Green STEM Programs

Amazing Arthropods (Grades 2-3)

Introduce students to the incredible diversity of Sonoran Desert insects, spiders, and other fascinating arthropods. Examine live and preserved specimens to learn about habitats and adaptations. Determine the roles of various arthropods in desert food chains. Discover desert animals that devour these succulent and crunchy creatures.

Program Objectives:

Through the examination of live animals, artifacts and interactive demonstrations students will:

Arizona Academic Standards Correlation:

Science Standards:
Strand 3: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Concept 1: Changes in Environments
Strand 4: Life Science
Concept 1: Characteristics of Organisms
Concept 2: Life Cycles
Concept 3: Organisms and Environments
Populations of Organisms in an Ecosystem
Concept 4: Diversity, Adaptation and Behavior

Exploring Adaptations (Grades 3-12)

Desert plants and animals display a fascinating variety of adaptations that help them thrive here. Examine desert plants’ structures to reveal how they deal with the temperature extremes and aridity of this environment. Then meet some live desert animals and identify their secrets to success as desert dwellers.

Teacher Resources

Program Objectives:

Through the examination of desert plants, live animals, and preserved specimens, students will:

This Program is 60 minutes long and offered only at the Museum.

Arizona Academic Standards Correlation:

Science Standards:
Strand 1. Inquiry Process
Concept 1: Observations, Questions, and Hypotheses
Concept 2: Scientific Testing (Investigating and Modeling)
Concept 3: Analysis and Conclusions
Concept 4: Communication
Strand 4: Life Science
Concept 1: Structure and Function in Living Systems
Concept 3: Organisms and Environments
Populations of Organisms in an Ecosystem
Interdependence of Organisms
Concept 4: Diversity, Adaptation and Behavior
Biological Evolution

Design by Nature (Grades 4-12)

Biomimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time tested patterns and strategies. Through experimentation with models, a live animal encounter, and exploration of how animal and plant adaptations have inspired human innovation, students will undertake a design challenge for the arid southwest.

Teacher Resources

Program Objectives:

Through the examination and manipulation of materials and models at activity stations and interaction with live animals students will:

This Program is 60 minutes long and offered only at the Museum.

Arizona Academic Standards Correlation:

Science Standards:
Strand 1: Inquiry Process
Concept 1: Observations, Questions, and Hypotheses: Observe, ask questions, and make predictions.
Concept 2: Scientific Testing (Investigating and Modeling): Participate in planning and conducting investigations, and recording data.
Concept 3: Analysis and Conclusions: Organize and analyze data; compare to predictions.
Strand 3: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Concept 2: Science and Technology in Society: Develop viable solutions to a need or problem
Strand 4: Life Science
Concept 1: Structure and Function in Living Systems: Understand the relationships between structures and functions of organisms
Concept 4: Diversity, Adaptation, and Behavior: Identify structural and behavioral adaptations.

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