Museum Instructed Programs
Gallery Programs are conducted primarily in the Museum’s galleries with demonstration materials, opportunities for
critical observation of real objects and interaction with the Museum educator.
Hands-on Workshops are conducted primarily in a Museum classroom, with visits to exhibit areas as appropriate.
Students will be engaged in observation, inquiry-based learning and problem-solving.
Scheduling a Museum Visit
Complete our online reservation request form https://www.cmnh.org/schoolrequest and a Museum Scheduler
will contact you.
Or call 216-231-8002 Monday through Friday, 9am to 4:30pm.
Cost for Programs at the Museum
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Self-guided visits: $5/student
Pre-School Programs: $7/student
o $70 minimum fee for fewer than 10 students
Gallery, Planetarium & Live Animal Programs: $7/student
o $140 minimum fee for fewer than 20 students
o For Planetarium and Live Animal programs, we may combine small groups in order to reach
planetarium/ classroom capacity and help avoid the minimum fee.
Hands-on Workshops: $9/student (certain dissection programs require an additional materials fee)
o $180 minimum fee for fewer than 20 students
Health Labs: add $2/student (total cost for the program plus lab is $9/student)
o $180 minimum fee for fewer than 20 students
Cost for special requests will be determined on an individual basis
Special Program Promotions
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20% off any program during the month of September
Chaperones
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We require one adult for every 10 students
Teachers and chaperones are admitted without charge up to one adult for every 5 students
Additional adults will be charged at the same rate as a student
Museum memberships and other discounts are not valid for instructed or self-guided visits
Arrival Procedures
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Plan to arrive 15 minutes early to allow time for check-in.
For morning programs, please do not plan to arrive early to tour the Museum (see self-guided times below)
Self-guided tour times:
o Mondays, 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
o Tuesdays through Fridays, 11:30 am – 5:00 pm
If you arrive late, the length and content of the program may be altered as needed to fit with the day’s
schedule
All Science-to-Go! outreach programs can also be taught at the Museum.
Visit cmnh.org/SciencetoGo for a complete program listing.
Earth
and Space Science Programs
See also: Planetarium Programs
Gallery and Classroom Program – 90 minutes (60 minutes for grade 2)
Your Resource on Earth’s Resources — Grades 2-3
Our planet Earth provides many valuable resources which humans use for different purposes. Earth’s resources can be
defined as renewable or non-renewable and some of these resources need to be conserved. This lesson looks at the
resources available to us, how they are used in our daily lives and what conservation measures or changes we can take
to protect them.
Grade 2: Geography: Human Systems
Economics: Scarcity
Grade 3: Earth and Space Science: Earth’s Resources
Physical Science: Matter and Forms of Energy
Gallery Program – 90 minutes
Ohio’s Geography — Grades 3-5
Have you ever thought about why the state of Ohio looks the way it does? Or how Lake Erie formed? The state, and the
features on the land, have been shaped by natural forces, including weathering, erosion, glaciers, rivers and climate.
Humans have played a role in shaping the land too by settling in particular areas and using Ohio’s renewable biological
resources and non-renewable geological resources.
Grade 3: Earth and Space Science: Earth’s Resources
History: Heritage: 3
Geography: Places and Regions: 5
Geography: Human Systems: 6, 7, 8
Grade 4: Earth and Space Science: Earth’s Surface
History: Heritage: 3, 8
Geography: Places and Regions: 10
Geography: Human Systems: 12, 13, 14
Grade 5: Geography: Spatial Thinking and Skills: 4
Gallery and Classroom Program – 90 minutes
Rocks and Minerals — Grades 3-6
We could not live without rocks and minerals. One could say we are still living in the “stone age”! Discover the
differences between rocks and minerals. Learn to identify minerals by certain properties and rocks by particular
characteristics. Explore how we use many rock and mineral resources in our daily lives.
Grade 3: Earth and Space Science: Earth’s Resources
Grade 4: Earth and Space Science: Earth’s Surface
Grade 6: Earth and Space Science: Rocks, Minerals and Soil
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Hands-on Classroom Program – 2 hours
The World of Rocks — Grades 3-6
Have we returned to the “stone age”? Rocks are formed in three ways via igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary
actions. Investigate the characteristics of rocks and use a dichotomous key to identify common rocks along with some
specific rocks found in Ohio. You might be surprised how rock resources are used in our modern world.
