Educational Outreach Programs
Program in a Box
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Free Programs
Reasons for seasons
Time: 30 minutes
Using skills such as sorting and classifying, students’ learn about the four seasons and their importance. Students will also define which seasons have the most rain fall and the least, and when the different life stages of the spring peeper occur.
- Topics Covered: Four Seasons, Animal Behavior, Animal Life Cycles, Importance of Clean Water
- Science/Social Science Standards: K.S.1, K.E.3
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: Free
Water Sense
Time: 30 minutes
In this curriculum, children learn about their five senses, and use them to explore water and items that contain water. Each student will explore touch boxes, explore a Braille book and listen to different water sounds.
- Topics Covered: Five Senses Applied to Water, Water Pollution, Conservation, Importance
- Science/Social Science Standards: K.S.1, K.L.2
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
That’s My Baby
Time: 30 minutes
This hands-on program uses one of our live animals to introduce habitats, teach what organisms need to stay alive, and the importance of clean water. A fun hands-on matching game teaches the children that baby animals often look like their parents.
- Topics Covered: Animals, Animal and Offspring, Habitats, Effects of Water Pollution
- Science/Social Science Standards: K.S.1, K.L.2
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: Free
Home Sweet Home
Time: 30 minutes
Students explore their local communities and learn about different types of maps. While exploring their community they learn to recognize natural features including different bodies of water. They will try their hand at creating maps as they pretend to travel in a hot air balloon…now where is that river?
- Topics Covered: Personal Places, Maps, Natural Water Features of Environment, Clean Water
- Science/Social Science Standards: Social Studies, K-1.1, K-1.2, K-1.3, K-1.4
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Sortin’ Stuff
Time: 30 minutes
Through observations such as color, texture, material, magnetism and floating; students get to try their hand at sorting various objects. They discover that different materials are suited for different purposes. A great, hands-on chemistry lesson!
- Topics Covered: Classification and Comparison of Properties of Objects
- Science/Social Science Standards: K.S.1, K.P.4
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Paid Programs
Mr. Nobody
Time: 30 minutes
Children let their creativity soar as they create their own Mr. Picasso while learning how much water is in the human body. While stretching their creative minds they learn about the human body and sensory organs. They will put together a Mr. Nobody skeleton out of x-rays. We do not use any actual human remains (i.e. real bones) in this program due to ethical concerns regarding human remains and acquisition.
- Topics Covered: Structures of the Human Body
- Science/Social Science Standards: S.K.1, K.L.2
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: $1/Student
All Around the World
Time: 30 minutes
Students interact with live animals from the Watershed Ecology Center to learn what organisms need to stay alive and to compare differences in individuals within a species.
- Topics Covered: Animals and Habitats
- Science/Social Science Standards: K. S.1, K.L.2 Live Animals: Yes
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: $1/Student
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Free Programs
Drip Drop Plop
- Time: 30 minutes
- Students search to find “Drop” and learn how little water is actually available for human use. We will discover where water is found, discuss how humans use it, and formulate ideas to conserve it. Hands-on activities make learning fun!
- Topics Covered: Location of Water on Earth, Importance of Clean Water
- Science/Social Science Standards: 1.S.1, 1.E.4
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: Free
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Time: 30 minutes
Adapting an activity from PLT, students become parts of a plant and review plants’ basic needs. Then they will explore the importance of water and how different environments support interesting plants through comparing plant adaptations.
- Topics Covered: Plants, Clean Water, Importance of Plants, Basic Needs of Plants, Plant Structures and Plant Life Cycles
- Science/Social Science Standards: 1.S.1, 1.L.5
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: Free
Up, Down, All Around
Time: 30 minutes
Learn about the composition of the earth while creating earthquakes! Students will explore the Earth’s components and learn how water shapes our earth, its importance, and the neat properties that make water so special!- Topics Covered: Composition of Earth, Properties of Water, Importance of Water
- Science/Social Science Standards: 1.S.1, 1.E.4
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Shadow Show
Time: 30 minutes
Using flashlights, students observe and compare how light behaves when it shines on different materials. Is it refracted or reflected? What is the difference between transparent, translucent and opaque? Students experiment to see how light travels and how shadows are formed. Using a pet dinosaur, students discover how to make his shadow move right and left, make him bigger and smaller, and shorter and taller. Is it possible to make the dinosaur shadow completely disappear?- Topics Covered: Properties of Light, How Shadows are Formed
- Science/Social Science Standards: 1.S.1, 1.P.2
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Making Day and Night
Time: 30 minutes
Let’s learn why the Sun is so important! Using a globe and flashlight the students explore how to make day and night. As the students act out a song and pretend to be Earth, they rotate to make day and night. We’ll also see the difference between rotation and revolution.
