Egypt Unwrapped (Grades 3-8)
Investigate the myths and lore of the ancient gods and goddesses of Egypt. Students will get a chance to wrap a mummy replica and participate in a wailing ceremony to discover the symbolism and science behind traveling to the afterlive. After hearing about the history and practices of mummification, students who come to the Museum travel through Inside Ancient Egypt to find real mummies, images of rulers and gods, and uncover what they would look like as an Egyptian! Meets ILS goals 16, 17, 18
Program
Student
On site:
Monday and Friday
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., includes 30 min. for lunch
Cost: $4 per student
In Your Classroom:
Tuesday through Friday
1 hour sessions: $4 per student
Free with Admission
Pre-Registration Required
Africa's Beat (Grades K-3)
Take a tour through the great continent of Africa, discovering beauty and diversity through music. Explore a variety of African instruments, create your own African instrument, and try out some traditional rhythms. Students who come to the Museum take a guided tour of the Africa exhibition to see and hear these musical traditions. Meets ILS goals 16, 17, 18.
On Site:
Mondays through Friday
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., includes 30 min. for lunch
Cost is $4 per student
In Your Classroom:
Tuesday through Friday
1 hour sessions: $4 per student
Program
Student
Pre-Registration Required
Animal Play (Pre-K)
Through dramatic play and multi-sensory activities, both you and your students get an up close and personal look at the lives of your favorite Illinois animals. Meets ILS goals 12, 19, 26.
Program
Student
In the Crown Family PlayLab!
Tuesday and Thursday
10 a.m. or 11 a.m.
Cost: $2 per student
Pre-Registration Required
I Spy Dinosaurs! (Pre-K)
From the Stegosaurus to the mighty T. rex, all dinosaurs have special features. Through dramatic play and the Dino/Dino Not game, students learn how to spot a dinosaur. Meets ILS goals 7, 12, 24.
Program
Student
In the Crown Family PlayLab!
Tuesday and Thursday
10 a.m. or 11 a.m.
Cost: $2 per student
Pre-Registration Required
The Great Fossil Hunt (Grades 3–8)
Learn how to identify a real fossil and how to create a dig pit grid system to help remember the locations of your fossils! Students practice scientific illustration and make inferences about the origins of fossils. This hands-on class incorporates paleontology with the adventure of a mini-dig...this is one Great Fossil Hunt you won't want your students to miss! Includes a tour of Evolving Planet for groups that come to the museum. Meets ILS goals 10, 11, 12
Program
Student
On site:
Monday and Friday
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., includes 30 min. for lunch
Cost is $4 per student
In Your Classroom:
Monday through Friday
1 hour sessions: $4 per student
Pre-Registration Required
People, Plants, Rocks, and Animals (Pre-K)
Do you like to investigate, observe, and record your findings? If so, come practice your scientist skills as you sort and magnify real artifacts and specimens! This program examines cultural artifacts, plants, rocks, and animals. Meets ILS goals 12, 13, 16.
Program
Student
In the Crown Family PlayLab!
Tuesday and Thursday
10 a.m. or 11 a.m.
Cost: $2 per student
Pre-Registration Required
Fossil Dig! (K-2)
Come join us on a paleontology dig! Discover different fossil types and help dig out a fossil cast from a field jacket. Meets ILS goals 7, 12, 16.
Program
Student
In the Crown Family PlayLab!
Tuesday and Thursday
10 a.m. or 11 a.m.
Cost: $2 per student
Pre-Registration Required
Night and Day in the Illinois Woodlands (K-2)
Come learn about animal characteristics and behaviors through a hands-on investigation of real animal pelts, skulls, and habitats! Whether you are nocturnal or diurnal, you'll love this adventure into the world of zoology! Meets ILS goals 12, 19, 21.
Program
Student
In the Crown Family PlayLab!
Tuesday and Thursday
10 a.m. or 11 a.m.
Cost: $2 per student
Pre-Registration Required
Playing House (Pre-K)
Throughout dramatic play, experience daily life in the early Americas and Africa in these three settings: a Pawnee Earth Lodge, a Pueblo, and a Tuareg village. Meets ILS goals 2, 3, 18.
Program
Student
In the Crown Family PlayLab!
Tuesday and Thursday
10 a.m. or 11 a.m.
Cost: $2 per student
Pre-Registration Required
Trash to Treasure: Decoding Life in the Ancient Americas (Grades 6-8)
What does your garbage say about you? Discover the diverse lives of past peoples throughout the Americas by investigating what's left behind. Examine early inscriptions, pottery, and commonly discarded items as "junior archaeologists" to discover how ancient ways of life were both different from and similar to our own. Meets ILS goals 11, 16, 18.
