High Desert Museum: Discovery Classes

DISCOVERY CLASSES

Discovery Classes

Plan a visit to the Museum, or let the Museum come to you with animals, artifacts, and a Discovery Class that meets your needs. Three levels of classes are taught by Museum staff and volunteers, and include a packet of materials with pre- and post-visit activities. Fees for each program (one class, or a 30-student maximum):

          Level A: $30 at the Museum

                       $75 at your location

          Level B: $45 at the Museum

                       $100 at your location

          Level C: $55 at the Museum

                       $125 at your location

In addition to the Discovery Class fee, all students participating in those classes at the Museum must pay the student admission rate of $4.50. All teachers and one chaperone per five students are admitted free.

Discovery Classes outside Deschutes County will be charged a mileage fee.
Discovery Classes more than 90 miles from the Museum may be subject to additional travel and/or lodging fees.

Teachers - From Nov. 1 through Feb. 28, Buy one Discovery Class and get the second at half price! (For same class, same location, same day.)
All year: receive 15% off the second Discovery Class! (For same class, same location, same day.)

The following Discovery Classes meet Life Sciences benchmarks:

Museum 'Alive!'

Schedule a close-up live animal encounter exclusively for your class! We guarantee a compelling, authentic learning experience by bringing to you fascinating animals of the High Desert. Choose from Birds of Prey or Reptiles.

Grades Any
Length 30 minutes
Cost Level A

Creepy Crawlies

Discover the amazing world of insects and arachnids! Classify arthropods, observe insect collections and live animals, do an interactive habitat activity, learn about life cycles and more!

Grades 1-5
Length 45 minutes
Cost Level B

Grades 4-6
Length 75 minutes
Cost Level C

Desert Dwellers

Learn about the amazing creatures of the High Desert through this live animal encounter with arthropods, a reptile and a bird of prey. Explore the habitats where they live and the adaptations that help them survive.

Grades Any
Length 45 minutes
Cost Level B

Digestion Detectives

Learning is fun and memorable in this owl pellet dissection class! Students formulate a hypothesis about what the owl ate and then work in pairs to investigate these mysterious objects and get to the bottom of the age-old question, "What's for dinner?"

Grades Any
Length 60 minutes
Cost Level B

Awesome Animals

Examine pelts, skulls, tracks, scat and more in discovering how animals get their food, water and shelter. Delve into a unique, fun learning environment where you can compare similarities and differences between a variety of animals.

Grades 1-3
Length 60 minutes
Cost Level B

High Desert Habitats

Deserts are filled with life! Students become "field biologists" as they explore the High Desert's diverse microhabitats. Identify amazing, live, native animals, pelts and skulls, using field guides. Determine the characteristics that help these animals survive and meet their needs for food, water and shelter.

Grades 4-6
Length 60 minutes
Cost Level C

The following Discovery Classes meet Earth Sciences benchmarks:

Rockin' Geology

The High Desert has some of the most exciting geological features in the world! Identify and understand the geological events that created the Cascade Range and the High Desert, model plate tectonics and features of landforms, and investigate the rock cycle.

Grades 4-6
Length 60 minutes
Cost Level B

The following Discovery Classes meet Social Sciences benchmarks:

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Traveling the Trail

Take the journey of a lifetime across the Oregon Trail with a character from that era (who is also a Museum instructor). Songs, dancing, artifacts, journal reading and other activities allow students to experience some of the trials and triumphs of these amazing incredible pioneers.

Grades 4-6
Length 90 minutes
Cost Level C

Living off the Land

Discover how the land and seasons influence the lives of Native Peoples. In this class, students learn about the importance of the seasons, participate in a trading activity, see and touch a variety of artifacts, and make their own cordage.

Grades 4-6
Length 60 minutes
Cost Level B