To create an exceptional learning environment that inspires children and their families with a sense of appreciation for the Earth and its place in the universe.
Many of our programs are aligned with the Delaware State Science Standards, which makes them perfect for public school students.
DASEF’s K- 8 Field Trip Offerings
For Kindergarten Classes:
“In the Sky at Night” - constellations in the Star Lab planetarium, moon study.
“Trees Are the Same and Different” - compare seed and leaf samples, assemble and draw a “tree” with one each of root, stem, bark, leaf, and seed samples.
“Sharpening Your Senses” – identify sounds from our mystery sound CD, use Boomwackers sound tubes to hear pitch and make tunes; pantomime smooth and rough, go on a texture hunt, identify and describe scents.
For First Grade Classes:
“Cool Constellations and 8 1/2 Planets” - constellations in the Star Lab planetarium, planet presentation.
“Weather Wonders and the Power of Nature” - continental wind patterns, fog demonstration, wind energy construction, solar energy, tour solar collectors and weather station.
“Between and Beyond Solids and Liquids” – sort, group, examine, investigate, and test solids and liquids by their properties; make “gluep”; make seltzer rockets to see the power of gases in action.
For Second Grade Classes:
“Balance, Weight and Motion” - density cube sets, predict serial order and then weighwith equal arm balance; investigate balance by adjusting and testing therelationship between position of fulcrum, weight of objects, and position ofobjects; small group challenge: investigate motion and forces by building andtesting a marble roller coaster track.
“Insects: Growth, Structure, and Diversity” - four stages of monarch and ladybug development, similarities and differences of backyard bugs, build your own bug.
“Floating and Flying: Moving Through Air” – fold, fly, observe, record paper airplanes, short film on forces of flight; paper helicopters; make working models of maple seed and other floating seeds; make a simple kite.
For Third Grade Classes:
“Sun, Wind, and Water: Nature’s Power Plant” - solar viewer, tour solar-powered building,study the power of water and wind, design a device to harness power
“Skeletons: Life on the Move” - study energy transfer by joints of a human skeleton, compare a robotic arm and small animal skeletons with the human body, test reaction time
"Rocks and Minerals: Hard Science” – review three rock types through a short film; Sort and compare mineral samples; fluorescent minerals in the dark;
“Cookie Mining” – a hands-on simulation of the economics of mining operations
For Fourth Grade Classes:
“Silent Travelers: Earth, Moon, and the Planets” -satellite photos of the lunar surface, earth,and the planets; star movement, lunar phases, solar system in the Star Lab planetarium; build a lunar rover
“Sculpting the Earth” - examine soil samples, model landscape on stream table to examine erosion and human effects on land and water, satellite images of earth land forms
“Attractive Science: Magnets and Motors” – slides and review of magnetic properties; use magnetsto view magnetic fields, predict and test strength of attraction, magneticpermeability of materials, and induced magnetism; magnetize and demagnetize nails;demonstration of magnetic levitation train and magnetic accelerator; smallgroup challenge: make an electrical circuit to create sound or build amotorized car.
For Fifth Grade Classes:
“EnLIGHTened by the Sun”- reflecting withlight mazes, prisms & the spectrum, measuring UV light, solar viewer.
“Sound—Good Vibrations” - “Boom Whackers” sound tubes, sound transmission through various materials, guitar strings –adjusting volume and pitch.
“Motion and Design: Pinball and Roller Coasters” – review forces and motion with short film; examine energy and gravitational force on falling objects; two group challenges: given materials and requirements, design and build a marble roller coaster and a pinball machine, each with a diagram showing the forces and transformation of energy along the track or on the pinball surface.
For Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grade Classes
“Energy and Its Effects: Producing Electricity” – Power Point slides of wind and water electricity generation in the past, present, and future; building tour and discussion of active and passive transfer of energy from solar to electric; and static and current electricity investigations.
“Investigating Force and Motion” – Record results of movement of rolling balls of varying materials; calculate and graph their speed; demonstration of the transfer of energy through simple machines; investigate simple machines as used in various tools; small group work to design a device that combines simple machines to accomplish a task.
“Investigating Near Earth Objects” – Lunar study in StarLab planetarium including lunar phases; comparison of earth and lunar geology; Power Point presentation of physical features of planets; DVD - simulated mission to the Moon.
“Ever Changing Earth Systems” – Global weather patterns in StarLab planetarium; small group investigation of weather prediction; Power Point slides of water and land forms with regard to erosion and deposition; small group investigation with sand/water tables.
“Earth’s Geological History” – Power Point slides of water and land forms with regard to formation through deposition and erosion; small group work - modeling land and water forms on sand/water tables; movie – Fossils; illustrated discussion of plate tectonics, volcanoes, and earthquakes; viewing fluorescent minerals and other mineral samples.
“Water Ecology and the Diversity of Life” - Small group investigation of pond water samples; search for pond life through a microscope; small group investigation of natural water filtration with soils; Power Point slides of energy transfer through wetlands food chains and wetlands as a water filtration system.
