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Please note: If barricades are up at Hines Drive and Ann Arbor Trail, proceed around the first barricades to our parking lot (before the second set of barricades). |
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Nankin Mills Interpretive Center offers year-round exhibits and interpretive programs highlighting the natural and cultural history of our area. Interpretive programs specially designed for schools, scout groups and families feature hands-on activities, hikes, games and crafts to enhance the learning experience. We present a large variety of topics, as listed below, but other topics can be provided upon request. The millage for Parks made the programs and exhibits at Nankin Mills Interpretive Center possible. Thank you for your patronage!
ADVANCE REGISTRATION AND PRE-PAYMENT IS REQUIRED FOR SCOUT, HOME SCHOOL AND FAMILY PROGRAMS. YOU WILL NOT BE REGISTERED FOR A PROGRAM UNTIL PAYMENT IS RECEIVED AT THE PARK OFFICE. Call (734) 261-1990 for more information. To schedule a school program, please call (734) 261-1850. To receive program informatoin on our email list please send your name and email address to .
Please note: If barricades are up at Hines Drive and Ann Arbor Trail, proceed around the first barricades to our parking lot (before the second set of barricades).
School Field Trip Programs | Outreach Programs
| Home School Programs
2008 SCHOOL FIELD TRIP PROGRAMS
The topics listed below are available as a two hour school field trip program at Nankin Mills Interpretive Center. Program length can be adjusted to meet your needs, and is usually 1½ hours for preschool groups. Program fee is $4.00 per student, no charge for the adults attending, payable the day of the program. Only cash or checks are accepted. Make checks payable to “Wayne County Parks”. Please note grade level recommendations listed. Program content is adapted to the age of the students. Call (734) 261-1850 to schedule a school field trip.
Offered Year-Round ~ Grades 2nd – Adult
Our interpretive center exhibits focus on the key role the Rouge River has played in the natural and cultural history of our area, drawing people and wildlife to its banks. Four historic time periods are featured: Natural History, Native Americans/The First People, Grist Mill/Settlement Times and Henry Ford’s Village Industries from 1918 – 1948. From the Potawatomi village to the amazing likeness of Henry Ford, the center offers much to be discovered about our early Michigan history.
Offered Year-Round ~ Grades Preschool – 8th
The Rouge River floodplain is home to many reptile and amphibian species, together known as “herps”. Meet live frogs, turtles, snakes, toads and salamanders, and discover their adaptations to their wetland habitats. The natural history of these fascinating animals will be explored as you enjoy your “up-close encounter” with our live animals.
Offered September and April, May, June ~ Grades Preschool – 4th
How many legs do they have? What do they do with their antennae and those weird mouth parts? Puppets, games and chasing bugs are all part of the fun as we explore the world of insects. Older students will learn about complete and incomplete metamorphosis, life stages of insects and other amazing natural history!
Offered September, October ~ Grades Preschool – 6th
Experience yesteryear at Nankin Mills exploring how people lived in the 1800s. Our Grist Mill exhibits describe local settlement history and explain how the farmers used river-powered mills to grind grain into flour, saw lumber and card wool. Bring your own apples, about six per student, and you will be ready to make cider the old fashioned way, by grinding and pressing it yourselves! Playing games and doing chores from bygone days will help make you thirsty!
Offered September, October, November ~ Grades Preschool – 6th
Trees are the focus of our fall explorations as we learn why leaves are changing colors and discover what “deciduous” means. As we hike to enjoy this beautiful season, we will learn to identify several of Michigan’s trees. Students will make either leaf collections or leaf print T-shirts as a memory of the season. Each student should bring a light colored T-shirt if you choose to make leaf prints.
Offered September, October and April, May, June ~ Grades 3rd – 6th
An outdoor hike through the Holliday Nature Preserve will allow us to experience a variety of habitats: open field, edge habitat, river floodplain, upland forest and swamp! Along the way, we will learn how the plants and animals from each habitat adapt to the unique living conditions. Games help students learn the concepts of food webs, niches, carrying capacity and habitats in an enjoyable way!
Offered November through March ~ Grades 2nd – 6th
Our area has a rich Native American cultural history. Take a journey back in time to explore how the first people from this area lived with the land. A tour of our Native American exhibits introduces the early life of the local Potawatomi and their Three Fires brotherhood with the Odawa and Ojibwa. Through hands-on games, activities and discussion, we begin to appreciate the knowledge required to live with the natural resources at hand, and also realize that native culture is very much a part of our lives today.
