Call (412) 622-3238

NSA classes at Carnegie Museum of Natural History are designed for students from preschool to high school. They incorporate current scientific knowledge and the museum’s collections to engage students with variety of activities that promote an understanding of the Earth, environmental change, evolution, and the impact of these forces on the Earth’s inhabitants over centuries.

Classes combine time exploring a variety of unique hands-on experiences inside our classrooms with guided time in our exhibit halls. Depending upon the age level of your students, classes may also include projects or take-home activities.

Click here for a note on state standards.

Scheduling
Classes must be scheduled at least four weeks in advance. Please schedule accordingly, as the demand for classes is greatest in April and May.

To make a reservation, contact Angie Stokes at (412) 622-3238 or StokesA@CarnegieMNH.org.

Required Chaperones
Preschool/Kindergarten: One adult per five students.
Grades 1 and up: One adult per 10 students.
Required chaperones admitted free; Additional adults pay student cost.

Fee
1-hour class: $8 per student; $100 minimum fee per class.
1½-hour class: $9 per student; $100 minimum fee per class.

Class Topics

Culture & Anthropology | Environment & Ecology | Geology & Paleontology | Interdisciplinary

CULTURE & ANTHROPOLOGY:

Archaeology Detectives
Explore the excavation techniques of archaeologists and analyze the cultural remains of a Monongahela American Indian dig site while learning more about Pennsylvania history.

Exploring Ancient Egypt
Explore the resources and geography of this highly developed civilization as you discover more about the artifacts, mummies, and treasures of ancient Egyptian society.

Inuit Know-How
Learn about the Inuit people and the animals they depend on for survival in the harsh Arctic climate. Visit a replica igloo, see and touch several remarkable Arctic animals, and examine a variety of Inuit tools and toys.

Raising a Tipi
Explore the culture of the Plains American Indians. Learn about family life, how to raise a tipi, and the importance of the buffalo to their way of life.

What’s in a House?
This survey of American Indian cultures focuses on the Tlingit, Hopi, Iroquois, and Lakota. The lifestyle of traditional families is highlighted using a variety of touchable replica tools, toys, and homes.

ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY:

Back Off!
Learn more about a variety of animal defenses, protection, camouflage, and deception in this exploration of everything from butterflies and porcupines to snakes and spiders.

Completely Batty
Learn more about bats as you investigate the important role these creatures play in our world. Habitat protection, echo-location, and species diversity are explored in this class.

Exploring Ecosystems
Explore the biodiversity of various environments, how different creatures and plants fit into the food web, and the role of people in our natural world.

Going, Going … Gone!
Learn more about the threatened, endangered, and extinct animals from different time periods and places on Earth. Examine a variety of confiscated wildlife trade items and discuss how we can help to protect animals today.

Going on Safari
Explore a wide variety of African animals as you learn more about their different environments and special survival adaptations.

HOT! HOT! HOT!
You’ll explore the desert regions of the world and check out how creatures and plants are uniquely adapted to survive the scorching sands and heat.

Insect Mania!
Take a close-up look at insects to learn more about their physical development, unique characteristics, and behavior as you discover the diversity of our world ’s insects.

GEOLOGY & PALEONTOLOGY:

Dino Detective
Explore the world of the dinosaurs as you become a Dino Detective and use a variety of math and reasoning skills to discover more about life in the Mesozoic Era.

Dinosaur Dig
Follow the process of dinosaur discovery and learn more about the Mesozoic Era and the work of a paleontologist as you explore Dinosaurs in Their Time and take part in a hands-on fossil wrapping activity.

Rock Hounds
Hands-on encounters with a variety of rocks and minerals will reveal how rocks are formed and their impact on our daily lives. Participate in a hands-on exploration activity to learn more about the special properties of rocks and minerals.

Stalking the Wooly Mammoth
Chill out and explore the Ice Age with us as you learn more about the animals that lived after the dinosaurs. Encounter the Sabertooth Cat, the Wooly Mammoth, and the Giant Sloth as you discover more about these prehistoric prowlers!

INTERDISCIPLINARY:

Discovering Pennsylvania
Investigate the biodiversity of plants, animals, geology, and early people of the state in this creative class combination.

Academic Standards and Museum Programs

Carnegie Museum of Natural History can help you address state standards. Numbered references to relevant Pennsylvania Academic Standards and Assessment Anchors follow many program descriptions in the CMNH program pages.

If you teach in Ohio or West Virginia or are required to address national standards in your work, we can assist you in identifying the corresponding relevant standards for each museum program.

Connections are readily apparent between museum programs and a multitude of the academic standards for Science & Technology, Environment & Ecology, Geography, and History. Less well-known are the ways in which the museum’s versatile teaching resources can enhance lessons that address standards for Arts & Humanities or Reading, Writing, Speaking, & Listening. Art teachers have long utilized taxidermy mounts from the museum’s loan program as drawing models, and in recent years, some English teachers have used archived news releases from the CMNH Web site for creative writing assignments. We will continue to share information about using the museum to meet standards, so if you and your colleagues develop effective lesson units that utilize CMNH materials, please let us know about them.