- Topics Covered: The Sun’s Energy, Day and Night, Rotation and Revolution.
- Science/Social Science Standards: 1.S.1, 1.E.3
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Paid Programs
All Around the World
Time: 30 minutes
Animals and artifacts from the WEC come to visit with the students as they learn how the sun and moon affect animal behavior, their interaction with their habitat and special adaptations for nocturnal and diurnal animals.- Topics Covered: Nocturnal and Diurnal Animals
- Science/Social Science Standards: 1.S.1, 1.E.3
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: $1/Student
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Free Programs
Water Matters
Time: 35 minutes
In this interactive program, students are introduced to the different states of matter. During a simplified game of “Molecules in Motion” (PWET), students pretend to be molecules in water, water vapor, and an ice cube. The lesson ends with a short discussion regarding water pollution and oil.- Topics Covered: 3 States of Matter applied to Water, Water Pollution
- Science/Social Science Standards: 2.S.1, 2.P.3
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Hurray for Habitats
Time: 35 minutes
Students visit with one of our live animals to learn the important things every habitat must have! Then we will explore different animals from all over the world and see how distinct environments support different types of life.- Topics Covered: Animal Habitats, Importance of Water, Water Pollution
- Science/Social Science Standards: 2.S.1, 2.L.5
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: Free
Weather Works
Time: 35 minutes
During this fun, hands-on lesson, students learn weather terminology, severe weather safety, and weather conditions for the different seasons. They actively participate by producing a thunderstorm play.- Topics Covered: Topics Covered: Weather, Daily and Seasonal Patterns, Severe Weather Safety Precautions
- Science/Social Science Standards: 2.S.1, 2.E.2
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: Free
Change It Up
Time: 35 minutes
This curriculum explores the states of matter; solids and liquids…or somewhere in between? Students will discover a non-Newtonian fluid, make ice melt into a liquid at different speeds and then turn it back into a solid! Using models, students realize that matter can be mixed together, and then experiment to see if they can separate it again.- Topics Covered: Properties of Matter, Changes that Matter Undergoes
- Science/Social Science Standards: 2.S.1, 2.P.3
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Bug Tracks
Time: 35 minutes
Teams of students use Base-10 “Bug Tracks” in this fast paced program where they will measure and estimate length using addition and subtraction. They will also gather and record their data on a sheet and problem solve through reasoning.
- Topics Covered: Operations and Algebraic Thinking, Number and Operations in Base Ten, Measurement, Data, and Geometry
- Math Standards: 2.ATO.1, 2.ATO.4, 2.NSBT.1, 2.MDA.1, 2.MDA.3, 2.MDA.4, 2.G.2
- Live animals: No
- Cost: Free
Motion Commotion
Time: 35 minutes
Students are taught about pushes and pulls by exploring ways to make their truck move up, down, right, left, straight, try to curve it, and even zigzag it. Does it make a difference with a load of gravel? They observe and investigate further as they drive their truck on smooth and rough roads. Students use their creativity to design a boat and explore different ways to make it move.- Topics Covered: Pushes, Pulls and Friction
- Science/Social Science Standards: 2.S.1, 2.P.4
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Paid Programs
Magnetic Properties
Time: 35 minutes
In this very hands-on program students use magnets to make an object move, make a temporary magnet as they discover how poles affect each other and sort items based on magnetism…be careful, some of them are tricky!- Topics Covered: Magnets
- Science/Social Science Standards: 2.S.1, 2.P.3
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: $1/Student
All Around the World
Time: 35 minutes
Classification is easy when you can look at the characteristics on live animals and artifacts from the Watershed Ecology Center. Students also explore what animals need to survive and how different types of animals interact with their habitats.- Topics Covered: Animal Needs, Classification and Habitats
- Science/Social Science Standards: 2.S.1, 2.L.5
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: $1/Student
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Free Programs
Water, Water, Everywhere
Time: 45 minutes
Learn about saltwater and freshwater features, along with land features while practicing your mapping skills. How do humans influence and affect our water and land features? We will learn after we analyze the jumbo class map we have created.
