ADVENTURE SCIENCE CENTER   http://www.adventuresci.com/

Use videoconferencing technology to join in the excitement of a field trip to the Adventure Science Center! Our dynamic, experienced educators will share educational and fun science activities with your students and engage them in active learning experiences.
 
Bone-A-Fied Facts - Learn the "bone-a-fied" facts about the skeletal and muscular systems of the body in this fun-filled program. A close-up view of real bones, artificial joints, and other demonstrators make for an informative adventure into the human body! Grades K-4.

Botany Lab - Lean the main parts of a flowering plant and each part's function. Investigate flower parts in a virtual flower dissection. Then have a close-up look at plant cells and pollen viewed under a microscope lens. Grades 1-8.

Dinosaur Discoveries - Learn the facts about dinosaurs using fossil replicas and animal artifacts. Find out how scientists draw conclusions about the structure and behavior of dinosaurs based on observations of animals living today. Meet our robotic triceratops and Tyrannosaurus-rex dinosaurs. Grades K-5.

Living in Space - NEW! - Discover how living in space differs from living on Earth. Learn how astronauts work, eat, sleep, wash up, and the number one most often asked question about living in space: how they go to the bathroom!  Grades 1-4.

ALASKA SEALIFE CENTER  http://www.alaskasealife.org/

Using live interactive video conferencing equipment your students will expand their ocean knowledge through multi-media presentations.  Students can meet animal guests, explore our exhibits, talk with researchers and animal keepers, and complete hands-on activities.  Using inquiry-based learning each conference will utilize research and rehabilitation programs happening at the SeaLife Center. 

Beaks, Burrows, and Binoculars: Observing Alaska's Seabirds - How do seabirds spend all their time in cold ocean waters? Discover what makes a bird a bird and learn about seabird structure, adaptations, and habitat. Observe bird behaviors, learn how different beak types are used to eat different foods, and experience our avian habitat to observe seabirds flying above and below the water. Learn what can be done to protect these wonderful animals as you create a puffin souvenir.  K-3

Marine Mammal Adaptations - How are so many mammals able to live in Alaska’s frigid waters? Learn about the characteristics of mammals and discover adaptations that allow these animals to survive in this harsh environment. Use the scientific method to test blubber as an insulator. With an opportunity to “create” marine mammals, you will better understand how these animals survive the chill of the North Pacific.  K-5

Terrific Alaskan Tidepool Travels –This program begins with imagining ourselves on the shore.  We then discuss how beaches are made including sand, stone, waves and tides, and wind.  We then use clues to learn about different animals and plants in the intertidal area.  This includes live viewing of our touch pool animals.  We will discuss conservation and the importance of preserving our oceans and the habitats along our coasts.  Conclusion with time for Q&A while watching our touch pool animals. 1-5

BRONX ZOO /WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY - http://www.bronxzoo.com/educators.aspx

The Education Department of the Bronx Zoo has a long, distinguished history.  The oldest education department of any zoo in the country, the BZ Education Department has been a leader in the informal science education field since 1929, providing audiences throughout the world with innovative programs that are based on the most cutting-edge research in the environmental sciences.

Animal Colors - This appealing program capitalizes on children's natural curiosity by engaging them in observation and deduction. Using visuals, games, and live animals, students will explore the role that color plays in animal survival. Students will learn that an animal's color may help it to attract a mate, to warn off other animals, and to hide from other animals. 

Grades K-3, Approx 45 minutes

Lemur Watch! - Bring your class to Madagascar!  Live cameras will transport your students to the Bronx Zoo's new Madagascar! exhibit, where they will explore two ecosystems: the dry spiny forest and the Masoala rainforest.  Students will investigate the relationships between these environments and the lemurs that inhabit them.  Based on their findings, students must decide how to protect these threatened and endangered primates. Grades K-4, Approx. 50 minutes.

Moves & Meals – There seems to be no end to the ways in which animals move. Some slither, swim, hop, fly, run, crawl, and swing. In this lesson students explore the many different ways animals move about in order to find their food and to avoid becoming someone else's food! Grades K-3, Approx 50 minutes

Size & Shape - Why do giraffes have such long necks?  Students consider this and other questions about how an animal's size and shape are related to its way of life. By observing a variety of animals, students discover some fundamental concepts about how size and shape help an animal survive. Students also draw conclusions about where an animal lives and what it eats.
Grades K-3, 45 minutes

Teacher Demonstration
Teachers & Administrators, 15 minutes, No Program Fee
Is your school new to videoconferencing? Connect with the Bronx Zoo to explore its Distance Learning Program. Teachers and administrators will observe a live animal and have the opportunity to ask questions regarding lessons and registration policies and procedures.

