Virtual Field Trips
Explore science and the museum without leaving your classroom.
Our educators engage with students on a variety of science and natural history topics through live videoconferencing programs. Our Virtual Field Trips are designed to fit within your schedule, curriculum or interest areas, and are aligned with state and national science standards. Programs are designed for preK-12 grad audiences, afterschool, libraries, and life-long learners.
Morrill Hall provides two different distance learning opportunities - Virtual Field Trips and Science Chat Specials. Virtual Field Trips are designed to be done for individual classrooms, provide significantly more interaction with students, and are designed to support state and national standards. Science Chat Specials are designed to accommodate larger audiences while still providing some interaction as students learn directly from science experts. Additional program details for virtual field trips are below:
Virtual Field Trip Program Details
Fees
| 30 minutes | 45 minutes | 45 minutes with kit (includes shipping) | |
| COST | $110 | $135 | $185 |
Scholarships
Due to the generous support of the Rogers Foundation, rural schools* qualify for FREE VFTs hosted by UNSM.
*The following school districts are considered metropolitan and do NOT qualify for scholarship funding: Bellevue Public Schools, Bennington Public Schools, Elkhorn Public Schools, Gretna Public Schools, Grand Island Public Schools, Lincoln Public Schools, Millard Public Schools, Omaha Public Schools, Papillion-LaVista Public Schools, Westside Public Schools, Ralston Public Schools, Private schools within the greater Omaha, Lincoln or Grand Island communities.
Registration/Cancellation
Sign-up: 2 weeks advance notice is required
Capacity: no more than 30 students per program to ensure maximum interaction
Available dates: Virtual field trips are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
Rescheduling: If a virtual field trip needs to be rescheduled due to unforeseen weather events or Museum technical issues, we will try to reschedule within the following two weeks at no extra charge.
Confirmation/cancellation policy: You will receive a confirmation email prior to your program. Please check for accuracy. Cancellations must be made at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled Virtual Field Trip. Failure to cancel in advance may result in being charged the full price of the program. There is no charge if your program is canceled due to weather or unforeseen Museum technical problems.
Kits
Kits are included with certain virtual field trips. We strongly encourage completion of the activities prior to the scheduled program. Kits and instructions are mailed to classrooms prior to the scheduled virtual field trip. The cost for return shipping is included in the program fee. A pre-paid shipping label will be included in the kit.
Register for a Virtual Field Trip
--Virtual Field Trips are only available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays--
PreK-2, General Audience
Animals in the Hall
-Includes Class Activity Kit-
Like a scientist, we'll start with what you know, then ask lots of questions as we travel through our Hall of Nebraska Wildlife. Listen to identify animal sounds, explore animal behavior, check out habitats, and investigate survival mechanisms - it's a zoological adventure! This session includes lots of interactive question and answer time, physical exploration, and group discovery around animal senses, habitats, and behaviors.
Standards Supported: NCCRS-Science: SC.K.7.2; SC.2.7.2.C and NGSS: K-LS1-1; K-ESS3-1; 2-LS4-1
Duration: 30 minutes
K, 2nd, 5th
Life in a Dung Pat
--Includes Class Activity Kit--
Habitats and ecosystems come in many different sizes. By considering a bison dung pat your students will engage in a discussion of ecosystems and habitats, explore a Bison Dung pat (to discover the animals that might be found there), and be able to explain how dung pats support the lives of many small animals. Our 5th grade version will delve deeper into the movement of matter.
Standards Supported: NCCRS-Science: SC.K.7, SC.2.7, SC.5.8
Duration: 30 minutes (K, 2nd) | 45 minutes (5th)
1-5, General Audience
Stories Skulls Tell
Ancient skulls still speak to us. To understand what they have to say we will explore our own skulls, consider structure and function, and then roam our galleries searching out ancient mammals. Who were these creatures? Were they hunters? Were they hunted? Did they live underground? Answers lie in thinking like a paleontologist!
Standards Supported: NCCRS-Science: SC.3.7.2.B and NGSS: 3-LS4-1
Duration: 45 minutes
3-5, General Audience
Steady as a rock
Did you know rocks change?? Participants will learn fun facts about the science of geology with hands-on activities and lots of movement. By the end of 30-minutes your room full of “geologists” will know how a rock forms, changes, and gets classified. A rock is not just a rock! The program also includes several rock-oriented science experiences you can do in your space before or after the Virtual Field Trip. For best learning interaction we suggest the use of 3 colors of play dough. Instructions will be sent upon registration.
