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EDUCATORS |
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NEW FROM
THE ECHO BLOG |
BURBOT |
POSTED JANUARY 10, 2010 AT 6:58 AM |
To anyone out there ice fishing... ECHO is looking… |
READ MORE + |
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SCHOOL
PROGRAMS |
ECHO Education programs model inquiry-based teaching by facilitating student activities, prompting investigations, and encouraging dialogue during intentional exhibit exploration. And, of course, they’re lots of fun! |
ECHO TEACHER'S CHOICE PROGRAM OPTIONS
Where teachers choose from 25 topics for students in grades
K-12. All ECHO programs are linked to Vermont Science or Social
Studies Standards and Grade Expectations.
Signing up for Teacher’s Choice Programs
- Review programs for students in your grade in the chart
below and click on the title for a detailed, PDF version of
the program description.
- ECHO will match your program choices to an appropriate
ECHO Inquiry Trek for a complete program.
- For trips of more than 25 students, the group will be
divided into up to sessions and students can rotate to each
experience. ECHO will assist you with planning the number
and length of programs for a well-orchestrated experience
with ample time for exhibit exploration.
- Preschool Programs for field trip options for children 3-5 years old, led by ECHO’s Youth Education Specialist.
- Add time for your
lunch,
gift shop, or
additional self-guided exhibit explorations and
ECHO
Encounters.
|
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| Program Title (PDF desc.) |
Grade Range |
Duration |
Description |
| Beavers |
K - 3 |
30 or 60 min |
What makes this amazing mammal so unique? How does it create new habitats? |
| Body Coverings |
K - 3 |
30 min |
Scutes, scales, fur, or feathers? What keeps animals warm, healthy, and
protected? |
| Creature Feature |
K - 3 |
30 min |
What makes a fish a fish or a frog a frog? Investigate five vertebrate groups,
their survival features, and the key to classification. |
| Marsh, Bog, Swamp! |
K - 3 |
30 min |
Who are the scientists of the marsh? What are the parts of a healthy wetland? Who can live in a wetland? |
| Amphibians Around Us |
K - 6 |
30 or 60 min |
Explore life cycles, characteristics, and calls of this unique group of vertebrates found in the Lake Champlain watershed and beyond. |
| Lake Champlain in a Bag |
K - 6 |
30 min |
How is Lake Champlain like a bathtub? Your students will play key parts in a
flowing watershed human diorama. |
| Wetland Wonders |
3 - 6 |
30 or 60 min |
Make predictions and conduct wetland experiments that help students understand the value of this unique
resource and its inhabitants. |
| Rock and Roll Geology |
3 - 6 |
60 min |
Go back ten thousand years investigating mock “time capsules” to understand how Lake Champlain came to be. |
| Hands on the Land |
3 - 6 |
60 min |
How have humans changed the landscape and impacted life over time? What changes can we make to minimize damage to our environment? |
| Zoom In on Zebra Mussels |
3 - 6 |
60 min |
What are zebra mussels and how did they get here? Two activities shed light
on one of Lake Champlain's most troublesome invasive species. |
| Skeletons and Skulls |
3 - 6 |
60 min |
What can skeletons tell us? Be a scientist and dissect owl pellets, sketch
skulls, and make comparisons to human form and function. |
| Rocks Rock |
3 - 6 |
60 min |
What is the rock cycle? Handle rock samples, test properties, and review the
forces of geologic change in our environment. |
| Weather Watchers |
3 - 6 |
60 min |
Explore wind, water, and temperature and how these non-living things
interact to help us predict the weather. |
| ECHO Jeopardy |
3 - 8 |
30 min |
Explore ECHO's exhibits, then test your knowledge in a fun, big-screen
Jeopardy game. |
| Eco-Footprint |
3 - 12 |
30 min |
What influence can your students make in reducing human impact on the environment? PRS voting system tells the story. |
| NEW! Artifact Inquiry |
3 - 8 |
30 or 60 min |
Use scientific inquiry to discover how antlers, bone, wood, and stone became
the raw materials for Native American survival in the Lake Champlain Basin. |
| NEW! Games and Pastimes |
3 - 8 |
30 or 60 min |
Play games and hear stories that share Native American ingenuity for
reinforcing learning and values through fun! |
| Vermiculture |
3 - 12 |
30 min |
Investigate movements, functions, and features of this remarkable
invertebrate – the worm. |
| Aqua Action |
3 - 12 |
30 min |
Where does water come from? Why should we care? Students’ Public Service
Announcement creations tackle non-point source pollution. |
| Tricky Traveler Investigation |
5 - 8 |
30 min |
What are invasive species? Become a local expert and test your knowledge in
a fun quiz game. |
| Climate Conundrum |
5 - 8 |
60 min |
How do animals indicate climate change? What choices can people make to respond to this global issue? |
| Voices for the Lake |
5 - 8 |
60 min |
What are the issues that affect the health of the watershed? Students use
role-playing and high tech voting in a dynamic mock town meeting. |
| Properties of Water |
5 - 8 |
60 min |
How does water behave in our environment? Explore volume, density, percolation,
bonds, and more! |
ECHO SELF-GUIDED PROGRAMS
Experience all the learning at ECHO with support from ECHO’s
Volunteer Exhibit Interpreters:
- Movie shorts, games, crafts, experiments, and hands-on
activities
- Daily Animal Feedings and Demonstrations:
10:30
a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m.
- ECHO Treks: Choose one of our "paper/pencil" ECHO Treks
LAKE CHAMPLAIN BASIN PROGRAM RESOURCE ROOM
- Dive deeper into Lake Champlain at the
Resource Room, located on
the top floor of ECHO.
UPPER LEVEL HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGES
ECHO is happy to help customize a visit for high school,
college, and university students. We welcome the opportunity for
more advanced exploration and discussion with high school and
college groups. For more information, please contact Director of
Education Molly
Loomis.
Possible Presentations and Discussion Topics
- What are the benefits of partnering with a science
center?
- Orientation to informal education in science centers.
- What is inquiry-based science all about?
- What goes into making an exhibit?
- What are the barriers and solutions to reaching
under-served populations in a science center?
Opportunities for Personal Growth at ECHO
- Get involved with
internships, work-study, service learning, and volunteerism
- Linking field work, lab work, and communicating research
results in a science center
- Leadership training opportunities by working directly
with ECHO's Community Science Nights, Overnights, Preschool,
or After-School Programs
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