CAMDEN CHILDREN'S GARDEN - http://www.camdenchildrensgarden.org/

Lessons are available on a variety of topics ranging from butterflies, trees, soil and weather to genetics and tropical rainforests, and are designed for students K – 12.

Are You My Mother? - Explore a wide variety of seeds. Touch and sort the seeds by color, size, and shape. Match a seed to the plant it produces. Designed for grades K - 2.

Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar - Trace the development of a butterfly from an egg to an adult. We will read and act out parts from Eric Carle’s "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". Designed for grades K - 2.

A Leaf of a Different Color - Why do leaves change color in the fall? Follow a leaf from beneath the bud in winter to a mulch pile the following fall. K - 4

Birds of a Feather – Birds come in all shapes and sizes.  Learn how different species of birds have evolved to survive in the environments in which they are found.  K - 8

Bountiful Biodiversity – Discover the diversity of ecosystems around the world.  What is biodiversity and why is it important to us?  K - 12

Chocolate and Vanilla - Ever wonder where these fabulous flavors come from? Explore the intriguing food web and processes that brings us two of the most delectable food products to our homes. K – 8

Recipe For Soil - What is going on below your feet? Take a close-up look at soil, its many components and the organisms that live in it. Designed for grades K - 2.

Tree Homes - Some scientists claim that a tree can be home to some 500 creatures. What parts of a tree are used by these creatures and how are they used? Designed for grades K - 2.

Tropical Rainforests - Discover the wonders of the tropical rainforests. Learn why they are so important to all our lives. K - 6

Under the Sea - Our planet is covered with water, most of it found in our vast oceans. Though we sometimes think of the ocean as one big body of water, it really is a diverse environment. Meet some of the critters that live under the sea, and the habitats they live in. K - 6

Weird Weather - Weather affects our every day lives, even if we don’t think about it every day. Learn about the atmospheric changes that cause the weather we see and feel.  K - 8

Where’s the Water? – Explore how our actions are directly related to your water quality.  Have you ever wondered where the snow goes when it melts from the top of a mountain in the spring? Follow a water molecule on an interesting journey that can last the life span of the Earth. K - 8

Yummy Plant Parts - Did you know that a carrot is a root and a potato is a tuber?  Learn what part of a plant your favorite vegetables come from.  K – 6

CENTER FOR PUPPETRY ARTS - http://www.puppet.org/

Recipient of the 2006, 2007 & 2008 Teachers' Choice Award - Best Content Provider - Fine Arts Museum Distance Learning

Founded in 1978, the Center for Puppetry Arts is the largest puppetry museum in the United States.  Through distance learning, the Center offers hands-on puppet building workshops tailored to specific classroom topics and curriculum.  The arts are infused with science, social studies, language arts, and other disciplines to create a dynamic, interactive virtual classroom.  Students are briefly introduced to different styles of puppetry from around the world at the beginning of all programs for 1st grade and up.  Students participate in learning activities about a topic and create a working puppet of their very own to use in the classroom after the program. All puppet materials are easy to find, recycled types of materials that are of little, if any, cost at all.  A comprehensive study guide and materials list is provided to teachers for each program. Study guides are applicable to national curriculum standards in language arts, social studies, science, math, and other areas. This is a fully interactive learning experience for both students and teachers! The programs are not puppet shows. The Center also offers Middle and High School programs. The format for these programs is tailored for the older student audience and involves discussion and Q & A with Center staff over various topics such as Edgar Allan Poe, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Don Quixote, or Faust.
 

Anansi the Spider: A West African Folktale
PUPPET: Anansi Shadow Puppet
PROGRAM LENGTH: 45 minutes
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Students witness the African folktale Anansi as it comes to life with brilliantly colored shadow puppets. The story is performed during the first part of the program - complete with recorded Nigerian drumming & narration! Students are introduced to the "trickster" Anansi and participate in learning activities about West African food and culture. Students complete the interactive program by making their very own Anansi Shadow Puppet.

