Our year is made up of three units, each exploring different areas of science - physical, life and earth: Science time is a space for collaborative learning, so we spend time honing our skills of how to listen to others' ideas and share our own in order to build a strong understanding of the content.
SPREE: South Platte Environmental Education
McKinley-Thatcher is proud to be a SPREE school! Each year, every class goes on a SPREE excursion to explore Colorado history and science, all centered around the essential resources of the South Platte River.
The 4th grade SPREE excursion takes place at Grant Frontier Park. This excursion explores life in Colorado from the days of Arapahoe and Cheyenne roaming the plains to the gold rush days of mining and panning to the pioneer days as plains homesteaders. Students also learn about the importance of the Cottonwood tree to all of Colorado's earliest residents, explore the site of the first chartered city in Colorado, learn to identify different needle trees, learn how to pan for gold, and turn over rocks to see what is living in the South Platte River. Link to the SPREE site and a video HERE.