|
Programs Offered for 3rd Grade
Read course information carefully for size limits and which programs are available at MNS or at your school. For pricing, please visit the Pricing and Reservations page.
2010-2011 Programs at a Glance 
ABC's of Chemistry | TEKS
3rd Grade: 1a, 2abd, 3a, 4ab, 5abc
Chemistry can be fun! This class introduces children to the basics of chemistry, states of matter, and mass of everyday objects. Through hands-on experiments and demonstrations students will determine whether a chemical or physical reaction is taking place using fun, non-threatening materials like Pop Rocks!
Duration: Standard 50-minute Classroom Program
Class Size: 15-30 students
Available at MNS or your school.
Adapt to Survive | TEKS 3rd Grade: 1a, 2abd, 3a, 4ab, 5abc
Students will learn about physical and behavioral adaptations that enable animals to live in many diverse Texas ecosystems. Students will explore which animals live in their neighborhood and understand the adaptations that allow those animals to survive in their urban backyard! Various taxidermy specimens, skulls, shells, and other objects will be used to engage students in a lively discussion for this program.
Duration: Standard 50-minute Classroom Program
Class Size: 15-60 students at MNS, 15-30 students at your school
Available at MNS or your school.
Air and Weather | TEKS
2nd Grade: 1a, 2a, 3acd, 4ab, 5bc, 7b, 8a, 9c
In this program, students will explore the water cycle and discover the many types of weather. A Van der Graff generator will provide kids with the “shocking” facts about lightning. Your students will also learn how clouds are formed and the explosive power of tornadoes. Hands-on experiments will demonstrate air pressure and student volunteers will be asked to join our educator ‘on stage’ as an assistant meteorologist.
Duration: Standard 50-minute Classroom Program
Class Size: 15-60 students
Available at MNS only.
CSI: Dog-napping | TEKS 3rd Grade: 1a, 3a, 7d, 9a
Someone has taken the dog show champion, Manny, from his dog kennel and is holding him for ransom. The dog-napping happened the night after his 1st place win in the North Texas Dog Show, where he won a $50,000 prize and a trophy. The dog-napper is demanding the $50,000 prize and the trophy in exchange for the dog’s safe return! We need your students to help us solve this crime through deductive reasoning by analyzing hair and DNA samples to figure out which of four suspects is the guilty party!
Duration: Standard 50-minute Classroom Program
Class Size: 15-30 students
Available at MNS only.
Discovering Dinosaurs | TEKS 3rd Grade: 2ade, 4ab, 9a, 10a
Take your class back in time millions of years without even leaving the Museum! This interactive audio-visual and hands-on program introduces students to the fascinating world of dinosaurs using replicas of fossils and specimens that the students can actually see and touch. Your kids will take an in-depth look at the latest discoveries from our own paleo staff and hear how dinosaurs lived, what they ate, what they might have looked like, and even speculate about what they sounded like. Then the students can explore the new Texas Dinosaurs: Fossil Dig exhibit which includes Tex, the MNS T. Rex.
Duration: Standard 50-minute Classroom Program
Class Size: 15-60 students
Available at MNS only.
Electric Theater | TEKS 3rd Grade: 2abc, 3a, 4a, 5ac, 6ac
Explore the world of electricity and magnetism through this exciting (and “shockingly” cool) demonstration led by one of our educators. Student volunteers will join our presenter on stage to demonstrate the workings of Van der Graff generators, electromagnets, step-down transformers, Tesla coils and more!
Duration: 50 minutes
Class Size: 15-175 students at MNS, 30–250 as outreach
Requirements: large air-conditioned indoor room with dimensions of at least 25 ft. X 25 ft and 13 ft. overhead clearance; 110 V electric outlet.
Available at MNS or your school.
Exploring the Past: The Archaeology of Texas | TEKS
3rd Grade: 2f, 3ad, 7d, 9abc, 10a
Imagine a world with no supermarkets, restaurants or electricity! Discover how the first naturalists survived in Texas thousands of years ago using their extensive knowledge of our natural resources. Realistic replicas of American Indian artifacts including clothing, tools, food sources and instruments will be shown and discussed in this hands-on interactive program.
Duration: Standard 50-minute Classroom Program
Class Size: 15-30 students
Available at MNS or your school.
Fire and Ice | TEKS
3rd Grade: 1a, 2abc, 3a, 4ab, 5abc, 6a
This explosively entertaining program teaches about the states of matter in a unique way. Student volunteers help the presenter explore how temperature affects matter. Both physical and chemical changes are demonstrated using fire and liquid nitrogen.
Duration: 50 minutes
Class Size: 15-175 students at MNS, 30–250 at your school
Available at MNS or at your school.
Fossils: Clues to the Distant Past | TEKS 3rd Grade: 2adf, 3ad, 7b, 10ab
Follow the eras of geologic time from trilobites to dinosaurs to mammals with authentic fossils and casts. Students will learn the steps in fossilization, what materials most often fossilize, and what fossils can reveal.
Duration: Standard 50-minute Classroom Program
Class Size: 15-30 students
Available at MNS or your school.
LEGOs®: Simple Machines | TEKS
3rd Grade: 1a, 2adf, 6b
In this hands-on array of guided activities, students will learn all about simple machines and what makes them…not always so simple. By building with LEGO ® blocks to construct levers, fulcrums and other machines your kids will walk away with a stronger understanding of what ‘mechanical advantage’ really means!
Duration: Standard 50-minute Classroom Program
Class Size: 15-30 students
Available at MNS or your school.
Mineral Mystery | TEKS 3rd Grade: 1a, 2abdef, 3a, 4a, 5a, 7d
It’s the case of the imposter mineral – or is it? Students will become detectives and solve this Mineral Mystery by delving into a locked box, tricky riddles and clever codes, and precious metals and gems to uncover the truth about precious metals and gems. Once they have broken the code they will identify minerals by the properties of hardness, streak, color and fluorescence to determine if the treasure is real or fake.
Duration: Standard 50-minute Classroom Program
Class Size: 15-30 students
Available at MNS only.
Moments in Time: An Archaeological Investigation | TEKS
3rd Grade: 2f, 3ad, 4a, 7d, 9abc, 10a
Students will work as archaeological “lab techs” to interpret the history and meaning of artifacts covering 12,000 years of human life from a site near Texas A&M University. The hands-on analysis of the artifacts will allow them to explore human technological advances through time.
Duration: Standard 50-minute Classroom Program
Class Size: 15-30 students
Available at MNS or your school.
StarLab | TEKS 3rd Grade: 1a, 2a, 3acd, 8bcd
We will bring the stars to you with our state-of-the-art digital portable planetarium. Students will be guided through their discovery of constellations to the immense size of the universe. They will explore star movement, color and brightness, and learn how to locate stars and constellations. This program is well suited for both cultural and scientific studies.
Duration: 50 minutes
Attendance: 10-30 students (depending on students’ age)
Requirements: large air-conditioned indoor room with dimensions of at least 25 ft. X 25 ft and 13 ft. overhead clearance; 110 V electric outlet
Available at MNS only
Urban Nature Walk | TEKS 3rd Grade: 1a, 2ab, 4a, 9ab
Join one of the Museum Naturalist for a guided walk in our own backyard! With the aid of field guides and binoculars, students will identify and learn about urban wildlife, explore various habitats and learn about the diversity of life within the confines of the Metroplex. This program can be adapted for all grades and helps to reinforce food webs, pond ecology, adaptations and biodiversity. The nature walk is available any season, please dress accordingly.
Duration: Standard 50-minute outdoor program
Class Size: up to 25 students
Available at MNS only.
|
|