GRADE: Pre-Kindergarten-2nd

Dinosaurs
PUPPET: Dinosaur Cup Puppet
PROGRAM LENGTH: 45 minutes
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Students learn interesting facts about dinosaurs while building a Dinosaur Cup Puppet. Learning activities focus on the following: meat eaters vs. plant eaters, ways that dinosaurs moved, and ways that dinosaurs protected themselves. This is a great arts and science lesson!  GRADE: Kindergarten-2nd
 

Butterflies
PUPPET: Butterfly Marionette
PROGRAM LENGTH: 45-50 minutes
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Each student will construct a Butterfly Marionette while participating in learning activities about the lifecycle of the butterfly, what makes a butterfly an insect, and coloring and camouflage. Video clips and photographs of the different stages in the life of a butterfly are included. This is a great arts and science lesson all in one!  GRADE: K-2nd

Gingerbread Boy · Holiday Program!
PUPPET: Gingerbread Boy Shadow Puppet
PROGRAM LENGTH: 45-50 minutes
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Students witness the classic tale of The Gingerbread Boy come to life with brilliantly colored shadow puppets. The story is narrated and performed during the first part of the program. Led by the program presenter, students make their very own Gingerbread Boy Shadow Puppet during the second half of the program. They also participate in a learning activity about gingerbread's ingredients and history. This is a great holiday program.

GRADE: PreK-2nd

Exploring Africa
PUPPET: Giraffe Rod Puppet
PROGRAM LENGTH: 50-60 minutes
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Students will build a Giraffe Rod Puppet while learning about Africa. They will look at different types of homes, people, environments and animals of the Savanna. Animal habitats and protection from predators will be discussed. This is a great arts and social studies lesson in one! Also great for multicultural units. GRADE: 1st - 3^rd

Spiders
PUPPET: Spider Marionette
PROGRAM LENGTH: 60 minutes
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The puppet and learning activities for this program can be modified to suit the participating age group. Students build a Spider Marionette while participating in learning activities about how spiders and insects differ, web vs. wandering spiders, and the lifecycle of a spider. This is a great arts and science lesson in one!
GRADE: 1st-6^th

Plants
PUPPET: Pop-Up Plant Puppet
PROGRAM LENGTH: 50 minutes
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Students will construct a Pop-Up Plant puppet while learning about the various parts of a plant and their functions. Students will also discuss photosynthesis and plants as food. This is a great arts and science lesson all in one! GRADE: 2nd - 3rd

CHALLENGER LEARNING CENTER -  http://challenger.brownsburg.k12.in.us/html/vc.html

Brownsburg Challenger Learning Center offers interactive Videoconferences to students across the nation. These programs, based on a variety of space themes, target students in grades K-8. BCLC flight directors who are licensed teachers, facilitate these lively, timely, and educational events.

Captain Cosmic –Let your little stars shine by being part of the program.  Join Captain Cosmic for a tour of the solar system.  Captain Cosmic and students will share information about the sun, moon, and each planet.  Climb on board with Captain Cosmic for a fun-filled adventure.  45 min. 35 student max. 

COLUMBUS ZOO AND AQUARIUM 

 Visit the Zoo without ever leaving your classroom! The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium broadcasts videoconferencing programs directly from animal exhibits, and incorporates a variety of hands-on activities into every class. Each teacher will receive a teacher packet upon scheduling a program. This packet will contain information and materials for each session, as well as ideas for pre- and post-visit activities.

 Animal Classifications –What makes a penguin a bird?  Do all animals have a backbone?  We will discover the answers to these questions and many more as we explore classification in the animal kingdom.  Each teacher will receive a teacher packet upon scheduling a program.  This packet will contain information and materials for each session as well as ideas for pre and post visit activities. 40 minutes. 30 student max.

Animals in Every Layer - Travel with the Columbus Zoo deep into the layers of an Asian rainforest.  From the forest floor to the canopy, we’ll discover animals in every layer.

Backyard Animals - Join us as we explore North American habitats and discover the plants and animals that live in our own backyard!

Magnificent Manatees - Come with us on a rare underwater adventure as we visit the world of the West Indian Manatee. Students will become scientists as they explore these marine mammals through interdisciplinary activities. 

Nocturnal Animals - While you were sleeping, you missed a lot!  When the sun goes down, many animals are just starting their day!  Become a night watcher with the Columbus Zoo and see how our five senses compare to those of nocturnal animals.

