SCHOOL PROGRAMSFALL 2016 | SPRING 2017

BOOK A FUN STANDARDS AND INQUIRY-BASED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM TO ENGAGE YOUR STUDENTS!All programs include hands-on portions with biofacts and/or liveanimals. Programs last 30 minutes –1 hour depending on your schedule, and many include a visit to one of our art galleries or exhibits.

GUIDED PROGRAMS (Pre-K – 12th grade)Program descriptions on the back

Ancient Animal Detective Tracks through time

Animal Adaptations What makes an animal so special?

Animal Investigators Tracks and trails in our neighborhoods and nature

Animal Outsides and Insides

Art of the Animal Scale and material choice in art

Biome Bonanza Explore ecosystems of the world

Live Animal Encounters

Nature walk Nature and art combined

Seasons of Change Time and shades of color

What is a Habitat? Discover what animals need to survive

10035 S PEORIA STREET, PARKER, COLORADO 80134 | SOUTHDENVER.CU.EDU

PRICESAdmission for school groups is $6.50 per student and $6.50 peradult which includes museum admission, a film in our theater anda school program. Scholarships may be available for schools demonstrating financial need.

If your group is not an accredited curriculum-based school in session, pricing is $8 per person for museum admission and a school program OR film, or $10 and up for museum admission, a school program and a film.

To schedule a school program and field trip, or for more information about these programs please contact our reservations coordinator at 303-315-9446 or kari.ploysa@ucdenver.edu.

NATURE WALKPre-K – 2nd grade: Nature Adventure Take a guided nature walk outside the museum! See examples of different environments, biomes, habitats up close and majestic sculptures of animals that call those places home. Look for real wildlife. Touch and learn from artifacts or evidence that help us better understand the natural world.3rd grade +: Naturalist Notes Using Colorado maps, identify the locations within the state of four animals discussed and key plants or animals they depend on. Complete a field journal with your observations, drawings and more.

10035 S PEORIA STREET, PARKER, COLORADO 80134 | SOUTHDENVER.CU.EDU

ANCIENT ANIMAL DETECTIVEPre-K – 2nd grade: Steps in Stone Follow the tracks and trails of animals as an ancient animal detective to learn about them, even when the animal is long gone! Discover evidence left behind by these animals before they were erased by factors in the environment and see how some tracks became permanently preserved as fossils. Featuring fossilized footprints of dinosaurs and other pre-historic animals in the Steps in Stone exhibit in partnership with the CU Museum of Natural History at CU Boulder.3rd grade +: Math and Meat-Eaters Look in-depth at the tracks of Therapods - the meat-eating dinosaurs like T-Rex and Velociraptor! What other information about these animals can we discover using measurements and math?

ANIMAL ADAPTATIONSPre-K – 2nd grade: The Animal Adaptation Awards Show Look closely at The Wildlife Experience Art Gallery for animals with very specialized adaptations and vote for who will receive an “Animal Adaptation Award” in categories like “Best Adapted to a Long Winter” and “Best at Seeing Far Away.” Discover which senses each animal depends on the most for survival.3rd grade +: Being HumanObserve live animals, investigate animal specimens, and look closely at animals depicted in art to discover the wide range of adaptations, traits and behaviors that help animals thrive in their unique and wild environments. Conduct experiments on yourself to see how well you adapt to the temporary loss of a special human trait.

ANIMAL OUTSIDES AND INSIDESPre-K – 2nd grade: Fur, Feathers, Scales, and Skins – An Outside View of the Vertebrates See and feel the differences between mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and birds with real live animals and specimens. Explore what makes us different from other vertebrates - on the outside.3rd grade +: Animal Classification – Vertebrates vs. Invertebrates Uncover the major differences between the two main groups of animals in the animal kingdom: vertebrates and invertebrates. Identify key characteristics of these animal groups through observations of live animals and specimens. Be a scientist and classify your own specimens.

ANIMAL INVESTIGATORSPre-K – 2nd grade: Animal Tracking Follow the tracks and trails of animals as an animal investigator to learn about them, even when the animal is gone! Discover evidence left behind by these animals before they were erased by factors in the environment. Featuring footprints of animals from our neighborhoods and in nature.3rd grade +: Live Animal ObservationLook in-depth at the tracks of live animals. What kinds of materials work best to hold a footprint and what other information can you discover from tracks and trails?

BIOME BONANZAPre-K – 2nd grade: Globeology AdventureFollow the Globeology Trail as we discover the world’s major ecosystems. Look for animals that are specially adapted to the conditions or climate of their biomes. Discover how factors like temperature and rainfall affect who can live where on our planet.3rd grade +: Globeology Climatologists Look in-depth at specimens and live animals from each of the featured biomes. What do these animals have in common with others in the same biome? Do animals live in more than one biome? Complete a field journal as we discover some of the incredible features animals and plants have that help them survive in a particular climate.

LIVE ANIMAL ENCOUNTERSPre-K +: Observe, touch and learn about animals in a live animal encounter! Choose an overview or a focused program on a topic such as Colorado animals, reptiles, adaptations, biomes, habitats and more. This program is adaptable based on your needs – ask us how.

WHAT IS A HABITAT?Pre-K – 2nd grade: Colorado’s Habitats Meet some of Colorado’s native live animals! Explore the habitats of Colorado and experience the threats to one animal’s habitat from natural and man-made sources in an interactive group game. Identify how living things have common needs and what happens when these needs are no longer met!3rd grade +: Colorado Creature ChallengeUsing Colorado maps, identify locations within the state of the four habitats discussed and key animals and plants that live in each place. Look at a live Colorado animal and extrapolate where it might live based on its adaptations.

ART OF THE ANIMALPre-K – 2nd grade: Big and Small – Flipped Scale Art Program Discover creatures big and small, as we explore animals of different sizes. Investigate then draw a big animal in a small space, then as a class discover a tiny animal and create a really large collaborative art piece to take back to school!3rd grade +: Medium – Materials Matter Explore how artists choose different media and materials to represent animals and the environments those animals live in. How does the choice of material influence meaning?

SEASONS OF CHANGEPre-K – 2nd grade: Climate and ColorWhy do the trees, plants and animals change color with the seasons? Explore how annual climate changes affect plants and animals, then create artwork to show these changes.Even our littlest explorers can create an animal that uses camouflage to take home!3rd grade +: Realism vs. Abstraction Using objects found, create your own “imaginary” animal with adaptations that help it survive better in its changing environment.