On-site Field Studies | Fifth Grade

Come explore Callaway Gardens with your class for fun, educational experiences your students won’t ever forget! Can’t make the trip to visit us? No problem, book an Outreach Program and we will bring the learning into your classroom. Either way, a Callaway Gardens Expert will lead your class in exploration. School programs include hands-on activities and a Teacher’s Guide with additional curriculum.

Bird Sleuth 101

Gain a new appreciation for our local songbirds, waterfowl, woodpeckers, and even birds of prey. Through the use of taxidermy specimens, biofacts, and other hands-on tools, students will receive a brief introduction on how to use binoculars and ways to identify common birds. The program will wrap up with one of our experienced educators leading a short walk where we put our live bird-watching skills to the test!

• Maximum group size: 30
• Cost: $85
• Binoculars will be provided.

GSE: SKL2 c; S2L1 c; S3L1 b & c; S5L1 a; S5L2; S7L1

Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl Trail Walk (Blooms in March & early April)

Stroll among 40 acres of native woodlands. Cultivated azaleas bloom in early Spring.  Asphalt surface trails allow easy access to the Mirror Pond and connect to the Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel.

• Maximum group size: 175
• Cost: None

GSE: S5L1 b; S7L1

Plant Parts and You!

Join us on a fun-filled exploration of some of the foods we eat, beginning in the garden and ending on the dinner table. Discover how important plants are to us and what parts of the plant produce our favorite foods. Students will review the basic parts of a plant parts and the plant life cycle.

• Maximum group size: 40
• Cost: $55

GSE: S1L1; S2L1; S5L1 b; S7L1

Living Food Chain

Reptiles, raptors, and mammals, oh my! Students have an opportunity to meet the living parts of the food chain; learn what characteristics these animals share; and discover how energy flows through an ecosystem. Our educational mammal and reptile are available for the students to touch at the end of the program!

• Maximum group size: 100
• Cost: $125

GSE: SKL1; SKL2 a & b; S1L1; S2L1 a & c, d; S3L1 b & c; S4L1; S5L1 a & b; S5L4; S7L1; S7L4 a, c

Virginia Hand Callaway Discovery Center

This LEED-certified building provides educational and art displays across its 35,000 sq.-foot expanse. Explore the Discovery Room in the Education Wing with its mounted animal specimens and interpretive displays. For those interested in art, the Exhibit Hall displays the works of famous nature artist, Athos Menaboni. Live turtles and fish can be observed from the Discovery Bridge, and the pollinator garden is abuzz with insects in the Spring and Summer.

• Maximum group size: 175
• Cost: None

GSE: S2E3; S3L2 b

Birds of Prey Program

Join us for Georgia’s only daily, free-flighted birds of prey program! Learn about the unique role these feathered creatures play in the environment as they zoom over your head.  Hawks, owls, falcons, and even vultures will demonstrate natural behaviors and adaptations while our experienced trainers educate you about these amazing raptors!

• Maximum group size: 125
• Cost: None

GSE: S3L1 b & c, S4L1 b, c & d; S5L1 a; S5L2; S5L4; S7L4 a, c; S7L5 b

Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center

Over 1000 tropical butterflies call this tropical conservatory “home.” The indoor rainforest habitat and adjacent 3-acre outdoor butterfly garden provide a walk-through classroom atmosphere where students can learn about the butterfly life cycle and how these winged wonders interact with their environment.

• Maximum group size: 100
• Cost: None

GSE: S2L1; S3L1 c; S5L1 a; S7L1

Pioneer Log Cabin

Built in the mid-1800s, this cabin constructed of Longleaf Pine provides students with a peek into the past. Pioneer-era artifacts, a kitchen garden, and the covered well are just a few of the educational opportunities this historical site has to offer.

• Maximum group size: 30
• Cost: None

GSE: None

Owl Pellets: The Science Behind Them

Discover what’s on the menu for our nighttime predators during this hands-on dissection activity! Students become nature detectives as they work individually or in teams to identify the bones of owl prey items. If they’re lucky, they may be able to piece together a whole skeleton!

