Join a virtual visit with author Karina Yan Glaser, whose book A Duet for Home is on the South Carolina Book Award Nominee list. Karina is also the author of the Vanderbeeker series, and in this session she will talk about first drafts and revision and speak about the publishing process. The visit will end with a 10-15 minute Q&A with participants.
Explore the Earth’s wonders of weather! Classes will take a look at how clouds are formed in a unique demonstration. Participants examine electrical storms and will be able to create their own tornados.
In this program, we cover the basics of gray wolf biology and behavior. Join us as we address a variety of topics including where wolves live, what they eat, and how they have adapted to different environments.
Raccoons are known for their grey bodies and cute black masks. Crocodiles are known for their rough and bumpy green skin. Penguins are known for their black and white tuxedo look. But did you know they could also be snowy white or as dark as the midnight sky? Animals come in many different colors, and every one of them is cute! This program will explore how and why differences make the animal world a lot more fun.
Through examining a rich archive of primary sources, students will discover how the family navigated creating a home during the Great Depression through the perspective of Josephine, the eldest Baldizzi child. Students will learn about the places in the neighborhood, city, and government where the family could turn for help.
Blast into orbit on a mission to explore Planet Earth. Discover how the latest space missions are taking the pulse of our planet, from ocean chemistry to forest canopies to bird migrations. Learn how college students are designing and building teams of small satellites to inform global conservation efforts.
Whales, dolphins and porpoises, together known as cetaceans, are fascinating animals that live in all parts of our global ocean. They have many features in common. But there are important differences that separate them into these three groups. We will practice the skill of classification using this group of animals and learn some fun facts along the way. Interesting visuals (bones, baleen) and opportunities for interaction are an important feature of this lesson. At the end of the lesson we will share the link for the full suite of online lessons from which this activity is derived.
Bee-come pollinator protectors! Discover pollinators’ crucial role in plant reproduction and ecosystem health. Students learn how pollinators like bees, birds, and bats transfer pollen and why their absence would impact food production and plant life. This STEM lesson covers native species and invertebrates, highlighting their vital contributions to a healthy environment.
What's it like to work in a museum? What kinds of artifacts do historians work with when studying the past? In this program, Historian/Curator Nick Sacco will discuss what it's like to work for the National Park Service and highlight some of the historical artifacts used to study General and President Ulysses S. Grant's life.
Discover how animals benefit from their habitat and how animals can actually have positive impacts on the places they live! Join a naturalist in this interactive lesson featuring animal photos and videos, and a drawing activity to learn what we can do to make sure there are healthy habitats and animals in our ecosystem. This program includes a naturalist introduction and brief overview of Northwest Trek, recorded observations of three different animals and their habitats, and a discussion of what animals need to survive in their habitat.
During this science visit your students will look at the garden biome, including the roles different insects play in the process of plant pollination, the break-down of dead plant material and a look into some common pest species in Australia. Time is spent on adaptations to a variety of climates as well as the stranger side of plants and the cellular differences between plants and animals."
Dive underwater and learn the danger of marine debris to our ocean community and the importance of picking up trash to help keep our oceans clean. We'll discuss the most common forms of marine debris, how ocean currents move trash and how we can reduce ocean pollution.
A lesson focusing on two battles featured in the film “Glory”, with special attention to the segregated USCT regiments from South Carolina. How much is history, and how much Hollywood?
Build self-confidence and practice mindfulness with empowering poses. This program is suitable for elementary students and is presented by Bestemming Yoga. The program will last 30 to 40 minutes.
The Hell Creek Formation in Montana and surrounding areas contains the fossils of some of the last non-avian dinosaurs to walk the Earth. Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Pachycephalosaurus, and more all roamed the area about 66 million years ago. Join MOR Curator of Paleontology Dr. John Scannella to travel back to the end of the Cretaceous Period and meet the dinosaurs of the Hell Creek Formation!
The Durham Museum's broadcast-style show includes segments featuring guest speakers from our Smithsonian network, a behind-the-scenes look at museum exhibits and artifacts, cultural connections to the community, and much more! This week we will focus on the topic of the Titanic. We hope you will tune in live!
