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Bring the Montshire to You

Known nationally for our innovative outreach programs, the Montshire offers an array of options for your classroom or special event to support your teaching or community.

We work with you to strengthen the ecosystem of science learning through support and collaboration at any location — whether that’s in the classroom, community fairs, school open houses, festivals, and private parties.

Through our outreach programs, specifically designed to meet the needs of students and educators, the Montshire aims to engage young minds and enhance the education experience.

For more information or to book a program please email us at registrations@montshire.org or call 802-649-2200 (Monday–Friday, 8:30am–5pm).

Workshops on Wheels & StarLab

Grades: pre-K–8

Transform your classroom into a bustling learning lab through our hands-on, inqui­ry-based workshops. (Also available for non-school groups.) Our educators arrive complete with an unusual conglomeration of materials in their teaching tool kit and work with one class at a time for a high-quality science experience.

Plus (click or tap to expand) + StarLab

The StarLab portable planetarium allows your students the chance to star gaze any day of the year!
  • For younger elementary students: special focus is made on understanding how the Earth’s movement affects day and night.

  • For middle elementary students: explore how the Earth’s orbit affects seasonal variations in visible constellations.

  • For upper elementary and middle school students: dive into more advanced topics such as moon phases or the location of planets.

Inside the dome, the program focuses on the current night sky with emphasis on learning how to locate key stars, constellations, visible planets and the moon.

With only one class under the dome at a time, students become engaged in learning about the night sky. Your astronomer-in-residence will spend 45-60 minutes with each class (up to five classes per day). StarLab fits in gyms, cafeterias, or any other large room with an 11-foot ceiling.

Plus (click or tap to expand) + Physical Science

  • Who Sank the Boat? Students will experiment with different materials to find out what sinks and what floats. Children will then use aluminum foil to construct and test their own boats. As a class they will record and represent data from observations of their experiments. A reading of Pamela Allen’s book, “Who Sank the Boat?” is included, which integrates science and children’s literature. PreK-Grade 2
  • Magnets: Students will predict, test and experiment with magnetism and discover what is magnetic in this introduction to forces and motion. Multiple magnets will allow for exploration of attracting and repelling forces. PreK-Grade 2
  • Exploring Air - Parachutes and More: Students will build and experiment with small parachutes and other paper crafts in order to discover the properties of air. Grades K-2
  • Mirrors, Reflection, and Symmetry: This workshop introduces principles of light and reflection as students create images with flat mirrors. Students will also engage in hands-on investigations of the geometry and patterns of symmetry. Grades K-3
  • Balancing Act: This hands-on physical science workshop lets students investigate balance, center of gravity, and mechanical advantage. Students will use their knowledge of mechanical advantage and center of gravity to create a whimsical balance toy to bring home. Grades 3-6
  • Batteries, Motors & Bulbs: Students use batteries, motors, and bulbs to explore electricity to develop their understanding of complete circuits. They will create different electrical circuits to learn about insulators and conductors, voltage, series circuits, and open and closed circuits. Students that are well versed in basic electricity concepts will also explore parallel circuits and amperage. Grades 3-6

Plus (click or tap to expand) + Life and Earth Science

  • Seedy Science: Use the museum’s seed collection to explore plant adaptations and diversity! Students will sort and classify seeds, practice identification, and examine seeds and sprouts with hand lenses and microscopes. Grades K-3
  • Insects: In this workshop, students will use microscopes, the Montshire’s insect collection, and live animals to look closely at the creatures that really rule the world! We’ll focus on the incredible diversity and fascinating structures of insects and other arthropods. Grades K-2
  • Investigating Fossils: Tracks of the Past: Students get to handle real fossils from the Museum’s collection while learning about plants and animals from long ago. Using plaster of Paris, students will make a “fossil” to take home. Grades K-4
  • Animal Tracks & Signs: Students will learn about the behavior of local animals through the signs they leave behind. This program will introduce your students to the tracks of New England’s familiar mammals. An indoor inquiry includes an up-close encounter with mounted specimens from the Museum’s collection. Grades 1-3
  • Cells! Cells are the basic building blocks of life. In this workshop students will use compound microscopes to observe the differences and similarities between animal and plant cells. They will practice staining techniques to more easily observe specific structures in cells including the cell nucleus and cell wall. Grades 5-8
  • Evolution and Fossils: A History of Life on Earth: Students will examine the museum’s fossil collection as they learn how paleontologists use fossils to track evolutionary change over the Earth’s 4.5 billion year geologic timeline. Grades 5-8

