Listed below is a brief description of each high school (Grades 9-12) in-person field triip being offered at the Howard B. Owens Science Center.
ALL YEAR OFFERINGS:
The contents deemed most appropriate for the field trip are given parenthetically at the end of the description. Each high school program teaches the nature of science and/or engineering design process.
HS Changing Ecosystems: There are many possible combinations of landscapes, flora, and fauna that can be made. However, only specific combinations are seen because of adaptations. As a class, students will examine five ecosystems: tundra, woodland, desert, marine, and jungle. In groups, students will go through several steps to build an ecosystem, and then evaluate another one.
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HS Dissection of a Crayfish: Investigate the hierarchical nature of organisms by dissecting a crayfish. In pairs, students will examine and take apart a crayfish in order to compare its anatomy to a variety of familiar animals. This trip is appropriate for biology and A&P classes. It can be tailored for environmental science classes. (biology, A&P, environmental—all levels)
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HS Making Change with Micro:Bits: Global challenges: It is hard to believe that people still do not have access to safe drinking water when smartphones are in their hands. There are several global challenges that have existed for a while, and many that have recently appeared. The students will choose a challenge and think about how physical computing can help society overcome it. Using the BBC micro:bit, makecode.org, and other available materials they will design and build a small model of a solution within given constraints.
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HS Medieval Warfare: In a time when there was no electricity, running water, or internet, there was war. The middle ages were plagued with battles between fiefdoms. The weaponry used to breach castles and village walls were various types of catapults, cannons, and rams. During this field trip, students will use 3D printed weapons to launch and track projectiles. They will manipulate angle, mass, and initial speed to learn how to hit the intended target. Then, they will build structures out of wooden blocks, and use the weapons to knock down another team’s structure. The team with the most points will win a prize.
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SPECIAL HIGH SCHOOL FRIDAY PROGRAMS- Available All Year
HS A Place Like No Other (Planetarium + Lab): Students will watch a short film about the Alaskan biosphere in an immersive full-dome planetarium environment. They will conduct hands-on investigations of the biodiversity of the Alaskan landscape and human impacts on the habitats. (environmental, biology, BGCS)
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HS Climate Changemakers (Planetarium + Lab): Students will watch “Kira” in an immersive full-dome planetarium environment. They will contemplate how their futures will be shaped by climate change, corporate influence, and AI. Students will participate in a series of meetings with various activities.
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HS Supermassive Black Holes (Planetarium + Lab): Students will watch a short film on supermassive black holes in an immersive full-dome planetarium environment. They will conduct hands-on investigations of EM radiation, gravity, and optics. (Earth & space, astronomy, physics—all levels)
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