Field Trips & SHOW

Education Guide

At Imagination Station Science & History Museum (ISSHM), we believe that live, in-person instruction and hands-on learning play an important role in a child’s education. Our programs are designed to promote student investigation and critical thinking.

Field Trips

Led by a museum educator, programs include age-appropriate content and activities for students ranging from kindergarten to 8th grade. Many of our programs are easily adaptable to meet high school standards, incorporating activities focused on competency goals of STEM education.

All museum programs meet learning standards outlined in North Carolina’s Standard Course of Study. If you do not see a program or topic that meets your needs, we can modify an existing program or design a special program that does.

We look forward to serving you with programs that interest your students and that supplement the great work you are doing with your students at home & in the classroom.

 

Know what you want? Complete an inquiry form.

 

Planning Your Visit

Option 1 – Museum Visit

Groups that want to visit the museum and not participate in a program are requested to notify the Imagination Station prior to the arrival date. Groups will self-guide through the museum. Visitors to the museum should wear closed toed shoes and clothing appropriate for climbing our rock wall. General admission will apply for the group:
Adults, students, & seniors: $6.00 each Children 2 years and under: Free

Option 2 – Museum Visit plus Student Programming

Explore ISSHM before or after your group participates in a scheduled program. Programs must be scheduled at least two weeks prior to the arrival date. Once a program is booked, groups must pay one week before the arrival date. Groups can choose different programs to customize their trip. General admission to the museum is included in the program price. Discounts apply for groups booking more than one program.

Student capacity and prices can be found under each program description in this guide.

*Group Minimum for a Program:
The minimum number of persons required to book a program is ten participants. If your group has fewer than ten participants, there is a minimum charge for 10 participants. Adults may be counted as participants.

**Current prices may vary slightly due to fluctuation in supply costs. Your program coordinator will confirm current pricing after receiving your inquiry form

 

What is S.H.O.W.?

S.H.O.W. (Science & History On Wheels) is a way for ISSHM to travel into surrounding communities and bring the experience of the museum to you. Each S.H.O.W. program promotes student investigation and critical thinking, and is designed to travel. We bring all the materials needed to conduct exciting workshops, assembly programs, or discovery classes at your school, civic group or family gathering.

Led by a museum educator, programs include age-appropriate content and activities for students ranging from kindergarten to 8th grade. Many of our programs are easily adaptable to meet high school standards, incorporating activities focused on competency goals of STEM education.

All museum programs meet learning standards outlined in North Carolina’s Standard Course of Study. If you do not see a program or topic that meets your needs, we can modify an existing program or design a special program that does.

We look forward to serving you with programs that interest your students and that supplement the great work you are doing with your students at home & in the classroom.

For locations greater than 75 miles from ISSHM, there must be a minimum purchase of $350 in programs.

 

Know what you want? Complete an inquiry form.

Science Programs

These programs cover a wide range of scientific topics and ideas. Programs range from 45-60 minutes long.

Physical Science Classes:

Pop, Fizz, BOOM!
In one of our most popular programs, we explore the properties of matter. Volunteers assist with experiments showing physical and chemical changes, including both endothermic and exothermic reactions. In each experiment we test gases produced by observing how they react with fire. Even teachers have a blast!

Serves up to 75; Recommended for grades: K-8

Field Trip cost $10/visitor; SHOW cost $250

Phenomenal Physics
What makes an object move? It is all a matter of physics! We use Newton’s Laws of Physics to explore force, motion, and gravity.

Serves up to 75; Recommended for grades: 1-8

Field Trip cost $10/visitor; SHOW cost $250

Fun with Polymers
What do plastic bags, slime, rubber and PVC pipes have in common? Find out with this hands-on program. Students will go through investigative stations to figure out exactly what a polymer is.

Serves up to 30; Recommended for grades: 3-8

Field Trip cost $12/visitor; SHOW cost $275

 

Earth Science Classes:

Digging in the Dirt: Archaeology & Paleontology
Students learn the difference between archaeology and paleontology and the importance of context as they examine artifacts and fossils. Students hunt for fossils in matrix from the Miocene epoch and get to keep their finds!

Serves up to 30, Recommended for grades: K-8

Field Trip cost $12/visitor; SHOW cost $275

 

Biology & Life Science Classes:

Animal Encounters
Students see live animals up close as we talk about adaptation, classification, food, and habitats. Students have the opportunity to touch an animal pelt and one of the animals at the conclusion of the program.

Serves up to 30, Recommended for grades: K-8

Field Trip cost $10/visitor; SHOW cost $250

Insect World
Students investigate the largest group of animals on the planet (75% of known species), insects. Students learn how insects see, fly, eat, and more. Once lucky student will get to experience life as a bug.

Serves up to 30, Recommended for grades: K-2

Field Trip cost $10/visitor; SHOW cost $250

Whooo’s Food
Investigate the food chain and food webs throughout ecosystems. Students will be able to dissect an owl pellet to see whooo’s been eaten! In the game of predator and prey, someone has to lose.

Serves up to 30, Recommended grades: 1-8

Field Trip cost $20/visitor; SHOW cost $300

Plant Life Cycles
Investigate plant life cycles with us as we talk about seed dispersal, dissect plants, and make paper samaras. Students will be able to dissect different types of plants to investigate just how they work!

Serves up to 30, Recommended grades: 1-6

Field Trip cost $15/visitor; SHOW cost $275

*Dissections:

Dissection classes allow students to investigate the anatomy of various animals. Dissections begin with an introduction to the specimen species and phylum. An educator then leads students through a dissection. Please book dissections 2 weeks in advance to guarantee specimen availability.

10 – 30 students are required per dissection.

Students must wear closed toe shoes.