Underwater Expedition - Dive into the water at Discovery Reef to learn how the Zoo recreates ocean habitats for a variety of sea creatures.

 DISCOVERY CENTER OF SPRINGFIELD - http://www.discoverycenter.org/

Video conferencing can take your class around the world in a day. Learn how you can bring science to your classroom by visiting top educational facilities worldwide.

Animal Families – Learn about family groups and how animals raise their young.  Grades K, 1 & 2.

Animal Awareness – Learn about the characteristics of mammals, birds, and reptiles, as modeled by live zoo animals.  Similarities and differences will be highlighted.  Presented by the Dickerson Park Zoo.  Grades K, 1 & 2.

My Amazing Body – Our body parts are so amazing!  In this interactive program, we’ll touch on bones, brains, muscles, and more as young learners explore human anatomy and healthy habits.

Grades K, 1 & 2.

Your Wild Backyard – Our backyards play an important role in conserving nature.  Learn about animals in your backyard, how to attract them, and how to build a healthy backyard habitat.

Grades K, 1 & 2. 

All About Birds!  All About Reptiles! All About Mammals! – Choose one of these 3 programs to learn about an animal family by meeting some of the Zoo’s live birds, reptiles, or mammals.

Grades 1-2

Ecology Exploration – Find the connections in a food web!  Dissect an owl pellet to investigate its eating habits.  Identify adaptations of predators and prey and explore concepts in population control.  Grade 2.

Magnet Mania – Students observe magnetism, explain properties of magnetic forces, and relate these properties to the Earth’s magnetic field by demonstration.  Students will investigate the Maglev Train technology, create an electromagnet, and develop a compass in their investigations.

Grade 2. 

MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC - http://www.msmnyc.edu/special/distancelearning/k12comm/

With over a decade of experience in the field of distance learning and as the first conservatory in the nation to utilize videoconferencing for K-12 music education, Manhattan School of Music has adopted the key elements of presenting successful music education programs via videoconference. In addition to giving students access to world-class musicians and stimulating artistic perspectives, Manhattan School of Music ensures that the quality of videoconference transmissions are of the highest technical standards possible.

Journey Through Jazz I – Back by popular demand, Michael Cabe, piano, Mark Lau, double bass, and Mark Micklethwaite, drums take students on a field trip through jazz in this presentation.  Come along for the ride as the musicians introduce their instruments and their “roles” in the trio, talk about the “rules” of jazz and what happens when those rules are broken, and play familiar musical examples to demonstrate jazz styles.  An interactive and exciting way to learn about jazz with live musicians.  Grades 1-5.

My Story:  The Life of an Opera Singer – Join messo-soprano Shelly Wade as she presents her operatic autobiography.  Assisted by pianist Mila Henry, Shelly takes students from her first encounter with opera as a young girl in a tiny town in the Deep South through her experiences as a conservatory student and young professional in New York City.  Throughout her presentation, Shelly showcases a variety of songs, styles, and costumes, and introduces colorful characters – both operatic and real – who were important in her musical life story.  Grades 1-5

East Meets West – Percussionist Rohin Khemani and saxophonist Max Wild take elementary schoolchildren on a lively educational journey through the world of music.  Introducing the concept of music as a universal language, Rohin and Max demonstrate how Eastern and Western cultures converge in music.  Using the exotic combination of Indian tabla and jazz saxophone to demonstrate characteristics of rhythm and melody, Rohin and Max create an interactive experience that is as educational as it is entertaining.  Grades 1-5

NASA DIGITAL LEARNING NETWORK - http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/content/catalog/details/?cid=577

 The Solar System and Beyond –Imagine you have been selected as a modern-day Columbus who is to explore our Solar System and report on your findings.  How would you use today’s technology?  What do you think you might find out?  How would you entice others to explore your “New World”?  This event will explore the solar system as seen from earth as well as from NASA space probes and telescopes.  Students will be introduced to the different characteristics of the planets, to the history of our solar system, and to the variety of objects that orbit the sun.   Emphasis is placed on the engineering challenges presented in obtaining data about objects with hostile environments that are moving through space at distances of millions of miles.  40-60 min.   

NORTH CENTRAL OHIO EDUCATIONAL SERVICE CENTER - http://www.ncoesc.esu.k12.oh.us/distancelearning/learnnco.htm

Give your class the opportunity to participate in a live, interactive experience between your students and a LEARNnco educator through video conferencing. LEARNnco programs are a perfect way to integrate curriculum into your classroom.