- Topics Covered: Saltwater and Freshwater Features
- Science/Social Science Standards: 3.S.1, 3.E.4, 3.P.2
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: Free
Marsh Munchers
Time: 45 minutes
This program uses a salt marsh as an example of the interconnectedness of aquatic ecosystems. A hands-on WEC activity allows students to create a salt marsh food chain that reinforces important concepts such as producers, consumers, carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, and food webs.- Topics Covered: Food Chains, Salt Marsh Ecosystems, Watershed Pollution
- Science/Social Science Standards: 3.S.1, 3.L.5
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: Free
Habitats for Sale
Time: 45 minutes
This presentation focuses on the consequences of habitat destruction, paying special attention to South Carolina habitats. Through building a variety of habitats, students will investigate how different environments meet the habitat needs of a variety of South Carolina organisms.- Topics Covered: SC Regions, State Animals and Habitats, Watershed Pollution
- Science/Social Science Standards: 3.S.1, 3.L.5 Soc Sci 3-1.1
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: Free
Wetlands, Then & Now
Time: 45 minutes
Students use the Enviroscape Wetland Model to see first hand how pollution and flooding can occur after unplanned development. They also explore the functions and values of ecological restoration and reconstruction of wetlands. Students brainstorm ideas and experiment with different ways to prevent conditions that negatively impact wetlands.- Topics Covered: Wetlands, unplanned development, pollution, natural events, and human impact on the environment.
- Science/Social Studies Standards: 3.S.1 and 3.E.4
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
The Heat is On
Time: 45 minutes
While experimenting, students discover that heat moves from one object to another through direct contact in some materials (conductors) and not so easily through others (insulators). Students will continue to identify sources of heat and different ways that heat can be produced.- Topics Covered: Forms of Matter, Conductors and Insulators, Sources of Heat and Heat Production
- Science/Social Science Standards: 3.S.1, 3.P.2
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
The Mystery Jar
Time: 45 minutes
Hands-on math at its best! Students will work in teams to solve a story problem using both count and measure, and then reinforce their understanding with a base ten counting device. They will also read a linear scale, collect data and make a graph…all while having a great time!- Topics Covered: Operations and Algebraic Thinking, Number and Operations in Base Ten, Measurement, Data, and Geometry
- Math Standards: 3.ATO.1, 3.ATO.8, 3.ATO.9, 3.NSBT.1, 3MDA.2, 3.MDA.3, 3.G.1
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Paid Programs
What on Earth
Time: 45 minutes
Rocks, minerals, soil…oh, my! In this program, the students learn about the rock cycle and the different types of rocks as well as soil layers and what makes up the soil beneath our feet, and even participate in an experiment to determine different soil types. We also discuss earth’s features and both slow and rapid changes to the surface.- Topics Covered: Rocks, Minerals, Rock Cycle, Soil formation, Role of Water in Erosion, Soil as a Water Pollutant
- Science/Social Science Standards: 3.S.1, 3.E.4, 3.L.5
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: $1/Student
Them Bones
Time: 45 minutes
Students get a chance to become paleontologists in this program. First we discuss the different types of fossils and how they are formed and then each student gets to sift fossil soil to find and then identify their own fossils. From these fossils, we can tell what the earth was like during their formation.- Topics Covered: Fossils, Paleontology
- Science/Social Science Standards: 3.S.1, 3.L.5
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: $1/Student
All Around the World
Time: 45 minutes
Critters from the Watershed Ecology Center come to the school to help students better understand the physical and behavioral adaptations they have to help them survive in their habitats. We also discuss habitat components and how changes to the habitat affect animal populations.- Topics Covered: Adaptations, Habitats, Food Chain
- Science/Social Science Standards: 3.S.1, 3.L.5
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: $1/Student
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Free Programs
Incredible Journey
Time: 45 minutes
Through the use of an engaging game from the Project Wet curriculum, we will challenge students to answer questions like “Where will the water you drink today, be tomorrow?” In their quest to understand the water cycle. Watch students have fun learning science as they pretend to be water molecules moving from place to place.- Topics Covered: Water Cycle
- Science/Social Science Standards: 4.S.1, 4.E.2
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Our Natural Homes
Time: 45 minutes
“Our Natural Homes” is a WEC program that covers biomes and regions. The program will focus on the role of rainfall in different environments and covers the special adaptations animals and plants use to cope with excess or lack of water. Students enjoy working as a team to create their own biome.- Topics Covered: Biomes and Environment, Water Environment, Effects of Water Pollution
