School Programs

Attention principals, teachers and PTO organizers from Pre-K to 12th grade! Join us for our very first Teacher Open House. Learn all about the Museums and how a field trip can supplement classroom study. 3:30-6:30 p.m. Free admission for educators!* Discover and Learn: Explore the galleries of the Science Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, and George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum. Visit informational booths and see demonstrations of our school programs. Learn how to submit a request and book a field trip. Receive sample materials to use before, during and after your visit to reinforce learning. All attendees will receive: Field trip coupon worth $1 off per student. Chance to win a $100 school gift basket from the Museum Store. Packet of resource materials including the latest school programs brochure, curriculum connections list for all programs, field trip booking guide, examples of pre- and post-visit lessons and gallery activities. *Registration and school IDs are required! Send an email with "Springfield Museums Teacher Open House" in the subject line to schooltours@springfieldmuseums.org by September 24.

Earn requirements for merit badges and Try-Its! This exciting overnight program offers a variety of science related hands-on workshops, demonstrations and more. Set up camp by a boa constrictor, under a dinosaur, next to a turtle pond or anywhere your group chooses. Enjoy a pizza party in the evening and a light breakfast in the morning. Where: Springfield Science Museum When: 6 p.m. on Friday, through 9 a.m. on Saturday Brownies Science Wonders Try-Its Dates: September 19, October 24 or January 23 Cost: $35 per child; $30 per adult Brownies Animals Try-Its and Special Exhibition Visit Dates: February 13, March 13 or April 17 Cost: $38 per child; $33 per adult (includes special exhibition fees) Juniors Science Discovery Badge Dates: September 26, November 14 or December 12 Cost: $35 per child; $30 per adult Juniors Sky Search Badge and Special Exhibition Visit Date: March 27 Cost: $38 per child; $33 per adult (includes special exhibition fees) Juniors Sky Search Badge Date: May 22 Cost: $35 per child; $30 per adult Space is limited! Maximum: 120 attendees per camp-in. Secure overnight parking available. Registrations must be received one month prior to camp-in date. Call 413.263.6800, ext. 385, or email campins@springfieldmuseums.org. For online registration, visit the museum calendar and click the individual listing.

Grades 4-8 New Program! A precious object has been stolen from the Springfield Science Museum! Working as teams of forensic specialists, students will critically examine and analyze fingerprint, fiber, DNA and written evidence to uncover the culprit in this crime. Explore how astute powers of observation and different branches of science come together to help catch a thief! Program developed with support from Shurtleff Children's Services, Inc.

Grades 4-8 New Program! Discover the wonders of the Human Body with a presentation of TAM, our Transparent Anatomical Manikin. Explore the respiratory, circulatory, and skeletal systems in more depth through fun, math-oriented hands-on activities and a math museum mystery. Program developed with support from Shurtleff Children's Services, Inc.

Grades 3-5 New Program! Students will explore the history and science behind early transportation. Did you know that the Rolls Royce, Duryea, and Indian Motorcycle, which were built right here in Springfield, all contain simple machines? Learn about the energy it takes to move these machines as well as the simple machines that were created to make life easier. Discover the connection between early transportation and the way we live today – our neighborhoods, our homes, even where we work. Students will identify how transportation has changed the way communities are built, discuss the past and future of fuel sources, and help brainstorm transportation ideas for the future. Program developed with support from the Verizon Foundation.

Grades 4-6 Students will learn about the interconnectedness of animal habitats and the adaptations that are needed to survive in a particular ecosystem. The program will include discussions and activities in Habitat Hall, African Hall and the Solutia Live Animal Center. Program developed with support from Shurtleff Children's Services, Inc.

Grades 3-8 Offered September 2007-January 2008 only! Discover how Mother Earth flexes her muscles by learning about volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis. Students will build a model of the Earth's layers, examine the rock cycle, explode a volcano and enjoy hands-on activities.

Grades 4-8 Connect your classroom studies to the ancient past. Get up close to an Egyptian sarcophagus, 2,000 year old statues, and casts of the world's greatest sculpture. Learn what ancient myths still shape the way we see the world today. From gods and goddesses to burial customs, ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome come alive through interactive activities and discussion. Students identify objects used in mummification, participate in an Egyptian heart-weighing ceremony, hunt for deities and dress like an ancient Greek. Curriculum connections include myth, belief systems, timelines, economics, and ancient/world history.

By reservation only! Call 413.263.6800, ext. 322. Enrich your classroom activities with one of the following programs designed especially for students ages 3 and up. Dr. Seuss on the Loose! Discover the landmarks that inspired Springfield native, Theodor Seuss Geisel's, book illustrations. Then celebrate Seuss by making your own Cat in the Hat hat! 9:30, 10, 10:30, 11 or 11:30 a.m. Busy Beavers Explore the adaptations and habitats of beavers. Students will assume different roles as they learn how beavers live. 9:30, 10, 10:30, 11 or 11:30 a.m. Dinosaurs Discover the wonderful world of dinosaurs through real fossils, size comparisons, dinosaur footprints and puppets. 9:30, 10, 10:30, 11 or 11:30 a.m. Magic Sky Join 5-year old Jesse for a song filled exploration of the sun, moon and stars. You'll meet Mother Earth, take off in a rocket ship, visit the moon and float in space -- a fun filled introduction to the wonders of our neighborhood in space. 9:45, 10:30, 11:15 a.m. or noon New Drop-In Program! Live Animal Demonstration Join us in the Solutia Live Animal Center and meet one of our incredible critters. Will it be a snake, turtle or Madagascar hissing roach? Learn about habitats, adaptations and more! 10 a.m.-noon Please note groups may join the demonstration in progress. Registration is still required. Check our calendar for upcoming program dates.

