The Grass Is Rattling

Facilitated by the Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm

Targeted Audience

5th through 8th grades

Cost

$5-7 per student (prices vary so call prior to booking)

Length of Program

2.5 to 4 hours (indoors and outdoors)

Numbers of students

Up to 60 students per program and we typically do the programs between 8:30am and 1pm. Depending on what time you come, students can bring a sack lunch and eat it here.

Days Program is offered

Wednesdays and Fridays

History of the Program

In 2004, the Wildlife Discovery Center (WDC) and TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc (TAP) partnered together to form one of the most innovative wildlife conservation education program in the U.S. We have received international attention by other conservation organizations as to how our program can be applied to their educational efforts. The curriculum was written by Wildlife Discovery Center Staff and they received excellent consultation from professional environmental educators and state licensed teachers. We meet Illinois State Learning Standards for Science and several other subjects and we always try to integrate many subject areas (Science, Math, Social Studies, Language Arts). Here's what a couple of teachers had to say and their comments generally reflect the feelings of most teachers and students who have completed this program:

5th grade teacher at West Oak School

"Amazing, unbelievable, exhilerating, well organized, engaging, stimulating…science at its best! Our teachers were blown away by this field trip. In the 15+ years I have been teaching, this was by far and away the finest field trip experience my class has ever had. You all do an amazing job at integrating learning standards, our curriculum and your staff's passion for wildlife and their habitat into a program that leaves a lifetime impression. We are already signed up for next year and can't wait!"

6th Grade Teacher in Gurnee

"No doubt about it; this was the best field trip our school has ever taken; PERIOD. The students were so engaged and I honestly thought that there was no way that you were going to convince these children that rattlesnakes were good….but you did. Now all they talk about is how they can save the rattlesnakes and their habitat! The program was fast paced but slow at the same time to allow for inquiry learning to take place. Your curriciulum is incredibly flexible and we appreciate how you were so flexible in customizing the program to meet our school's specific needs. It was a true joy working with you and quite refreshing to have such a great field trip where students are actually learning, applying themselves and completely absorbed with what you are doing. Your staff are amazingly talented and your facilities have a very down to earth feel that is unlike anywhere else we have gone. We can't wait to come back next year!"

Format of the Grass Is Rattling Program

After going through an extensive pilot program last year, we have come up with a great experience for your students that will surely spark a lifetime interest in science. Once a group arrives, we have a large briefing in our Main Barn in which we introduce the students to Elawa Farm and the Middlefork Savanna. From there, we will then break the larger group into three smaller stations:

Station I - The Wildlife of the Middlefork Savanna

Here, students will meet some of our resident reptiles and birds of prey (unreleasable animals due to permanent injuries) and get a chance to touch/hold some of them. We will spend a good chunk of our time outdoors hiking the Middlefork Savanna where we will identify the many types of animals that live there. Students will learn how to ID animal tracks, apply field scopes and binoculars to observing birds and learn about various wildlife homes such as crayfish burrows and much more. We will go outdoors rain or shine so dress for the weather (in the event of severe or heavy inclement weather, we will stay indoors). We can also give this station a twist where students become naturalists where they have to sketch important components of the Middlefork Savanna. We have also done some fun things like a nature scavenger hunt. We are always open to customizing this program to meet your specific needs.

Station II - Wildlife and Technology

Our main exhibit room features some of the most amazing reptiles in the world. Here, students will not only get to learn about these animals' natural history through close up and safe encounters, but they will also use their own observational skills to identify various adaptations that these animals possess. Some of our featured animals include: the Dwarf Caiman; a South American crocodilian, an Alligator Snapping Turtle, 15' pythons, the "Lizard of Mystery" of Papua New Guinea, Rhinoceros Iguanas, Illinois' venomous snakes and much, much more! We will have a high wire act of one of our resident snakes to show their amazing adaptations. In addition to learning about animal adaptations, students will also learn about biomes and that Lake Forest is home to one of the rarest biomes on earth: the open oak savanna of the Middlefork Savanna! What really makes this station so much fun and so educational is the incorporation of technology. Students will learn how we study endangered species and use high tech equipment to develop effective conservation management programs. Students will get a chance to use high powered field scopes, GPS, Radio Telemetry and GPS. Interactive simulations will be incorporated to give students opportunities to use the equipment.

Station III - The Life of the Rattlesnake

The Grass Is Rattling experience wouldn't be what it is without close up and safe encounters with one of the most misunderstood animals on earth: the RATTLESNAKE! Students will see the nation's largest public display of living rattlesnakes along with other species of venomous reptiles. With over 30 species/subspecies of rattlesnakes on exhibit, students will hear the classic rattling sound of our resident rattlers. This station will focus on why these animals are so important to the environment, their life history, and the various conservation efforts that are taking place to save these important predators. The Eastern Massasauga and the Blanding's Turtle are the two target animals of the Middlefork Savanna species recovery plan. Time permitting, we will do a short journaling experience in which each student will be the Mayor of Rattlerville, U.S.A. As the newly elected mayor you want to faze out the annual Rattlesnake Roundup which is a big carnival in which people from all over the area come to see rattlesnakes killed and tortured (gruesome but this acutally takes place in places like Texas!). Your job as the new mayor is to come up with ideas that can put the rattlesnake in a more positive light in order to educate people about their value. Additionally, students' ideas also need to generate revenue to make up for the lost revenue of getting rid of the rattlesnake roundup. In this experience, students learn first hand about real life "pragmatic" versus "idealistic" issues that humans face every day when interacting with the environment. The experience will culminate with an opportunity to touch a LIVE rattlesnake that has been safely restrained by one of our professional staff. If you prefer a different twist to this station, we can also do an activity called "In the Eyes of the Rattlesnake" which takes students on an imaginary journey in the daily life of a rattlesnake where they become a rattlesnake for a day.

At the conclusion of all three stations, the entire group will reconvene in the Main Barn for a very brief wrap up. We are planning on having some post activities for teachers to take back with them to the class room to reinforce the learning process.

OPTIONAL PROGRAM: This past year we started integrating our radio telemetry project involving western fox snakes into the program. We show a brief slide show followed by having the students use our radio telemetry equipment to try to find hidden plastic snakes on the Middlefork Savanna.  This would take the place of the rattlesnake slide show (but the station begins in our rattlesnake room so students still get to see them).

Scheduling a Program, or, questions you may have

We typically recommend this program for early fall (September to early November) and spring (April and May). To book a program, or, if you have any questions, contact Rob Carmichael, Curator, at:

Frequently Asked Questions

Suppose I have a K-4th grade class that wants to do this program?

The G.I.S. program is geared for students in grades 5th-8th, however, we also offer schools many other programs at a very nominal cost (our average fee is approximately $4.75 per student). Please contact us to discuss your needs and we would be happy to either have your school come to our facility, or, we can even come to your school.

If we are unable to bus students, can you bring the program to our school?

Sure! But realize that a big part of the experience is in getting the students immersed into the Middlefork Savanna ecosystem. Still, we can put together a nice program for the students but we still max it at 60 students per program. Fees will increase due to the increased staff time. Fees range from $7.50-10 per student.

Are you able to customize the program so that it is completely different from what you are offering?

Absolutely! We enjoy a good challenge so tell us what you have in mind, or, the topics you want covered and our talented educators will put together a customized program that is specifically geared for your curriculum. Prices range from $5-10 per student.