Science Based Programs 

Be a Scientist!: Junior Curator (NEW)

Grades Pre-K – 1st
How can I describe the object in front of me? Is it hard or soft? Light or dark? Smooth or rough? Students will use scientific tools to explore the properties of objects and then sort (classify) them. Students will then explore minerals from the Museum’s collection and use their scientific observation to create a mini-museum exhibit.
Standards: Pre-K - Recognize and analyze quantitative and qualitative properties / Understand patterns, relations and functions
NYC Science Sequence & Scope: K- Exploring Properties / 1st Grade – Properties of Matter
Suggested Portable Collections Cases:
•         Rocks and Minerals (Grades 3rd to 5th)
•         Fossils (Grades 3rd to 5th)
•         Crystals (Grades 4th to 5th)
 Click here to download the pre- and post-lesson plans.
 
 
Be a Scientist!: Junior Geologist (NEW)

Grades 2nd-6th
What’s a rock? What’s a mineral? Students will explore geology -- the study of our earth -- through hands-on experimentation. Using rocks and minerals from the Museum’s collection, students will examine what they are, how they came to be, and how to classify them.
NYC Science Sequence & Scope: 2nd Grade – Earth Materials / 3rd Grade – Matter / 4th Grade – Interactions of Air, Water, and Land  / 5th Grade – Earth Science / 6th Grade – Properties of Matter
Suggested Portable Collections Cases:
•         Rocks and Minerals (Grades 3rd to 5th)
•         Fossils (Grades 3rd to 5th)
•         Crystals (Grades 4th to 5th)
 Click here to download the pre- and post-lesson plans.
 
 
Circle of Life: Alive/Not Alive (NEW)

Grades Pre-K – 1st
What makes a living thing alive? Is it color or shape? Does it need to move? This lesson will focus on selected species of plants, animals, fossils, and minerals from our collections, and give children an opportunity to make real-life comparisons, gaining a deeper understanding of the differences between living and non-living things.
Standards: Pre-K - Patterns, Quantitative and Qualitative Properties, Scientific Thinking
NYC Science Sequence & Scope: K – Trees through the Seasons, Animals / 1st Grade – Animal Diversity
Suggested Portable Collections Case:
•         Urban Naturalist (Grades K to 5th)
 Click here to download the pre- and post-lesson plans.
 
 
Circle of Life: Life Cycles (NEW)

Grades 2nd-4th
What does a baby animal or plant look like? Students will meet selected animals and plants from our living collection to view different life stages. Learn how sometimes babies look just like their parents and sometimes they look TOTALLY different. Have fun using hand lenses and microscopes to check them out up close and personal.
NYC Science Sequence & Scope: 3rd Grade – Plant and Animal Adaptations / 4th Grade – Animals and Plants in their Environment
Suggested Portable Collections Case:
•         Human Skeleton (Grades 1st to 5th)
 Click here to download the pre- and post-lesson plans.
 
 
Circle of Life: Earth Cycles (NEW)

Grades: 5th and up
Why does it have to get so cold in winter? Learn about seasons and climates as students explore our ever-changing Earth. After learning how topography and position on the earth affect climate, kids will build their own planets and predict their climates based on what they’ve learned.
NYC Science Sequence & Scope: 5th Grade – Earth Science / 6th Grade – Interdependence / 7th Grade – Geology / 8th Grade – Earth, Sun, Moon System
Suggested Portable Collections Cases:
•         Rocks and Minerals (Grades 3rd to 5th)
•         Fossils (Grades 3rd to 5th)
•         Shells and Sea Life (Grades 4th to 5th)

 
Forces in Action: Wham! (NEW)

Grades Pre-K – 1st
What happens when I drop stuff? This program has great impact as kids experiment with dropping objects into sand. We will investigate how weight and size of balls change the craters we form in the sand.
Standards: Pre-K: Patterns, Quantitative and Qualitative Properties; Measurement; Information gathering and Probability; Scientific Thinking
NYC Science Sequence & Scope: K - Exploring Properties / 1st Grade – Properties of matter
 Click here to download the pre- and post-lesson plans.
 
