Montshire Museum of Science

Workshops

Check suggested grade levels for workshops.

Montshire programs meet science curriculum standards for Vermont and New Hampshire.

VisitPlus Workshops

Choose from the following 45- to 60-minute workshops on a wide range of topics including ecology, biology, and the physical and earth sciences.

Animal Tracks & Signs

Students will learn about the behavior of local animals through the signs they leave behind. This program will introduce your students to the tracks of New England's familiar mammals. An indoor inquiry includes an up-close encounter with mounted specimens from the Museum's collection. Grades 1-3

Aquatic Explorations: Investigating Pond and Stream Life

Using microscopes and hand lenses, students will investigate micro- and macro-invertebrates that are found in our local ponds and marshes. Direct observations may include dragonfly, mayfly, and caddisfly larvae, as well as other invertebrates. This will help students better understand these animals' complex life cycles and the important role they play in an aquatic system's food web. Offered in the fall and spring. Grades 4-8

Balancing Act

This hands-on physical science workshop lets students investigates balance, center of gravity, and mechanical advantage. Students will use their knowledge of mechanical advantage and center of gravity to create a whimsical balance toy to bring home. Grades 3-7

Batteries, Motors & Bulbs

Students use batteries, motors, and bulbs to explore electricity to develop their understanding of complete circuits. They will create different electrical circuits to learn about resistors and conductors, voltage, series and parallel circuits, and open and closed circuits. Students that are well versed in basic electricity concepts will also explore parallel circuits and amperage. Grades 3-7

Blood & Guts

This human anatomy workshop focuses on the digestive, respiratory, and circulation systems. Students build a full-scale model of their body and see what makes them tick and gurgle. Grades 1-4

Build a Better Battery

How does a battery work? Students will make real batteries with a variety of metals and simple, safe electrolytes. Using multimeters they will measure the amount of electric energy their batteries produce in both volts and amps. This investigation also allows students to further their understanding of series and parallel circuits used to power simple electrical components. Grades 5-8

Cells!

Cells are the basic building blocks of life. In this workshop students will use compound microscopes to observe the differences and similarities between animal and plant cells. They will practice staining techniques to more easily observe specific structures in cells including the cell nucleus and cell wall. Using a video microscope and other technology, students will further explore the roles of cells in organisms. Grades 5-8

Curved Mirrors and Focusing Light

Students will investigate how curved mirrors can focus light in often surprising ways. This effect will be further investigated as we integrate art and science in our work with anamorphic (stretched out) images. Grades 4-8

Daytime Astronomy

Through this exploration students will learn how the Earth's rotation determines the sun's apparent motion in the sky. Students will collect and record their observations as they track changes in the sun's position and shadows cast. If weather allows, students will view the sun with our solar telescope. This program culminates with students making a sundial in order to continue their observations at home. Grades 3-7

Discovering Density

In this workshop students determine how to can change the density of liquids, and discover how to use this knowledge for some surprising effects. Students will see how density is a property of matter and learn about solutions and concentrations. Grades 3-5

Engineering & Structures

Students will participate in individual and group building projects that demonstrate the strength of triangles, simple arches, and other elements of structural design. Grades 3-6

Exploring Air: Parachutes and More

Students will build and experiment with small parachutes and other paper crafts in order to discover the properties of air. Grades K-2

Forest Investigation

The forest floor is a living, complex microhabitat. In this hands-on, field-based workshop, students will investigate the leaf litter, soil, and invertebrates of a forest floor to gain a better understanding of its role in our New England forest ecosystem. Students and teachers should be dressed for time in the field. (Please choose an alternate program in case of extreme weather conditions.) 75-minute outdoor program offered in the fall and spring only. Grades 4-8

Go Fly a Kite

Students will learn about the properties of air. This program culminates with each student will building and decorating a kite made out of strong, tear-resistant material to take home. Grades 3-6

Hot Air Balloons

What's lighter than air? Hot air! Students will work in small groups building their own hot air balloons. The scientific concepts of density, heat, and other properties of air are revealed as students fly their balloons in the Museum's main hall. Grades 4-9

Insects and other Local Invertebrates

In this workshop, students will use microscopes, the Montshire's insect collection, and live animals to look closely at the creatures that really rule the world! We'll focus on the incredible diversity and fascinating structures of insects, arachnids and local crustaceans. Grades 3-5

Mirrors, Reflection, and Symmetry

This workshop introduces principles of light and reflection as students create images with flat mirrors. Students will also engage in hands-on investigations of the geometry and patterns of symmetry. Grades K-3

