Your young scientists can explore hands-on laboratory situations in our classrooms during these 75-minutes sessions. The wonder of discovery as well as cooperative learning techniques are emphasized.

= this program also travels!
= related demonstrations available (see Science Demos)

Fee: $170 minimum lab fee for up to 20 students.
Add $8.50 per student up to a maximum of 30.
Groups of more than 30 students require an additional classroom and an additional minimum fee.

Science Learning Labs for Grades 1-2

Worm Composting (45 minutes)
Worm what? Vermicomposting is a classroom-friendly, indoor self-contained classroom system that turns paper and lunch waste into worm compost, affectionately called ‘black gold’ by gardeners. Learn how a worm composter works, see one in action, and set one up to take back to school with you. Fee includes worm bin materials, care and maintenance instructions, and a coupon for a pound of red wigglers. 2 weeks notice required.

The Owl’s Dinner NEW!
Your students will think it’s a ‘hoot’ to dissect their own owl pellet. They’ll learn about owl habitat and behavior, and will discover what their owl ate for dinner. Sorting the contents of the pellet will help them understand food webs. This lab is guaranteed to ruffle a few feathers! 2 weeks notice required. ($1.00 per student Marterials Fee)

Oceans of Air NEW!
Did you know that we live at the bottom of an ocean of air? Learn about air pressure, water vapor, condensation, and make a toy parachute while learning all about amazing air!

The Rainbow Connection
Light up your students’ imaginations in this fun exploration of the properties of light. Where does light come from? What is it about light that makes it possible for us to see? Experiment with reflection, refraction, the colors of light, and more in this hands on, colorful lab!
$2.00 per student materials fee

Taking Out The Trash
Everyone talks about recycling, but who really knows how it’s done or why it matters? Students play a recycling game, and get a gentle introduction to protecting our environment.

Let It Snow
The magic of snowflakes is revealed as your students learn the snow cycle, symmetry and patterns, and all about crystals. Students sort, graph, and make their own snowflake model to take home.

Soapy Science
Students will experience a little bit of both through activities designed to reveal some of the surprising properties of soap bubbles and films.

Super Sound
Students will feel those good vibrations by building unusual musical instruments and other odd devices. Classes with younger students may require the participation of teachers and their chaperones.

Mystifying Magnets
Make magnets float in mid-air! Use special tools to “see” a magnetic field. Unravel the mysteries behind the curious behavior of magnets.

Sink And Float Science
Watch as your students discover the secrets of sinking and floating, and then apply their newfound knowledge in this hands-on buoyancy workshop.

Undersea Voyage
Take an undersea voyage with your students. Learn about some of the science involved in diving deep in the ocean, and marvel at some of the animals you might find along the way.

Marvelous Minibeasts
Insects, spiders, worms, and other minibeasts are perfect for teaching young students about the process of growing and changing.

 

Science Learning Labs for Grades 3-5

Worm Composting (45 minutes)
Worm what? Vermicomposting is a classroom-friendly, indoor self-contained classroom system that turns paper and lunch waste into worm compost, affectionately called ‘black gold’ by gardeners. Learn how a worm composter works, see one in action, and set one up to take back to school with you. Fee includes worm bin materials, care and maintenance instructions, and a coupon for a pound of red wigglers. 2 weeks notice required.

Kitchen Chemistry
Can you think of a better way to learn about the properties of matter, or to practice measurement skills, than to mix up a batch of slime? Your students will love this and other fun chemical messes as they learn chemistry fundamentals.

Light Fantastic
Enlighten your students to the science of refraction, reflection, absorption, and the spectrum, with a fun dose of visual illusions. Your students will see the light of this important physical science concept. Includes a take-home science project ($1.50 per student Materials Fee), or add take-home, real working telescope kits for $8.50/student.

Sounds Alive!
Feel the good vibrations in this lively (if noisy!) hands-on exploration. Your students will learn the buzz about the science of sound. Includes a take-home science project. ($1.00 per student Materials Fee)

Weather Watchers
Bring the outdoors in with this engaging lab designed to get your students thinking about and observing weather, without getting wet. Temperature, cloud formation, wind, and air pressure are all in the forecast.

Space Race
Let us take your students on a journey through the solar system in this out-of-this-world adventure as they create a take-home model. We promise to point out all the sights along the way!

Black Box Challenge
Using simple materials, your students will be challenged to create a “black box” device into which a marble will be dropped. The device will be designed to slow the marble’s passage through the box to achieve the maximum delay before the marble exits the box. How slow can you go?

Rock Session
Discover the world of rocks and minerals in this “down to earth” lab. Students will be introduced to the basic kinds of rocks and will perform simple tests to sort and categorize them.