Meet the politicians, soldiers and others who shaped the course of American history during the Civil War. Students will analyze portraits to learn about the diverse and significant contributions to American society made by individuals in the Portrait Gallery’s collection.
Want to be able to make your friends laugh with your poems? There are lots of ways to make a poem funny! In this session, Kenn will show you some of the easiest and we'll even craft a brand new funny poem together.
You won’t believe your eyes! Watch an educator dissect a cow eye while explaining its different parts and functions. Can cows see color? Do our eyes change over time? Learn about the eye-brain system by comparing the difference between human eyes and cow eyes.
Students compare 21st and 19th century learning and school life, while examining reproduction 19th century school supplies to experience being a student in a one-room schoolhouse.
The Hudson’s Bay Company has had a profound impact on Indigenous Peoples, settlers, and the land. During this program, students will explore how society, economy, and the environment are inherently integrated. They will have the opportunity to examine real otter and beaver pelts, a Hudson’s Bay blanket and other items important to the trade economy. Students will also consider the legacy that the HBC has on today’s society.
Students will listen to a reading of one of Edgar Allan Poe’s many poems (including To Helen, Alone, Annabel Lee, and Eldorado) and create their own illustrations of the poem. Afterwards they will create their own poetry or illustrations inspired by Poe’s visual imagery. Students will then showcase their work to their classmates and compare how each person created something different.
In June 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas. On June 19, Granger issued General Orders No. 3 declaring that “the people of Texas are informed in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States all slaves are free.” Granger’s order had the effect of liberating 250,000 people who had been in enslaved in Texas. Juneteenth, alternatively known as Jubilee Day and Emancipation Day, became one of multiple local holidays commemorating the official end of slavery at different points throughout the South.
This session is an introduction to the behavior of optics and its application. During the session, students are introduced to Dr. Ellen Ochoa and her scientific work in the realm of optics.
Virtually travel the globe with the Memphis Zoo and meet three animals from three different habitats! In this livestream program, we will explore the adaptations these animals have for survival, the role they play in their ecosystems, and how we can help animals everywhere from the comfort of our own homes.
Nonfiction science author Ginjer Clarke engages students in critical thinking about myth vs. truth, while exploring fun facts from history, geography, and science related to these always popular creatures. She offers evidence from the past and animals from the present but leaves the decision up to readers about whether these creatures are real, as detailed in her series of books: Are Unicorns Real?, Are Dragons Real?, and Are Sea Monsters Real?
Explore the diversity of adaptations with live animal guests! Your students will meet Ambassador Animals as they discover the importance of adaptations for survival.
This live interactive program utilizes our Explore Evolution gallery and includes engaging activities and interactive studies on finches, flies, and viruses. Discover how evolution applies to you and the environment around us. Hear from graduate students and their studies on evolution. And try to sing like a fly. Evolution Examined reinforces the main concepts of evolution: variation, inheritance, selection, and time by investigating current research with real scientists.
Something isn’t quite right on the reef. Work together to learn about and talk to local animals, complete mini challenges, and use body movements to get closer to solving the mystery, all while learning how reducing plastic pollution can turn you into a superhero too!
Join popular children's book author Sue Fliess and a group of Kid Scientists as they head to the country of Costa Rica to investigate some mysterious ants! Sue will talk about her writing process and how she researched Costa Rica’s insects, entomology and entomology equipment, and used real life research to shape the story, for her book KID SCIENTISTS: INSECT EXPERTS IN THE RAIN FOREST. She’ll read excerpts from the story and discuss the scientific method used in the book and answer questions.
What do artists make art with? Sometimes these materials are things that are found in nature, like stone, clay, or even grass. Explore works in the permanent collection at the Gibbes Museum of Art and see how the landscape and environment can shape the materials that artists use.
Roper Mountain’s Matter Mystery Squad has been tasked with solving the mystery of the unknown animal. Participants will begin with a sorting activity introduction with their own objects and then will apply the same principles to animals that call Roper Mountain Science Center home in an attempt to solve a mystery.
Students are carried on a dynamic, inquiry-based exploration of the three cultures that converged at Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. Using reproduction artifacts and primary sources, students compare and contrast the cultures of the Powhatan (an Eastern Woodlands people), West Central Africans and English who lived in early America during the beginning of the 17th century. Using this knowledge, students can answer why the English traveled across the Atlantic to an unfamiliar land and discover how the convergence of three distinct cultures at Jamestown influenced the start of America.
