Campuses:
Professional Development Workshops are hands-on, engaging and memorable opportunities designed for all levels from the somewhat reluctant science teacher to the most experienced field biologist. The workshops are taught by University scientists, graduate students and museum educators, and range in topic from evolution to biodiversity to animal behavior. All Workshops are designed to provide teachers with the knowledge and support to integrate science activities into successful lesson plans.
Funding generously provided by Education Minnesota.
Insects and Plants
Grades 2-5
Saturday, March 24, 2012 from 9:00 – 4:00
This one day workshop will introduce you to practical and relevant life science activities involving insects and plants through hands-on, object-based teaching methods and research-driven content. Bell Museum educators will lead participants through inquiry-based activities, observations, dissections of flowers and grasshoppers as well as simple experiments that you can do in your classrooms and in the outdoor spaces surrounding your school. Participants will increase their scientific process skills and content knowledge, receive science resources, and a newly found confidence and desire to infuse life science into classroom curriculum.
Six clock hours are provided.
Space is limited! Reserve your spot online or register by calling (612) 626-9660.
Bell Learning KitsLearning kits contain interdisciplinary lesson plans and activities, distinctive artifacts, fiction and non-fiction books, resource materials and a cost-effective way to complement our school curriculum. Kits can be conveniently shipped, for an additional charge, to your location or picked up at the museum.
Rental period: 1 week (7 days)
Cost: $70 plus shipping if applicable ($30)
Grade Levels: 3rd - 7th
Learn to appreciate bats as highly-developed creatures with amazing physical capabilities. Discover how bats "see" in the dark using sound waves. Compare a bat wing to the human arm and hand, and see how your "wingspan" measures up against the world's largest bats. (Developed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources)
Introduce your students to the history, science and social science of one of Minnesota's most treasured resources, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Engage your students in hands-on activities and interactive curriculum that includes videos, games and maps.
Challenge your students' assumptions about some of Earth's most misunderstood creatures. Find out if snakes really are slimy and whether tadpoles, frogs and toads are actually the same animal.
Discover the fascinating disciplines of archaeology and paleontology through fossil and artifact identification, making molds and casts of footprints, and re-creating an archaeological dig.
Satisfy students' natural curiosity about one of Minnesota's most intriguing inhabitants: the gray wolf. The kit encourages investigation into gray wolf anatomy, communication, habitat, and diet, and as well as discussion of wolf-related environmental and conservation issues. Developed in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Students will become amateur experts on this enigmatic Minnesota icon, known for its haunting call and unusual red eyes. While loons cannot walk on land, baby loons are excellent swimmers and divers from birth-though they also like to hitch a ride on their mother's or father's back. This in-depth study of loons and their habits was developed in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
For more information, call Erin Rupp at (612) 624-8245 or e-mail ruppx046@umn.edu.
Cost: $39.95
See details at www.historyoftheland.org/ordering.htm
The widely acclaimed documentary, Minnesota: A History of the Land, is a five-part, Emmy Award-winning TV series that brings to life the epic story of the people and landscapes of Minnesota, from the retreat of the last ice sheets to the growth of today's suburbs. A customized curriculum is available for middle school science, history or social studies teachers.
For more information, call Erin Rupp at (612) 624-8245 or e-mail ruppx046@umn.edu.
Rental period: Borrow up to eight items for seven consecutive days or one item for three weeks.
Cost: $40
Bring your classrooms to life with authentic museum artifacts and specimens from the Bell Museum's educational collections. Included are materials from many Minnesota animals, including deer, beaver, raccoon, and others. Specimens include bird study skins, mammal study skins, animal bones and skulls, fossils, rocks, shells, antlers and horns. Materials are appropriate for all grades and ages. Borrow up to eight items for seven consecutive days or one item for three weeks.
For rental details, call Jennifer Menken at (612) 626-7133 or e-mail menke004@umn.edu.
Open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Free
The Bell Museum Teacher Resource Center is designed to meet the needs of educators by providing answers, specialized information and referral in the biological sciences. A non-circulating library rich with resources, the center is run by knowledgeable staff trained in education and the biological sciences. Consider it a first stop when planning lessons, conducting research, or seeking fresh ideas and techniques. Educators are welcome during museum hours or by special appointment.
For more information, call Erin Rupp at (612) 624-8245 or e-mail ruppx046@umn.edu.
To be added to the Bell Museum's Education Program mailing list, contact bellmuseum@gmail.com.