Afternoon Activities

Each month the whole family attends a special presentation with the group.

Morning Labs

Each group will do labs each month at 9:30 and 11am.  Space missions and advanced Jurassic James Labs are two hours.

September

• Wildlife Lab - Better to Bite - Use your own chompers to analyze the form and function of animal teeth in this class

• Techno-Science Lab - Optical Illusions - Investigate ambiguous pictures, impossible shapes, strobe effects, and other amazing illusions.

• Dissection Lab - Brain - Put your axons to work as you model nerves and neurotransmitters. (5th Grade and up)

• Jurassic James - Life in the Cretaceous - This class offers a detailed look at the animals of the Cretaceous Period, which include Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Edmontosaurus (“duckbill”), Gorgosaurus, Denversaurus, Acrocanthosaurus, Deinonychus (raptor), Mosasaurus, Quetzalcoatlus, and more. We will discuss these animals and their lifestyles, then see the actual skeletons in the Morian Hall of Paleontology exhibit. (Thursday Group B only)

October

• Time Lab - Maya Empire - Discover the Continent’s longest-lived indigenous civilization and some of their enduring contributions.

• Earth Science Lab - Land Forms - Explore the basic landforms and waterways found in Texas. Follow our water from spring to shore!

• Dissection Lab - Oh Rats! - In this lab, you will discover what separates the rodents from rabbits in this mammalian dissection. (5th Grade and up)

• Jurassic James - What is a Dinosaur? - The objective of this class is to learn the fundamental anatomical features that classify dinosaurs from all other prehistoric life. The second half of the class will be a brief journey through the Morian Hall of Paleontology to observe the same features on mounted skeletons. In the Morian Hall of Paleontology, we will use the handout received in class to identify which specimens are dinosaurs and which are not. (Group A only)

November

• Wildlife Lab - Super Stars - Admire some radiating beauties in this lab all about echinoderms.

• Time Lab - Aztec - Meet the Mesoamericans who lived in what is now Mexico City and the surrounding territory beginning in the 14th century.

• Techno-Science Lab - Balancing Act - From levers and mobiles to leaning towers, explore the center of mass and find out why it matters.

• Space Mission - Full Expedition - Participants act as astronauts and mission control specialists, landing on the moon and on Mars. (Thursday Groups B and C only)

January

• Time Lab - Castles - Explore the basics of medieval castle structure and life inside these amazing fortresses. Then use what you’ve learned to design your own.

• Techno-Science Lab - Discovering Density - Discover how hot air balloons rise, why rocks sink, and what makes submarines go up and down.

• Dissection Lab - Jawless and Flawless - Learn all about lampreys as you discover what makes these crazy chordates so unique in the animal kingdom.

• Space Mission - Junior Expedition - Participants act only as astronauts, one adult required per 2 children to help with reading. Moon landing. (Friday Group A only)

February

• Wildlife Lab - The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle - Animals use all the tools they’ve got to appeal to mates, from busting a move that creates funky rhythms, to elaborate and colorful displays. Laugh and learn about the great flirts of the animal kingdom

• Time Lab - Siege Machines - Discover the weapons of the “Medieval Arms Race” and make a working model.

• Earth Science Lab - Rock Cycle - Sedimentary, Metamorphic and Igneous, oh my! Take a spin through the rock cycle and investigate how rocks are changed and formed.

• Space Mission - Full Expedition - Participants act as astronauts and mission control specialists, landing on the moon and on Mars. (Friday Groups B and C will team up and Thursday Group D will do the advanced version)

March

• Biology Lab - Rootin’ for Ya! - Learn about the pigments in leaves using paper chromatography and see the function of the xylem and phloem through a celery stalk. Dissect a carrot to see the root and shoot system in this popular vegetable.

• Time Lab - Leonardo da Vinci - Inventor, artist, architect, genius - Leonardo Da Vinci is the ultimate Renaissance Man. Discover the range of Leonardo’s talents as you try out some challenges of your own.

• Wildlife Lab - India’s GHAT the Wildlife - Find out why India covers only 2.4% of the world’s land area but contains 7-8% of all recorded species, including endemic wonders like large cats and deadly snakes.

• Space Mission - Junior Expedition - Participants act only as astronauts, one adult required per 2 children to help with reading. Moon landing. (Thursday Group A only)

April

• Earth Science Lab - Rocks & Mineral - Is it a Mineral? Is it a Rock? Could it be both?! Discover the difference between rocks and minerals and learn how you use them daily.

• Techno-Science Lab - Marvelous Mixtures - Investigate properties of solutions, colloids, alloys, and other mixtures.

• Wildlife Lab - Moving on Up - Some animals, like the arctic tern, can travel 44,000 miles a year without getting lost, while others like humans might have trouble navigating through 1 large building (like the museum). Find out why some animals are so much better than us at navigating, and hear about the perils they face on their long journeys.

• Jurassic James - Life in the Cretaceous - This class offers a detailed look at the animals of the Cretaceous Period, which include Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Edmontosaurus (“duckbill”), Gorgosaurus, Denversaurus, Acrocanthosaurus, Deinonychus (raptor), Mosasaurus, Quetzalcoatlus, and more. We will discuss these animals and their lifestyles, then see the actual skeletons in the Morian Hall of Paleontology exhibit. (Friday Group B only)

• Jurassic James - Paleontology 101 - (Two-hour session) An Introduction to Paleontology & Fossils covers specimens from the earliest invertebrates in prehistoric seas to the dinosaur right up to the end of the last “Ice age”. This lecture portion will focus on the origins of the fossil record as well as the various methods of fossilization. To complete your student’s understanding of the topics covered, they will be encouraged to touch and examine a variety of actual fossils. Time permitting, an in-depth tour of the Morian Hall of Paleontology using the Museum’s internationally acclaimed collection of specimens is also included-time permitting. (Thursday Group D only)

May

• Earth Science Lab - Mohs Hardness Scale - From talc to diamonds, minerals have a known hardness. Discover the Mohs Hardness Scale and how that hardness can be harnessed!

• Techno-Science Lab - Sound Science - Use tuning forks and tubes to investigate pitch, resonance, and the science of music.

• Wildlife Lab - One Man’s Trash - Delve into the world of detritivores and scavengers to discover why we can thank ants and millipedes for coffee and chocolate, and how vultures are good for our health

• Jurassic James - Life in the Jurassic - This class offers a detailed look at the museum’s wildlife of the Jurassic Period, which includes Diplodocus, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, Othnielosaurus, and Marine reptiles like Ichthyosaurs, Plesiosaurs, and Marine Crocodiles. We will discuss these animals and their lifestyles, then tour and see the actual skeletons for discussion. (Group C - 1 hour on Thursday and 2 hours on Friday.)