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Grade 9

Below are youth education lessons available for grade 9.

Steam EDUCATION


Living with Earthquakes

Youth become architects and civil engineers to design model skyscrapers capable of resisting earthquake forces in this workshop.
Time: 45-120 minutes
Standards: S.6.10, S.6.11, S.6.20, S.6.21, S.7.20, S.7.22, S.7.23, S.8.18, S.8.19, S.ESS.8, S.ESS.9, S.ESS.21, S.ESS.22, S.PS.31, S.PS.32

Micro:bit Prosthetic Hand Design

Youth will become robotic engineers to develop a model prosthetic hand combining skills from mechanical, electrical and computer engineering.
Time: 90-120 minutes

Micro:bit Rock Paper Scissors

Youth will use the Micro:bit microcontroller to code and create a rock paper scissors game.
Time: 45-90 minutes

Scratch Coding

Youth will become computer scientists and code their own computer program using scratch, a computer coding language developed by MIT.
Time: 45-90 minutes

Mini Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR): COVID-19 Test Lab

Youth will become lab scientists and use real-world techniques to test a fictional family for COVID-19.
Time: 60-120 minutes

Mini Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR): Sickle Cell Genetics Lab

Youth will become lab scientists and perform genetic testing on members of a fictional family to diagnose sickle cell anemia.
Time: 60-120 minutes

Photosynthesis Chlorophyll Fluorescence Lab

Youth will examine the phenomenon of chlorophyll fluorescence and compare it to the real-life application used by scientists to measure ecosystem plant health.
Time: 30-75 minutes

Strawberry DNA Extraction

Youth will use the same procedure used by genetics and forensics labs to extract DNA from a strawberry.
Time: 45-90 minutes

Wetlands Hike

Youth will explore the dominion trail located at WVU Jackson’s Mill and observe a wetland ecosystem. Youth will have the opportunity to identify species of plants, animals and insects.
Time: 30-90 minutes

Stomp Rockets

Youth become aerospace engineers as they use engineer design process to build and test model stomp rockets.
Time: 45-90 minutes
Standards: S.K.1, S.K.2, S.K.11, S.K.13, S.1.10, S.1.12, S.2.12, S.2.14, S.3.1, S.3.2, S.3.16, S.3.17, S.3.18, S.4.1, S.4.14, S.4.15, S.4.16, S.5.15, S.5.16, S.5.17, S.6.20, S.6.21, S.7.22, S.7.23, S.8.18, S.8.19, S.PS.31, S.PS.32

Outdoor Education


Games and Team Building Activities

Youth will participate in age-appropriate games and activities that work on increasing teamwork, communication and other social skills needed in day-to-day life.
Time: 30-120 minutes
Standards: WE.K.20; WE.K.23; WE.K.26; WE.K.30; WE.K.31; WE.1.8; WE.1.21; WE.1.23; WE.1.27; WE.1.28; WE.2.8; WE.2.19; WE.2.20; WE.2.23; WE.2.27; WE.2.28; WE.3.17; WE.3.19; WE.3.23; WE.3.32; WE.3.34; WE.4.7; WE.4.20; WE.4.30; WE.4.31; WE.4.32; WE.5.18; WE.5.37; WE.5.38; WE.5.39; WE.6.14; WE.6.19; WE.6.21; WE.6.41; WE.6.4

Outdoor Cooking and Fire Science

Youth will learn the science behind fire, how to build different types of fires for different situations and how to cook over open flame and on coals.
Time: 30-60 minutes
Standards: S.6.8; S.7.8; S.8.13; S.PS.2; S.PS.3; S.PS.12; S.PS.16; S.C.3; S.C.9

Rock Climbing

Youth will learn the basics of rock climbing using the rock faces of our Tango Tower. Material will be grade appropriate.
Time: 30-90 minutes
Standards: WE.K.8; WE.K.23; WE.K.26; WE.K.31; WE.1.7; WE.1.8; WE.1.23; WE.1.27; WE.2.8; WE.2.23; WE.2.27; WE.2.28; WE.3.7; WE.3.29; WE.3.34; WE.4.12; WE.4.31; WE.4.32; WE.5.18; WE.5.39; WE.6.41; WE.6.42; WE.6.44; WE.6.45; WE.6.52; WE.6.53; WE.6.54; WE.7.39; WE.7.40; WE.7.42; WE.7.43; WE.7.53; WE.8.39; WE.8.51; PE.1; PE.2; PE.5; PE.7; PE.16; PE.17

Paddle Sports

Youth will learn the basics of paddling and be able to paddle on the West Fork River. Material and difficulty will be age appropriate. Canoeing will be the default unless otherwise noted and weather permitting.
Time: 75-120 minutes
Standards: PE.1; PE.2; PE.5; PE.7; PE.16; PE.17; PE.18

