School

and Library

Programs

2012-2013

PO Box 38, 186 Townshend Road

Grafton, VT 05146

(802) 843-2111

www.nature-museum.org

2

Our Mission

The Nature Museum is a regional resource for nature, science, and environmental education in the Vermont and New Hampsh i re commun i t i e s o f the Connecticut River Valley. The Museum provides information and experiences which engage and enlighten our audiences and inspire stewardship of the natural world.

Dear Educators,

I am very pleased to announce the launch of The Nature

Museum's new educational programming format, Nature in the

Schools. With this new initiative, we aim to support teachers

and administrators in the important work you do by integrating

your existing curriculum with outdoor and environmentally

themed programing that meets current standards and curricular

needs. While we continue to offer our traditional half-hour to

one-and-a-half-hour school programs (see pgs. 4 and 5), you can

also contact me at beth@nature-museum.org or (802) 843-2111

to discuss a longer-term collaboration or in-school residency.

We believe that all students can be engaged learners outdoors

and benefit from a deeper connection to their surroundings. I

hope to see you and your students out in the field soon, and I

wish you a happy and healthy school year.

Beth Roy

Director of Education

3

Nature in the Schools

The model for The Nature Museum's Nature in the Schools

Program is a naturalist-in-residence partnership, providing long-term guidance, programs, training, and cross-curriculum support

to administrators, teachers, and students.

We will work collaboratively with

you to design thematic programs

that connect directly to your

curriculum.

Programs are based on your local

community, using your school

yard as a living laboratory.

The Nature Museum staff will

work directly with your students,

modeling current outdoor/

e n v i ro n m en t a l e duc a t i o n

techniques.

We will supply you with engaging program materials. Curricular

materials stay with your school for continued use in years to

come.

Our partnership will support you as an educator. Programs are

designed not as an "add-on" but as a tool to meet your curricular

needs with programs throughout an entire school year or just a

season.

We will work with you and your administration to aid in funding

the Nature in the Schools Program.

We will bring high-quality, in-depth science and environmental

education into your school and demonstrate to your students

that we all can have a sustainable relationship with the natural

world.

4

Traditional School

and Library Programs

1st-6th Grades Programs marked with an * are appropriate for preschool-K students and can

be shortened by 30 minutes.

Our programs support educators by...

Aligning our programs with the state learning standards and

grade expectations

Sparking your students' imaginations regarding the natural

world and reawakening your own sense of wonder.

Using varied and fascinating instructional materials like, pelts,

skulls, mounts, and slides.

Amphibians *

1-Hour Program

Offered Spring and Summer

Bringing in live specimens of frogs and salamanders, we will discuss what

makes an animal an amphibian, their distinctive life cycles, the species that

we have in New England, and the threats to their survival.

Animals in Winter*

1-Hour Program

Discover how different animals survive throughout our long New England

winters. We’ll explore how animals are adapted to deal with the cold and

snow and how they obtain food, water, and shelter in the winter.

Through interactive games, slides, and observations of the Museum’s

natural history collection, we will delve deeply into animals’ lives in the

snow.

Astronomy: Our Changing Moon

1-Hour Indoor Program

Does the moon stay the same each night? How does it change? We’ll

answer these questions and more through hands-on demonstrations and

experiments with additional sorting and journaling activities.

Bats*

1-Hour Program

Behind the mystery and misunderstanding which surround them, bats are

amazing and beneficial animals. Slides, mounted bats, a puppet show, and

other activities demonstrate how bats from around the world have

adapted to what they eat and where they live. Threats to their survival

and their effects on the ecosystem will also be discussed.

5

Beavers*

1/2-Hour Program (an outdoor field trip may be added to this program)

Beavers are familiar animals to many people, but be prepared to learn

some amazing facts about these crafty engineers. A beaver mount, hands-

on materials, and a puppet show illustrate how beavers are adapted to

their aquatic environment and how their ponds serve as centers for

wildlife activity and habitat creation.

Dinosaurs*

1/2-Hour Program

The world of dinosaurs comes to life in this highly interactive program.

With a puppet show, activity stations, and all-group activities, this program

is sure to delight budding paleontologists.

Insect Investigations*

1-Hour Indoor Program or

1 1/2-Hour Program with Outdoor Exploration

How is an insect different from a spider? How do insects change as they

grow? Find out the answers to these questions and more through hands-

on activity stations and museum specimens.

Owls*

1-Hour Program

These silent flyers of the night are fascinating to young children. Explore

the world of these nocturnal birds and learn about their adaptations

through pictures, calls, feathers, mounts, and more.

