Classroom Connections

Bring science to life with an interactive exploration of how plants and animals grow and change. This program encourages collaboration as students work together to solve real-world life cycle challenges, boosting critical thinking and observation skills. Perfect for fostering curiosity and deepening understanding of nature’s amazing processes—an unforgettable experience that supports your classroom learning goals!

Dive into an exciting journey where your students will uncover the wonders of air through a hands-on adventure! In this captivating program, kids will explore the essential attributes of air and then unleash their creativity by crafting their own air dragons. Watch as they put their newfound knowledge to the test, experiencing the magic of air movement firsthand. Book this dynamic classroom experience now to inspire curiosity and hands-on learning in your students!

Dive into the colorful world of Eric Carle with our captivating program! Students will explore the life of this beloved author and illustrator, followed by an engaging storytelling session and a hands-on craft activity that brings his enchanting books to life.

Transform your classroom into a vibrant exploration of the natural world with our dynamic program on plant and animal adaptation! Students will dive into the fascinating needs of plants and animals, discovering the incredible adaptations that enable them to thrive in their environment. This hands-on experience will captivate young minds and bring the science of survival to life!
 

Ignite your students’ imagination with an out-of-this-world journey through our solar system. Through captivating stories and hands-on activities, they’ll discover the sun’s fiery energy, the moon’s magical phases, and the sparkling stars that light up our night sky. This interactive program brings science and literacy together to inspire curiosity, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of space exploration. Perfect for sparking wonder in any classroom!

Bug out about bugs! In this hands-on program students will discover what truly makes a bug a bug, from unique anatomy to fascinating habitats and quirky behaviors. Then, they’ll step into the role of being junior entomologists, closely observing real preserved specimens and documenting their findings through field notes and scientific sketches. Perfect for connecting science with observation, inquiry, and creativity. This is one buzzworthy experience your class won’t want to miss!

How big were the dinosaurs really? How do fossils form and what do they tell us about these giant and not so giant animals? We will have fun measuring and comparing sizes before students design their own dinosaurs.

Today, basketball is one of the most popular sports in the United States and around the world! But just over a hundred years ago, it was a simple gym activity created by Dr. James Naismith for his students. Discover the origins of basketball, then use your creativity to design a brand new sport using your very own ball and cup game craft!

Bring the vibrant heritage of Kansas to life in your classroom with our immersive State Symbols program! Students will engage all five senses as they explore and interact with Kansas's unique symbols, uncovering fascinating facts and experiencing the rich tapestry of our state's identity. This hands-on, sensory-rich adventure will captivate young learners and deepen their connection to Kansas.

Discover the colorful world underneath your feet as we explore minerals in this creative program! Students will learn about what minerals are, where they come from, how scientists classify them, and be introduced to a rainbow of minerals. We’ll finish by painting a bookmark with mineral-based paints and getting hands-on with some mineral specimens. 

Get ready for a bright and colorful adventure in science and art. Students will explore the magic of Aurora: What causes them, where they can be seen, and why they shine in so many amazing colors. With an exciting increase in solar storm activity this year, it is the perfect time to dive into this phenomenon. After learning the science behind the lights, students will create their own aurora art using magnets. It is hands on, creative, and a great way to bring space science to life in your classroom!

Sound is all around us, but we can't see it! In this activity, your class will explore how energy, vibrations, and waves create sound. Students will learn how sound is produced and travels through the air using visualizations and models. At the end, they’ll apply their knowledge to create a straw pan flute to take home.

We will be exploring animal life cycles simple to complex. Population booms can have a positive or negative effect on the food chain. Students will dive into food chains and energy pyramids while playing interactive games.

Engineering, fixing, and improving habitats for survival. Find out how animals build shelters to protect themselves from predators and extreme weather. Students will be challenged to make a spiderweb that can hold a plastic insect . Bonus challenge of trapping a kidney bean.

Find out about some of humanity's oldest measurements and how they lead to our modern day units. Students will also be tasked with creating their own unit of length and measuring items around their classroom.

Step into the captivating world of snails and discover their incredible superpowers in this interactive, educational extravaganza! This program is designed to thrill students with hands-on experiments, sensory exploration, and a deep dive into the marvels of these unassuming yet extraordinary creatures.

Students will learn about the history of Topeka. Starting with Native Americans and going throught the mid 20th century, this program focuses on some of the most important moments in Topeka history. After learning about the Capitol city, students will make a recreation of the capitol building dome out of foil.

Water can be found on earth in all three states of matter – solid, liquid, and gas. Students will experience this as they move through the water cycle. They will get to make a beaded water cycle bracelet or zipper pull as they complete their adventure.

Students will learn how living organisms are classified and given scientific names through binomial nomenclature. This includes the who, how, and why of naming species, along with fun examples like animals named after cartoons, books, and celebrities. Students will also become "pastaologists," sorting pasta by physical traits and creating names for new pasta "species."

Ignite your students' curiosity with an inspiring exploration of Amelia Earhart's adventurous life and the science of flight! This engaging program not only dives into the story of the pioneering Kansan aviator but also lets students design, build, and test their own paper planes, making science come alive in their classroom.

Learn about Earth’s ancient past as we study exotic extinct animals. We’ll discuss a zoo of fossilized life from an “abnormal shrimp” to one of the first fish that crawled onto land. Students will get to practice their paleontology skills and uncover their own fossils to take home.

Dive into this locally focused program about the water we pull from wells. How does it get below ground? Where does it exist in our state? How do we use it? How can we conserve it? Students will take a closer look at this often-mysterious part of the water cycle and learn about the dynamic relationships between humans and water.

Let’s go global. Students will be introduced to globes and maps, including different map projections, cardinal directions, and map scales. Students will craft a compass before we explore a map of Topeka and even get to do some sneaky math!

Get ready for a creative word adventure! Students will explore the magic of poetry by diving into syllables, synonyms, and vivid imagery. Through playful word games and inspiring examples, they’ll unleash their creativity and write their own beautiful poems. This hands-on program builds language skills and sparks imagination. Perfect for any classroom looking to make poetry fun and meaningful.

Discover Kansas’ ancient past. Students will explore our three state fossils and imagine swimming with mosasaurs or roaming with saber-toothed tigers. They will also get hands-on experience using real paleontology techniques to repair fossils bringing science and history to life in a fun, interactive way!