Biking

Youth will learn the basics of bike function, maintenance and proper riding techniques.
Time: 30-60 minutes
Standards: WE.6.41; WE.6.42; WE.6.44; WE.6.45; WE.6.52; WE.6.53; WE.6.54; WE.7.39; WE.7.40; WE.7.42; WE.7.43; WE.7.53; WE.8.39; WE.8.51; PE.1; PE.2; PE.5; PE.7; PE.16; PE.17; PE.18

Disc Golf

Youth will play disc gold on the WVU Jackson's Mill course. The style of gameplay will depend on the groups size and age.
Time: 30-120 minutes
Standards: WE.3.19; WE.3.29; WE.3.34; WE.4.12; WE.4.31; WE.4.32; WE.5.18; WE.5.39; WE.6.41; WE.6.42; WE.6.44; WE.6.45; WE.6.52; WE.6.53; WE.6.54; WE.7.39; WE.7.40; WE.7.42; WE.7.43; WE.7.53; WE.8.39; WE.8.51; PE.1; PE.2; PE.5; PE.7; PE.16; PE.17; PE.18

Knot Tying

Youth will learn to make different types of knots and the common uses for each type.
Time: 30-60 minutes
Standards: This activity does not meet any standards set out by the WV Department of Education

Leave No Trace

Learn the 7 Outdoor Ethics Principles and how to practically apply them outdoors. Different interactive activities will be done for different grades, and each will have information appropriate for the age of the students.
Standards: S.K.6; S.1.10; S.2.12; S.3.8; S.3.16; S.4.14; S.5.9; S.5.15; S.6.7; S.7.21; S.8.17; S.ESS.16; S.ESS.17

The Incredible Journey

Learn about the water cycle and how water flows through the Earth through interactive activity, the way it affects difference ecosystems, and how changes in the Earth’s climate have affected the water cycle. The students will get to make a small bracelet that represents their individual journey through the water cycle as a part of the activity.
Standards: S.K.3; S.K.9; S.K.11; S.2.8; S.2.11; S.4.12; S.5.5; S.5.7; S.5.8; S.5.10; S.6.6; S.7.15; S.7.16; S.8.17; S.ESS.10

We All Need Trees

Learn about the lifecycles of trees, what products come from the forestry industry, and how wildfires affect the ecosystem and life of a forest. At the end, students should have a greater understanding of how important trees are to the Earth and humanity.
Standards: S.2.1; S.2.5; S.3.7; S.3.9; S.4.8; S.5.1; S.5.6; S.6.5; S.7.2; S.8.2; S.ENV.6

Nature Hike

Walk through the forests at Jackson’s Mill and learn about the plants and animals that we have here. Along the way, we will talk about erosion, invasive species, and small little bit of Jackson’s Mill history.
Standards: S.3.6; S.3.7; S.4.8; S.4.12; S.5.5; S.5.6; S.5.10; S.6.1; S.6.2; S.6.5; S.6.7; S.7.19; S.8.2; S.ENV.9

History Education


Gristmill Demonstration

Youth will watch a demonstration and get hands-on experience running a water-powered gristmill with Blaker's Mill. The history of gristmilling in West Virginia and its significance in WVU Jackson's Mill history will be highlighted.
Standards: SS.K.22; SS.1.23; SS.2.20; SS.2.21; SS.4.18; SS.6.9; SS.8.22

Historic Area Tour

Youth will learn about the buildings at Jackson's Mill and how they relate to the early history of West Virginia, including learning about the Jackson family and others who lived and worked in the buildings.
Time: 60+ minutes
Standards: SS.4.18; SS.6.20; SS.7.13; SS.7.14; SS.8.21; SS.8.22

Blacksmith Demonstration

Youth will see a blacksmith shop in action while a historian demonstrate skills and tools used in the process highlighting its importance to WV and WVU Jackson's Mill.
Standards: SS.K.22; SS.1.23; SS.2.20; SS.2.21; SS.4.18; SS.6.9; SS.8.22

Main Campus Tour

Walking the grounds of our campus, youth will learn about the history of Jackson’s Mill, the nation’s first state 4-H camp and how our camp developed from its beginning in 1921.
Time: 60+ minutes
Standards: SS.4.18; SS.6.20; SS.7.13; SS.7.14

Candle Dipping

Using an electric pot and melted wax, youth will use a length of string to make hand-dipped candles.
Standards: SS.2.20; SS.2.21; SS.4.18; SS.6.9; SS.8.22

Rope Making

Youth will use a hand crank, tabletop rope machine to make their own small piece of twisted cotton rope roughly the size of a bracelet.
Standards: SS.K.22; SS.1.23; SS.2.20; SS.2.21; SS.4.18; SS.6.9; SS.8.22

Butter Making/Food-ways

Preserved food samples are used to demonstrate the importance of various foods & food preservation types early settlers used. Participants will also make their own butter.
Standards: SS.2.20; SS.2.21; SS.4.18; SS.6.9; SS.8.22

Historic Toys and Games

Using replica toys and a variety of household items, youth will try old-fashioned games, learn how people entertained themselves and compare them to modern games.
Standards: SS.K.22; SS.1.23; SS.2.20; SS.2.21; SS.4.18; SS.6.9; SS.8.22