What happens when marine animals—such as whales, sharks, dolphins, and turtles—strand on our beaches? We will explore marine animal strandings, rescue efforts, and the valuable data that can still be gathered from these animals.
Learn how animals locomote, from those that sliver to those that climb. This presentation is presented by the Greenville Zoo and will last approximately 40 minutes.
The atmosphere is a complex system that interacts with other systems on Earth and in space. The result of these interactions is the different weather we experience every day. This program introduces the basics of meteorology to provide a general understanding of Earth’s weather. Topics covered include the structure of the atmosphere, clouds, air masses, weather fronts, and thunderstorms. Additional student activities include worksheets about weather fundamentals, layers of the atmosphere, and fronts and air masses.
Our Dolphin Doctor program focuses on marine mammal medical research and technology and introduces students to ocean-based STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) principles. In Students are guided through an interactive mock dolphin health assessment, explore the field of marine mammal bioacoustics, and learn how scientists can use sound to help care for marine mammals.
How did people around the United States feel after the death of President Abraham Lincoln? What did they say? Ford’s Education examines primary sources to reveal how individuals reacted to a time of uncertainty following Lincoln’s assassination. In this interactive program, participants will look closely at historic documents and engage multiple perspectives.
From little feet to towering titans, we'll explore the mysterious history of dinosaur eggs and babies. Learn about egg-citing discoveries, how different dinosaurs protected their babies, and what fossils can tell us about parental care. The program concludes with a Q&A session with a Museum expert. See what's cracking at the Royal Tyrrell Museum!
Spring is here at last, with flowers, budding leaves, and new life everywhere. Celebrate the return of spring by learning to write poems about this special season.
Explore how career engineers and college students are designing and building satellites to inform wildlife conservation efforts and provide vital climate data. Learn about the wide range careers involved in orbital space missions, from astronomers to animators, engineers to ecologists. This presentation includes remarks and Q&A from an industry professional.
Why does static electricity make your hair stand up? What is sound energy? What is the link between magnets and electricity? It’s all about forces as we explore sound, electricity and simple machines in this visit to the Explore Science Zone. Join our Science Communicator as they play with a Van Der Graaff generator, demonstrate the power of a pickle, and turn a balloon into a fireball! Then, follow us on a trip into the Science Gallery to explore pulleys, gravity, and go for a zoom around the Race Track.
Celebrate Arbor Day with Longwood Gardens! Join us to discover the importance of planting and caring for trees, protecting our environment, and preserving our natural resources
Dive into the true tale of Otto the Otter, a captivating North American River Otter, who inspires a family's imagination while visiting their small pond. Delight in seasonal observations of the otter's playful antics as captured through the author's brightly textured watercolors. And get ready for a big surprise when the otter brings the family something unexpected! After reading aloud together, we reflect on the marvelous creatures that live in freshwater habitats and the important role watersheds play for wildlife and people. Additionally, get ready for an extraordinary virtual encounter with the North American river otters living at Mote Aquarium.
Frogs go through many changes during their life cycle. Come discover how the North Carolina Zoo provides some frogs a head start in surviving to adulthood.
Students participate in an activity that illustrates all the ingredients needed to cook up any habitat: air, water, food and shelter presented by the Chattanooga Zoo.
Come and learn about the diversity of bird life along the New Hampshire coastline. In this program, students will learn what makes a bird a bird, where these birds can be found, and how they live their lives in different habitats. Students will learn what adaptations birds have to live offshore and on land. We will wrap the program by looking into what conservation efforts have been conducted along the NH coastline to help restore specific bird populations
Visit the MFA’s Gods and Goddesses gallery to explore the heroes and deities depicted in ancient Greek and Roman artworks. By looking at large-scale sculptures and small intimate objects, students see how ancient artworks convey the personalities and stories of these celebrated mythical figures. Aligns with Massachusetts standards for History and Social Science/Investigating History.
We will be exploring how humans have been instrumental in introducing non-native/invasive species into natural environments and their impacts on biodiversity. We'll discover some interesting connections and what we can do.
