Grades 6-8
Learning Safari
The Learning Safari is a wildlife adventure program for children in grades 1-8. This program uses guided questioning that empowers children to construct knowledge, make discoveries, and connect their museum experience to the natural world. The Learning Safari is aligned with Nevada State Standards and addresses these themes for the following elementary grades: 1st & 2nd - Habitats, 3rd - 8th - Adaptations. |
6th - 8th Grade
Theme | An Animal's Fight for Survival - Explore extraordinary ecosystems and learn how living things adapt for survival. |
Galleries visited may include | International Wildlife, African Savanna, Prehistoric Life & Marine Life
(15 minutes per gallery for an approximate total of 1 hour) |
Nevada 6-8 Science Standards | Life Science - Organisms and Their Environment L.8.C. Understand how living and non-living components of ecosystems interact. L.8.C.2. Know how to characterize organisms in any ecosystems by their functions L.8.C.3. Evaluate how changes in environments can be beneficial or harmful. Life Science - Diversity of Life L.8.D. Understand that life forms change over time, contributing to the variety of organisms found on the Earth. L.8.D.1 Know species can be identified and classified based upon their characteristics. L.8.D.2. Know fossils provided evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed throughout geologic time. L.8.D.3. Know an organism's behavior is based on both experience and on the species' evolutionary history. |
Galleries that may be visited on the Learning Safari...
Prehistoric Life Approach the Tyrannosaurus rex at your own risk! Triceratops, Ankylosaur and a ferocious raptor give a further glimpse into the past. Learn how fossils are created. Explore theories on the first animals to inhabit land, different dinosaur characteristics and extinction. See ancient marine life and other animals including the ichthyosaur, a gigantic marine reptile that swam in the waters of Nevada during the time of the dinosaurs.
International Wildlife Feel a real bear's fur! Get an up close look at the amazing variety of physical adaptations mammals use for survival around the world. Antelope, big cats, wild dogs, deer and sheep are just some of the animals you'll see.
African Savanna Hear the roar of a lion! Experience the breathtaking beauty of the Serengeti, featuring a peaceful watering hole and the animals that survive in this harsh environment. A wart hog, hyenas, a cheetah and a rhino are just some of the animals you'll find.
Marine Life Get splashed by our live sharks and stingrays that occupy a 3,000-gallon tank! Stand in the jaws of a megalodon shark. See colorful and fascinating creatures from the deep with unique adaptations such as blind cave fish and a frog fish. Find these and many other animals making the ocean their home.
Traveling Exhibits Every year the Museum hosts a traveling exhibit usually June through September. Don't miss your chance. Contact the Education Department to find out the current schedule of new and exciting exhibits visiting the Museum.
Science Sleuths 5th and 6th Grades
Science Sleuths is a life and earth science program designed to encourage observational and deductive reasoning skills and self-discovery by integrating inquiry-based, investigative, and hands-on learning with peer interaction. This program is composed of a 45 minute lab activity with a 45 minute gallery tour of the museum. The program is aligned with Nevada State Science or Social Studies Standards for grades 4-8. |
5th & 6th Grade
Theme | Fossil Stories - Discover the past using fossil evidence to look at unusual specimens. |
Galleries visited may include | Prehistoric Life, Marine Life, Wild Nevada & Classroom
(15 minutes per gallery & 45 minutes in the Classroom for an approximate total of 1 ½ hours) |
Nevada 3 - 5 Science Standards | Scientific Inquiry N.5.A. Understand that science involves asking and answering questions and comparing the answers to what scientists know about the world. N.8.A.3 Know how to draw conclusions from scientific evidence. Science, Technology, & Society N.5.B.3 Know the benefits of working with a team and sharing findings. Organisms and their Environment L.5.C.3 Know changes to an environment can be beneficial or detrimental to different organisms L.5.C.5 Know plants and animals have adaptations allowing them to survive in specific ecosystems Diversity of Life L.5.D.2 Know fossils are evidence of past life L.8.D. Understand that life forms change over time, contributing to the variety of organisms found on the Earth L.8.D.1 Know species can be identified and classified based upon their characteristics. L.8.D.2 Know fossils provide evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed throughout geologic time Earth's Composition and Structure E.5.C. Understand that features on the Earth's surface are constantly changed by a combination of slow and rapid processes. E.5.C.3 Know landforms may result from slow processes and fast processes. |
Galleries that may be visited on the Science Sleuths
Fossil Strories...
