They should take it. Connor (aged 10), participant in Geology Explorations
School Programs
Travel Guide to Space is one of the museum's many school workshops.
School programs are fully booked for the school year.
Booking for the 2013-2014 school year begins August 1st, 2013.
We offer a wide variety of programs, with subjects ranging from fossils and geology to DNA and particles in the subatomic world. The programs are divided into two main categories, Gallery Activities and School Workshops. Detailed information is available by selecting from the categories below, or you can download a school programs brochure. Bookings must be made at least three weeks in advance. Frequently asked questions about school programs can be found here.
NEW PROGRAM!! Cartoon Guide to Energy*
Gallery Activities
Programs use select exhibits to investigate a particular topic.
To book a Gallery Activity call
785.864.4173
Please call 3 weeks in advance.
Dinosaur Discovery
Everyone knows what a dinosaur is — or do they? How do you tell a dinosaur from other extinct and living groups of animals? Using the fossil gallery, students will discover important features of this famous group and put their skills to the test.
| Grade Levels | 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, High School |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 12 minimum; 25 Maximum (students and adult chaperones) |
| National Science Standards | A, C, G |
| Duration | 45 Minutes |
| Fee | $60 per group |
Walking with Dinosaurs
Students investigate dinosaur footprints – what they can tell us and why – and learn how to calculate the speed of dinosaurs.
| Grade Levels | 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, High School |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 12 minimum; 25 Maximum (students and adult chaperones) |
| National Science Standards | A, C, G |
| Math Link Curriculum | Standard 1 |
| Duration | 45 Minutes |
| Fee | $60 per group |
Kansas Seas
Kansas was once covered with vast oceans. Discover how we know this and learn about some of the amazing creatures that lived in these seas.
| Grade Levels | 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 12 minimum; 25 Maximum (students and adult chaperones) |
| National Science Standards | A, C, D, G |
| Duration | 45 Minutes |
| Fee | $60 per group |
School Workshops
Programs are hands-on workshops with activities that take place in the museum's education classroom.
To book a School Workshop call
785.864.4173
Please call 3 weeks in advance.
Fossil Fun
This workshop is designed for younger students and provides an introduction to geological time and fossils. Hands-on activities include digging for and identifying fossils, and developing dinosaurs complete with scientific names.
| Grade Levels | 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 15 minimum; 30 Maximum (students) |
| National Science Standards | A, C, D, G |
| Duration | 45 Minutes |
| Fee | $4.50 per person (one adult chaperone free for every 5 students; additional adults $4.50 each; maximum of 8 adults) |
Rock Clocks
This workshop provides an introduction to geological time with activities that investigate relative and absolute dating.
| Grade Levels | 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, High School |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 15 minimum; 30 Maximum (students) |
| National Science Standards | A, D, G |
| Duration | 45 Minutes |
| Fee | $4.50 per person (one adult chaperone free for every 5 students; additional adults $4.50 each; maximum of 8 adults) |
Hands-on Geology
How can you tell mica from magnetite or granite from gneiss? Students learn identification techniques in this introduction to minerals, rocks and their formation.
| Grade Levels | 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 15 minimum; 30 Maximum (students) |
| National Science Standards | A, D, G |
| Duration | 45 Minutes |
| Fee | $4.50 per person (one adult chaperone free for every 5 students; additional adults $4.50 each; maximum of 8 adults) |
Hands-on Mammals
Explore the characteristics of mammals and their adaptations through a series of demonstrations and activities.
| Grade Levels | 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 15 minimum; 30 Maximum (students) |
| National Science Standards | A, C, G |
| Duration | 45 Minutes |
| Fee | $4.50 per person (one adult chaperone free for every 5 students; additional adults $4.50 each; maximum of 8 adults) |
Cartoon Guide to Energy
What can falling anvils and exploding TNT tell us about how energy works in the cartoon and real worlds? Using classic cartoon scenarios, students explore how fundamental forces and properties of matter build a framework for thinking about energy across its different contexts.
| Grade Levels | 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, High School |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 15 minimum; 30 Maximum (students) |
| National Science Standards | B, G |
| Duration | 45 Minutes |
| Fee | $4.50 per person (one adult chaperone free for every 5 students; additional adults $4.50 each; maximum of 8 adults) |
DNA Discovery
This workshop introduces DNA — what it is and how it works. Hands-on activities include DNA extraction and making DNA jewelry.
| Grade Levels | 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, High School |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 15 minimum; 30 Maximum (students) |
| National Science Standards | A, C, G |
| Duration | 45 Minutes |
| Fee | $4.50 per person (one adult chaperone free for every 5 students; additional adults $4.50 each; maximum of 8 adults) |
Travel Guide to Space
Welcome to Other Worlds Travel Agency. Students explore the solar system from the perspective of alien tourists and are challenged to select the best destination to meet their needs.
| Grade Levels | 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 15 minimum; 30 Maximum (students) |
| National Science Standards | A, B, D, G |
| Duration | 45 Minutes |
| Fee | $4.50 per person (one adult chaperone free for every 5 students; additional adults $4.50 each; maximum of 8 adults) |
Matter Matters
Students investigate the properties and classification of matter. Topics include the particulate nature of matter, state changes and temperature.
| Grade Levels | 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 15 minimum; 30 Maximum (students) |
| National Science Standards | A, B, G |
| Duration | 45 Minutes |
| Fee | $4.50 per person (one adult chaperone free for every 5 students; additional adults $4.50 each; maximum of 8 adults) |
How Small is Small?
