CLASSES

Extend your students' learning experience with a Museum Class!

children Each class encourages students to investigate their world using the Scientific Method and the Process of Experimentation. Classes encourage students to develop their powers of observation as they test hypotheses, learn to collect data, and work together as a team. Due to our extensive summer camp program, classes are not available during June, July and August.

Classes are listed in order by grades for Elementary, Middle and High School levels and cover a wide range of physical and life science topics. A brief description and grade related SOLs are provided for each class.

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The Five Senses
Grades K-1: Students explore and learn about the five senses by experiencing the sensations of sight, hearing, smell, and touch through hands on activities. (Taste is discussed but not tested to avoid the risk of possible sensitivities or allergic reactions.)
SOLs: K.1, K.2, K.4, 1.1

Science Toys
Grades K-1: Students “experiment” with toys to observe and explore the science of what makes them work. –A fun introduction to forces, motion, and energy.
SOLs: K.1, K.3, K.4, 1.1, 1.2

Dig It!
Grades 1-5: Become a paleontology detective! Explore the lives of prehistoric creatures and their habitats by studying both real and replica fossil clues, learning how they were formed and how scientists interpret them. Discover how the earth’s surface, climate and different life forms have changed or disappeared over time. Have fun digging for fossils and trying to identify them!
SOLs: 1.5, 1.7, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.7

Physical Properties and Physical Changes of Matter
Grades 2-3: Students observe and compare mass, volume, and other physical properties of different examples of matter through simple experiments and investigate what causes matter to change states (phases).
SOLs: 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 3.3, 3.9

Wildfire
Grades 2-5: Explore both the dangers and ecological importance of natural wildfires. Learn about the fire triangle, fire safety both in and outside the home, and how animals and especially plants survive and sometimes even depend on periodic wildfire in their communities through various natural adaptations. Older students may conduct experiments and interact with computer simulations to investigate the effects of different weather and related environmental conditions on fire behavior.
SOLs: K.9, 1.7, 2.5, 2.7, 2.8, 3.6, 3.10, 4.5, 4.8

Introduction to Your Watershed
Grades 3-5: This new class stresses the importance of knowing your watershed address and how different sources of pollution (point source and nonpoint source pollution) can change the quality of the water in your watershed. A short DVD on “Saving Our Land and Water” introduces the class to the importance of clean water in our watershed. A valuable hands-on, interactive activity using our Enviroscape models reinforces how different sources of pollution in our everyday lives can greatly affect our water and all that live in and depend on our watershed.
SOLs: 3.6a, 3.9c, 3.9d, 3.10b, 4.5f, 4.8a.

Rock On
Grades 4-5: Rocks and minerals are not only essential natural resources but are also the building blocks of our changing earth. Learn about the dynamic forces that have recycled and reshaped them over many millions of years, both above and below the earth’s surface. Students identify the three categories of rocks by examining various samples of rocks, minerals, and fossils. SOLs: 4.8, 5.1, 5.7

Electrifying Energy
Grades 4-5: This class first examines different forms of energy and then focuses on electricity. Students learn about the different kinds of electricity (static and current) and the various ways they can be produced and converted into many other forms of energy we use everyday. They experiment with various materials to investigate circuits, motors, generators, and the relationship between electricity and magnetism.
SOLs: 4.2, 4.3, 4.8, 5.4

Amazing Light
Grade 5: Students use various lenses, mirrors, CDs, spectroscopes, and other materials to investigate and observe the amazing properties of light energy and how reflection, refraction, and diffraction can change how we see things. Students also learn how visible light is related to other forms of electromagnetic energy and have fun experimenting with “black light” and fluorescence.
SOLs: 5.3, 5.4

Exploring Chemical Reactions
Grade 6: Students investigate several basic chemical reactions, such as precipitation, decomposition, neutralization, and oxidation. Through simple experimentation, observation, and analysis, they gain a better understanding of the chemical processes involved and their everyday applications.
SOLs: 6.1, 6.4, PS.1, PS.2, PS.5.

Electrifying Energy
Grades 6, 8: This class first investigates different forms of energy and then focuses on electricity. Students learn about the different kinds of electricity (static and current) and the various ways they can be produced and converted into many other forms of energy we use everyday. They experiment with various materials to investigate circuits, motors, generators, and the relationship between electricity and magnetism.
SOLs: 6.2, 6.4, PS.6, PS.11

Eye to Eye *additional cost applies*
Grade 7: This class takes a first-hand look at the incredible sensory organ, the eye, and its complex connection with the brain, which provides us with the ability to see. Students dissect a cow eye and examine and compare its structure and function to that of the human eye.
SOLs: LS.3

Genetic Journey
Grade 7: Investigate the science of genetics in this class. Students learn about the structure and function of DNA and extract it from a strawberry. They also explore and compare genetic traits which make each of us unique.
SOLs: LS.2, LS.13, LS.14

Dig It
Earth Science/Biology: Explore the lives of prehistoric creatures and their habitats by studying both real and replica fossil clues, learning how they were formed and how scientists interpret them. Discover how the earth’s surface, climate and different life forms have changed or disappeared over time. Become a paleontologist and dig for fossils and trying to identify them!
SOLs: ES.2, ES.10, BIO.7, BIO.8, BIO.10

Amazing Light
Grade 8: Students use various lenses, mirrors, CDs, spectroscopes, and other materials to investigate and observe the amazing properties of light energy and how reflection, refraction, and diffraction can change how we see things. Students also learn how visible light is related to other forms of electromagnetic energy and have fun experimenting with “black light” and fluorescence.
SOLs: PS.9

Rock On
Earth Science: Rocks and minerals are not only essential natural resources but are also the building blocks of our changing earth. Students examine and observe properties of various examples of rocks, minerals, and fossils and explore the dynamic forces that have recycled and reshaped them over many millions of years, both above and below the earth’s surface.
SOLs: ES.2, ES.5, ES.6, ES.7, ES.8, ES.10

Eye to Eye *additional cost applies*
Biology: This class takes a first-hand look at the incredible sensory organ, the eye, and its complex connection with the brain, which provides us with the ability to see. Students dissect a cow eye and examine and compare its structure and function to that of the human eye.
SOLs: BIO.5

Genetic Journey
Biology: Investigate the science of genetics in this class. Students learn about the structure and function of DNA and extract it from a strawberry. They also explore and compare genetic traits which make each of us unique.
SOLs: BIO.1, BIO.2, BIO.6, BIO.8

Exploring Chemical Reactions
Chemistry: Students investigate several basic chemical reactions, such as precipitation, decomposition, neutralization, and oxidation. Through simple experimentation, observation, and analysis, they gain a better understanding of the chemical processes involved and their everyday applications.
SOLs: CH.1, CH.3, CH.4