Exploration Field Trips
Each
month, the Children’s Museum offers a different theme for an
Exploration Field Trip. During
this tour, we offer a group of activities in at least four of the major
exhibits areas in the museum that relate to the theme. As is true of all of
the regular exhibits, each of these themed activities is linked to the
Content Standards of the Alabama
Course of Study and the Alabama
Performance Standards for 4-Year-Olds.
The
activities are designed to give students direct, lived experiences through
thoughtful manipulation, observation, and study of real objects and events.
These hands-on experiences enable students to create concepts on their own
that will be the foundation of later learning and understanding.
The
field trips are also interdisciplinary in that individual activities are
presented using a multi-disciplinary approach. In addition, the activities
are interrelated in that they are centered on a common theme and therefore
complement and augment each other.
Themed activities can be combined with any of the other exhibits in the
museum. We recommend 12-15 minutes for each of the regular exhibit rooms.
The presentation of Mr. Stuffee upstairs in “Once upon a Forest” takes a
full 15 minutes.
Please see exhibits
for an overview of the regular exhibit rooms.
Teachers may choose any combination of activities among those offered.
Please inform the museum staff of your choices at least two weeks
before the date of the field trip by telephone (256-765-0500)
or by e-mail (cmos@shoalschildrensmuseum.org).
You will receive a confirmation of your request, along with information
about the small-group rotation schedule. For more information about the
field trip activities, please e-mail or call with your requests.
2010 Exploration Field Trip Themes
September - Native American Month
October - Life Cycles Month
November - Pioneer Life Month
December - Holiday Traditions Month
Dates are limited! If possible, please schedule your visit at least 3
weeks in advance. The months of April and May, as well as Fridays throughout
the year, book early. Prior to calling to reserve a field trip, please have
several possible dates in mind. Field trips can begin as early as 9:00 a.m.
Group Admission Fees
Field trip groups should have a minimum
of 10 children to qualify for the group rate.
Students: $4
Teachers: Free
Accompanying adults: $5
v
Ages: Pre-Kindergarten – 5th Grade
v
Reservations are required to qualify for the reduced admission
rate.
v
Payment is due on the day of the visit. (Payment by cash, check,
VISA or MasterCard. Special arrangements can be made for Purchase Orders.)
v
At least one adult should be present for every 10 students. Each
small rotation group will need at least one adult leader.)
v
Maximum group capacity is 60 children. Groups larger than 60 will
have to be divided into two sessions.
v The Gift Shop accommodates a maximum of 10 students and 2 adults at one time.
Cancellation Policy
If you have to cancel your field trip, please do so at least 2 days in
advance.
General Information
The museum is accessible to the handicapped. If any of your students have
special needs, please notify the staff on arrival.
Students are divided into rotation groups upon arrival. Each rotation group
contains 7-12 students, depending on group size.
The Children’s Museum is located at the
entrance to Deibert Park, which has a wonderful playground and pavilion for
your use. Restroom facilities and benches are available, but there are no
tables. Many school groups that come to the museum take advantage of the
park and enjoy lunch and playtime there, as it is only a short walk from the
museum. The pavilion is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
September -
Native
American Month
Social Studies/History
and Culture:
Native Americans of the Shoals
and the Tennessee Valley
Using
Native American stone, bone, shell, and wood artifacts, as well as a time
line and illustrations, students will explore the history and culture of the
Native American groups that settled in the Tennessee River Valley from the Paleoindian period through the Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian periods.
(15 or 30 minutes) (Presented in the Pioneer Room or at the Native
American Bluff Shelter in the
courtyard.)
Science
Freshwater Mussels and the Tennessee River Ecosystem
Mussels from the Tennessee River and its tributaries were a major source of
food
for the succession of
Native American groups that inhabited the region over
thousands of years. Until the modifications of the river ecosystem by
deforestation, farming, damming, and industrialization, the river and its
tributaries were home to one of the
most diverse and
plentiful populations of freshwater mussels in the world. Students
will explore the ways in which Native Americans used mussels and
the life cycle, habitat, and value of the mussels to river
ecosystems. (15 or 30 minutes) (Presented in the Science Room and around the
outdoor model of the Tennessee River at Muscle Shoals before the damming of
the river.)
Native American Foods
Students will learn what the foods cultivated by Native Americans have
contributed to the lives of the settlers and the world at large. They will
learn about the special qualities of
these plants and how they were domesticated and planted.
(15 minutes) (Presented in the
Pioneer Room or at the Native American Bluff Shelter in the courtyard.)