Grade 3: Earth and Space Science: Earth’s Resources
Grade 4: Earth and Space Science: Earth’s Surface
Grade 6: Earth and Space Science: Rocks, Minerals and Soil
Gallery Program – 90 minutes
Earth’s Changing Surface — Grades 3-6
Our Earth is continually changing. At times the processes of change, such as erosion, weathering and deposition are so
slow as to take hundreds to millions of years. In contrast, activities like earthquakes, landslides and volcanism are rapid
changes that can be witnessed. These changes leave distinct features on the Earth’s surface and make our planet the
diverse place it is in our solar system!
Grade 3: Earth and Space Science: Earth’s Resources
Grade 4: Earth and Space Science: Earth’s Surface
Grade 6: Earth and Space Science: Rocks, Minerals and Soil
Gallery Program – 90 minutes
Rocks and the Making of Soils — Grades 4-6
When you hear the word soil, do you think of dirt? Soil is actually much deeper than that. Our lesson digs into the
properties of rocks and determines how rocks are broken down through the actions of plants and weather to help form
soil. We’ll also add some other ingredients to our soil mix and learn the characteristics of soils found in different places
on our planet.
Grade 4: Earth and Space Science: Earth’s Surface
Grade 6: Earth and Space Science: Rocks, Minerals and Soil
Gallery Program – 90 minutes
Plate Tectonics: Our Dynamic Planet — Grades 4-8
Journey to the interior of the Earth and discover how our planet’s internal structure affects the way the surface
features are expressed. Plate motions, volcanic and earthquake activity, and the heat within the planet are some of the
powerful ways our Earth changes. This action also relates to the rock cycle and the features we see on our planet.
Grade 4: Earth and Space Science: Earth’s Surface
Grade 6: Earth and Space Science: Rocks, Minerals and Soil
Grade 8: Earth and Space Science: Physical Earth
Life Science and Health Programs
Gallery Program – 60 minutes
Animals and Their Senses — Grades K-2, Includes a walkthrough of the NEW! Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center
and Woods Garden – Presented by KeyBank
What do you see, smell, hear, feel and taste? Does a deer, an owl or an ant use their senses in the same ways? Explore
which senses are used by animals to survive in the wild and discover if those senses might be or may not be as good as
ours.
Grade K: Life Science: Physical and Behavioral Traits of Living Things
Grade 1: Life Science: Basic Needs of Living Things
Grade 2: Life Science: Interactions within Habitats
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Gallery Program – 60 minutes
The Secret Lives of Dinosaurs — Grades K-2
Dinosaurs. They’re big! But were they all big? They were green in color … Do we really know that? Many dinosaurs even
had feathers! Be a paleontologist as we discover how we know dinosaurs existed, how to tell the difference between
dinosaurs and reptiles and how to determine what adaptations these strange and interesting animals had in order to
meet their needs. By the way, dinosaurs are in your neighborhood right now! Can you guess what they are?
Grade K: Life Science: Physical and Behavioral Traits of Living Things
Grade 1: Life Science: Basic Needs of Living Things
Grade 2: Life Science: Interactions within Habitats
Gallery Program – 60 minutes
Staying Alive: Plant and Animal Adaptations — Grades K-2, Includes a walkthrough of the NEW! Ralph
Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden – Presented by KeyBank
The basic needs of all living things are much the same. When plants and animals live in different environments, their
adaptations will help them meet these needs. What are these needs and how do plants and animals obtain them living
in a variety of different environments?
Grade K: Life Science: Physical and Behavioral Traits of Living Things
Grade 1: Life Science: Basic Needs of Living Things
Grade 2: Life Science: Interactions within Habitats
Hands-on Classroom Program – 60 minutes (90 minutes for program plus lab)
Hidden Kingdoms — Grades 1-3
Get an up-close look at bacteria and viruses and learn how the human body protects itself from these tiny invaders.