Plus (click or tap to expand) + Engineering

  • Rollways: Using tubes and tunnels, students will explore force and motion to create a large rollway. During the workshop, they will have many opportunities to problem-solve, build and work with others to create interesting and exciting routes for their marble. Grades K-3
  • Wind Vehicles: In this workshop students will work in teams to design, build, and test a wind-powered vehicle. Students will utilize their engineering and problem solving skills to create a stable vehicle while optimizing their design for speed and distance. Students in grades 5-8 will collect and use timing data as they test, iterate, and improve their vehicles. Grades 3-4, and 5-8.
  • Scribble Bots!: Students will create a machine that makes modern art while learning how to wire circuits, offset a motor, problem solve, experiment with balance, deal with material constraints, and troubleshoot components. It’s a multi-disciplinary experience that students will not soon forget. Grades 4-8.
Fee:
  • 1 workshop $350
  • 2 workshops $500
  • 3 workshops $650
  • 4 workshops $750
  • 5 workshops $825
  • Additional travel fee is $0.67 per mile. In rare cases, a fee for overnight accommodation may apply. (Travel rates based on the standard mileage IRS rate)
  • Certain scheduling restrictions will apply.
Refunds:
  • 100% if made within 7 days of reservation
  • 50% if made within 4 days
  • All travel expenses are refunded due to cancellations unless no refunds allowed for accommodations (if needed).

Pop-Up Science

Pop-Up Science travels to community fairs, school open houses, festivals, and private parties. You provide the space; we provide the tools for learning. We will customize the programming to fit your needs and audience. Multiple programs may be offered during an event to keep things fresh and fun. We bring everything!

Plus (click or tap to expand) + Scribble Bots

Using simple materials like batteries and motors, families make whimsical art-producing contraptions. Challenging and super fun! Best for ages 8+.

Plus (click or tap to expand) + Wind Tube

We bring our one-of-a-kind vertical wind tube, you bring the ideas. The challenge: to float a flying contraption at just the right height in the tube using our diverse assemblage of reuseable materials. Requires access to an electric outlet.

Plus (click or tap to expand) + Human Body

Anatomy models can be assembled and disassembled to discover how our body is organized. Use real tools like stethoscopes and x-rays to learn about our bodies.

Plus (click or tap to expand) + Batteries and Motors

Explore circuits through experimenting with batteries, motors, bulbs and switches.

Plus (click or tap to expand) + Microscopes

Check out the world of the very small! Depending on the season we can provide different items to look at including insects, seeds, pond water or just a cool assortment of natural and human made objects.

Plus (click or tap to expand) + Wind Vehicles

Design, build and test a wind vehicle as you practice engineering skills.

Fee:
  • 2 hours - $500
  • 3 hours - $600
  • 4 hours - $750
  • 5 hours - $825
  • Additional travel fee is $0.67 per mile. In rare cases, a fee for overnight accommodation may apply. (Travel rates based on the standard mileage IRS rate)
  • Certain scheduling restrictions will apply.
Refunds:
  • 100% if made within 7 days of reservation
  • 50% if made within 4 days
  • All travel expenses are refunded due to cancellations unless no refunds allowed for accommodations (if needed)

Animals Up Close - Virtual Encounter

Meet one of the Montshire’s live animals or fossils up close, learn about each animal’s unique features, ask questions and share stories in these live virtual programs facilitated by one of the Museum’s Science Educators. For pre-k through grade 8. Programs are conducted using Zoom.

Plus (click or tap to expand) + Leaf Cutter Ants

Learn about the amazing world of social insects through a virtual visit with one of the Montshire’s favorite exhibits, the leaf cutter ant colony. Get an up close look at soldier ants and workers cutting leaves, and a chance to see into their fungus garden.

Plus (click or tap to expand) + Frogs and Toads

Get ready for some fun as we feed the frogs and toads right in front of your eyes. Meet the museum’s amphibians, learn how to tell them apart, and see who’s got the fastest tongue this side of the Connecticut River.

Plus (click or tap to expand) + Hissing Cockroaches

Meet the museum’s giant Madagascar hissing cockroaches as they crawl all over us and try to hide up our sleeves. You’ll have a chance to see their extra-long antennae, spiky legs, and hidden heads way up close.

Plus (click or tap to expand) + Painted Turtles

Come out of your shell and say hi to the Montshire resident reptiles – the turtles! We’ll look at our painted turtles up close, examine the bones of a giant snapping turtle, and explore the shells of other common turtles found in New England.

Plus (click or tap to expand) + Crayfish

Meet the most secretive resident of our large fish tanks. Get an up close look at our crayfish — both in the water and out — as we count claws, look for gills, and discover it’s interesting life cycle no matter whether you call it a mudbug, crawdad or crayfish!

Plus (click or tap to expand) + Fossils

Explore a blast from the past by observing the Montshire’s fossil collection up-close! Students will be guided through observing fossils of plants, sea creatures, and dinosaurs as we look for clues related to the history of life.

Fee: $100 for a 30 minute program.

For more information or to book a program please call 802-649-2200 (Monday–Friday, 8:30am–5pm) or email montshire@montshire.org

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