Offered November through March ~ Grades 3rd – 8th
Michigan has a fascinating geological history, including mountain ranges, volcanoes, oceans and glaciers. Discover the evidence we have today that confirms this past. We will look at the “big picture”, how the theory of plate tectonics influences mountain formation, volcanoes and earthquakes. We will also explore the “smaller” world of geology, rock and mineral classification. Students will participate in hands-on hardness testing and other mineral classification techniques and create a rock collection to take home.
Offered November through March ~ Grades 2nd – 6th
Eleven different species of owls are found in Michigan. Three are common, four are rare, and four others visit us from the north when their food supplies are low. We will use the owl mount collection to learn about these interesting nocturnal birds and discover their amazing adaptations, which enable them to be such efficient night hunters. Students will be given owl “pellets” to examine and discover what the owls have been eating!
Offered November through March ~ Grades 2nd – 6th
We may not have cobras, but it is always wise to know which animals and plants you should be concerned about in your area. We are fortunate to have only a few poisonous plants and animals in Michigan. Learn how to recognize these, and your outdoor adventures will be much safer. Separate fact from fiction as we discuss the real story! You may even get to meet Ms. Ivy!
Offered November through March ~ Grades 3rd – 6th
Michigan’s rich and diverse history will be explored, including French fur trading in the 1600s, British influences of the 1700s, and American colonial settlement in the 1800s. We will discuss how these events impacted native Anishnabeg culture. Other historical periods, such as the lumber and mining booms of the 1800s and automobile manufacturing in the early 1900s will be presented. Students learn our state symbols, see how our state boundaries changed over time, and receive a “Michigan History” booklet to take home.
Offered December through March ~ Grades Preschool – 6th
Don’t hibernate! Winter offers so many exciting opportunities to explore our natural world. We will try to unravel the mysteries of animal tracks and create our own “tracked up” T-shirts. Each student should bring a light-colored T-shirt, and dress for the weather since a hike will be part of the fun, unless it’s really blustery!
Offered December through March ~ Grades 2nd – 6th
The Rouge River played an important role as a local route for people to follow while escaping slavery on the “Flight to Freedom” from the south to Detroit and on to Canada. The folk history of Nankin Mills includes rumors that it was part of the Underground Railroad system in this area. Learn the history of our local abolitionists, and discover the quilt codes and songs used in secret communications. Students will create their own “quilt codes”.
Offered December through March ~ Grades 2nd – 6th
Bring your detective skills and unravel the clues animals leave behind. Tracks, scat, skulls and animal skins are all part of the fun! Students will learn to recognize animal signs and discover techniques for identifying skulls in this informative program.
Offered December through March ~ Grades 3rd – 6th
Explore the wonders of the Universe with us as we discover stars, planets, comets, meteoroids, meteors, meteorites and asteroids! We will learn how to find constellations in the night sky using the Big Dipper and Orion “guideposts”, play a fun planet fact game and act out some of the early Greek, Roman and Native American mythology about the stars. Each student should bring a clean, empty cardboard oatmeal can for creating their own celestial wonders.
Offered December through March ~ Grades 3rd – 8th
You may be surprised to discover that Nankin Mills played a role in Michigan’s early automotive history. Slides, a museum tour, and a fun game show quiz competition help students learn about Henry Ford’s Village Industry at Nankin Mills. Ford manufactured screws, and later stencils, dies and engravings here. Thomas Edison assisted Ford with his operations at Nankin, utilizing the Rouge’s waterpower to create electricity. Exciting electrical experiments will help students explore how waterpower becomes electrical power, and they will make their own “engraving” to take home.
Offered March ~ Grades Kindergarten – 6th
Bundle up and join our naturalist at Cass Benton Park in Northville to learn how a tree is tapped and maple sap is collected and boiled into delicious maple syrup. The unique combination of warm spring days and freezing nights in the northeastern U.S. and Canada creates the conditions needed for sugaring. The season is short, from February through March. We will warm up around the evaporating pan and take our first taste of spring! Dress for the weather, program is outdoors.
Offered April, May, June ~ Grades 3rd – 8th
This program is designed to foster a basic understanding the integral role water plays in our lives and how we can protect our water resources, as well as familiarize students with our local Rouge River watershed. Follow a raindrop on its journey through the water cycle, meet live animals that depend on floodplain habitats for survival, and learn how the choices we make affect our Rouge River water quality. We will also hike and explore the floodplain of the Rouge River.
Offered April, May, June ~ Grades 2nd – 6th
Different beaks and feet, how do they fly? Learn about adaptations, which help birds survive in their unique habitats and allow them the freedom of flight. Discover the amazing ways they can build their nests, migrate, and many other incredible bird facts! You may get a chance to see new hatchlings in our nesting boxes! A bird hike with binoculars is also part of the fun, weather permitting.