Mixing Colors

Focusing on primary and secondary colors students will be engaged in hands-on activities as they explore art and science through the colors around them. Preschool-Grade 2

Outdoor Sleuths

Explore the Montshire's forests and fields in this outdoor investigation. Students will develop "sleuthing" skills as they use their senses of touch, smell, sight, and sound to discover the plants and animals that share these habitats. While practicing techniques needed to explore our landscape they will also learn to be good stewards of our environment. Students and teachers should be dressed for time in the field. (Please choose an alternate program in case of extreme weather conditions.) 75-minute outdoor program offered in the fall and spring only. Grades K-2

Reinventing the Wheel

Students experience an engineering and design challenge as they use simple materials to "invent" a wheel-and-axle system. This fun, open-ended workshop is the perfect way to present the simple machines unit. Grades 4-6

River Formation

Roll up your sleeves for this hands-on workshop. Students will use stream tables to investigate how the force of water moves sediment, shapes rivers, and forms deltas. They will then zoom out and view satellite imagery of New England streams and rivers for a different perspective. Grades 4-8

Salamanders & Frogs

In spring, the woods and marshes come alive with amphibians migrating, calling, and laying eggs. Students will investigate the natural history of these creatures by observing species from our living collection while practicing and developing scientific drawing skills. Available May 1-June 15. Grades 2-5

StarLab

The Montshire's portable planetarium system brings the stars, planets, and galaxies into view. Grades 1-9

Tracks of the Past: Investigating Fossils

Students get to handle real fossils from the Museum's collection while learning about creatures from long ago. Using plaster of Paris, students will make a "fossil" to take home. Grades K-6

Who Sank the Boat?

Students will experiment with different materials to find out what sinks and what floats. Children will then use aluminum foil to construct and test their own boats. As a class they will record and represent data from observations of their experiments. A reading of Pamela Allen's book, "Who Sank the Boat?" is included, which integrates science and children's literature. Preschool-Grade 2

Montshire Presents! Programs

These 30-45 minute programs combine a staff-led multimedia presentation with artifacts from the Museum's collection. From natural history to the earth and space sciences, Montshire Presents! provides students with rich science content.

Deep Time: A History of Life on Earth

The earth is really, really, really, really old. This program will give students a sense of just how long 4 billion years is and how the Earth and life have changed over time. Through the use of images, along with rocks, minerals and fossils from the Museum's collection, students will lay out a timeline to visualize what scientists call "deep time." Grades 4-8

Plate Tectonics and Mountain Building

This earth science program will introduce students to plate tectonics and cover the last 600 million years of Earth history. Through the use of a variety of animations and current space-based imagery, students will discover how the movement of the Earth's plates during that time has given rise to the world's major mountain chains and ocean basins. They will also see where current earthquakes and volcanoes are occurring and how they relate to the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates. Grades 5-9

Tour of the Solar System

Incredible images from recent NASA missions will send students on a journey through time and space, focusing on how objects in the solar system are organized and how planets are observed from Earth and spacecraft. Participants will gain a new appreciation of our cosmic neighborhood and how scientists explore far away worlds. Grades 4-9

Weather Patterns

This program will begin in the Museum's theater with an introduction to what causes weather and a lesson about how to analyze weather maps and satellite imagery. The program then will use the Museum's new Dynamic Globe exhibit to further show recent weather patterns on a 30" video globe. Students will also learn to identify cold fronts, high-pressure areas, and storm systems using real weather data collected over the last six weeks. Grades 5-9

 

VisitPlus! Program Fees (2011/2012 School Year)
	Student	Adult
September 1–December 22	$8.50	$6.00
Winter Special: January 2–January 31	$5.00	$1.00
February 1–June 29	$8.50	$6.00

Notes: Admission to Museum is included in workshop fee.
Minimum fee: $115/class.
Adult Montshire members will be admitted free with card (no discount or free admission for children of members participating in the program). Younger siblings accompanying the group will be admitted at the student rate.

 

Montshire Presents Fees (2011/2012 School Year)
	Student	Adult
September 1–December 22	$7.50	$6.00
Winter Special: January 2–January 31	$4.50	$1.00
February 1–June 29	$7.50	$6.00

Notes: Admission to Museum is included in workshop fee.
Minimum fee: $90/class.
Adult Montshire members will be admitted free with card (no discount or free admission for students of members participating in the program). Younger siblings accompanying the group will be admitted at the student rate.