Language Arts
Southeast Native American Folk Tale
Students will listen to a Native American folk tale and talk about the
characters and what they mean. They will explore role of stories in the life
of indigenous cultures. (15 minutes) (Presented in the Pioneer Room or at
the Native American Bluff Shelter in
the courtyard.)
Art
Dream Catcher with Beads and Feathers
Using
the rim of a paper plate as a frame, students will thread a web,
incorporating beads and feathers and then decorate the round frame with a
Woodland Indian design. (For 2nd grade and older.)
(15 minutes) (Presented in the
Art Room.)
Native American Puppet
Students will use their imaginations to create a Native American hand puppet
out of a small paper bag using colored markers and collage materials. (15
minutes) (Presented in the Art Room.)
Native American Headband
Students will make a headband with feathers and decorate it with Woodland
Indian designs. (For ages Pre-K – Kindergarten.) (15 minutes) (Presented in the Art Room.)
October - Life Cycles Month *
* (Native American Month programs are also available
for groups in October.)
Social Studies/History
and Culture
The Story of Johnny Appleseed
The
life of this famous American pioneer and his contribution to the American
landscape and to the lives of pioneer families across the areas of new farm
settlement will be presented. (15 minutes) (Presented in the Pioneer Room.)
Science
The Life of Bees
Using
the Children’s Museum Bee Exhibit, students will learn about the life cycle
of this fascinating insect. They will learn about the introduction of the
honeybee to the New World, the importance of bees to the ecosystem, and the
environmental stresses that have caused the bee populations to decline.
(15 minutes) (Presented in the upstairs Bee Exhibit room.)
Freshwater Mussels and the
Tennessee River Basin Ecosystem
Until
the modifications of the Tennessee River ecosystem by deforestation,
farming, damming, and industrialization, the river and its tributaries were
home to one of the most diverse and plentiful populations of freshwater
mussels in the world. Students will
explore the ways in which Native Americans used mussels and the life cycle,
habitat, and value of the mussels to the river ecosystem. (15 or 30 minutes)
(Presented in the Science Room and around the outdoor model of the Tennessee
River at Muscle Shoals before the damming of the river.
The Life Cycle of a Tree
Using
an acorn, a tree seedling, and a “tree cookie,” students will trace the life
cycle of a tree. They will learn how leaves create food, how food is stored,
and why leaves are shed in the fall. They will learn how roots and branches
develop and discuss what is needed for a tree’s healthy growth.
They will take a “field trip” outside to examine how trees can be
stressed and damaged by the environment and how they can be protected.
(15 or 30 minutes) (Presented in the Science Room and the courtyard
and garden.)
Nature’s Recyclers
Using a
“Wormery,” students will learn how organic matter in soil is created by
earthworms. Students will also see how soil is created by other decomposers,
like fungi, bacteria, and insects. The
value of compost to the richness of soil and the health of plants that it
supports will also be explored. The issue of what is
biodegradable and what is not is also presented.
(15 minutes) (Presented in the Science Room and the garden.)
Language Arts
Stories of Seasons
Martha
by Gennady Spirin. Follow the story of Martha, a wounded crow rescued by a Russian family that found her helpless in the park. Learn how she
slowly heals through the winter and how she becomes like a member of the
family. What happens to Martha when
springtime comes? (Gr. Pre-K – 1) (15
minutes) (Presented in the “Once upon a Forest” theater.)
Oak Tree by Gordon Morrison. This
story describes the impact of the changing seasons on an old oak tree and
the life that surrounds it. (Gr. 1-4)
(15 minutes) (Presented in “Once upon a Forest” or outside in the garden.)
Reader’s Theater
Students will present a dramatic version of
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid
of Anything on a stage with props about
the bravery of a little old lady who faces her fears when encountering a
scary scarecrow with a pumpkin head.
(15 minutes) (Presented outside in the courtyard or upstairs in the “Once
upon a Forest” theater.
Art
Apple Art – Apple Collages
Students will make framed collages with tissue paper the color of apples.
(15 minutes) (Presented in the Art Room.)
Leaf Printing with Paint
Students will use different kinds of leaves to print a collage onto paper.
(15 minutes) (Presented in the Art Room.)
Leaf Window Hangs
Students will make a collage of fall leaves and wax colors to hang in the
window. (15 minutes) (Presented in the
Art Room.)
Pumpkin Pumpkin
Through a fun art project, students will learn about the
life cycle of a pumpkin, from seed
through sprout, flower, and pumpkin fruit to its use for food and Jack
o’Lanterns! This interactive craft is something students can use to
demonstrate their knowledge of the life cycle of plants.
