Since 1998, the Discovery Center in Springfield (discoverycenter.org) has been a primary science resource facility, offering outreach programs and distance learning as well as a venue for science field trips. Interactive experiences are available in such programs as Matter Matters, Ecology Explorations, Chemistry Capers, Geography of Culture and Gene Scene. Students can explore 11 galleries and over 200 interactive exhibits. All Discovery Center educators hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in a science field.
The educators at Magic House (magichouse.org) guide students through experiences that enhance basic core academics and creative problem solving skills. The museum offers grade-level GLE-aligned programs in civics, social studies, math, science, history and the environment. For sixth-graders, the Lewis and Clark Adventure challenges students to join in on the Corps of Discovery, follow President Jefferson’s instructions to explore the Louisiana Territory, and record their discoveries in a journal as they search for a route to the Pacific Ocean. In Mock Trial, students explore one of democracy’s core systems as they act out their own mock trial.
The Missouri Historical Museum (mohistory.org) has operated in St. Louis since 1866 “for the purpose of saving from oblivion the early history of the city and state." Sixth-graders are invited to participate in programs on the history of the Civil War in Missouri. In A Memory Divided, students are challenged to explore what’s at stake in how the Civil War is remembered in Missouri and to discover what divided and united Missourians during that time. Excavating Evidence is a gallery plus classroom experience exploring the Ice Age world of mastodons and mammoths. Students will discover authentic fragments from a mastodon dig site. The Journey West takes students to the frontier beyond the Mississippi River, learning about the life of settlers and Native Americans.
Field trip options for sixth-graders at the Missouri Botanical Garden (mobot.org) include a biology lesson in Flowers: More Than a Pretty Face. Students study flower anatomy, pollination and the interaction between form and function. Students learn how similarities and differences affect the way flowers live and thrive. In Asian Gardens, students explore Far East cultures via the Grigg Nanjing Friendship Chinese Garden and the 14-acre Seiwa-en Japanese garden. They learn about the traditions and philosophies that influence each culture’s garden design. Concepts in science, math, literacy, fine arts and social studies are explored.