Customize a Field Trip Guide

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Start here to create an editable and printable document that outlines your field trip itinerary, learning goals, student questions, etc.

Step 1 of 2: Offerings

  1. Below, filter Museum offerings by grade level and learning goal.
  2. Select up to 4 offerings to add to your field trip guide. Your selections will be shown on the right.
  3. Click "Continue" on the right.
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64 Results

The following activity sheets match one or more of your selections.

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  • Charles Hayden Planetarium

    Explore our solar system and its thousands of components — the Sun, the planets, the moon, and newly discovered objects — that are changing the way we view our place in space.

    • Recommended for Grades Pre-K – 12
    • Red Wing, Level 1
    • Separate timed ticket required

    Starting Points

    • What conditions make a planet suitable for life?
    • What are some differences between stars and planets?
    • What kinds of objects are in a solar system? A galaxy?

  • Clark Collection of Mechanical Movement Models

    Add to your guide

    View the Clark Collection of Mechanical Movement Models on the lower level. Push the buttons to see the models move. Figure out how simple machines are used in the model steam engine on display across the room.

    • Recommended for Grades K – 12
    • Blue Wing, Lower Level

    Starting Points

    • Can you find any models that use simple machines? What kinds?
    • What do you think these models might have been used for?

  • Climate Change

    Examine evidence of climate change, explore its potential impact, and consider energy, efficiency, and lifestyle alternatives.

    • Recommended for Grades 6 – 12
    • Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, Blue Wing, Level 1
    • 20 minutes (check the Museum map/guide for presentation schedule)

    Starting Points

    • How do scientists measure climate change?
    • Do you think that climate change is an important thing to learn about? Why?

  • Colossal Fossil: Triceratops Cliff

    The evidence we collect from fossils tells part of an amazing tale of animal adaptation. Get an up-close look at Cliff, a real Triceratops skeleton, and examine the evidence that dinosaurs left behind more than 65 million years ago.

    • Recommended for Grades Pre-K – 12
    • Blue Wing, Lower Level

    Starting Points

    • Compare the physical characteristics of the Triceratops and T. rex dinosaurs. How are they the similar? How are they different?
    • How would the teeth you see in the T. rex’s mouth help it survive? Why do you think the Triceratops has different looking teeth than the T. rex?

  • Cosmic Light

    In this exhibit, visitors explore the Milky Way Galaxy to discover how different wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum can offer a range of information about our universe. Gain a physical understanding of the other parts of our solar system, and how our infinitesimal planet compares to our stellar neighbors, nearby galaxies, and beyond.

    • Recommended for Grades 3 – 12
    • Red Wing, Level 1

    Starting Points

    • Compare the sizes and location of different planets in the solar system. What is it like on each planet’s surface? How long would it take to get there?

  • Design Challenges

    Students learn about the engineering design cycle through hands-on activities that let them design, build, and test a prototype. Activities rotate throughout the week. (Also, be sure to explore the nearby Innovative Engineers and Current Science & Technology exhibits.)

    • Recommended for Grades 4 – 8
    • Engineering Design Workshop, Blue Wing, Level 1
    • 20 minutes (check the Museum map/guide for presentation schedule)

    Starting Points

    • What do you like best about your design?
    • How did you change your design after testing it?

  • Dinosaurs: Modeling the Mesozoic

    A Triceratops skeleton, a full-size Tyrannosaurus rex model, fossils, a dinosaur track way, and interactives engage students and encourage them to think like scientists. Check out the nearby Colossal Fossil: Triceratops Cliff exhibit. What specific features do you notice about the Triceratops?

    • Recommended for Grades Pre-K – 12
    • Blue Wing, Lower Level

    Starting Points

    • Compare the T. rex and Triceratops models. Which dinosaur do you think moved faster?
    • Look for dinosaur footprints. What can you learn by studying footprints?

  • Discovery Center

    Participate in fun, hands-on activities that encourage discovery through play. Observe small animals up close, examine rocks, and use magnifying glasses and microscopes with the assistance of staff or volunteers. (Admission to the Discovery Center is now limited to groups with children ages 8 or younger. The Discovery Center will also limit the number of visitors at any one time. Depending on capacity, your group may be asked to wait until space is available.)

    • Recommended for Grades Pre-K – 2
    • Red Wing, Level 1
    • Opens daily at 10am

    Starting Points

    • What can you touch, hear, see and smell?
    • Use all your senses at the field geology station to explore different kinds of rocks.
    • Touch the black bear near the entrance. What does it feel like?

  • Earth and Space Exploration

    Learn about our changing planet through presentations on earthquakes and volcanoes or through observing living organisms. Find out the latest news about space missions, our solar system, and beyond.

    • Recommended for Grades 6 – 12
    • Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, Blue Wing, Level 1
    • Reservations required in advance

    Starting Points

    • What's the latest news about earth and space science?
    • What future questions do you want to investigate?

  • Energized!

    Energized! focuses on sunlight, wind, moving water, and other self-replenishing sources that generate cleaner energy with fewer negative side effects. Hands-on interactives, models, videos, and other activities spark curiosity and understanding about renewable energy, innovative energy technologies, and today's complex energy choices.

    • Recommended for Grades 3 – 12
    • Blue Wing, Lower Level

    Starting Points

    • What is green energy? Why is it important for scientists to study it?
    • How many different kinds of renewable energy can you find in this exhibit?

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