Wonderful Wetlands*

1 1/2-Hour Outdoor Program

Offered in Spring, Summer, and Fall

Wetlands are fascinating places, but do you know the difference between a

swamp, a bog, and a vernal pool? We will learn about the different types of

wetlands and their importance. To finish our adventure together, we will

explore the life in and around a wetland firsthand, from the bottom-

dwelling dragonfly nymph to the birds flying above. Using nets and buckets,

we will muck around a wetland’s edge, discovering the life there.

Museum in a Box

Early Education Rental Kits

Call us if you are interested in the rental kits below. They are packed with

everything you need for a complete curriculum unit, such as lesson

outlines, background information, books, puppets, and games.

Bats Amphibians Owls Insects

Kits may be rented for a month for $30.

6

About the Museum

Open to the public since 1989, the Museum has two floors

and provides interactive exhibits and several major dioramas on the

region’s plants, animals, and geology. Outside, the Museum maintains

hiking trails in the Village Park, and a wildlife garden that offers a

peaceful and educational space behind the Museum. The Museum

also offers many public programs and family offerings. Information

about these programs may be found on our website, www.nature-

museum.org.

In addition to its exhibits and collections, the Museum utilizes

the vast resources around Grafton. Many of our programs lead us

outdoors, whether we are exploring a pond, investigating the forest

habitat, or checking out a beaver pond.

Lunch Opportunities. We offer outdoor picnic tables on site,

and upon arrangement groups may eat picnic style in our

program room on rainy days. Groups may also enjoy one of

many outdoor picnic sites in the village of Grafton.

The Second Nature Shop. We offer a wide range of natural

history products for adults and children. For group visits, please

specify if you would like the shop open or closed.

Accessibility. The Museum is equipped with a ramp leading into

our program room. First-floor exhibits are wheelchair accessible.

The stairs leading to the second floor exhibits are not wheelchair

accessible.

Bellows Falls Fish Ladder Visitor Center The Nature Museum also operates the Bellows Falls Fish Ladder

Visitor Center, thanks to a generous grant from TransCanada Corporation,

owner of the fish ladder as well as the hydroelectric facility in Bellows Falls,

Vermont.

Visit the Fish Ladder to learn more about the Connecticut River

watershed, the salmon and other fish that use the fish ladder, and the river's

many plants and animals. Call The Nature Museum to coordinate a tour of

the fish ladder or visit www.nature-museum.org/Fish-Ladder to learn more .

7

Please Contact Us

For more information, to reserve a program, or

to receive program announcements and updates: Phone: (802) 843-2111

Email: beth@nature-museum.org

Website: www.nature-museum.org

Group Size

Early education programs are designed for groups of 15 children or fewer.

Elementary and Middle School programs are designed for groups of 25

students or fewer. Special arrangements may be made for some programs.

Program Costs

At the Museum

All programs at the Museum include free admission to the exhibits.

1/2-Hour Program $50

1-Hour Program $90

1 1/2-Hour Program $130

2-Hour Program $160

Self-Guided Museum Visit (no Program) $2/person

Museum Exploration (Guided) $50

At Your Location

Receive a 5% discount off program costs if you schedule

more than one program at your location in a day.

1/2-Hour $50 plus mileage

1-Hour $90 plus mileage

1 1/2-Hour $130 plus mileage

2-Hour $160 plus mileage

Mileage is $0.75 per mile round-trip

Nature In The Schools

$125 per hour of instruction (teachers or students)

(no mileage fees)

8

Enjoy a Day in Grafton, VT! Complement your Museum visit with other interesting

and educational opportunities in town.

Hike one of the many wooded trails in the Village Park.

Visit with a working blacksmith (www.windham-foundation.org/

programs/blacksmith).

Enjoy a program or museum visit at the Grafton History Museum

(www.graftonhistory.info/Museum.html).

Visit the Vermont Museum of Mining and Minerals. Open June -

October (www.vtmmm.org).

Watch a video of cheese being made at the Grafton Village Cheese

Company store (www.graftonvillagecheese.com).

Check out the new lambs and sheep and an exhibit about the history

of Vermont’s sheep farming at the Windham Foundation’s sheep

barn. Open year-round.

Ski, mountain bike, or hike on many miles of trails at Grafton Ponds

Outdoor Center. www.graftonponds.com

Picnic by the pond or stream across from the Museum.

Ask us for more information or ideas

on how to spend a day in Grafton, VT, or

visit Grafton’s website at www.graftonvermont.org.

The Nature Museum

186 Townshend Road, PO Box 38, Grafton, VT 05146

(802) 843-2111

www.nature-museum.org

beth@nature-museum.org