Program
Student
Monday through Friday
10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., includes 30 min. for lunch
Cost: $4 per student
Pre-Registration Required
Pottery and Symbols in the Ancient Americas (Grades 9-12)
Symbols are common in our contemporary life, but were also used by early people in the Americas. In this class, students compare symbols from past and present societies with those of contemporary Indigenous societies. They will also form and decorate post with their own symbols, using only tools and techniques available to early potters. Student that come to the Museum also embark on a data-gathering trek through The Ancient Americas, recording information like real archaeologist. Meets ILS goals 16, 17, 18.
Program
Student
Monday through Friday
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., includes 30 min. for lunch
Cost: $4 per student
Pre-Registration Required
Expedition Africa: Ecology and Culture (Grades 6-8)
Africa is home to some of the greatest biological and cultural diversity on our entire planet. Using our Africa exhibition, students explore the ways in which creatures large and small survive in extraordinary environments. We'll also examine the interesting practices of some of the most expressive and ingenious creatures alive today: human beings. Finally, students present on ways in which groups of people flourish in varied environments across the enormous continent of Africa. Meets ILS goals 13, 17, 18
Program
Student
On site:
Monday and Friday
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., includes 30 min. for lunch
Cost: $4 per student
Pre-Registration Required
Daily Life Detectives (K-2)
People may do things differently, but we all deal with the common concerns of life: like finding food, a place to live, and building relationships. Become a junior anthropologist and study the evidence for everyday life in different cultures. Meets ILS goals 2, 3, 13.
Program
Student
In the Crown Family PlayLab!
Tuesday and Thursday
10 a.m. or 11 a.m.
Cost: $2 per student
Pre-Registration Required
The Scientist's Lab (K-2)
Kids make great scientists. They love to ask questions, explore their surroundings, make discoveries, and share their findings. At the Crown Family PlayLab you don't have to wait to grow up to become a scientist, you can be one right now! Meet ILS goals 11, 12, 13.
Program
Student
In the Crown Family PlayLab!
Tuesday and Thursday
10 a.m. or 11 a.m.
Cost: $2 per student
Pre-Registration Required
Safari Africa (Grades 3-8)
How are humans connected to hippos? Explore the Africa exhibition to find out! Students uncover the artistic and culinary customs of peoples found in some of the most extreme ecosystems in the world and see how African peoples use natural resources creatively for their art, music, and food. This class offers student the opportunity to explore a range of topics, form African history to introductory anthropology, ecology and conservation. Meets ILS goals 13, 16, 18
Program
Student
On site:
Monday and Friday
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., includes 30 min. for lunch
Cost: $4 per student
Pre-Registration Required
Evolution 101 (Grades 9-12)
Uncover the five "Evolution Essentials" that Field Museum scientists use to understand how and why evolution works in nature. Students participate in a simulated game of natural selection and engage in other hands-on activities that give them the opportunity to put new knowledge into practice. Come gain a new understanding of scientific research. Also available in our large lecture format which can accommodate 60-120 students. Meets ILS goals 11, 12, 13.
Program
Student
On site:
Monday and Friday
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., includes 30 min. for lunch
Cost: $4 per student
Pre-Registration Required
Archaeology of the Ancient Americas (Grades 3-5)
Become a junior archaeologist and piece together the evidence of daily life in the early Americas. Working in teams, students will uncover clues from an "archaeology site" and make inferences about past human activity. Students will also tour The Ancient Americas exhibition and use their observation skills to learn more details of the daily lives of people from the early Americas. Meets ILS goals 11, 16, 18.
Program
Student
Monday through Friday
10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., includes 30 min. for lunch
Cost: $4 per student
Cultures of the Ancient Americas (Grades 9-12)
What was required to successfully hunt a mastodon? Can poisonous nuts be processed for food? Guided by specific questions about past life in the Americas, students explore The Ancient Americas to identify aspects of early lifestyles and highlight connections between early and contemporary societies. Available in our large lecture format which can accommodate 60-120 students. Meets ILS goals 14, 16, 18.
Program
Student
On site:
Monday and Friday
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., includes 30 min. for lunch
Cost: $4 per student
Pre-Registration Required
The Art of Ancient Pottery (Grades 6-8)
Take part in an activity practiced throughout the early Americas: making pottery! Come learn about the lives of past peoples by investigating artifacts. Explore ceramic shards and other materials made and used throughout the Americas, then make your own pottery, using only tools and techniques available to early potters! Meets ILS goals 16, 17, 27
Program
Student
Monday through Friday
10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Includes 30 min. for lunch
Cost: $4 per student
Pre-Registration Required
