During your student tour to Chicago, your group may want to spend time at the Chicago Academy of Sciences Museum. The location was the first one of its kind in the west and was founded in 1857. The pupils will find interactive exhibits on display. The museum also offers educational programs as part of the experience.
The exhibits at the Chicago Academy of Sciences are entertaining and educational. Participants will find exhibits such as Rainforest Adventure, the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven, the Beacher Collections Laboratory, the Extreme Greenhouse, the Hands-on Habitat, the Istock Family Look-in Lab, Nature Trails, River Works, and Mysteries of the Marsh. At the Butterfly Haven exhibit, the pupils will have the opportunity to observe over 1,000 butterflies in a tropical greenhouse. There are 75 species of these beautiful creatures at the exhibit. The Nature Trails exhibition is the museum’s largest permanent exhibit. It is located outside the museum and is a nearly 1/3 mile trail where the class can observe the natural beauty in an urban environment.
The Chicago Academy of Sciences offers a variety of fascinating educational programs for your group to enjoy. There are programs for pupils in all grade levels. If you have a class of students in grades one through three, there are workshops such as Habitat Explorers Outdoor, Animals Up Close, Metamorphosing Monarchs, and A Seed’s Journey. During the Animals Up Close Program, participants will observe two live animals from the museum’s collections. They will note different characteristics of the animals. For students in grades six through 12, there are programs such as Amazing Biodiversity Outdoor, What’s the Buzz About Honeybees, H2O Investigations, and Interpreting Ecosystems. During the Honeybee workshop, the team will examine honeybees from the museum’s beehive and discuss the recent decline in the population.