Standards Supported: NCCRS-Science: SC.5.13.4.A and NGSS: 5-ESS2-1
Duration: 30 minutes
3-8
Elephants in Your Backyard
--Includes Class Activity Kit--
Uncover a mystery – paleontology style! Working together we’ll dig deep into the tale told by fossil teeth and discover clues to Nebraska's ancient climate and habitats that were known to our very own elephants - Gomphotheres, Stegomastodons, Mastodons, and Mammoths. Using the tools of a paleontologist, students will uncover and identify fossils, make predictions, and put all the information together to find answers!
Standards Supported: NCCRS-Science: SC.3.7.2.B; SC.8.10.5.A and NGSS: 3-LS4-1; MS-LS4-1
Duration: 45 minutes
3-8, General Audience
Fossil Finds in Volcanic Ash
Get a close-up view of the amazing fossils found at Ashfall Fossil Beds! Explore fossil discoveries and "step" into the fossil bed to get a first-hand look at some of the rhino, horse, and camel skeletons found there. Learn about the volcano in southwest Idaho that blanketed the north central area of Nebraska with glassy volcanic ash 12 million years ago, how this catastrophic event resulted in the death of much of the wildlife, and how their fossil remains were discovered and continue to be researched.
Standards Supported: NCCRS-Science: SC.3.7.2.B; SC.4.13.4.A; SC.8.10.5.A and NGSS: 3-LS4-1; MS-LS4-1
Duration: 30 minutes
**Virtual Field Trips with Ashfall Fossil Beds can be scheduled mid-March to mid-November
3-8, General Audience
Zone in on Ashfall Geology: What the Rock Layers Tell Us
Dead Zone, Skeleton Zone, Recovery Zone...volcanic ash, waterhole sand, stream carried sand. It's all in a day in the life of geology at Ashfall Fossil Beds, one of nature's most unique fossil discovery zones. Explore these discoveries with an expert. This virtual field trip offers an in-depth exploration into the layering of sedimentary rock, differences in fossils found in the various layers, and clues that provide detailed information to paleontologists.
Standards Supported: NCCRS-Science: SC.4.13.4.A; SC.7.14.6.A; SC.8.14.7.A and NGSS: 2-ESS1-1; 4-ESS1-1; MS-ESS1-4
Duration: 45 minutes
**Virtual Field Trips with Ashfall Fossil Beds can be scheduled mid-March to mid-November
7-10
Evolution Examined
--Includes Class Activity Kit--
Dig into the theory of evolution. Investigate current research. Discover how evolution applies to you and the environment around us. Hear from graduate students and their studies on evolution. And try to sing like a fly. Evolution Examined reinforces the main concepts of evolution: variation, inheritance, selection, and time by investigating current research with real scientists.
Standards Supported: NCCRS-Science: SC.6.9.3; SC.7.8.4; SC.8.9.4; SC.8.10.5; SC.HS.10.5 and NGSS: MS-LS1; MS-LS2; MS-LS4; HS-LS4
Duration: 45 minutes
10-12
Horse Evolution
--Includes Class Activity Kit--
Through group scientific investigation and data interpretation, students will unlock the mystery of horse evolution. Using data collected from an in-class lab activity, they will join a museum educator to construct an explanation for how horses evolved on the Great Plains of North America. By analyzing the multiple lines of empirical evidence they uncovered in their in-class lab activity, your students will literally unlock a breakout box that will help them further discover and explore the non-linear evolutionary path of horses.
Standards Supported: NCCRS-Science: SC.HS.10.5.A, SC.HS.10.5.B, SC.HS.10.5.D, SC.HS.10.5.E and NGSS: HS-LS4-1, HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-4, HS-LS4-5
Duration: 45 minutes
General Audience
Tusker Power
Before the mighty Nebraska Huskers, there were the massive Tuskers! We will look at fossils from three prehistoric elephants and hear the story of a Nebraska where these powerful creatures once roamed free. In a highly interactive format, we will look at the world’s largest mounted mammoth, examine prehistoric elephant teeth to uncover what they ate, and see plenty of photos of the folks who brought the fossils of these great creatures to light. The question is – what made them go extinct?
Program Duration: 30 minutes
