Programs
Upham Woods is a year-round, residential outdoor learning center serving organized groups including schools, 4-H camps, scout groups, youth and adult conferences and retreats, and adult education workshops. Throughout the year we are open to the public with a diverse and fun series of public program days. We also partner with local community organizations to provide after school and community-based programs. Our experienced staff provide outreach through local library programs, on-site classroom programming, and participation in other local community organization events. Grab and Go lesson plans are great resources for any person who has come, is planning a trip, or interested in coming to Upham Woods. We also support the integration of technology into our programming. We started with our Digital Observation Technology Skills (DOTS) program which studies technology integration into environmental education. Every group that visits and participates in our educational programming will use technology to collect data and craft scientific stories. Learn more about DOTS at Upham and scientific storytelling.
See our Elementary School , Middle School, and High School classes listed below
Elementary School Lessons
Theme | Class | Grade Level | NGSS (Grade 3-5) | Time | Season | Notes |
Animal Ecology | Animal Signs | 1-5 | 4-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1 | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | |
Animal Ecology | Radical Raptors | 1-5 | 4-LS1-1 | 1 hour | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ |
Indoor only Night program |
Animal Ecology | Scales, Scutes and Skins | 1-5 |
3-LS1-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-2, 3-LS4-3, 3-LS4-4, 4-LS1-1, 4-LS1-2, 4-ESS3-1, 5-LS2-1 |
1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | Indoor only |
Animal Ecology | Discovering Owls | 2-5 | – | 1 hour | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | Indoor only |
Animal Ecology | Habitat is a Home | 2-5 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Animal Ecology | Bat Ecology | 3-5 | – | 1 hour | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ |
Indoor only Night program |
Animal Ecology | Predator/Prey | 4-5 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Aquatics | Wacky Water Critters | 4-5 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Creative Learning | Nature Journaling | 4-5 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | |
Conservation | Conservation Service Project | 4-5 | – | 1.5-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Cultural History | Voyageur Canoe | 1-5 | – | 1.5-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Cultural History | Life of a Logger | 4-5 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | Night program |
Forestry | Tree Identification | 4-5 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Forestry | Value of a Tree (VOAT) | 6-5 | – | 1.5-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Night Program | Night Hike | 3-5 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | Night Program |
Outdoor Pursuits | Black Hawk Island Hike | K-5 |
2-ESS2-1, 3-LS4-33, LS4-4, *4-ESS2-1, *5-LS2-1 |
3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Fishing | K-5 | 4-LS1-1 | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Swimming | 1-5 | – | – | ☀️ | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Orienteering | 3-5 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Outdoor Survival | 4-5 | 4-PS3-2, 4-LS1-1 | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Archery | 4-5 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Canoeing | 4-5 | – | 1.5-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Outdoor Pursuits | North Shore Hike | 4-5 | – | 3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Sensory Awareness | Make Sense of Nature | 1-5 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | |
Team Building | Group Initiatives | 1-5 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Team Building | Peanut Butter Mountain (low ropes course) | 4-5 | – | 3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | |
Team Building | The Amazing Upham Race | 4-5 | – | 1.5-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 ⛄️ | |
Winter Sports | Cross Country Skiing | 2-5 | – | 1 hour+ | ⛄️ | |
Winter Sports | Snowshoeing | 2-5 | – | 1 hour+ | ⛄️ | |
Winter Sports | Broomball | 3-5 | – | 1 hour+ | ⛄️ |
Middle School Lessons
Theme | Class | Grade Level | NGSS | Time | Season | Notes |
Animal Ecology | Discovering Owls | 6-7 | – | 1 hour | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ |
Indoor Only Night program |
Animal Ecology | Animal Signs | 6-8 |
LS1-3, LS1-4, LS1-7, LS2-1, LS2-2, LS2-3, LS2-4 |
1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | |
Animal Ecology | Radical Raptors | 6-8 | – | 1 hour | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ |
Indoor only Night program |
Animal Ecology | Scales, Scutes and Skins | 6-8 | LS1-4, LS1-5, LS2-3, LS2-4 | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | Indoor only |