60-90 minutes. (Prices based on number of participants & animal dissected)

Available dissections: Brain, Eye, Frog, heart, Starfish, Shark, Snake (*Others available on request)

Science On a Sphere® Discovery:

Science On a Sphere® (SOS) is a six-foot diameter glove that illustrates earth system science using data from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). SOS displays global storms, tsunami wave tracks, real-tiem weather. It can also display planets, moons, and the Sun. If you would like specific focus on topics from the programs listed below, customized programs are available with at least three days notice. Student worksheets are handed out with each program. Each program is approximately 30 minutes.

Minimum 10 — Maximum 40; Recommended for grades: K-8

Field Trip only: $10/visitor

Plate Tectonics
Students discover plate tectonics by viewing plate boundaries and the geologic activity that occurs there. We discuss the theory of continental drift, plate movements, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and deep sea vents.

Minimum 10 — Maximum 40; Recommended for grades: K-8

Field Trip only: $10/visitor

Space and the Solar System
Students take a tour of space without leaving the museum. They learn about the sun, planets, and select moos that make up our solar system. We also explore galaxies, exoplanets, stars and constellations in deep space.

Minimum 10 — Maximum 40; Recommended for grades: K-8

Field Trip only: $10/visitor

Weather
NOAA's SOS is an amazing tool for learning about, discussing, and discerning weather and weather patterns. Watch real-time satellite weather, follow air currents, and observe fronts and storms brewing.

Minimum 10 — Maximum 40; Recommended for grades: K-8

Field Trip only: $10/visitor

 

History Programs:

Our history programs are designed to teach your student to think like historians as they explore various time periods in North Carolina’s past. Programs are differentiated by grade level in accordance with NC Essential Standards.* Please specify if you would like certain standards addressed in our program. All history programs are 45 minutes.

A Pirate's Life for Me
Students explore the Golden Age of Piracy as they learn about life on a ship, weaponry, and navigation use a sextant to navigate the seas from the Carolinas to the Caribbean. Students learn about historic pirates of North Carolina.

Recommended for grades K-5
Serves up to 75($10/per)

Digging in the Dirt: Archaeology & Paleontology
Students learn about the past by exploring just below the surface. Students learn the difference between archaeology and paleontology and the importance of context as they examine artifacts and fossils. Students interpret archaeological sites and search for fossils.

Recommended for grades K-5
Serves up to 30 ($12/per)

Life in Colonial North Carolina
Students discover what life was like for the first North Carolinians. We focus on colonial society, clothing, jobs, diet, government, religion, and relationships with Native Americans. We study the Tuscarora tribe and how it was affected by the arrival of European settlers. Students are able to handle Native American artifacts from the Coastal Plain region.

Recommended for grades 4-5
Serves up to 75($10/per)

 

How to Book Your Field Trip

Fill out the Field Trip Inquiry Form or call (252) 291-5113.

Registration Information We Will Need:
* School or organization name
* Contact person
* Site address, phone number, fax number
* Grade/age level
* Email address
* Arrival and departure times
* Number of children, adults, and bus drivers
* Program choices
* Date of visit

Please call the Director of Education at (252) 291-5113 x221 to discuss programs and pricing.

*Please note: ISSHM cannot hold a date for a group without an official booking. When your program is booked, we will email you a program invoice and confirmation. ISSHM will also issue a reminder phone call prior to your program date.

Admissions & Payment:
We accept cash, checks, Visa, and MasterCard credit cards. Payment is due no later than a week prior to the program and is the responsibility of the group leader. Groups will be required to pay the amount on their invoice, as well as for any additional guests. We are not able to issue refunds. Membership cards, military discounts, and school system discounts may not be used with group rates. School purchase orders and billing requests cannot be accepted. If your group is visiting the museum on two or more days, separate payments are due each day.

Chaperones:
ISSHM requires one chaperone for every ten students. Chaperones can be teachers, group leaders, assistants, administrators, or parents. Chaperones are responsible for the behavior and supervision of the group. Required chaperones and bus drivers receive free admission to ISSHM. Additional adults accompanying the group must be booked in advance, and their payment is due at the same time as the group’s payment.

Chaperones and adults are responsible for the behavior of their group and are required to supervise and stay with their students at all times during their visit and programs!

Gift Shop:
The museum gift shop is located on the 1st floor of our museum. Children with an accompanying adult are encouraged to visit our gift shop during their museum visit. All gift shop prices include tax for your convenience. When visiting the gift shop, please limit your group to 10 children and 2 chaperones at a time.

Gift Bags – For your group’s convenience, we offer gift bags as an alternative memento of your museum visit rather than visiting the gift shop. Requests for gift bags must be made at least two weeks prior to your group’s program. Because bags are prepared for each order, groups will be responsible for the number of bags ordered. $5.00 per gift bag.

Program Revision, Cancellations, or No Shows:
Please review all confirmation materials carefully for accuracy and important information. If there are program revisions, changes to the number of attendees, or if the program must be canceled, please notify ISSHM by phone three business days prior to your program; Monday – Friday, excluding holidays. A charge of $50.00 will be applied to organizations that make changes or cancel their program(s) after the deadline. Messages left on voicemail or email will not be accepted as invoice revisions or cancellations.

Video Taping/Photographs:
Recording and photographing of exhibits and programs is allowed in part but not whole. Please only record short clips of our program and not in it’s entirety, any still photographs are permitted. Be sure to share your experience on social media!

If you do not see a program or topic you are interested in:
Let us know. We would be happy to design a special program just for you. Many of our programs can be adapted to high school standards, fulfilling many competency goals in STEM subject

Our programs are designed to promote student investigation and critical thinking. Programs include age-appropriate activities and encourage student participation. We offer programming for students ranging from kindergarten to 8th grade following state standards, all programs meet learning standards outlined in North Carolina Standard Course of Study.