Discover what the smallest things in the universe are and how small! Explore the concept of scale through giant insects, viruses and chickens.
| Grade Levels | 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 15 minimum; 30 Maximum (students) |
| National Science Standards | A, B, D, E, G |
| Math Link Curriculum | Standard 1 to 8 |
| Duration | 45 Minutes |
| Fee | $4.50 per person (one adult chaperone free for every 5 students; additional adults $4.50 each; maximum of 8 adults) |
Quarks: Ups, Downs and the Universe
Discover what the world is made of. Investigate atoms, states of matter and electrical charge. Be atoms, build atoms and find out what they are made of.
| Grade Levels | 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, High School |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 15 minimum; 30 Maximum (students) |
| National Science Standards | A, B, D, E, G |
| Math Link Curriculum | Standard 1 to 8 |
| Duration | 45 Minutes |
| Fee | $4.50 per person (one adult chaperone free for every 5 students; additional adults $4.50 each; maximum of 8 adults) |
Scavenger Hunts
Whether you're a family on a day trip, a school group or university student, you can add to your museum visit with one of our scavenger hunts. These guides to the museum encourage exploration and discovery in the galleries.
Self Guided
Scavenger Hunts are available to help you explore the museum.
Large groups, please call 785.864.4450
Mosasaur Munchies Guide
The largest mosasaur found – discovered in Kansas – lurks over the KU Natural History Museum's lobby entrance. Use this guide to explore the museum galleries and discover what mosasaurs ate. Guide available at Visitor Services, 4th floor, or download and print your own.
| Grade Levels | 2nd, 3rd, 4th |
|---|---|
| Duration | Varies; 15 to 45 minutes |
| Fee | $3 per child, $5 per adult (recommended contribution; same as museum admission) |
Museum Mysteries
Explore the museum using this scavenger hunt, which takes students to all four floors of the museum. Closely examine exhibits to answer questions about glowing minerals, monkeys in the rainforest and insects in Bug Town. Guide available at Visitor Services, 4th floor, or download and print your own.
| Grade Levels | 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th |
|---|---|
| Duration | Varies; 15 to 45 minutes |
| Fee | $3 per child, $5 per adult (recommended contribution; same as museum admission) |
Museum Quest
In this scavenger hunt, examine exhibits to answer questions about Triceratops, insect mouthparts and snakes. Guide available at Visitor Services, 4th floor, or download and print your own.
| Grade Levels | 6th, 7th, 8th |
|---|---|
| Duration | Varies; 15 to 45 minutes |
| Fee | $3 per child, $5 per adult (recommended contribution; same as museum admission) |
Museum Challenge
In this challenging scavenger hunt, closely examine exhibits to answer questions about endangered animals, flying vertebrates, and venomous snakes. Guide available at Visitor Services, 4th floor, or download and print your own.
| Grade Levels | High School, University Students, Adults |
|---|---|
| Duration | Varies; 15 to 45 minutes |
| Fee | $3 per child, $5 per adult (recommended contribution; same as museum admission) |
Cabinets of Curiosity
The odd, the strange and the unusual were prized objects for many early collectors. Use this guide to explore some of the “oddities” on display at the museum. Guide available at Visitor Services, 4th floor, or download and print your own.
| Grade Levels | 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, High School, University Students, Adults |
|---|---|
| Duration | Varies; 15 to 45 minutes |
| Fee | $3 per child, $5 per adult (recommended contribution; same as museum admission) |
Museum Explorer
Touch a fossil, see minerals that glow, and investigate animal feet. This scavenger hunt can be used to investigate select exhibits or as a general guide to the galleries on each floor. Download and print your own.
| Grade Levels | 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th |
|---|---|
| Duration | varies; 15-45 minutes |
| Fee | $3 per child, $5 per adult (recommended contribution; same as museum admission) |
Museum Adventure
Compare and count creatures, walk like a dinosaur and more. This scavenger hunt can be used to investigate select exhibits or as a general guide to the galleries on each floor. Download and print your own.
| Grade Levels | 1st |
|---|---|
| Duration | varies; 15 to 45 minutes |
| Fee | $3 per child; $5 per adult (recommended contribution, same as museum admission) |
Museum Discovery
Explore shared characters, adaptations and other evolutionary ideas with this scavenger hunt. It can be used in a structured way to investigate select exhibits or as a general guide to the galleries on each floor. Download and print your own.
| Grade Levels | 6th, 7th, 8th |
|---|---|
| Duration | Varies; 15-45 minutes |
| Fee | $3 per child, $5 per adult (recommended contribution; same as museum admission) |
Your Natural History
The natural history of the human body reflects billions of years of evolutionary history. Come explore some of the characteristics that we share with other organisms as a result of our common ancestry. Download and print your own.
| Grade Levels | High School, University Students, Adults |
|---|---|
| Duration | Varies; 15 to 45 minutes |
| Fee | $3 per child, $5 per adult (recommended contribution; same as museum admission) |
Sexy Science
Explore our exhibits in a new way to investigate the suggestive side of science. Available on request at front desk.
| Grade Levels | University Students, Adults |
|---|---|
| Duration | Varies; 15 to 45 minutes |
| Fee | $5 per adult (recommended contribution; same as museum admission) |
Puttering around Potter Lake
Explore the life in and around Potter Lake, just a short walk west of the KU Natural History Museum. Download and print your own.
| Grade Levels | 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th |
|---|---|
| Duration | Varies; up to an hour (including travel time) |
| Fee | $3 per child, $5 per adult (recommended contribution; same as museum admission) |
Looking around the Lake
Explore life in and around Potter Lake, just a short walk west of the KU Natural History Museum. Download and print your own.
| Grade Levels | 6th, 7th, 8th |
|---|---|
| Duration | Varies; up to an hour (including travel time) |
| Fee | $3 per child, $5 per adult (recommended contribution; same as museum admission) |
