Environmental Education Program

An outdoor science education program featuring year-round programs and customizable curriculum

Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp is excited to introduce to you our school-year-long environmental education program. This program features a customizable curriculum that provides ample opportunity for your class to experience hands-on and place-based natural science education. Experience nature the way it was meant to be… spend a day, stay overnight, or up to a week out in nature, right on Flathead Lake. This is the program for you and your school! You choose from the curriculums below and our trained staff will lead your students through a variety of lessons!!

Lesson Block Choices

WINTER

SNOW SCIENCE:  Students learn about how snow forms, how snow crystals change when they are on the ground, and how we can measure snowpack to determine how much water we will have in the spring.

WINTER ADAPTATIONS:  Students will learn about animal tracks and the different ways animals have adapted to survive during the winter through hands-on experiments.

NAVIGATION: < Students will learn about how to use maps, compasses, and GPS units, and they will use GPS units to find geocaches hidden at FLBC.

WINTER SURVIVAL:  Students will learn what to bring with them when exploring outside in the winter, how to detect and stay safe from avalanches, about winter first aid situations, and how to build emergency shelters and fires.

TEAM BUILDING:  Students will participate in a variety of activities designed to facilitate teamwork and working together in different forms. Highly recommended for every group!

FALL / SPRING

ECOLOGY:  Students will learn about how living and nonliving parts of nature interact to create unique ecosystems, and they will compare ecosystems by collecting data at different sites.

GEOLOGY:  Students will learn about where earth is in the galaxy, the layers of the earth, rock types, and the unique geology of northwestern Montana.

HYDROLOGY:  Students will learn about the importance of water conservation, watersheds, and learn how to measure different water characteristics to test fish habitat quality.

WILDERNESS SURVIVAL:  Students will learn what to bring with them when exploring nature, how to build fires and shelters, and how to Leave No Trace when having fun outside.

TEAM BUILDING:  Same as Winter.

NAVIGATION:  Same as Winter.



In addition to these lessons, we offer structured free time activities and group games as well as nature journaling and art. If you stay for an overnight program, we have special evening program activities where students get to learn about nighttime adaptations and have fun at a campfire with skits, songs, and s’mores.

DOWNLOAD LESSON BLOCK PDF

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Sample Schedule

Wednesday
3:30 pm Arrive, bags on tarps, cabin groups sent with staff member
3:45 pm Meet on courts, introductions, emergency/safety procedures
4:00 – 4:45 pm field groups, notebooks, team name/contract, tour, sense of place journaling
4:45-5:30 Big Field group game
5:30 – 6:15 pm Dinner
6:30 – 8:00 Evening activity: What is a scientist?
8:00 Night Hike transition to cabin time
9:30 Quiet time

Thursday
7:30 wake up bell
8:15 – 9:00 Breakfast and free time on courts
9-11:00 Lesson Block 1
11:00 – 12:00 Free Time Stations (archery, hikes, courts time)
12:15 – 1:00 Lunch and free time on courts
1:00 -3:00 Lesson Block 2
3:00 – 5:00 Lesson Block 3
5 – 5:30 Sense of Place Journaling
5:30 – 6:15 Dinner and free time on courts
6:30 – 7:15 Big field games
7:30 – 8:30 Campfire and S’mores
8:30 – 9:30 Cabin time
9:30 Quiet Time

Friday
7:30 Wake up bell
8:15 – 9:00 Breakfast and free time on courts
9- 11:00 Lesson Block 4
11:00 – 12:00 Free time stations (archery, hikes, courts time)
12:15 – 1:00 Lunch and free time on courts
1:00 – 2:30 Closing activity: Slideshow/Nature Art/Group pic
2:30 pm DEPART

Lesson Blocks
Hydrology
Geology
Team Building
Compass and GPS Use and Geocaching

1 Full Day

9:30 am: Arrival, introductions, and safety skits

10:00 am: Team Building Lesson Block

12:00 pm: Lunch and games

12:45 pm: Navigation Lesson Block 

2:45 pm: Archery

3:45 pm: Big field games and nature art

4:45ish Depart!

Thursday

9:00 am Arrive, unload bags on tarps, cabin groups sent with staff members

9:15 Meet on courts, introductions, emergency/safety procedures, group game

9:30-10:15 field groups with staff member (tour, team contracts, basic team building)

10:15-12:15 Lesson Block 1

12:15-1:00 Lunch

1:00-3:00 Lesson Block 2

3:00-3:30 Free time on courts

3:30-5:30 Lesson Block 3

5:30-6:15 Dinner

6:20-7:20 Evening activity

7:30-8:15 Campfire

8:20-8:45 Night Hike

8:45-9:30 Cabin Time

9:30 Quiet time

 

Friday

7:15 wake up bell

8:00-8:30 Breakfast

8:30-10:30 Lesson Block 4

10:30-12:30 Lesson Block 5

12:30 – 1:15 Lunch

1:15-1:45 Clean Up Time

1:45-2:30 Closing activity 

2:30 Depart

 

Lesson Blocks:

  • Snow science
  • Winter animal adaptations 
  • Maps, Compasses, and GPSs
  • Team building 
  • Winter survival and Leave No Trace

1 Day – 1 Block

12:15pm Arrival

12:15-2:15 Snow Science (all field groups)

2:30 Depart

Thank you so much for taking your time to be with us! It was so much fun! Your team-building station was our favorite! You taught us that teamwork is really important and helpful in all situations!

Baylee and JaidynStudents, Somers Middle School

I think the team-building is super important. I’ve noticed the kids grow closer over the week. I liked the content in all the lessons and how they linked.

Nichole BurnsTeacher, Smith Valley School

It was nice to get to learn something new in a different environment than school… Thank you for spending time to teach us about animals and what they do to survive in winter!

CassieStudent, Somers Middle School

To view our 2024 Environmental Education rates

Click Here!