FIELD TRIP OPTIONS
I. GUIDED PLAY (75 min)
- Pre-K — Grade 1: What if? What if I were a builder, ship’s captain, or a firefighter? Enjoy 25 minutes in each of three hands-on exhibits playing, building, pretending, and learning about trades and local industries.
- Grades 2 — 5: Strategies How are communities built and how do they relate to the nature around them? Students will learn how insects evolved to work with their environment. They will also observe insects in our curated habitats, crawl through a giant ant hill, and peer at fossils. They will also study how humans adapted to different climates around the world. Moreover, students will use critical thinking skills to conclude how to best survive in extreme climates. Students will learn about the explorers who broadened our knowledge of the Earth’s geography. Locations ranging from the undersea to the rainforests and tundra will be examined. Additionally, they will use dexterity and planning in classic games that have traditionally helped people to connect with others and build skills.
II. GUIDED PLAY + WORKSHOP (75 min)
Best for Grades 2 – 5
- Bugs & Other Insects: Ever wonder how a hissing cockroach got its name? What makes a spider an arachnid and not an insect? Why do scorpions have those pointy tails? Which insect can taste with its feet? Discover facts about animal mimicry, camouflage, adaptation and insect life cycles. Like bugs so much that you want to take one home with you? Then participate in a build-a-bug workshop and design your own bug.
- Great Explorations: Do you wonder how humans and other animals adapt to living in extreme conditions? Then visit the tundra, ocean and rainforest. Learn about the work of oceanographer Sylvia Earle and join in a simulated oil spill clean-up workshop to understand human impact on the environment.
- House About It: Yes, you can touch that! Play with and examine simple tools and machines. Stack bricks on a conveyor belt to deliver to a chute and pick them up with a crane. Lay bricks and examine the infrastructure of a framed building’s walls. Also collaborate in groups to create your own desktop catapult to take back to school.
III. GUIDED WORKSHOPS
Art Workshops (90 min)
Kindergarten – Grade 5: Create Like One of the Greats
Let us help you select one: Eric Carle, Leo Lionni, Pablo Picasso, or Alma Thomas
Grade 1 – 5: Native American Handicrafts
Hear the Haudenosaunee legend of The Three Sisters, learn about their customs, history, and the importance of adornment. Using a variety of materials, students will create their own body adornments that express who they are.
Grade 2 – 5: Mask Making
Observe and sketch authentic masks. Explore the meaning and symbolism of masks and how they are used around the world. Using tempera paint sticks and mixed media, students will create a paper mask inspired by themes of identity.
Science Workshops (75 min)
Grades 2-5: Water, Water Everywhere!
Conduct experiments to explore surface tension, capillary action, wicking and more!
Pre-K- Kindergarten: Tiny Seed – Eric Carle
Review plant propagation and the four seasons through the story The Tiny Seed. Then create a collage identifying the parts of a flower and conclude with a movement activity that reviews the key lessons learned.