• Maximum group size: 60
• Cost: $100, plus $3.60/pellet

GSE: S2L1; S4L1 a & b; S5L2; S7L4 a

It’s a Bug’s Life (New!)

Learn about the wonderful creepie crawlies help keep our world free from pests. Students will play bug-related games, discuss what makes an insect and insect, and even meet live insects at the end of the program!

• Maximum group size: 50
• Cost: $100

GSE: S2L1; S3L1 c; S5L1 a; S7L1

Habitats of Georgia Trail Walk

This shaded and mulched trail is a tranquil spot for a walk for discovering the different plant communities of Georgia. You will encounter plants from the Appalachains, the Piedmont, and the Coastal Plain. (Distance: 0.75 miles)

• Maximum group size: 75
• Cost: None

GSE: SKL1 a & b; S3E1 b & c; S3L1 a; S4L1 a & c; S7L4 a, b, d

Skins, Scales, and Turtle Shells (New!)

There is great diversity in the Animal Kingdom. Through the use of pelts, taxidermy specimens, and skeletons explore the things that distinguish one critter from another. Do they fly, swim, walk, or hop? Is their body covered with fur, scales….or something else? How do they regulate their body temperature? Learn the answers to all of these questions in this 30-minute program. You might even meet a live critter at the end!

• Maximum group size: 75
• Cost: $75

GSE: SKL2; S3L1; S5L1; S7L1

Pricing information

• $6.50/student regardless of age
• One adult (teacher, chaperone, or parent) gets in free for every 8 students
• Additional adults are $10.00 each.
• Guided programs carry an additional fee.
• Groups scheduled through the Education Department will receive priority at the various facilities
• Tax-exempt form must be submitted with your payment the day of the event.
• Check and credit card are the only accepted forms of payment.

Group guidelines

Class size

• Groups that number more than program’s ‘Maximum Group Size’ must be split up.

Age

• Students in grades 9^th– 12^th may be grouped together for a Guided Program.
• Students younger than 9^thgrade must be within 2 consecutive grade levels in order to attend a Guided Program unless it is a homeschool or scout group.

Booking information

Application

• All field trips are booked through our online application: https://www.callawaygardens.com/plan-your-educational-visit/
• Reservations are taken on a first come-first serve basis. Book early to ensure your chosen date.
• Once the application has been received, a confirmation packet will be sent out via email within 72 hours.
• Please direct any questions to education@callawaygardens.comor Laura Mirarchi @ 706-663-5155

Deposit (This is new this year)

• A deposit is due 2 weeks from the booking date. The deposit is 25% of the total program cost for your group.

Cancellation Policy (This is new this year)

• Since indoor program space is available, programs take place rain or shine.
• A field trip can be rescheduled (depending on availability) or cancelled up to 4 weeks before the scheduled date without penalty.
• If a field trip is rescheduled or cancelled less than 4 weeks from the scheduled date, the deposit will not be refunded.
• An unpaid balance from a school will result in the school’s inability to book future field trips until the balance is paid in full.

Payment Information

• Accepted forms of payment: Check and Credit Card
• The remaining balance (i.e. amount left after the deposit is applied) is to be paid on the day of the program at the Gate Booth.
• The following items MUST be included with payment for admission into the Gardens:
  • Invoice
  • Tax-exempt letter (if a school group)
  • Form of payment

Seeking an Off-Site Program?

VIEW PROGRAM GUIDE

Partners in Education: As a Partner in Education with the Harris County School District, Callaway Gardens generously offers Harris County Schools one free Self-guided field trip per class each school year. Items of note: To use this great benefit, free trips must be booked using our online application. Students and teachers are admitted free of charge (limit 1 adult per 8 students). Additional adult chaperones receive the discounted admission price of $10 plus tax per person.