Prehistoric Life Approach the Tyrannosaurus rex at your own risk! Triceratops, Ankylosaur and a ferocious raptor give a further glimpse into the past. Learn how fossils are created. Explore theories on the first animals to inhabit land, different dinosaur characteristics and extinction. See ancient marine life and other animals including the ichthyosaur, a gigantic marine reptile that swam in the waters of Nevada during the time of the dinosaurs.
Wild Nevada Hear the call of a coyote! Experience the rugged beauty of the Mojave Desert. Use four of your senses to learn about the large variety of minerals, plants and animals, including the desert tortoise and burrowing owls that are found in this area. Find out more about Nevada's state symbols and the valley's first inhabitants.
Marine Life Get splashed by our live sharks and stingrays that occupy a 3,000-gallon tank! Stand in the jaws of a megalodon shark. See colorful and fascinating creatures from the deep with unique adaptations such as blind cave fish and a frog fish. Find these and many other animals making the ocean their home.
Classroom The Science Sleuths programs, Bandana Survivor, Fossil Stories, GeoDetectives and the Ancient Egypt Experience, are composed of a 45 minute gallery tour and a 45 minute classroom lab using investigative minds-on and hands-on cooperative activities. While you're there, check out some of the Museum's terrestrial animals including snakes, lizards and spiders.
Traveling Exhibits Every year the Museum hosts a traveling exhibit usually June through September. Don't miss your chance. Contact the Education Department to find out the current schedule of new and exciting exhibits visiting the Museum.
Science Sleuths 7th - 8th Grades
Science Sleuths is a life and earth science program designed to encourage observational and deductive reasoning skills and self-discovery by integrating inquiry-based, investigative, and hands-on learning with peer interaction. This program is composed of a 45 minute lab activity with a 45 minute gallery tour of the museum. The program is aligned with Nevada State Science or Social Studies Standards for grades 4-8. |
7th & 8th Grade
Theme | GeoDetectives -- Unearth the mysteries of our planet's dynamic geological processes. |
Galleries visited may include | Prehistoric Life, Marine Life, Geology/Prehistoric Mammals & Classroom
(15 minutes per gallery & 45 minutes in the Classroom for an approximate total of 1 ½ hours) |
Nevada 6-8 Science Standards | Earth's Composition & Structure E.8.C.1 Know sedimentary rocks & fossils provide evidence for changing environments and the constancy of geologic processes. E.8.C.2 Know rocks at Earth's surface weather, forming sediments that are buried, then compacted, heated and often recrystallized into new rock. E.8.C.3. Know Earth is composed of a crust (both continental & oceanic); hot convecting mantle; and a dense, a metallic core E.8.C.4. Know how geologic processes account for state and regional topography. E.8.C.6. Know minerals have different properties and different distributions according to how they form. Scientific Inquiry N.8.A.1 Know how to identify and critically evaluate information in data, tables, and graphs N.8.A.5. Know how to use appropriate technology and laboratory procedures safely for observing, measuring, recording, and analyzing data Science, Technology, and Society N.8.B.2 Know scientific knowledge is revised through a process of incorporating new evidence gained through on-going investigation and collaborative discussion Diversity of Life L.8.D.2. Know fossils provide evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed throughout geologic time. |
Galleries that may be visited for Science Sleuths
GeoDetectives...
Prehistoric Life Approach the Tyrannosaurus rex at your own risk! Triceratops, Ankylosaur and a ferocious raptor give a further glimpse into the past. Learn how fossils are created. Explore theories on the first animals to inhabit land, different dinosaur characteristics and extinction. See ancient marine life and other animals including the ichthyosaur, a gigantic marine reptile that swam in the waters of Nevada during the time of the dinosaurs.
Marine Life Get splashed by our live sharks and stingrays that occupy a 3,000-gallon tank! Stand in the jaws of a megalodon shark. See colorful and fascinating creatures from the deep with unique adaptations such as blind cave fish and a frog fish. Find these and many other animals making the ocean their home.
Geology/Prehistoric Mammals Gallery Explore the phenomenon of glowing minerals and scorpions. Discover bizarre characteristics of ice age beasts including smilodon and a giant ground sloth. See real camel and mammoth fossils discovered here in Las Vegas.