- Science/Social Science Standards: 4.S.1, 4.L.5
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: Free
Stream Ecology
Time: 45 minutes
Learn what macro-invertebrates are, their roles in the environment, and how they are indictors of water quality. Using qualitative methods, students will complete a mock investigation to learn how physical characteristics of the environment affect an organism’s behavior.- Topics Covered: Math, Steam Ecology, Animal Response, Macro-invertebrates, Water Quality
- Science/Social Science Standards: 4.S.1, 4.L.5
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Weather Works II
Time: 45 minutes
Students build on their previous weather knowledge and learn new concepts and terminology while focusing on severe weather, review safety precautions and the water cycle. Enjoy using maps and symbols to create your very own weather report.- Topics Covered: Seasonal Weather, Severe Weather and Safety Precautions, Water Cycle
- Science/Social Science Standards: 4.S.1, 4.E.2
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: Free
Bug Tracks II
Time: 45 minutes
Hands-on math! Teams of students will estimate and then measure the length of a curve. They will utilize a base ten paddle to visualize that curve in a linear fashion and then calculate the actual length!- Topics Covered: Fractions, Measurement, Data
- Math Standards: 4.NSF.1, 4.NSF.2, 4.NSF.7, 4MDA.1
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Paid Programs
Color Me with Light
Time: 45 minutes
Through a number of experiments, students will explore various aspects of light including reflection, refraction and absorption as well as transparent, translucent and opaque objects. We will also do a chromatography experiment with leaves to find hidden colors in nature.- Topics Covered: Colors, Light, Refraction/Reflection
- Science/Social Science Standards:4.S.1, 4.P.4
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: $1/Student
All Around the World
Time: 45 minutes
So, who are the vertebrates and invertebrates? How can I tell a reptile from an amphibian? This program allows the students to work their way through some classification with real animals and artifacts from the center.- Topics Covered: Classify Animals
- Science/Social Science Standards: 4.S.1, 4.L.5
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: $1/Student
Sound of Music
Time: 45 minutes
Students investigate vibration to discover how different variables affect the pitch and volume of sound. Each student will get a musical instrument and the whole class works together to produce a drumming session. Can we make music, not noise?- Topics Covered: Vibration, sound, pitch, volume, musical instruments
- Science/Social Science Standards: 4.S.1, 4.P.4
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: $1/Student
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Free Programs
Barrier Island Preview
Time: 50 minutes
Taking your trip to Barrier Island this year? This presentation serves as a good introduction to barrier island formation and the importance of resulting wetlands that are associated with them. Students study salt marsh artifacts and play “Barrier Island Bingo.”- Topics Covered: Barrier Islands, Islands, Food Chains, Watersheds, Flow of Pollution
- Science/Social Science Standards: 5.S.1, 5.L.4, 5.E.3
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: Free
Wise Up About Watersheds
Time: 50 minutes
In this hands-on program, students learn about the watershed we live in and are introduced to the concept of non-point source water pollution. Using the Enviroscape watershed model, students see how a watershed becomes polluted as each student is asked to add various pollutants to the model. Afterwards, students then brainstorm solutions to clean up the pollution and restore the watershed.- Topics Covered: Point/Non Point Pollution and Erosion
- Science/Social Science Standards: 5-2.2, 5-2.5, 5-3.1, 6-3.6, 5-4.8
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Wild Wetlands
Time: 50 minutes
The different types of wetland are introduced as unique ecosystems containing organisms that fill specific niches. The Enviroscape Wetland Model demonstrates their importance as a filter for our watershed.- Topics Covered: Wetlands, Land, Air and Water Pollution
- Science/Social Science Standards: 5-2.2, 5-2.3, 5-2.6, 5-4.8
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
As a Matter of Fact
Time: 50 minutes
Students will act out an atom in a solid, liquid and gas state. We will explore to see what works to separate mixtures. Will sifting work? What about evaporation? Let’s even try magnetic attraction, floatation and chromatography. Let’s find out if the more solid dissolved in a liquid, the more “concentrated” it is. Let’s see if particle size, temperature and stirring affect the rate of dissolving.- Topics Covered: Properties of Matter and Mixtures
- Science/Social Science Standards: 5.S.1, 5.P.2
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
The Mystery Jar II
Time: 50 minutes Hope you like math, marbles and water! Students will work in teams to solve a multi-question story problem involving count, measure, decimal multiplication and graphing. Using the data collected from all teams, each team will produce a graph from which students will estimate the unknown volume of a “mystery jar” that holds a given number of marbles. Then students will compute the volume of air remaining in the “mystery jar” when it is filled with marbles.
