.” -- Brennan

“When we had a question, the guides stopped right away and answered it. They always knew the answer. And, they were cheerful. They made the trip fun and exciting.” -– Crystal

“We learned so much. For example, my favorite fact was that the Sutter Buttes were once surrounded by water.” –- Trinity

“I really liked learning about the cow poop, and that flies lay their eggs in the poop. When the eggs hatch, the larva feed on the poop. I learned that I never want to be a fly.” -- Alex