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EDUCATORS |
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NEW FROM
THE ECHO BLOG |
LIFE SAVING CATERPILLAR GUTS |
POSTED AUGUST 7, 2010
AT 3:49 PM |
Many unknowns in the natural world have potential… |
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
ECHO provides teachers with a broad range of topics for
deeper immersion and clearer connection to their curriculum for
students in grades K-12. All ECHO programs are linked to Vermont
Science or Social Studies Standards and Grade Expectations and
are taught by ECHO Education Staff or by supervised pre-service
teachers interning at ECHO.
Signing up for Teacher’s Choice Programs
- Using the chart below, review programs for students in
your grade level. 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 experience.
- For trips of more than 25 students, the group will be
divided and the same program will be repeated so all
students can participate in the same experience using a
rotation. ECHO will assist you with planning the number and
length of programs for a well-orchestrated experience with
ample time for exhibit exploration,
ECHO Encounters, lunch, and
visits to the gift shop.
- Preschool Programs for children 3-5 years old
are led by ECHO’s Youth Education Specialist.
Pre-registration is required by contacting the front desk.
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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 Education Interpreters:
- Movie shorts, games, crafts, experiments, and hands-on
activities.
- Daily Animal Feedings and Demonstrations.
- ECHO Treks: Choose one of our "paper/pencil" ECHO Treks
that guide student exhibit exporation.
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, 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 through
internships, work-study, service learning, or as a
volunteer.
- Link field work, lab work, or research
results to informal learning in a science center.
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1.802.864.1848
