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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  • Mapping the World Around Us

    The world of maps is one of infinite possibilities. They help us navigate from here to there, but they can also be abstractions, diagrams of relationships or interactions over time. This exhibit shows several samples of different types of maps, and it also invites you to create your own!

    • Recommended for Grades K – 12
    • Blue Wing, Level 1

    Starting Points

    • What kinds of maps can you find in this exhibit? Why do scientists use different kinds of maps for different things?
    • Create a map of your bedroom. How is it similar to your real bedroom? How is it different?

  • Math Moves! Experiencing Ratio and Proportion

    Bigger / smaller, faster / slower, heavier / lighter — use your body to explore and ratios and proportion in our newest math exhibit!

    • Recommended for Grades 1 – 8
    • Blue Wing, Level 1

    Starting Points

    • Try "Shadow Fractions" and use the shapes on the table to make shadows. Create a story about the relationship between the shadows. Compare the size of the shape to its shadow. Line one type of shape up so each shadow is twice as big as the next.
    • The 3 chairs are part of a pattern. Measure and predict the size of the next biggest chair, how big would it be?
    • What is a ratio? Head over to the “Sensing Ratios” activity. What happens to the graph when you move the knob to your right? How can you move both knobs together to graph a horizontal line?

  • Mathematica: A World of Numbers and Beyond

    See the most compelling images and stories from the many branches of mathematics. Create soap bubble models of three-dimensional cubes and pyramids. Examine the huge Mobius band, which is an unusual shape with only one surface. Look for patterns throughout the exhibit, such as the pattern made by the balls falling in the "Probability Machine."

    • Recommended for Grades Pre-K – 12
    • Blue Wing, Level 1

    Starting Points

    • Make some patterns with the sand pendulum. Is the pattern the same each time?
    • What happens to the balls in the “Probability Machine”? What kinds of shapes do they make as they fall?

  • Mind Games

    Volunteers from the audience participate in demonstrations that reveal how the brain can be tricked. See the world the way it really isn't, and investigate how our senses trick us.

    • Recommended for Grades 3 – 12
    • Blue Wing, Level 2
    • Reservations required in advance

    Starting Points

    • What kinds of ways did you trick your senses?
    • What was your favorite illusion?

  • Nanotechnology

    Learn how scientists can manipulate matter on a very tiny scale to build materials and devices used in computing, engineering, medicine, and other fields. Also check out the Amazing Nano Brothers Juggling Show. For schedules, visit mos.org/nano.

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

    Starting Points

    • What is nanotechnology?
    • Have you ever used something that incorporates nanotechnology? How does it help us?

  • Natural Mysteries

    Examine hundreds of real animal, plant, and fossil specimens from the Museum’s collection and learn how scientists group them based on their characteristics.

    • Recommended for Grades Pre-K – 8
    • Blue Wing, Lower Level

    Starting Points

    • Check out the many different animal specimens throughout this exhibit. Which features are very common? Which are unique?
    • Can you solve any of the mysteries in this exhibit? Where is the beach located? When did the schoolhouse close?

  • New England Habitats

    Get a feel for New England’s natural environment with these classic dioramas that offer windows on wide-ranging landscapes. Examine how each animal is uniquely adapted to survive in its own specific habitat.

    • Recommended for Grades Pre-K – 8
    • Green Wing, Level 1

    Starting Points

    • Compare the adaptations of different animals in the exhibit. How are they similar? How are they different?
    • Hypothesize some challenges of living in a New England Habitat. How would the adaptations the bears have evolved help them survive? What about the moose’s adaptations?

  • Science in the Park

    Perform various physical activities in a park-like environment to explore universal laws of force and motion. Experiment with moving objects, make observations about balance, velocity, and friction, and examine how concepts of size, weight, and distance affect movement.

    • Recommended for Grades Pre-K – 8
    • Blue Wing, Level 2

    Starting Points

    • Experiment with weight and balance on the seesaw. Does it take more force to lift an object using a long lever or a short lever?
    • Can you find any other simple machines in this exhibit?

  • Secrets of the Sky

    This lighthearted musical program uses intrigue to spark students' interest in astronomical phenomena. Part of our series of traditional star shows that highlight seasonal constellations and night sky objects visible from the New England area.

    • Recommended for Grades K – 2
    • Charles Hayden Planetarium, Red Wing, Level 1
    • Separate timed ticket required

    Starting Points

    • What different kinds of objects can you see in our night sky?
    • Which constellations did you learn about?

  • Seeing is Deceiving

    Illusions are fascinating and baffling, but they are more than just tricks. They are tools for understanding the complexity of perception. Many optical illusions work because we misjudge the size or angle of lines.

    • Recommended for Grades 3 – 12
    • Blue Wing, Level 2

    Starting Points

    • How do your senses trick you into seeing things that aren't there?
    • Which is your favorite optical illusion?

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