Field Trip Activities by Grade Level
Pre K
- Animals, Animals, Everywhere! - Young children will enjoy learning about the animals in the museum as they role play and learn interesting animal facts. (30-45 minutes/floor depending on the age of your preschoolers) Your group is welcome to bring a snack to eat.
Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
- Plant a seed, watch it grow! - Children will learn how plants grow from seeds through reading books, examining seeds and planting a seed to take home.
- Feathered Friends – By looking at eggs, feathers and nests, children will learn about these intriguing and unique creatures. The focus is on common birds that are familiar to many children.
- WHOOOO lives here? – Become familiar with the owls that are native to Pennsylvania and learn about these nocturnal hunters. Children will learn the characteristics of each owl species as well as their call.
- Skulls and Furs – Discover what can be learned about an animal from only their skull. By looking at common Pennsylvanian mammal skulls, students will learn about predators/prey and carnivores/omnivores/herbivores Students will use what they learn to be detectives and guess what animal matches each mystery skull. Furs help identify and show how an animal is protected from the climate and if it is camouflaged.
- Prey/Predator – Children play a game to learn about what an animal needs to survive and how predators and prey interact with each other.
- Hike – Take a walk through the woods and see what animals and plants live in the forest. Touch the smooth bark of a beech tree, listen for the call of the Red-tailed Hawk, and look for signs of animal life.
- Many of our activities for 3rd-5th grade can be adjusted to K-2nd grade level.
Grades 3 – 5
- WHOOOO lives here? – Become familiar with Pennsylvania owls and learn about these nocturnal hunters. Students will learn the characteristics of each owl species as well as their call.
- Owl Pellet Dissection - Working in pairs, students will dissect an owl pellet, identify what was eaten, and learn about this unique nocturnal predator. Additional charge of +$3/student.
- Skulls and Furs – Discover what can be learned about an animal from only their skull. By looking at common Pennsylvanian mammal skulls, students will learn about predators/prey and carnivores/omnivores/herbivores Students will use what they learn to be detectives and guess what animal matches each mystery skull. Furs help identify and show how an animal is protected from the climate and if it is camouflaged.
- Geology Rocks! - Students will see and touch specimens from our geology collection while they learn about the three main types of rocks and the rock cycle. They will also learn how people use rocks, and how rocks are important in their everyday life.
- Native American Life – Learn how Native Americans in Pennsylvania survived off of the land. Students will examine tools and artifacts from our museum collection as well as look at some of the common plants used by Native Americans for food and medicine.
- Animal Tracking – Hike through the forest looking for animal tracks and scat. Learn how to identify an animal by their footprints and find out the best places to look for signs of animal life.
- Hike – Find out what animals and plants are found in the forest. Learn basic plant identification skills and discover the best places to look for animals.
- Bottle Biology – Each student will make their own bottle ecosystem complete with animal and plant life to take home. The water cycle and essential components of life will be reviewed. Additional charge +$1.50 per student
- Creek Study – Collect and study the organisms found in the Yellow Breeches Creek on campus. Learn about macroinvertebrates, water quality and how we are all connected by our water systems. One option is for students to do the collecting led by our staff. They would need to come prepared with water shoes (old sneakers or sturdy sandals) to wear in the creek and an extra pair that can be worn for the rest of the day. Another option is that students can work on the bank of the creek identifying insects collected by our museum staff.
Grades 6 – 8
- What's a Watershed? - Trace the flow of water across campus to the Yellow Breeches Creek. Discover why water flows where it does, visit a wetland, and see how humans manipulate their water systems.
- Creek Study – Collect and study the organisms found in the Yellow Breeches Creek on campus. Learn about macroinvertebrates, water quality and how we are all connected by our water systems. One option is for students to do the collecting led by our staff. They would need to come prepared with water shoes (old sneakers or sturdy sandals) to wear in the creek and an extra pair that can be worn for the rest of the day. Another option is that students can work on the bank of the creek identifying insects collected by our museum staff.
- Water Pollution and the Chesapeake Bay – How does one person's poor choices affect another person's water supply? Learn how people are connected to each other through water and some ways to help clean up our watershed.
- Watershed Day – Come for the whole day, do the three activities above, and take a tour of our North American Floor to learn about the animals living in our watershed.
- Native American Life – Learn how Native Americans survived off of the land. Students will examine tools and artifacts from the museum collection, as well as look at some of the common plants used by Native Americans for food and medicine.
- Plant and Tree Identification – Hike into the forest. Students will learn to use leaf shape, bark type and growth patterns to identify common Pennsylvania plants.
- Owl Pellet Dissection - Working in pairs, students will dissect an owl pellet, identify what was eaten, and learn about this unique nocturnal predator. Additional charge of +$3/student.
Grades 9 – 12
- The Oakes Museum offers customized programming for high school students. Some examples include a tour that focuses on the orders of Pennsylvanian mammals or a Sustainability Day (includes visiting a solar thermal display, learning how the college has incorporated sustainable practices, and a tour of the museum).
- We would be happy to work with you to customize your experience!