Animal Ecology | Habitat is a Home | 6-8 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Animal Ecology | Bat Ecology | 6-8 | – | 1 hour | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ |
Indoor only Night program |
Animal Ecology | Predator/Prey | 6-8 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Aquatics | Wacky Water Critters | 6-8 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Creative Learning | Nature Journaling | 6-8 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | |
Conservation | Conservation Service Project | 6-8 | – | 1.5-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Cultural History | Voyageur Canoe | 6-8 | – | 1.5-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Cultural History | Life of a Logger | 6-8 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | Night program |
Forestry | Tree Identification | 6-8 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Forestry | Value of a Tree (VOAT) | 6-8 | – | 1.5-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Night Program | Night Hike | 6-8 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | Night program |
Outdoor Pursuits | Black Hawk Island Hike | 6-8 | LS1-5, LS2-1, LS2-4, LS2-5, ESS2-1, ESS3-3 | 3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Fishing | 6-8 |
LS2-1, LS2-4 |
1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Swimming | 6-8 | – | – | ☀️ | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Orienteering | 6-8 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Outdoor Survival | 6-8 | PS1-3, PS1-4, PS3-3, PS3-5, PS4-2, LS1-1, LS1-3, LS1-7, LS1-8,ESS2-5, ESS3-3, ETS1-1, ETS1-3 | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Archery | 6-8 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Canoeing | 6-8 | – | 1.5-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Outdoor Pursuits | North Shore Hike | 6-8 | – | 3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Team Building | Group Initiatives | 6-8 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Team Building | Peanut Butter Mountain (low ropes course) | 6-8 | – | 3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | |
Team Building | The Amazing Upham Race | 6-8 | – | 1.5-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 ⛄️ | |
Winter Sports | Cross Country Skiing | 6-8 | – | 1 hour+ | ⛄️ | |
Winter Sports | Snowshoeing | 6-8 | – | 1 hour+ | ⛄️ | |
Winter Sports | Broomball | 6-8 | – | 1 hour+ | ⛄️ |
High School Lessons
Theme | Class | Grade Level | NGSS | Time | Season | Notes |
Animal Ecology | Animal Signs | 9 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | |
Animal Ecology | Radical Raptors | 9-12 | – | 1 hour | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ |
Indoor only Night program |
Animal Ecology | Scales, Scutes and Skins | 9-12 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | Indoor only |
Animal Ecology | Bat Ecology | 9-12 | – | 1 hour | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ |
Indoor only Night program |
Aquatics | Wacky Water Critters | 9 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Creative Learning | Nature Journaling | 9-12 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | |
Conservation | Conservation Service Project | 9-12 | – | 1.5-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Cultural History | Voyageur Canoe | 9-12 | – | 1.5-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Cultural History | Life of a Logger | 9-12 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ |
Indoor only Night program |
Forestry | Tree Identification | 9-12 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Forestry | Value of a Tree (VOAT) | 9-12 | – | 1.5-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Night Program | Night Hike | 9-12 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | Night program |
Outdoor Pursuits | Black Hawk Island Hike | 9-12 |
LS4-5
|
3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Fishing | 9-12 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Swimming | 9-12 | – | – | ☀️ | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Outdoor Survival | 9-12 | , | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Archery | 9-12 | – | 1.5 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Canoeing | 9-12 | – | 1.5-2 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Outdoor Pursuits | North Shore Hike | 9-12 | – | 2-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 | |
Outdoor Pursuits | Orienteering | 9-12 | – | 2-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁️⛄️ | |
Team Building | Group Initiatives | 9-12 | – | 1.5-2 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | |
Team Building | Peanut Butter Mountain (low ropes course) | 9-12 | – | 3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁⛄️ | |
Team Building | The Amazing Upham Race | 9-12 | – | 1.5-3 hours | 🌻☀️🍁 ⛄️ | |
Winter Sports | Cross Country Skiing | 9-12 | – | 1 hour + | ⛄️ | |
Winter Sports | Snowshoeing | 9-12 | – | 1 hour + | ⛄️ | |
Winter Sports | Broomball | 9-12 | – | 1 hour + | ⛄️ |