Toys in Space
NASA astronauts brought some toys on a shuttle mission to see how they worked in orbit. Now you can do these experiments here on Earth with the same toys. Learning about physics has never been so much fun!

Simple Machines
Crank up your students’ understanding of how simple machines make our lives easier as they use special models of machines, and then create blueprints for a Rube Goldberg-inspired invention using as many simple machines as they can.

Electrical Circuits
Students work cooperatively to explore basic principles of electricity. Witness the buzz generated when the lighting of a bulb or the whir or a motor signals the solution to a problem.

Measure Mania
Students have a ball sharpening their estimation skills by playing the Measure Mania! game. Then they verify the true answers to those questions by using a variety of measurement tools and techniques.

Scope It Out
Your students will learn what happens to light as it passes through a lens and then use that knowledge to construct their very own observing telescopes. Galileo would be proud! (Add $8/student for take-home telescope kits).

The Wright Stuff
Basic principles of air and flight will be combined with a bit of Wright Brothers’ history and the latest aircraft design ideas to propel your student from the past into the future.

Egg Drop Challenge
Some paper, cardboard, a bit of tape and string are all that is needed to keep an egg safe on its 30 foot journey to the ground. That’s easy. It’s the landing that can be more difficult. Can your students design cartons that will meet this challenge? Find out by signing them up for this free-falling workshop.

Chemical Magic
Hands-on experiments reveal the chemical properties of household substances. See the changes and discover the scientific principles that cause them.

Crime Scene Science
Students will examine fingerprints, match powders, compare handwriting samples, and consider other clues as they try to figure out who committed the crime.

Pop & Fizz Rockets
These model rockets may not make it to the Moon, but they operate under the same principles as real rockets do. After this class your students will definitely be ‘lune-y’ for learning more about outer space.

Sunlight, Shadows and Sundials
Students will have a better understanding of the relationship between the Sun and Earth after they complete this timely workshop.

 

Science Learning Labs for Grades 6-9

Worm Composting (45 minutes)
Worm what? Vermicomposting is a classroom-friendly, indoor self-contained classroom system that turns paper and lunch waste into worm compost, affectionately called ‘black gold’ by gardeners. Learn how a worm composter works, see one in action, and set one up to take back to school with you. Fee includes worm bin materials, care and maintenance instructions, and a coupon for a pound of red wigglers. 2 weeks notice required.

Climate Change Solutions NEW!
What is the greenhouse effect? How does it affect our planet? What’s all the talk about carbon? Find out the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to climate change, and what we can do about it.

Wind Power! NEW!
What’s the fastest growing energy resource in the US right now? Wind energy! Surprised? Excite your students with some basic science and engineering principles while learning about emerging technologies in alternate energy.

Sun To H2 NEW!
Your students will be a part of the solution to tomorrow’s energy needs. We introduce the science and technology of solar and hydrogen power while students assemble a photovoltaic array, and generate hydrogen to run a model car.

Engineering Challenge
Bring out the daVinci in your students with this zany inventor’s workshop. Student teams are assigned a problem to be solved with a device they design and build using simple materials.

Weather Watchers
Bring the outdoors in with this engaging lab designed to get your students thinking about and observing weather, without getting wet. Temperature, cloud formation, wind, and air pressure are all in the forecast.

Electromagnets
Students familiar with basic principles of electricity will explore the link between magnetism and electricity by experimenting with electromagnets and constructing their own motor.

Solve It!
Groups of students will be presented with a series of challenging math and science problems to solve. This activity stresses team work, problem solving, and cooperation.

Classroom Rocketry
Students explore the basic principles of rocket design, trajectory, and propulsion using rockets that they make and launch in the classroom.

Exploring the Deep
Submerge your students in the concepts of buoyancy and density as they assemble and dive a model submarine in our test tanks. The design principles and recent discoveries of modern undersea vehicles are covered. WARNING: Students may become so immersed in this lab that they forget to come up for air. Can be modified for grades 1-5.

Discovery Flight School
Your students will learn about the science behind things that fly, including airplanes and other airborne objects. The Wright Brothers would be proud.

Sunlight, Shadows and Sundials
Students will have a better understanding of the relationship between the Sun and Earth after they complete this timely workshop.

Egg Drop II
Just like Egg Drop described above, only with more physics and fewer materials.

Crime Scene Science
Students will examine fingerprints, match powders, compare handwriting samples, and consider other clues as they try to figure out who committed the crime.

Scope It Out
Your students will learn what happens to light as it passes through a lens and then use that knowledge to construct their very own observing telescopes. Galileo would be proud! (Add $8/student for take-home telescope kits).

Other Offerings
Don’t see exactly what you’re looking for? Please call Alan Winick at (203) 372-3521 x 114, or email the Education Department at education@discoverymuseum.org. Since this catalog only lists our most popular programs, we may have the perfect program just waiting for your students.