Work with view scopes to study magnified images of germs and experiment with a UV light and Glo-Germ powder to
test the effectiveness of different hand-washing techniques.
Grades 1-3: Health - Standard 1
Health - Standard 7
Add a 40 minute Lab — Big Germ Hunt
(add $2/student)
Students will scour the premises for bacteria and grow their findings on prepared culture plates.
Hands-on Classroom Program– 90 minutes
Insect Exploration — Grades 1-3
Wow, look at that beetle …. Ooh a pretty butterfly … Hey, a fly just landed on my food. All of the animals mentioned
are insects. While they look very different, they all have the same parts that identify them as insects. This lesson
examines insect specimens and models to reveal life cycles, body parts, adaptations and more. Additionally, insects
and humans will be compared to analyze similarities and differences.
Note: Live insects will be used.
Grade 1: Life Science: Basic Needs of Living Things
Grade 3: Life Science: Behavior, Growth, and Changes
Gallery Program – 60 minutes
Who’s Home in Ohio’s Habitats — Grades 2-3, Includes a walkthrough of the NEW! Ralph Perkins II Wildlife
Center and Woods Garden – Presented by KeyBank
A forest, a pond and your yard … all of these are habitats for plants and animals and there are many diverse habitats in
Ohio. Learn more about what to find and clues to look for in different Ohio habitats. Discover the diversity of, and
connections between plants and animals and the adaptations that make them suited to live where they do.
Grade 2: Life Science: Interactions within Habitats
Grade 3: Life Science: Behavior, Growth, and Changes
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Gallery Program – 90 minutes (60 minutes for grade 2)
Fossils: Clues to the Past — Grades 2-5
Take a journey back in time and learn about life during prehistoric times. What were different environments like long
ago? What adaptations allowed animals and plants to survive in specific environments? Examine a variety of fossils and
exhibits to make observations and deductions about what the prehistoric world was like.
Grade 2: Life Science: Interactions within Habitats
Grade 3: Life Science: Behavior, Growth, and Changes
Grade 4: Life Science: Earth’s Living History
Grace 5: Life Science: Interactions with Ecosystems
Gallery and Hands-on Classroom Program – 2 hours
The World of Fossils — Grades 3-5
Fossils are clues to past environments. During this lesson, techniques used by paleontologists will help students
discover the characteristics shared by fossils from a particular environment. The Museum galleries will be explored to
determine the time period for each group of fossils. Additionally, students will excavate a fossil which they can keep!
Grade 3: Life Science: Behavior, Growth, and Changes
Grade 4: Life Science: Earth’s Living History
Grade 5: Life Science: Interactions within Ecosystems
Hands-on Classroom Program – 60 minutes (90 minutes for program plus lab)
Bodyworks — Grades 4-6
What does a real heart look like? And how does it team up with our brain, muscles, bones and lungs? This program uses
preserved specimens and anatomical models to teach students about the organization of the human body. Learn the
structures and functions of several major organ systems and see how they interact to keep the whole human organism
alive.
Grade 6: Life Science - Cellular to Multicellular
Grades 4-6: Health – Standard 1
Add a 40 minute Lab — Heart Dissection — Grades 4-6
(add $4/student)
Perform a thorough, guided dissection of preserved sheep hearts. Students will practice safe use of
professional dissection tools and compare animal to human cardiac anatomy.
Gallery Program – 90 minutes
Cycles in the System: Examining Ecosystems — Grades 5-7
Throughout the world, the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) parts of our planet have always functioned together.
Energy is transferred, nutrients are cycled and organisms perform the roles to which they have adapted. Just how
intertwined all of these parts are affects the functions of the system. Changes, both physical and biological effect the
inhabitants. This program visits ecosystems in Ohio and around the world, and even investigates prehistoric ecosystems.
NOTE: Modifications to this program can be made to fit 9-12 curriculum.