(15 minutes) (Presented
in the Art Room or outside in the courtyard.)
November - Pioneer Life Month *
* (Native American Month and Life Cycle Month programs
are also available for groups
in November.)
Social Studies/History and Culture
The Story of Johnny Appleseed
The life of this famous American pioneer
and his contribution to the American
landscape and to the lives of pioneer families across the areas of new farm
settlement will be presented.
(15 minutes) (Presented in the Pioneer Room.)
Art
Leaf Window Hangs
Each student will make a stained-glass-like collage of fall leaves and wax
colors to hang in the window. (15
minutes) (Presented in the Art Room.)
Thankful Feather
Each student will decorate a paper feather tied to a real feather. On the
other side of the feather, students will write or draw what they are
thankful for as they share their
thoughts with the group. (15 minutes)
(Presented in the Art Room.)
Checkers
Students will fashion their own checker boards and checkers, as they
learn the rules for playing this favorite pioneer game.
(15 minutes) (Presented in the Art Room.)
Corn Husk Dolls
Students will learn how to create the traditional pioneer dolls out of
corn husks. (30 minutes) (Presented in the Art Room.)
“Ojos de Dios”
Students will create this beautiful
Mexican symbol of the “eye of God” out of crossed
sticks and colored yarn.
(30 minutes) (Presented in the Art Room.)
Creating with Clay
Learn the age-old techniques of creating forms out of clay used by both
Native Americans and early settlers in the Tennessee Valley. Students will
use their imaginations and their hands
to make a coil/pinch pot. (30 minutes)
(Presented in the Art Room.)
Science
Pioneer Games
Tangram was brought to America in the
1830s by Chinese immigrants. In the next
few years, it became very popular throughout the country. Students
will make their own Tangram puzzle from
the grid matrix that determines its shapes, in a “hands-on” geometry lesson.
Students will also be introduced to the rules of Checkers and
learn how to “knuckle down” to shoot a marble. They will also try
their hand at another favorite pioneer
game, the bean bag toss. Rules for all of these games
will be provided for the students to take home.
(15-30 minutes) (Presented in the Science Room or the Pioneer Room.)
December
-
Holiday
Traditions Month *
* (Native
American, Life Cycle, and Pioneer Month programs
are also available in December.)
Social Studies/History and Culture
Holiday Traditions around the World
Students will learn about traditional holiday celebrations in other
countries—“Las Posadas” in
Mexico, Hanukkah, the Feast of Lights, in the Jewish tradition, Sankt
Nicholas Day in Germany, the Chinese New Year, and the Feast of Santa
Lucia in Sweden and other Scandinavian
countries. Students will actively participate in all of the celebration activities. (1 ½
hours) (Presented at stations around the museum.)
Language Arts
Martha
by Gennady Spirin. Follow the story of Martha, a wounded crow rescued by a Russian family that found her helpless in the park. Learn how she
slowly heals through the winter and how
she becomes like a member of the family. What
happens to Martha when springtime comes?
(15 minutes) (Presented in the “Once upon a Forest” theater.)
Art
Holiday Gift Bags
Students will make their own small paper bags for giving gifts to family
and friends, decorating them as collages. (15
minutes) (Presented in the Art Room.)
Tree OrnamentStudents will make
tree ornaments in traditional shapes using felt, sequins, and other decorating materials. (15
minutes) (Presented in the Art Room.)
“Ojos de Dios”
Students will create this beautiful Mexican symbol of the “eye of God” out
of crossed sticks and colored yarn.
(15-30 minutes) (Presented in the Art Room.)
Tin-punch Pictures
Students will create a picture punched in
tin (heavy tin foil over cardboard) that they
will frame for hanging as a holiday ornament.
(15 minutes) (Presented in the Art Room.)
School Day Adventure Field Trip
The School Day Adventure Field Trip
is an extension of the Exploration
Field Trip. It is designed for school groups that want to spend the
better part of the school day at the museum. The students can eat lunch in
the museum and continue the museum program activities in the early
afternoon, before leaving to return to school. Due to limitations in seating
for lunch, the number of students should not exceed 26, plus teachers and
parent chaperones.
The Field Trip program can be tailored to the curriculum needs of the
students. Teachers can select from the regular exhibit room stations and
combine them with any of the monthly activities listed above.
For more information about the School Day Adventure Field Trip, please
contact
the museum
at 256-765-0500 or
cmos@shoalschildrensmuseum.org.