Offered April, May, June ~ Grades 2nd – 6th
Our pond may be small, but it is filled with aquatic life! Do you know how many different creatures live in a pond? You’ll find out when you catch some yourselves! Get a closer look at the tiny pond dwellers moving under our video microscope. Older students will learn how these different macro invertebrates serve as indicators of water quality. You will also meet our live turtles, snakes and frogs!
Offered April, May, June ~ Grades 3rd – 6th
How do land and water affect each other? A variety of concepts are covered, such as how plant roots take up pollutants to improve water quality, soil erosion, deposition and sediment load in the river, and the connection of aquatic and terrestrial life in the food web are discussed. We will meet some of the live animals from the Rouge floodplain, including tiny macro invertebrates and visit our “Grow Zones” to understand their role in improving habitat and water quality. This program was developed as part of the City of Westland’s “Rooting for the Rouge”.
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2008 OUTREACH PROGRAMS
Some of the School Field Trip Programs listed above are available as a Visiting Naturalist Outreach Program. One of our naturalists will come to your school, scout pack meeting, library or other facility to present the program. Program content is adapted for off-site presentation, and programs are 1 to 1 ½ hours long. Program fee for school Outreach programs is $4.00 per student. Scout packs, libraries and other facilities can call about our presenter’s fee. Fees are payable the day of the program, cash or check only. Please make checks payable to “Wayne County Parks”. To schedule an Outreach program, please call (734) 261-1850. Sorry, we are unable to travel out of Wayne County for Outreach programs. The following topics can be presented as an Outreach program:
- Reptile and Amphibian Encounters (Live animal presentation), not available as an Outreach November – March
- Insect Adventures (Puppet stories, insect nets outdoors if site allows)
- Fall Frolic (Leaf print T-shirts)
- Native Americans of the Great Lakes (Presentation, games)
- Michigan Geology (Presentation, rock collections)
- Owls of Michigan (Presentation, owl mounts, owl pellet discovery)
- Poisonous Plants and Animals of Michigan (Presentation)
- Underground Railroad History (Presentation, quilt square craft)
- Animals in Winter: Tricky Tracks (Presentation, Track T-shirts)
- Animal Mysteries (Presentation skins, skulls, signs)
- Rouge River Watershed (Presentation, live animals)
- Bird Adaptations (Presentation of bird mounts)
- Land and Water Connections (Presentation, live animals)
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2008 HOME SCHOOL PROGRAM SERIES
Nankin Mills Interpretive Center is pleased to offer our series of monthly educational programs designed for home school students and their parent to attend together. January – March programs are listed on our Home School flier, available at the Park Office or on our web site at www.waynecountyparks.org. The program fee is $4.00 per student for each program that you register for, no charge for adults that attend. All programs are held 1:30 – 3:00 pm. Please note age recommendations listed. Pre-registration and prepayment are required. You will not be registered for a program until payment is received at the Park Office. Call 734-261-1990 if you have any questions.
TUESDAY, APRIL 8
Frogs, turtles and snakes, Oh My! Join us to meet our live reptiles and amphibians, together known as “Herps”.
Learn about their interesting natural history and adaptations to their wetland habitats. Indoors, ALL AGES 4 - 15.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16
The many unique adaptations of owls make them such effective nocturnal predators. Our owl mounts will
introduce you to some of the eleven different species that have been found in Michigan. Close examination
of owl pellets allows you to investigate what owls have been eating! Indoor program, MIDDLE AND OLDER.
HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 8 – 15.
THURSDAY, APRIL 24
Students will learn about invasive plants that alter our native habitats and then participate in a hands-on
activity to reduce the garlic mustard invasion in our nature preserve. Mostly outdoor program, MIDDLE AND OLDER HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 8 – 15.
TUESDAY, MAY 6
You’ll be amazed to see how much aquatic life lives in our little pond! Catch some of these pond critters and try the Pond Bingo Challenge to identify them. We’ll take an even closer look under our video-microscope, also known as “slime TV”! Indoors and outdoors, YOUNGER AND MIDDLE HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 4 - 10.
TUESDAY, MAY 13
Arachnids are not always the most well-liked in the animal world, but they have an important role in nature. From active jumping spiders to enormous fishing spiders, we will explore the spiders of Michigan and a few other arachnids of the world. Indoors and outdoors, MIDDLE AND OLDER HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 8 – 15.
THURSDAY, MAY 22
Many plants and animals are unique to the floodplain habitat surrounding the Rouge River. We will hike to meet some of these interesting species and discover their adaptations that help them survive in this wet habitat. We will then have a debate between flora and fauna to see who is the most amazing! Mostly outdoors, MIDDLE AND OLDER HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 8 – 15.
