Science Safaris
Journey out into the field for an unforgettable hands-on learning experience. The Virginia Living Museum's science safaris give students an exciting combination of in-class laboratory instruction and hands-on topical field study.
Developed under a Virginia Environmental Endowment grant as model programs for high school students, the Museum's science safaris are combined laboratory and field classes that stress field study, experimentation, data collection and analysis. After an introduction to the day's topic, students will leave the classroom behind to become immersed in a first-hand learning experience in the natural world.
Length of Session: 6 to 12+ hours (varies with topic)
Number of Students: Maximum of 25
Fee:
Contract Schools: Please call for information
Non-contract schools: $30 per student ($650 minimum per program. Cave Ecology $35 per student, $700 minimum).
Fuel surcharge may apply.
Follow the suggested procedures for reserving a science safari. For more information or to make a reservation, call the Reservations Coordinator at 757-595-9135 Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. or fill out the on-line request form.
Funded in part by Bay Electric Co., Inc.
Cave Ecology
Grades 7-12
SOLs LS.6 LS.8 LS.10 LS.11 ES.1 ES.2 ES.7 ES.8 BIO.1 BIO.4 BIO.8
Descend
into the fascinating world of twilight zones and troglobites while
exploring wild caves in western Virginia. Learn the geology of cave
formation and growth by examining soda straws, popcorn and other
dripstone formations. Search for bats, salamanders and other cave
animals and discover their unusual adaptations for survival in this
unique ecosystem. (Note: This is a strenuous trip. Participants must be
able to walk easily without assistance on uneven ground including some
steep slopes.)
Chesapeake Bay Ecology
Grades 6-12
SOLs 6.1 6.3 6.5 6.7 6.9 LS.4 LS.6 LS.8 LS.9 LS.10 LS.11 BIO.1 BIO.4 BIO.6 BIO.8
Seining
in shallow off-shore water and dip-netting in a salt marsh are just two
of the day's many activities as students learn first-hand about the
biology and ecology of the Bay. One of the last natural shorelines in
our region provides the stage for collection and classification of a
rich diversity of plants and animals. Assessment of increasing human
impact and the need for wetland preservation are areas of special
emphasis.
Estuarine Ecology
Grades 7-12
SOLs LS.4 LS.6 LS.8 LS.9 LS.10 LS.11 BIO.1 BIO.4 BIO.6 BIO.8
Board
canoes for an exciting on-the-water study of a local estuarine
ecosystem. From their floating laboratory, students monitor salinity and
other physical factors that affect the survival of creatures in the
Chesapeake Bay. Students learn first-hand about the importance of this
productive ecosystem by observing killifish, blue crabs, grass shrimp
and other organisms in their natural habitat.
Field Mineralogy
Grades 6-12
SOLs 6.1 6.4 PS.1 PS.2 ES.1 ES.2 ES.4 ES.5 ES.7
Make your earth science curriculum come to life with an all day field excursion to Virginia's mineral rich Piedmont region. Students will search for specimens such as mica, garnet, feldspar, magnetite and more. Students learn to identify their collected rock and mineral samples using diagnostic tests and then apply their data to interpret the ancient environments that formed the specimens. Virginia's mineral resources are correlated to commercial applications in our daily lives.
Freshwater Aquatics
Grades 7-12
SOLs LS.4 LS.6 LS.8 LS.9 LS.11 BIO.1 BIO.4 BIO.6 BIO.8 CH.1
Travel by canoe through a freshwater ecosystem teeming with aquatic life from duckweed and water lily to bass and beaver. Determine the primary productivity of this rich pond community through dissolved oxygen studies and investigate the pond's successional stage. Students analyze collected data to identify natural and man-induced factors that lead to eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems.
Paleontology
Grades 6-12
SOLs LS.4 LS.8 LS.13 ES.1 ES.2 ES.9 BIO.4 BIO.6 BIO.7 BIO.8
Journey
millions of years back in time in search of fossils that reveal
Virginia's prehistoric past. Dig into fossil sands to uncover abundant
marine organisms that can include star coral, Jefferson's scallops,
whalebone and shark teeth. Students collect, identify and analyze
fossils to reveal the history of an ancient ocean.