Discovery Class Registration

KINDERGARTEN

Animal Needs 

NGSS K.LS1.1: Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals need to survive.   

Using fun, hands-on activities, students will mimic actions and characteristics that help animals obtain the food they need to survive.

1ST GRADE

Jaw-some Adaptations 

NGSS LS1.A:  Different animals use their body parts in different ways to see, hear, grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place to place, and seek, find and take in food, water and air.  

Using a High Desert-specific collection of animal skulls, students will identify various adaptations that help animals eat their food. Then they will apply these skills to determine which are carnivores and which are herbivores. 

1ST GRADE

Birds of the High Desert 

NGSS LS1.A: Different animals use their body parts in different ways to see, hear, grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water and air.  

Expeditionary Learning Curriculum-aligned 

Learn about the birds of prey of the High Desert. Students will examine skulls, talons and feathers to learn how these animals are such incredible predators. Depending on availability, this may be booked as a live animal program.*

*Museum staff may need to reschedule live animal programs to prioritize animal health and safety that day.

2ND GRADE

High Desert Habitats 

NGSS 2.LS4.1: Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.   

Students will learn about three Central Oregon habitats by studying and making (fake) scat of some of the animals that live there. 

2ND GRADE

Fossil Fun

Expeditionary Learning Curriculum-aligned 

Students will play the role of paleontologists in a hands-on “dig” to uncover “fossils” of mammals that once lived in Oregon. They will then compare the habitats from these prehistoric times with the habitats of today. Students will also examine real fossils to help them understand the history of the planet. 

Image credit: Greg Shine, BLM

3RD GRADE

Animals of the High Desert 

NGSS 3.LS4.3: Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat, some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.  

Students will observe specialized animal adaptations that help these organisms survive in the High Desert.

3RD GRADE

Hidden Waters

Expeditionary Learning Curriculum-aligned 

Students will discuss aquifers and other forms of fresh water in the High Desert and build a model to explore how pumping wells can affect groundwater sources. 

4TH GRADE

Dig This! 

NGSS 4.ESS1.1: Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in landscape over time.   

Students will explore a “dig site” on the Museum grounds to look for Mount Mazama ash layers and then create their own model illustrating the layers of volcanic activity in the region. Only at the Museum.

4TH GRADE

Animal Defenses 

Expeditionary Learning Curriculum-aligned 

Students will observe a variety of animal defense adaptations including claws, camouflage and teeth that help these organisms survive in the High Desert.  

5TH GRADE

Hidden Waters

NGSS 5.ESS2.2: Describe and graph the amounts and percentages of water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.   

Students will discuss aquifers and other forms of fresh water in the High Desert and build a model to explore how pumping wells can affect groundwater sources. 

5TH GRADE

Natural Disasters – Volcanoes

Expeditionary Learning Curriculum-aligned 

What forces formed the Cascade Mountains? Why do we have so many volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest? Through exploration of real-life data sets, hands-on activities demonstrating the forces of tectonic plates, and engaging volcano demonstrations, students will gain a better understanding of the geologic processes that shape the landscape and their connection to our lives today. 

6TH-8TH GRADE

Animal Enrichment

Students will find out what it takes to care for wildlife at the High Desert Museum. They will create an enrichment for an animal based on its unique natural history and behaviors. Students will then document how well their enrichment meets the animal’s needs as they watch the animal interact with their creations in real time. Only at the Museum.