Grades 4-6 Students become chemists, botanists and cryptographers as they team up to test water samples, identify leaves and decipher a coded message in a case of environmental contamination. Crucial evidence uncovered in this realistic mystery leads students to discover who is responsible for polluting the Whodunnit River.

Grades K-5 Did you know that insects have six legs and three distinct body parts? Learn about insect life cycles, habitats, and insect adaptations. Build a bug and learn what it's like to see through the eyes of an insect.

Grades 3-6 Ever think about what squirrels, toads, and caterpillars really do all day? Students experience the challenges of daily survival as they assume the identities of different animals. The object is to acquire adequate food, water, and shelter within their habitat, while keeping out of the clutches of the dreaded predator.

Grades 1-8 Snakes, frogs, and turtles--not all of Earth's creatures are cute and cuddly, yet each has a very special niche to fill. Learn about the special adaptations of reptiles and amphibians and find out how these characteristics help them stay alive. Examine turtle shells, feel snake skin, and experience a close encounter with some live members of this group.

Grades K-5 Offered September 2007-January 2008 only. People know about these huge reptiles only by fossil evidence. How did we figure it out? Discover how dinosaur fossils reveal stories about life in the past. Learn about dinosaur behavior and what it is that makes a dinosaur a dinosaur. Work as a paleontologist to reconstruct a dinosaur skeleton and have fun exploring Dinosaur Hall!

Grades K-5 Through handling materials, stories and activities, students explore Native American culture of the past and present. They will discover the cultural achievements of Native Americans as they recreate an artifact and learn how Native Americans lived in harmony with nature.

Grades 4-6 Students explore how electricity is everywhere while they make static electricity, current electricity and experiment with conductors, insulators and magnets. They get energized as they see the Van de Graaff generator set a classmate's hair on end and design their own special circuits.

Grades 3-6 Explore the world of light and sound as you investigate wave motion, resonant frequencies, kaleidoscopes, reflection and refraction. Discover whether sound travels better through gas, liquids, or solids. Use mirrors to manipulate the path of light as it bounces off different surfaces.

Grades 2-4 Most Popular! Learn some basic science concepts while having fun with kitchen chemistry, sound science, and a Van de Graaff generator. Students will learn the fun-damentals of safe laboratory practices when they don goggles and combine secret ingredients to concoct a Wonder Stew.

Grades 5-8 Students will take a close look at our solar system while they participate in an activity that explores each of the nine planets. Their adventure continues as they become part of the crew on a spacecraft that investigates the environments of our moon and the earth.

Grades 4-6 What do toothpaste and roadways have in common? Look beyond the diagram of the rock cycle to discover stories in stone. Students will work in teams to test and identify specimens, solve "rock and roll" riddles, and discover which everyday products are made from rocks and minerals.

Grades 3-5 While exploring the water cycle, students are introduced to water conservation, local watersheds, and the effects pollutants on watersheds. Students participate in a raindrop relay, measure the amount of fresh water available on Earth, and learn why Earth is called the water planet.

<Grades 1-12 Our knowledgeable tour guides make the animals in our dioramas come alive, take you back millions of years to the time dinosaurs roamed the earth, and introduce you to the live animals in our Solutia Live Animal Center. Students will enjoy participating in a guided tour designed to explore the Museum's exhibit halls while reinforcing curriculum needs.

Grades 2-4 Students will learn the fascinating story of the "city of firsts" through a series of interactive stations and primary resource materials. They explore a Colonial kitchen through the five senses, hunt for treasures (historic artifacts) in the museum's galleries, and play a famous faces game to discover renowned people who lived in Springfield. Then they work in teams during a quiz game about Civil War trivia.

Grades P-2 His stories and illustrations delight young students all over the world, but just who is this author named Dr. Seuss? Children discover the man behind the stories-- Springfield native Theodor Seuss Geisel-- and explore what life was like in the early 1900s when he was a young boy. Identify some whimsical Seuss illustrations and learn what real-life Springfield landmarks inspired their creation. To conclude this Seuss celebration, students make their very own Cat in the Hat hats.

Grades 3-6 Explore the rich history of China through this renowned Chinese art collection. Students will view authentic artifacts including a jade burial suit, silk robes and cloisonne. Curriculum connections include geography, symbolism, vocabulary/concept development, discussion skills, silk production, and Confucianism. Students have a mini tai chi lesson, learn their Chinese zodiac sign and try their hands at calligraphy.

Grades 2-6 Enrich your classroom studies of feudal Japan with this engaging tour. Discover the story behind authentic suits of armor and swords worn by the Japanese samurai warriors. Create an origami samurai helmet and role-play a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Learn about the art of calligraphy and try on authentic Japanese clothing to pose for a group photo. Curriculum connections include geography, symbolism, vocabulary/concept development and discussion skills.

Grades 3-6 See American history come alive through the museum's beautiful and engaging American art collection. Students take on the roles of curator and archaeologist as they identify artifacts. Students participate in a storytelling activity and dress in period costumes to pose for a group portrait. Curriculum connections include the Colonial period, entrepreneurship, westward expansion and voting.

Grades K-2 Most Popular! This program encourages young artists to look beyond the canvas into the details, textures, materials and stories that make up a work of art. An Alphabet in Art slide presentation introduces students to our collection, and both fascinates and excites them as they journey through the Museum to "spy" precious works of art. Curriculum connections include discussion, questioning, listening and vocabulary/concept development.