- Topics Covered: Measurement, Data, Geometry
- Math Standards: 5.NSBT.1, 5.NSBT.2, 5.NSBT.7, 5.MDA.1, 5.MDA.3, 5.G.1, 5.G.2
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Paid Programs
All Around the World
Time: 50 minutes
Learn how organisms interact with each other in their ecosystems as they fill their role as a consumer, producer and decomposers! We will explore what makes up an ecosystem and how these things can benefit or limit the populations therein. The different ecosystems will be introduced by an animal or artifact from that region.- Topics Covered: Animals, Habitats, Ecosystems and Limiting Factors
- Science/Social Science Standards: 5.S.1, 5.L.4
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: $1/Student
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Free Programs
Where Does the Water Go?
Time: 50 minutes
During this presentation, students play an extended version of “An Incredible Journey,” learning that water treatment and water use are parts of the water cycle too. Students work through a water treatment model to understand how our water is cleaned. Great review of the water cycle, surface-water flow, and groundwater flow.- Topics Covered: Water Cycle, Pollution, Water Treatment
- Science/Social Science Standards: 6.S.1, 6.E.2
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Talkin’ Trash
Time: 50 minutes
Using an Enviroscape Landfill model, students get an in-depth look at how a landfill is designed. While participating in “A Peek at Packaging” (PLT), they learn about different types of packaging, how packaging affects us as consumers, and the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling solid waste as sensible alternatives to landfilling our wastes. They will also be introduced to the innovative process of converting waste to energy used by BMW and Waste Management.- Topics Covered: Recycling, Pollution, Water Quality, Landfills, Greenhouse Gasses
- Science/Social Science Standards: 6.S.1, 6.E.2
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Barrier Islands
Time: 50 minutes
Taking your trip to Barrier Island this year? This presentation serves as a good introduction to barrier island formation and the importance of resulting wetlands that are associated with them. Students study salt marsh artifacts and play “Barrier Island Bingo.”
- Topics Covered: Barrier Islands, Islands, Food Chains, Watersheds
- Science/Social Science Standards: Field Trip Preparation, 6.S.1, 6.L.4
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: Free
Paid Programs
All Around the World
Time: 50 minutes
Let’s look at some of the live animals and artifacts from the center to see how scientists classify organisms and how the animals’ behaviors and adaptations allow them to survive- Topics Covered: The Animal Kingdom, Classification, Survival, Vertebrates and Invertebrates
- Science/Social Science Standards: 6.S.1, 6.L.4
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: $1/Student
Tootie Fruitie
Time: 50 minutes
Let’s take a look at the Plant Kingdom from top to bottom, inside and out. Determining whether produce is a fruit or vegetable can be a little tricky at times. Many things we call vegetables are really fruits. Let’s give it a try and also see if we can identify different parts of different plants. We will find out the differences between vascular and non-vascular plants. Students dissect a lima bean seed to find the embryo, and decide if the plant is a monocot or a dicot. They also get to taste and sample different exotic fruits and vegetables.- Topics Covered: The Plant Kingdom, Vascular versus Non-Vascular Plants, Plant Structures and Survival, Seeds, Fruits, Vegetables, Sorting, Classification
- Science/Social Science Standards: 6.S.1, 6.L.5
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: $1/Student
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Free Programs
Wise Up About Watersheds II
Time: 50 minutes
The students work through the EnviroScape watershed model to see first-hand how water pollution occurs and brainstorm ways that it can be prevented. The students will use topography and contour mapping skills as they map their school’s watershed.- Topics Covered: Watersheds, Watershed Mapping, Pollution, Biotic and Abiotic Factors, Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources
- Science/Social Science Standards: 7.S.1, 7.EC.5
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Super Sleuths
Time: 50 minutes
In this program from PWET, students will be epidemiologists as they learn about waterborne illnesses and disease transmission. Students will discover how unicellular organisms can cause disease and their effect on major organs and body systems.- Topics Covered: Organisms, Cells, Pathogens, Epidemiology, and Water
- Science/Social Science Standards: 7.S.1, 7.L.3
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
From H to OH!