These forty-minute sessions were developed using established National Science Standards as a framework for fun interaction! The programs are also correlated to the Ohio academic content standards. They present science concepts using hands on group explorations between the LEARNnco educator and your classroom. These learning modules complement classroom curriculums, and all sessions are personalized with the format adjusted according to the ages and ability levels of the participating sites.

Physical Science Modules

Forces and Motion: Introduce your students to the forces of movement by performing experiments implementing Newton's Laws of Motion.

Electricity: Students will explore the concepts and principles of electricity. Activities to be do on like and unlike charges, current flow, conductors, static electricity, and parallel and series circuits. 
Energy: Find out the principles behind Energy and its many forms, none of which looks like Energy.
Matter Matters: Everything around us is Matter is one form or another. The air we breathe, the food we eat, the books we read, our bodies-all of these things consist of Matter.
The Physics behind Sports: Gyroscopic Motion, Rotational Inertia, and Gravity are concepts covered in this session geared toward older students.

Light Science: Light, Lasers, and Optical Illusions are used to describe the journey light takes from formation until it becomes an image in our brains.
Roller Coaster Physics: The fun of amusement park physics is revealed in this fun and exciting session.
Magnetism: This learning module will investigate, and discuss concepts of magnetism. Activities will be done on magnetic properties, magnets from magnetic substances, and electromagnetism.

Sound Science: Waves, vibrations, compressions, and rare fractions are all a part of this session discussing sound energy.

Simple Machines: Simple Machines make-work easier by using Mechanical Advantage. This session uses levers, pulleys, and inclined planes to show how.
Space Science: Space Science shows why it is necessary to have an understanding of Space before we attempt to travel in it. 

Life Science Modules

Nutritional Chemistry: Using foods like marshmallows, cereal, and Jell-O, this session explores how food provides our bodies with essential nutrients they need to build and maintain themselves.
Gross Science: Burps, farts, poop, pee, vomit, and boogers are part of this fun program studying the science behind some of the disgusting parts of the human body.
The Organ Systems of the Body: This session describes how the basic units of our bodies work together to form the internal working systems of the body.

Earth Science Modules

Weather Science: Following this session, your class may be able to "forecast" the weather better than the 6 o'clock news.

Everyday Geology: Properties of minerals of rocks and minerals, the different types of rock, and the Earth's layers will be studied in this session.
Dinosaurs: Explore a variety of fossil replicas and animal artifacts as we help students understand how scientists learn about dinosaurs. Discover some of the things we may never know about dinosaurs!

Mathematics Modules

 Probability and Chance: Students explore probability or "chance" by observing the predictable and unpredictable outcomes associated with games of chance.Length:  30 minutes

TENNESSEE AQUARIUM - http://www.tnaqua.org/

 We offer distance learning sessions that showcase animals! All sessions feature an Aquarium educator interacting with your class and answering questions about the topic. The animals are presented on camera and our programs are customized for specific grade levels. We can also adjust the intensity of the session to any grade level.

General Animal Program
Have a specific topic or animal you and your class are interested in? We have several animals that we can bring to the camera and discuss with your class. Please call to discuss which animals and topics of interest are available. Animals that may be featured include: Turtles (Ornate Box Turtle, Alligator Snapping Turtle, Painted Turtle), Snakes & Lizards (Cornsnake, Ball Python, Leopard Gecko, Blue-tongue Skink), Amphibians (Giant Marine Toad, Ornate Horned Toad, White's Tree Frog, African Clawed Frog, Eastern Tiger Salamander), Invertebrates (Curly Hair Tarantula, Emperor Scorpion, African Millipede).  Any grade

Your Place or Mine
Why doesn't a tree frog live in the desert? Students will explore this question and more as they learn about the basic elements all animals need in their habitats for survival. They will meet live animals who make their homes in a variety of habitats, such as deserts, forests and wetlands. Along their journey, they will discover why it is important for humans to take care of habitats.

K-5.

Comparison/Contrast Between Reptiles & Amphibians
Are snakes and frogs the same? A lizard and a salamander have the same body shape, but are they related? Find out these answers and more as we look at the similarities and differences between several animals in the reptile and amphibian families. This program can be altered to meet the needs of your class.  Any grade