Classroom The Science Sleuths programs, Bandana Survivor, Fossil Stories, GeoDetectives and the Ancient Egypt Experience, are composed of a 45 minute gallery tour and a 45 minute classroom lab using investigative minds-on and hands-on cooperative activities. While you're there, check out some of the Museum's terrestrial animals including snakes, lizards and spiders.
Traveling Exhibits Every year the Museum hosts a traveling exhibit usually June through September. Don't miss your chance. Contact the Education Department to find out the current schedule of new and exciting exhibits visiting the Museum.
Ancient Egypt 6th - 8th Grade
The goal of the ancient Egyptian Experience is to encourage students to use teamwork and critical thinking to explore and investigate ancient Egypt through geography, history, mathematics, science, and technology. The gallery and lab experience provide three key messages: 1. The ancient Egyptians' survival in the desert was completely dependent on the Nile River. 2. The daily lives of the Egyptians were a reflection of their position in society's hierarchy. 3. The legacy of ancient Egyptians is revealed through technology and archaeology. |
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Theme | Lifestyles of the Dead & Mummified - Discover the cultural achievements of ancient Egyptians based on their social hierarchy. | |
Gallery visited | Treasures of Egypt & Classroom
(45 minutes in the gallery & 45 minutes in the Classroom for an approximate total of 1 ½ hours) | |
Nevada 6 -8 Social Studies Standards | Content Standard H1.0- People, Cultures, & Civilizations H2.0 Nation Building & Development H3.0 Social Responsibility & change H4.0 International Relationships & Power Geography G6. [6-8].2 Locate major civilization, ancient through current, and describe how regions changed over time. G6. [6-8].6 Describe relationships between regions and belief systems and tell how these are important to cultural identity. G6.[6-8].8 Compare the uses of technology across world cultures G7.[6-9].3 Identify the conditions necessary for the development of civilizations and the cultural, political, and economic characteristics resulting from the growth of civilizations Economics E12.[6-8].1 Describe how the exchange of goods and services around the world creates interdependence among people in different countries and effects standards of living. Civics C13.[6-8].5 Explain the influence of ancient civilizations of the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizens. C16.[6-8] Define the characteristics of a country. History H.1 [6-8].21 Describe the cultural achievements of societies in the Middle East, Far East, the Americas, Africa, South Asia, and Europe H.2. [6-8].24 Identify the characteristics that led to the emergence and decline of world empires around the world. H.2.[6-8].25 Identify the characteristics of various political systems of ancient civilizations. H.2.[6-8].30 Explore how a desire for foreign goods led to an increase and economic & cultural diversity H.3.[6-8].18 Explain how civilizations create order through social groupings. i.e. caste system, class system, feudalism Science, Technology, & Society (Unifying Concept B) N.8.B Understand the interactions of science and society in an ever-changing world. N.8.B.1 Understand that technology can increase resource availability and make new resources economical. Atmospheric Processes and the Water Cycle (Earth & Space Science Unifying Concept A) E.8.A Understand the relationship between the Earth's atmosphere, topography, weather, and climate. E.8.A.1 Know seasons are caused by variations in the amounts of the Sun's energy reaching Earth's surface due to the planet's axial tilt. E.8.A.2 Know the processes involved in the water cycle affect climatic patterns E.8.A.3 Know the properties that make water an essential component of the earth system. Mathematical Reasoning - Process Standard C Recognize and apply deductive and inductive reasoning Mathematical connections -- Process Standard D Use manipulatives and physical models to explain the relationships between concepts and procedures Apply mathematical thinking and modeling to solve problems that arise in other disciplines Identify, explain, and apply mathematics in everyday life | |
Galleries that may be visited for the Ancient Egypt Experience...
Treasures of Egypt Journey to the land of the Pharaohs. Explore life along the Nile and visit an ancient Egyptian village dating 3,000 years ago. Use hieroglyphics to decode words. Enter King Tut's Tomb and discover recreations of his Golden Throne, chariots, the Golden Shrine and outer sarcophagus. Use the same, state-of-the-art CAT scan technology as today's Egyptologists and explore an Egyptian mummy replica.
Classroom The Science Sleuths programs, Bandana Survivor, Fossil Stories, GeoDetectives and the Ancient Egypt Experience, are composed of a 45 minute gallery tour and a 45 minute classroom lab using investigative minds-on and hands-on cooperative activities. While you're there, check out some of the Museum's terrestrial animals including snakes, lizards and spiders.
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(702) 384-3466
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