Educational Programs for 4K to Fifth Grade
It is our sincere desire that students will not only learn from Hatcher Garden, but also come to appreciate the beauty of nature.
We are proud to offer educational programs that are aligned with the South Carolina Science and Social Science Academic Standards for children in 4K to 5th grade so that the lessons learned in the classroom will apply in a real-life, hands-on setting! A dynamic and professionally written curriculum has been created specifically for Hatcher Garden for the enrichment of each grade level’s instruction. Trained education guides accompany groups as they explore the garden to integrate the many fun activities specifically designed for each age group.
For the 2025-2026 school year, Hatcher Garden offers field trips most weeks on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Please click the button below to check our schedule and request your field trip date. Please schedule your field trip at least three weeks in advance.
A deposit of $50.00 is required in advance of the field trip, which covers the 10 student minimum. The maximum number is students per field trip is 80. If your group has more than 80, please schedule two field trip dates. There is a $5.00 charge for every additional student over the 10 student minimum. Teachers and adult chaperones are free. In order to make school-related field trips safer and more structured, please check the FAQ’s below. NOTE: School groups will no longer be permitted to tour the garden without a reservation and a scheduled education guide.
Please complete and submit the Registration Form, below Frequently Asked Questions, for field trips.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Scroll down to register your class and choose three dates (first, second and third choices) that work for your school! Once your reservation has been made, we will contact you and confirm which date and time you have been assigned.
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The maximum number of students per field trip is 80. We require a minimum of 10 students. The maximum number of students per field trip is 80. If your group has more than 80, please schedule two field trip dates. If your school cannot secure transportation or approval for two field trip dates, please contact the Hatcher Garden office at (864) 574-7724 or email info@hatchergarden.org.
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Field trip tours range from 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on the age of the student. K4-2nd Grades are typically 45 minutes to an hour and grades 3-5 can range from one hour to an hour and a half.
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Of course! We would love for you all to stay for a picnic lunch and additional play time. You may use the large grassy area near the parking lot and the Jess Taylor Pavilion.
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In the event of inclement weather, we ask that you contact the Hatcher Garden office by 8:00 a.m. the morning of your scheduled field trip. We will work with you to reschedule your field trip.
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Yes! We have two stalls in both the women’s and men’s restrooms. Larger groups may need at least 15 minutes for bathroom time.
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Our office parking lot is designated for bus parking. Please park at 832 John B. White Sr. Blvd. Our Education Guides will greet you upon arrival.
Please have the bus drivers turn off the buses so our Education Guides may greet your group and review a few Garden rules.
Each class will have at least one Education Guide, and your tour will last about an hour (see FAQ #2).
After your guided tour, you are free to stay for a picnic lunch and play/explore on your own in the Garden as long as you’d like!
To register your group for a field trip, please touch the button below. When you fill out the registration form and submit it, you will be redirected to the payment page to make your deposit. Thank you!
If you have already registered your field trip and made a deposit, you can pay the remainder of the field trip by clicking this button. Thank you!
Curriculum
We have updated the Hatcher Garden Education Curriculum to meet S.C. Science and Social Science Academic Standards as of August 2023. Please check the information below to review the on-tour content that will be covered for each grade level. We will also offer the Agaliha lesson by request.
Habitat Heroes
GRADE LEVEL: 4K & 5K
MAIN TOPICS: Animal habitats and conservation of our environment
SC STANDARDS: LS1.C, ESS2.D, ESS2.E, ESS3.C
In this course, the garden sparks discussion about local plants and animals, what they need, and their life cycles. We will also discuss seasonal patterns and how people can make decisions to help or hurt the environment. The tour will involve all five senses and help students increase their power of observation.
The Puzzle of Life
GRADE LEVEL: 1st Grade
MAIN TOPICS: The physical structures of both plants and animals that help them grow, develop, and survive.
SC STANDARDS: LS1.A, LS1.D, LS1.B
This course encourages the study of how animals and plants have different parts to help them grow and survive. Students use the garden to observe plants and animals in various habitats, noticing the various parts of each living thing, and learning how each organism uses those things to help them develop in nature.
Connections
GRADE LEVEL: 2nd Grade
MAIN TOPICS: Different classes of animals and effects of weather on plants and animals
SC STANDARDS: LS2.A, LS4.D, ESS2.A, ESS3.C
This course uses the garden’s inhabitants to teach interdependent relationships, reinforcing vocabulary like habitats, adaptation, biodiversity, inter-related, and erosion. Students will also learn about the effects of weather on the garden and ways people can help the environment.
Life Cycles of the Wild and Cultivated
GRADE LEVEL: 3rd Grade
MAIN TOPICS: Reproduction, Development, and Life Cycles (Plants and Animals); Inherited Traits; Natural Selection
SC STANDARDS: LS1.B, LS3.A, LS3.B, LS3.A
Students will make connections between what they see in the garden with what they learn in the classroom. On tour, students will be able to see insects, fish, and other animals and make connections about their life cycles. They will be able to identify flowers, seeds, and seedlings and discuss pollination, seed development, and seed dispersal. Vocabulary includes pollination, seed production and dispersal, genes, inherited traits, life cycles, metamorphosis, live birth, warm and cold-blooded, milk-producing, and natural selection.
Written in the Rocks
GRADE LEVEL: 4th Grade
MAIN TOPICS: Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Resources; Natural Resources; Fossils
SC STANDARDS: ESS1.C, ESS3.B, ESS3.A
Students will be able to see examples of historical rock formations and will learn about erosion, sedimentation, farming practices, and the SC pond system.
The Cycles of Life
GRADE LEVEL: 5th Grade
MAIN TOPICS: Food chains and food webs as examples of energy and matter cycles; The importance of clean water.
SC STANDARDS: LS1.C, LS2.A, LS2.B, ESS2.C, ESS2.C
Students will view the bio-remediation pond and the WaterWise Garden to discuss different plants and animals in each. They will also learn how human activity affects water supply and quality.
OFFERED BY REQUEST
Agaliha
Available by request
MAIN TOPICS: Lifestyle of Native Americans in Upstate South Carolina
SC STANDARDS: Social Science Standard 3-2
Students learn about Native Americans in Upstate South Carolina, their lifestyles, transportation, housing, food, and crafts, and observe various native species that were important to our native people.