 
Forces in Action: Do the Wave (NEW)

Grades 2nd-4th
How many “waves” can you think of? From singing to doing the wave at a baseball game to swimming in the ocean, waves have a lot in common. Students will participate in a number of wave demonstrations and see how waves are in motion all around us.
NYC Science Sequence & Scope: 2nd Grade – Forces and Motion / 3rd Grade – Energy / 4th Grade – Properties of Water
  Click here to download the pre- and post-lesson plans.
 
 
Forces in Action: It’s Easy Being Green

Grades: 5th and up
What can I do to help the environment? Get the inside scoop on how the first LEED-certified museum in NYC helps save energy and water. Students will enjoy an interactive scavenger hunt and activities where they learn that little steps can lead to a big difference for our environment.
NYC Science Sequence & Scope: 5th Grade – Exploring Ecosystems / 6th  Grade – Interdependence / 8th Grade – Humans and Their Environment
 Click here to download the pre- and post-lesson plans.
 
 
Habitat Brooklyn: Amazing Bugs

Grades Pre-K – 1st
Students explore the amazing body structure of joint-legged creatures known as arthropods. Students conduct hands-on investigations of objects from the Museum’s collection and live specimens such as crabs, Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches, crickets, and more in the Neighborhood Nature exhibit.
Standards: PK: Patterns, Quantitative and Qualitative Properties; Information gathering and Probability; Scientific Thinking / K – Exploring Properties, Animals 
NYC Science Sequence & Scope: 1st Grade – Animal Diversity
Suggested Portable Collections Case:
•         Butterflies (Grades Pre-K to 4th)
 Click here to download the pre- and post-lesson plans.
 
 
Habitat Brooklyn: Urban Botanist (NEW)

Grades 2nd– 4th
Leaves that ooze sticky glue, leaves that prick, leaves that snap shut or shy away from your touch -- visit the museum greenhouse to learn about weird and wonderful ways plants have adapted to their environments. Learn what plants and animals need to grow and thrive, and build a snail habitat in the museum garden.
NYC Science Sequence & Scope: 2nd Grade – Plant Diversity / 3rd Grade –Plant  and Animal Adaptations / 4th Grade – Animals and Plants in their Environment
Suggested Portable Collections Cases:
•         Urban Naturalist (Grades K to 5th)
•         Insects (Grades 2nd to 5th)
 Click here to download the pre- and post-lesson plans.
 
 
Habitat Brooklyn: Critter Comebacks (NEW)

Grades: 5th and up
Wildlife is forced out of cities all the time, but with careful intervention, some species are starting to stage stunning comebacks in New York City.  Flex your advocacy and citizenship skills as you learn to protect salt marsh ecosystems, peregrine falcons, or horseshoe crabs.
NYC Science Sequence & Scope: 5th Grade – Exploring Ecosystems / 6th Grade – Diversity of Life, Interdependence
Suggested Portable Collections Cases:
•         Predators and Prey (Grades 3rd to 5th)
•         Antlers, Horns and Teeth (Grades 3rd to 5th)
 Click here to download the pre- and post-lesson plans.
 
 
Home Sweet Home (NEW)

Grades Pre-K - 1st
What makes different animal habitats special and unique? Discover how animals use their natural environments to make their homes. Through cultural objects, exhibits, storytelling, and role-play, students will learn why homes are special places for animals. Students will be able to touch a live animal from the Museum's collection.
Suggested Portable Collections Case:
•         Urban Naturalist (Grades K to 5th)
 Click here to download the pre- and post-lesson plans.

Patterns, Patterns, Everywhere! (NEW)

Grades Pre-K - 1st
The world is made up of patterns. Join us as we discover simple and complex patterns found in nature, man-made objects and music. Through exploration of objects, storytelling and songs students will be able to identify number, color, shapes and sound patterns. Create your own colorful kaleidoscope to continue your pattern exploration!

Suggested Portable Collections Case:

• Pattern Wizardry (Grades 2nd to 5th)

 Click here to download the pre- and post-lesson plans.

What’s for Dinner?

Grades Pre-K - 1st
Discover different types of animals who have unique diets. What and how do animals eat? Investigate how some animals only eat meat, while others may eat only fruit and plants. Students learn how to classify animals as carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore based on their diet and teeth. Students will be able to touch a live animal from the Museum’s collection.
Suggested Portable Collections Case:
•         Human Skeleton (Grades 1st to 5th)
•         Evi’dents (Grades 2nd to 5th)
 Click here to download the pre- and post-lesson plans.