Investigate the unique characteristics of different tree species and learn how best to plan, plant, and care for trees in your community. Please note there are two different sessions for this presentation, based on grade-level.
Bring the wonders of space straight to your classroom with Museum of Science space educator and expert, Talia. From gravity-defying missions and orbiting tech to black hole mysteries and star activity, this live, interactive event covers current events from the past few weeks in space will spark curiosity and inspire future innovators.
The story of the Sleeping Bear comes from the Anishinaabe people. Learn more about who the Anishinaabe are, as well as some of their traditional lifeways through the various seasons.
"Be A Tree!" is a love letter to trees which blends science and poetry to show the ways that humans and our forest friends are connected. I will share the inspiration behind the book, the science behind the way trees communicate, and how trees can inspire us to be better humans, followed by a reading of the book, which is beautifully illustrated by artist, Felicita Sala.
Investigate the unique characteristics of different tree species and learn how best to plan, plant, and care for trees in your community. Please note there are two different sessions for this presentation, based on grade-level.
The Durham Museum's broadcast-style show includes segments featuring guest speakers from our Smithsonian network, a behind-the-scenes look at museum exhibits and artifacts, cultural connections to the community, and much more! This week we will focus on the topic of Inventors and Innovators. We hope you will tune in live!
Learn all about the creatures that outnumber people 1.4 billion to one! Discover why bugs are important for life surviving on Earth. Examine a variety of these fascinating animals to see the characteristics that make insects so cool! Students will inspect insects through a microscope, create bug rubbings, look through bug eyes, and create art with stamps.
A picture is worth a thousand words and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art wants your help discovering them! Storytelling in Art enables students’ critical thinking and communication skills to find and tell the story in art work. Topics drawn from history and mythology may be explored.
Barely 20 years after the First World War ended, why did another begin? What factors led to the outbreak? What mistakes were made? And was World War II inevitable? Join us as we explore the many factors and events that led to World War II through artifacts, maps, and discussion.
Allow your students to be introduced to the exciting world of problem solving, creative thinking, and mathematical reasoning through the excitement of stories. Steve will enchant the students with his wonderful stories while sneaking in some math activities. He will keep your students engaged and laughing from start to finish.
Dip into an unforgettable virtual animal encounter with Mote Aquarium’s enchanting seahorses. These fin-tastic fish are known for their unique life cycle, where males give birth to their young. We'll also showcase the incredible variety of fish on our planet as we explore Mote's successful aquarium breeding program. These programs not only deepen our understanding of fish life cycles but also help reduce the demand for collecting these amazing creatures from the wild.
Two fun and easy ways to write using art! If your students are 'reluctant writers,' create excitement by using the unique writing methods of paper-cutting and drawing. Your students enjoy a paper-cutting story and a draw and tell story. Then they can create their own fiction, nonfiction or personal narratives using these hands-on techniques!
To us humans, the Earth feels like a pretty big place. But, in reality, we are just a tiny dot amongst a collection of planets and stars deep within the Milky Way Galaxy. In this lesson, we’ll start at Earth and zoom out to explore different size scales and structures of our Universe. Students will see the solar system from above, travel to distant stars, and explore the shape and structure of our Milky Way. From there, we’ll be able to see that even our galaxy is just a tiny dot amongst billions of other galaxies that pervade the visible Universe. By the end of the lesson students will be captivated by the vastness of space and inspired to learn more about the cosmos.
Explore the unique artwork of self-taught Mexican American artist, Isis Macias. Emotions and experience influence his artwork. Students will gain an understanding of Isis's use of acrylic and oil pastels on canvas that allow him to explore the interplay of color, shape, and markings to achieve emotive expressions.
After practicing observational skills of reptiles such as snakes, students will use the scientific method as they attempt to discover one of the snake's natural habitats. We'll perform an experiment, learn how to use evidence to solve problems and answer questions, and even test our new knowledge with a snake in a mystery habitat!
Explore the different ways dinosaurs used their bodies to survive in their habitats millions of years ago. Through the inspection of plant and dinosaur fossils, students will discover how dinosaurs found food and interacted with their environment. They’ll even learn how animals on earth now give us clues about how dinosaurs looked and behaved.