Small Group Programs

Small group programs are ideal for groups of preschoolers, adults, and everyone in between. Topics are tailored to the audience and include touchable museum specimens. The paw print [] indicates that live animals are used in the lesson.

• Appropriate for children Pre-K and up (exceptions noted in program description)
• Maximum number of children per program: 35
• Length of program: 45 minutes
• $200 for first presentations plus travel fee
• $80 for each additional presentation

Lessons

Amazing Adaptations

What is an adaptation and what kinds are there? Learn about the wide variety of animals on Earth, and discover some features and behaviors that help them to survive.

PA 3.1 A, B, C
PA 4.1 D
NGSS: LS1, LS4

Animals with Bad Reputations

(1st grade and up only)

Slimy? Scary? Sneaky? Separate fact from fiction in this investigation of fascinating animals that are often misunderstood.

Download the Teacher’s Guide for Grades 1–12

PA 3.1 A
PA 4.1 A, B, D
NGSS: LS1, LS3

Incredible Insects

(PreK through third grade only)

What’s the difference between an insect and a spider? Do butterflies have bones? What senses does a cockroach use to discover its world? Journey from egg to adult as you explore the features of various invertebrates using activities, museum specimens, and live arthropods.

PA 3.1 A1, A3, A5
PA 4.1 D
PA 4.4 C
NGSS: LS1

Discovering Dinosaurs

(Pre-K through sixth grade only)

How do we know what dinosaurs were like? Were other animals alive at the same time as the dinosaurs? How were they similar to animals that are still alive today? Fun props and activities help small children learn how dinosaurs lived, ate, and protected themselves.

Download the Teacher’s Guide for Grades Pre-K–2
Download the Teacher's Guide for Grades 3–6

PA 3.1 A1, A5, C2, C3,
PA 3.3 A1, A3
PA 4.1 D
NGSS: LS3, LS4

Everybody Needs a Home

Food, water, shelter, space—all creatures need a habitat that provides these things. Meet several animals from different habitats and discover how their needs are met. Also explore how animals depend upon and relate to one another within a habitat.

Download the Teacher’s Guide for Grade Pre-K
Download the Teacher's Guide for Grades 1–12

PA 3.1 A, C
PA 4.1 A, B, D
NGSS: LS1, LS2

Fur, Feathers, and Scales

Why do animals have fur, feathers, or scales? Learn about the importance of animal coverings, and investigate adaptations while discovering some of the basic differences between mammals, birds, and reptiles.

Download the Teacher’s Guide for Grades Pre-K–2
Download the Teacher's Guide for Grades 3–6

PA 3.1 A, B, C
PA 4.1 D
NGSS: LS1, LS3, LS4

NEW Pollinators and Puns

Ponder pollinators and discover decomposers as you meet live invertebrates from The Academy of Natural Sciences. Learn how these important critters help seeds sprout and fruits flourish. Laugh along as the Academy’s resident storyteller, Marty the Moose, reads from Longwood Garden’s 2019 Community Read pick- The Reason for a Flower by Ruth Heller.
For more information on Community Read 2019: https://longwoodgardens.org/education/library-archives/community-read

Custom Programs

Don't see a topic you were hoping for? No problem! We are happy to work with you to create a program that suits your needs. Click here to design a custom program.

Travel Information

• Depending on driving distance from the museum, programs may begin as early as 9 a.m. and end as late as 9 p.m. (not including setup and breakdown).
• Distance determines travel fee. Travel is limited to 80 miles one way for programs with live animals.
• Programs without live animals have a travel limit of 200 miles one way.
• Travel fees begin at $25 for locations within 10 miles. 
• There is a holdover fee of $75 for presentations scheduled more than one hour apart (maximum of two hours between programs).
• For multiple topics on the same day, there is a fee of $75.
• We ask that multiple presentations be held in the same room. If this is not possible, a $75 fee will be applied.