Time: 50 minutes
In this activity from Healthy Water Healthy People, students simulate the creation of acids and bases; manipulate acidic and basic solutions and discuss how acid rain is formed. Students explore runoff pollution and how pH of water can affect weathering of the Earth’s surface and stream health.- Topics Covered: Acids, Bases, pH, Indicators, Acid Rain, and Water Quality
- Science/Social Science Standards: 7.S.1 and 7.P.2
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
River Run
Time: 50 minutes
Through playing a fun interactive game, we use water ecosystems to reveal how organisms interact with and respond to the biotic and abiotic factors of their environment. What issues can lead to shifts in its diversity and abundance of populations? Let’s examine ways that we can protect our water ecology.- Topics Covered: Organisms, Habitats, Populations, Communities, Ecosystems, Biomes, Niches, Food Webs, Energy Pyramids.
- Science/Social Science Standards: 7.S.1, 7.EC.5
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: Free
Elements, Chemicals, Compounds and Mixtures, Oh My!
Time: 50 minutes
Students work together to analyze and interpret data to describe and classify matter as elements, compounds, or mixtures. They use the periodic table to identify the basic organization of elements and groups of elements.
- Topics Covered: Elements, Compounds and Mixtures, Chemical Symbols, Chemical Formulas
- Science/Social Science Standards: 7.S.1, 7.P.2
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Even Soap is Science
Time: 50 minutes
The students will be simulating the creation of a cleaning product to learn about the chemistry that goes into its design. This activity will help students to understand that a soap product is the result of combining particular ingredients in a certain amounts to create a product that works in a specific way. Great activity to inspire careers in STEM fields.- Topics Covered: Chemistry of cleaning products, STEM field careers
- Science/Social Science Standards: 7.S.1, 7.S.1A.3
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Paid Programs
All Around the World
Time: 50 minutes
Through using the live animals and artifacts from the WEC center, students acquire an understanding of how each animal interacts with and responds to the biotic and abiotic elements in their environment.- Topics Covered: Ecosystems, Organizational Levels, Natural Hazards, Limiting Factors, Symbiotic Relationships, Food Chains
- Science/Social Science Standards: 7.S.1, 7.EC.5
- Live Animals: Yes
- Cost: $1/Student
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Free Programs
Rocks Speak
Time: 50 minutes
Students take a step back to look at geologic time changes that rocks go through over millions of years. They participate in a kinesthetic activity that familiarizes them with the rock cycle.- Topics Covered: Rock Cycle, Rock Classification
- Science/Social Science Standards: 8.S.1, 8.E.5
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Water on Zork
Time: 50 minutes
Students create their own experiment to determine if a clear liquid sample from another planet, ”Zork” is suitable to use as drinking water. This lesson also reviews the characteristics of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and meteors.- Topics Covered: Geologic Features, Earth’s Solar System, Importance of Water, Unique Water Properties
- Science/Social Science Standards: 8.S.1, 8.E.4
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: Free
Paid Programs
Them Bones
Time: 50 minutes
Through sifting and examining different types of fossils, students explore the diversity of life over time. They analyze pictures of past and present-day life forms in order to determine if a relationship exists between the two. Through role playing they discover why most individual organisms that lived in the past were never fossilized. They also contemplate factors that can contribute to the extinction of species.- Topics Covered: Molds, Casts, Petrified Fossils, Preserved Remains
- Science/Social Science Standards: 8.S.1, 8.E.6
- Live Animals: No
- Cost: $1/Student