Grade 5: Life Science: Interactions within Ecosystems
Grade 7: Life Science: Cycles of Matter and Flow of Energy
Grades 9-12: Biology: Diversity and Interdependence of Life - Ecosystems
Environmental Science: Earth Systems - Interconnected Spheres of Earth
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Hands-on Classroom Program – 60 minutes (90 minutes for program plus lab)
Body Blueprints — Grades 6-8
Investigate the basics of DNA and discover how the genes you inherited from your parents determine much of who you
are. Review the structure of DNA to see how genetic information is organized. Find out which students have dominant
or recessive traits by conducting experiments with your class.
Grade 6: Life Science - Cellular to Multicellular
Grade 8: Life Science - Species and Reproduction
Grades 6-8: Health – Standard 1
Add a 40 minute Lab — DNA Extraction — Grades 6-8
(add $2/student)
Students will extract DNA from the cells of fruit or from human cheek cells. They may keep their extracted DNA
sample in a provided microcentrifuge tube.
Hands-on Classroom Program – 2 hours
Cell Science — Grades 6-8
Limit: 30 students
In many science and health careers the use of microscopes is important. The ability to identify the basic characteristics
of plant and animal cells is simple once the technique is mastered. Tissue and organs can be identified using
microscopes, plant and animal slides and models. Instruction on the use of microscopes will be included, with no more
than three students per microscope.
NOTE: Modifications to this program can be made to fit 9-12 curriculum.
Grade 6: Life Science: Cellular to Multicellular
Grades 9-12: Biology: Cells: Cell Structure and Function
Hands-on Classroom Program – 60 minutes (90 minutes program plus lab)
Disease Detectives — Grades 6-8
This just in: Nearly half of the students at East Coliville High School are sick with similar symptoms. As part of the health
department epidemiology team, you will work together to eliminate false leads and piece together clues to determine
the cause of this outbreak. It is up to your team to interpret data, identify the pathogen, locate its source and stop its
spread before this illness claims more victims.
Grades 6-8: Science – Inquiry and Application
Health – Standard 1
Health – Standard 2
Health – Standard 3
Health – Standard 5
Add a 40 minute Lab — Gram Stain
(add $2/student)
Students will analyze prepared bacteria specimens using the Gram stain procedure and view results through a
microscope.
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Dissection on Demand— Grades 6-12
$7/student plus an additional materials fee. See descriptions below for more details.
($140 minimum fee for fewer than 20 students plus additional materials fee)
“Biology is Boring?” Not anymore! Experience the “wow- factor” of dissection LIVE in your classroom! Each of these
engaging experiences are led by a museum instructor, encouraging students to learn anatomy and physiology while
emphasizing their significance to human health and lifestyle choices. NOTE: We provide the dissection tools and
specimens; you provide at least one teacher in the room to help enforce safe behavior.
Grade 6: Life Science - Cellular to Multicellular
Grades 9-12: Biology - Cells
Grades 6-12: Health – Standard 1
Dissection on Demand: THE BRAIN
Add $3/student for materials
The brain controls everything that our bodies do while interpreting everything that we experience. How does a
3-pound blob of fatty tissue handle all of this action? During this live dissection of a preserved sheep brain,
students will learn the anatomy of this awesome organ and investigate various functions of their own nervous
system. Hands-on activities will have your class replicating doctor’s physical exam skills, illustrating
neurophysiology and nervous system health. We'll discuss some examples of brain evolution in different
organisms and ponder strategies to help keep your gray matter in top condition.
Dissection on Demand: THE HEART
Add $2/student for materials
The heart keeps the entire body nourished with oxygen and nutrients, but how much do you really know about
this vital organ? Heart disease is the number one cause of mortality in the United States! This program will
stress the importance of the cardiovascular system, while highlighting ways to keep it healthy. This live
dissection of a preserved sheep heart is an engaging way to review cardiac anatomy, function, and coronary
diseases. Real human specimens will be displayed for comparison with animal samples.
Dissection on Demand: FETAL PIG
Add $5/student for materials
Observe the dissection of a whole animal whose organs match up closely with human anatomy. A museum expert
will quiz students on organ structure and function throughout the dissection, as well as point out interesting
traits and features students may notice on their own bodies. Real human specimens will be displayed for
comparison with animal samples, and students will discuss habits that may lead to health concerns of specific
organs.
