Children's Education
Field Trips

The Institute is pleased to offer a growing number of lessons on natural science for school groups. Teachers may choose from a range of topics for their class visits to the Institute. These lessons are offered Tuesday-Friday, and allow students to explore individual topics using a variety of learning media and are supplemented by specimens from the Institute’s teaching collections. Students take an active part in the discovery process with hands-on objects, worksheets, and scavenger hunts.

LESSON TOPICS

Animal Adaptations:   How do animals survive in their environment? From camouflage to mimicry, this lesson explores how animals stay healthy and strong in many different environments.

Butterflies & Moths:   Butterflies and moths are amazing insects. Explore the traits that make these insects special.

Dinosaurs and Fossils:   Learn how fossils reveal clues about the past. Distinguish between dinosaur facts and fiction. Examine and touch ancient plant and shell fossils.

Food Chains:   Who eats whom is the name of the game! See how plants and animals fit into a variety of different food chains.

Human Body:  Learn how the six systems in our bodies work together to keep us strong and healthy.

Insects & Other Arthropods:   Come learn more about the mysterious world of insects, spiders, millipedes, and more, from their fascinating life-cycles to the ways that they improve our lives.

Ocean Life:  The oceans are home to some of the earth's most unusual living things. Learn more about a variety of intriguing underwater creatures.

Rocks & Minerals:   What is the difference between a rock and a mineral? We will discuss the three rock types and explore some special and unusual properties of different minerals.

Skeletons:   Learn how endo- and exo-skeletons of various animals provide support, protection, and movement. Examine different hands-on skeletal samples as we discuss their function and purpose.

Urban Ecology:  Discover Philadelphia's wild side! Learn how city life and the natural world interact here at home and find out where your drinking water really comes from!

Wagner Free Institute History:   Designed for older groups, this ten-to-fifteen minute slide show outlines the history of the Institute and its founder, and covers issues in science in the 19th century.

ONE-HOUR LESSONS FOR PRESCHOOL-AGED VISITORS

• Animal Babies:  Find out how baby animals learn to make their way in the world.
• Animals in Winter:   Find out how animals stay healthy and strong in winter.
• Day and Nighttime Animals:   Learn which animals are busy all day, and which ones come out at night!
• Dinosaurs:   See and touch fossil casts of ancient dinosaur bones, claws, and teeth.
• Insects:   See a variety of butterflies and learn more about the world of insects.
• Prickly and Soft:   From shells and spikes to fur and feathers, come learn about different animal bodies.