TUESDAY, JUNE 10
We will learn to recognize many of Michigan’s beautiful butterflies and find out how to attract them to your own yard using native plants for caterpillar host plants and adult nectar plants. The life stages of butterflies will be discussed and students will be shown how to raise a monarch butterfly to take home if they wish. Indoors and outdoors,YOUNGER AND MIDDLE HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 4 – 10.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18
Did you know that the Rouge River is home to 58 species of fish? We will learn to recognize some of the different species and discover different adaptations that they have to help them survive. The class will assist naturalists seining fish from the mill race to see what fish are living there. Mostly outdoors, MIDDLE AND OLDER HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 8 – 15.
THURSDAY, JUNE 26
The sun, earth, air and water combine to shape the weather as we know it. Learn about trade winds, relative humidity, high and low pressure areas. Students will have an opportunity to try hands-on experiments and build your own barometer or windsock. Program is indoors and outdoors, MIDDLE AND OLDER HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 8 - 15.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
Bring your own apples (about six per student) and use your own muscle power to hand crank our old-fashioned cider press! The taste of the fresh pressed cider is worth all of the work! Games and hands-on activities will introduce us to pioneer history. Outdoor program,YOUNGER AND MIDDLE HOME SCHOOLERS, Ages 4 – 10.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Nature has many amazing cycles, and the recycling program that occurs on the forest floor is one of the best! The critters we see under a rotting log have the important job of recycling nutrients back into the soil. Visit our “underground world” and explore the forest soil to meet some of these amazing critters! Mostly outdoors, MIDDLE HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 8 – 10.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Ferns are some of the most ancient plants on earth. Their delicate beauty brings to mind primordial forests. We will learn to recognize some of the ferns growing along the Rouge River on a hike and create a fern-decorated item to take home. Please bring a dark-colored item to decorate, such as canvas bag, apron or T-shirt. We will be using diluted bleach in the process. Indoors and outdoors, OLDER HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 11 – 15.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7
Trees will be the focus of our explorations as we take a hike to learn how to identify our local floodplain species.
Each student should bring a light-colored T-shirt to make leaf prints as a memory of the beautiful fall season. Indoors and outdoors, YOUNG AND MIDDLE HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 4 – 10.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15
Trees, shrubs and flowers have gone to seed for the season. We will learn about different kinds of seeds and take a hike to identify them. Students will make a collection of several different types of seeds to take home. MIDDLE HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 8 – 10.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30
The twelve different species of oak trees in Michigan can be hard to identify. We will use leaf, acorn and
bud details to sort them out, practice keying them, and put together an oak leaf collection. Indoor program,
OLDER HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 11 – 15.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5
Birds display a great variety of beaks and feet, all especially adapted for survival in their particular habitat. We will explore these adaptations, learn how it is that birds are able to fly and migrate, examine different types of nests and learn to recognize many of our local birds from mounts. Indoor program, YOUNGER AND MIDDLE HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 4 – 10.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12
Michigan has a rich Native American cultural history. Learn about the Three Fires tribes from our
area, the Potawatomi, Odawa, and Ojibwa. Hands-on games and activities will help us appreciate the knowledge needed to live with the land. Indoors, MIDDLE HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 8 - 10.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20
Dress warmly and join our naturalist for an adventurous hike into our swamp to search for signs of the wildlife and plants that inhabit this protected environment. Waterproof boots are recommended. OLDER HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 11 – 15.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2
Discover Michigan’s amazing geological history, which includes volcanoes, mountains, oceans and glaciers! We will take a look at the “big” picture, including plate tectonics. Then we will explore the “smaller” picture by learning rock and mineral classification. Students will make a mineral collection to take home. Indoors, MIDDLE AND OLDER HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 8 – 15.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10
Thomas Edison played a key role in setting up the powerhouse at Nankin Mills in the early 1900s. In the spirit of Edison, we will explore electricity by trying several different experiments. Indoors, MIDDLE AND OLDER HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 8 - 15.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18
Rivers were the focal point of pioneer settlement in southeastern Michigan during the 1800s. Early farmers relied on waterpower to operate gristmills, sawmills and carding mills. Many of our earliest communities grew up around these first mills. Learn about our fascinating local history as we explore the mills and mill towns of the 1800s and 1900s. Indoors, OLDER HOME SCHOOLERS, AGES 11 – 15.
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The
1996 and 2001 millage for Parks made these and other
new events possible in Wayne County Parks. Thank you
for your patronage! |
TUESDAY, MAY 13