Dissection on Demand: AVIAN ANATOMY
Add $2/student for materials
This dissection of a quail highlights the specialized adaptations of birds’ external and pulmonary anatomy for
flight. We recommend this lab for students with previous dissection experience as the quail are unpreserved
fresh specimens.
Gallery and Planetarium Program – 90 minutes
Evolution — Grades 8-12
Earth is an amazing planet. How the Earth became suitable for life and how living organisms changed the Earth are
covered in the Shafran Planetarium viewing of, “Life: A Cosmic Story.” The Museum gallery portion of the lesson
explores the diversity of vertebrates revealing the increasing complexity of life and the evolutionary traits enabling
each vertebrate group to evolve over time.
Grade 8: Life Science: Species and Reproduction
Grades 9-12: Biology: Evolution
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Gallery Program – 90 minutes (also available as a 60 minute Interactive Video Conference Program)
Human Origins — Grades 9-12
All living organisms on the Earth evolved, humans notwithstanding. Discover what adaptations make us human and
learn about the hominin ancestors from which we came. The hominin “family tree” is more extensive than originally
realized and is continually branching with new discoveries. Follow the development of modern humans using
information gleaned from fossils as old as 4.5 million years ago as well as clues from living primates today.
Grades 9-12: Biology: Evolution
Social
Studies Programs
See also: Planetarium Programs
Gallery Program – 60 minutes
American Indians — Grades K-2
North American Indian groups lived differently depending on where they lived. Two or more of the geographic and
cultural areas; Northeast Woodland, Great Plains, Desert Southwest, Northwest Coast or Arctic, will be covered to
determine how Native people filled their basic needs. Lifestyles, customs and artistic traditions will be compared and
contrasted as we review the geographic areas and how the geographic areas influenced their lifestyles.
Grade K: Geography: Human Systems: 7
Grade 1: History: Heritage: 7
Geography: Human Systems: 6, 7
Grade 2: Geography: Human Systems: 7, 8, 9
Gallery Program – 90 minutes
American Indians — Grades 3-5
The Native people of North America lived in a variety of environments and utilized the resources around them. While
Native cultures are around today, this lesson will compare cultural practices and lifestyles of a variety of Native groups
at the time of, or prior to, the arrival of Europeans. Food, clothing, tools, shelter, cultural practices and artistic expression
will be discussed.
Grade 3: Geography: Places and Regions: 5
Geography: Human Systems: 7
Grade 4: Geography: Human Systems: 12
Grade 5: Geography: Human Systems: 8
Gallery Program – 90 minutes (also available as a 60 minute Interactive Video Conferencing Program)
Ohio Indians — Grades 3-5
For 12,000 years or more, Indians have been living in Ohio. From the Paleo-Indians, through the mound building of the
Woodland tradition, to the historic tribes, evidence, in the form of artifacts, reveals their lifestyles. Become an
archaeologist and discover clues to the past.
Grade 3: History: Historical Thinking and Skills: 1, 2
Geography: Places and Regions: 5
Geography: Human Systems: 7
Grade 4: History: Historical Thinking and Skills: 1, 2
History: Heritage: 3
Grade 5: History: Early Civilizations: 2
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Hands-on Classroom Program – 2 hours
Ohio Indians Plus! — Grades 3-5
Ohio’s rich history of native people will come to life as the five cultural groups of Ohio’s Indians will be discussed, then,
like an archaeologist, students will analyze groups of artifacts to identify, describe and interpret the various lifestyles of
the cultures. This lesson covers the earliest Paleo-Indian culture through the Moundbuilders to the time of European
contact.
Grade 3: History: Historical Thinking and Skills: 1, 2
Geography: Places and Regions: 5
Geography: Human Systems: 7
Grade 4: History: Historical Thinking and Skills: 1, 2
History: Heritage: 3
Grade 5: History: Early Civilizations: 2
Gallery Program – 90 minutes
Exploring the World’s Cultures — Grades 3-7
Travel the world and connect with cultures with which you may not be familiar. The natural environment still plays a
large role in traditional lifestyles, but lifestyles and cultures do change and adapt as new ideas and technologies are
brought in. We will concentrate on traditional lifeways as well as how changes have affected these cultures.
