Learning Lab and Museum in Motion
Program Topics
The following topics are available either at the Museum as a
learning lab in addition to your fieldtrip or at your school as an
outreach program. Most programs run about one hour in length unless
otherwise noted. You choose the topic and place and we’ll provide
the program.
Preschool Programs
Explore the wonder of literacy as children 3-5 years old listen
and interact during story time and participate in fun, hands-on
activities.
Diary of a Spider
Come see a day in the life of a spider through the spider’s eyes. We
will read this funny story and learn about how spiders make their
webs, the difference between spiders and insects and we will even
see some of these amazing arachnids up close. |
Manana Iguana
Let’s have a fiesta! Come listen to this new twist to the classic
story “The Little Red Hen.” This time an iguana is having a spring
fiesta, but none of her friends will help her get ready for the
party. What will she do? In class, we will make pinatas and maracas
to get ready for our own fiesta.
| Down on the Farm
What is life on a farm like? What do farmers do? Join us as we
read a farm story and do some fun farm activities like learning
how to milk a cow. Then visit the second floor of the museum to
continue the agricultural learning in our Agmazing exhibit. | |
School-Aged Programs
Extend your experience through hands-on activities,
investigations and creative learning for kids in K-8th grade. Each
program is linked to the Illinois State Standards.
My Five Senses (Grades K-1)
Indulge your senses! Learn a little about each of the fives
senses and how we use them. Your students will take part in
activities that focus on our senses and we will end the class
with the best sensory experience… Popcorn!
Illinois State Standards: 1.C.1a, 4.A.1a, 4.A.1b, 4.A.1c,
4.B.1b, 11.A.1b, 11.A.1c, 11.A.1f, 13.A.1a, 23.A.1 |
What’s the Matter? (Grades K-1)
What is matter? And does matter really matter? Learn about
the three states of matter (liquids, solids, and gases) through
a variety of fun demonstrations and hands-on experiments.
Illinois State Standards: 1.C.1a, 4.A.1a, 4.A.1b, 4.A.1c,
4.B.1b, 11.A.1a, 11.A.1b, 11.A.1c, 11.A.1f, 12.C.2b, 13.A.1a |
The Night Sky (Grades K-1)
What do we see in the night sky? The stars or the Moon?
Students will take
a journey into space as we learn about constellations, the
moon, and the relationship between the Earth and the sun.
Illinois State Standards: 1.C.1a, 4.A.1a, 4.A.1b, 4.A.1c,
4.B.1b, 11.A.1a, 11.A.1b, 12.F.1a, 12.F.1b, 12.F.1b,
12.F.2a, 12.F.2c | Hands-on Rubbish
(Grades K-3rd)
Presented by the Ecology Action Center
Explore recycling and reducing waste with a Rubbish expert
from the Ecology Action Center. Activities include worm
science and composting, waste-free lunch lab and exhibit
exploration. Available only at the Museum.
Illinois State Standards 1.C.1a, 4.A.1a, 4.A.1b, 4.A.1c,
4.B.1b, 11.A.1b, 12.E.1c, 12.E.2c, 13.B.1e, 13.B.2d, 17.C.1c
| Weather Watchers (Grades 2-3)
How do meteorologists predict the weather? Learn the answer to
this question and more as you discuss the weather and make the
tools that will help you become a weather watcher.
Illinois State Standards: 1.C.1a, 4.A.1a, 4.A.1b, 4.A.1c,
4.B.1b, 11.A.1a, 11.A.1b, 11.A.1c, 11.A.1f, 12.E.1b, 12.E.2a |
Dinosaur Detectives (Grades 2-3)
Grab your tools and get digging, as you become a
“paleontologist” for the day. Students will examine the
paleontological process through hands-on discovery in a
recreated dinosaur dig. Students will learn about prospecting
and excavating fossils at the dig site then cleaning and
preparing fossils in the lab.
Illinois State Standards: 1.A.1b, 1.C.1a, 1.C.2d, 4.A.1a,
4.A.1b, 4.A.1c, 4.B.1b, 7.A.1a, 7.B.1b, 7C1, 10.A.1b, 11.A.1a,
11.A.1b, 11.A.1c, 11.A.1f, 12.E.2b, 13.A.2a, 13.B.2a |
States of Matter (Grades 2-3)
Matter is all around us- it is what everything is made of.
In this class, students will participate in hands-on
activities that will reinforce the concepts of the different
states of matter.
Illinois State Standards: 1.C.1a, 4.A.1a, 4.A.1b,4.A.1c,
4.B.1b, 11.A.1a, 11.A.1b, 11.A.1c, 11.A.1f. 12.C.1b |
Electricity (Grades 4-5)
What is electricity and where does it come from? In this
lab, students will learn about static and circuit
electricity with fun demonstrations and hair raising
activities.
Illinois State Standards: 1.c.2a, 1.C.2d, 4.A.2b, 4.A.2c,
4.B.2b, 11.A.2a, 11.A.2b, 11.A.2d, 11.B.2c, 12.C.2a, 12.C.1a
| Matter: Physical vs. Chemical
Changes (Grades 4-7)
Changes in matter can come in physical or chemical form.
Students will learn how to tell the difference between the two
by performing hands-on experiments to reinforce these concepts.
Illinois State Standards: 1.C.3a, 4.A.2b, 11.A.3a, 11.A.3c,
11.B.3c, 11.B.3d, 12.C.3a, 12.C.3b | Energy
School (Grades 4th-6th)
What is energy and what forms does it take? Active learning
stations explore motion, light, electricity and energy
efficiency. Kids will test predictions through measurement tools
and learn about how energy is produced and used in our
community. This program presented by the Ecology Action Center
and is available only at the Museum.
Illinois State Standards 1.C.2a, 1.C.2d, 4.A.2b, 4.A.2c,
4.B.2b, 10.A.1b, 11.A.2a, 11.A.2b, 11.A.2d, 12.C.2a, 12.D.2b,
12E, 17.C.2a, 17.C.2b, 17.C.2c |
Nanotechnology (Grades 6-7)
Explore the exciting world of nanotechnology! Find out what
nanotechnology is and how we use it in every day products.
We’ll experiment with Nitinol and understand what it’s like
to work at the nanoscale.
Illinois State Standards: 1.C.2a, 1.C.2d, 4.A.2b, 4.A.2c,
4.B.2b, 11.A.2a, 11.A.2d, 11.B.2a, 11.B.2b, 11.B.2c,
11.B.2d, 11.B.2e, 11.B.2f, 12.C.2b, 12.C.3b, 13.A.2b,
13.B.3c | |
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