Grade 3: History: Historical Thinking and Skills: 2
Geography: Places and Regions: 5
Geography: Human Systems: 6, 7
Grade 5: History: Early Civilizations: 2
History: Heritage: 3
Geography: Spatial Thinking and Skills: 4
Geography: Places and Regions: 6
Geography: Human Systems: 7, 8
Grade 6: History: Historical Thinking and Skills: 1
Geography: Spatial Thinking and Skills: 3
Geography: Human Systems: 5, 7, 8
Grade 7: History: First Global Age: 8, 9, 10, 11
Geography: Spatial Thinking and Skills: 12
Geography: Human Systems: 13, 14
Interdisciplinary Math and Science Program
Hands-on Classroom and Gallery Program – 2 hours
Measuring Our World — Grades 3-4
Science uses many aspects of mathematics. This hands-on lesson, incorporating natural history items, will help students
develop their problem solving skills while exploring careers in science, as they analyze and record data in tables, charts
and graphs. Students will apply measurement, use mathematical equations and analyze data using some of the same
methods scientists use in the field.
Grade 3 & Grade 4: Math: Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Math: Number and Operations in Base Ten
Math: Number and Operations - Fractions
Math: Measurement and Data
Grade 3: Life Science: Behavior, Growth and Changes
Grade 4: Life Science: Earth’s Living History
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Live Animal Programs
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Programs are available Monday through Friday starting at 10:00 am
Live animal programs take place in a Museum classroom and include a walkthrough of the NEW! Ralph
Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden – Presented by KeyBank
• Live animal programs provide an up close look at native Ohio species and provide an exciting and
memorable learning experience.
NOTE: Museum may combine small groups to facilitate scheduling and enable classes to avoid minimum class fees.
Groups that have been combined with others and arrive late will be admitted to the remainder of the program
already in progress.
60 minute program
NEW! Live Ohio Animals — Preschool
Students will meet some live Ohio animal ambassadors from the Museum’s Wildlife Division. Discover the major
characteristics of each type of animal, and explore the differences among birds, mammals and reptiles.
PreK: Life Science: Observations of Living Things
PreK: Science Inquiry and Application
K: Life Science: Physical and Behavioral Traits of Living Things
60 minute program
Ohio’s Neighborhood Wildlife — Grades K-2
There are many habitats in Ohio. Even your neighborhood is a habitat. Believe it or not, a wide variety of wildlife shares
your neighborhood. These include small creatures, like insects and mice to the larger animals, like deer and, in some
neighborhoods, black bear. We will meet some of the smaller animals that are native to Northeast Ohio and discuss the
adaptations they have to live in your neighborhood.
Grade K: Life Science: Physical and Behavioral Traits of Living Things
Grade 1: Life Science: Basic Needs of Living Things
Grade 2: Life Science: Interactions within Habitats
90 minute program
Ohio’s Native Wildlife — Grades 3-8
(also available via Distance Learning as a 60 minute program)
Ohio has a diversity of native wildlife. Not all may live in your neighborhood, but with the many habitats in the state,
different species may be found in different areas. During this lesson live native animals will be brought into the
classroom so students will learn about wildlife in Ohio. In addition, the habitats, adaptations and their roles in the
ecosystem will be covered.
Grade 3: Life Science: Behavior, Growth and Changes
Grade 5: Life Science: Interactions within Ecosystems
Grade 7: Life Science: Cycles of Matter and Flow of Energy
Grade 8: Life Science: Species and Reproduction
90 minute program
Ohio Birds of Prey — Grades 4-8
Birds of prey are often people’s favorite birds. We even name sports teams for some of these birds, like hawks, falcons
and owls. However, birds of prey have not always been so respected. We’ll get a close look at the predators of Ohio’s
skies, identifying some less well-known species, noting their adaptations, discussing their importance in the food chain
and the role they play in ecosystems.
Grade 4: Life Science: Earth’s Living History
Grade 5: Life Science: Interactions within Ecosystems
Grade 7: Life Science: Cycles of Matter and Flow of Energy
Grade 8: Life Science: Species and Reproduction
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