Classroom Programs

Puppet Theater

If you can't make it out to Starr's Cave for a field trip, don't worry, we can always come to you! We have many programs written and ready for the classroom. We are also more than happy to create new ones upon request to compliment what science topics your classroom is currently learning about. We have furs, skulls, tracks, fake scat (animal droppings), fossils, birds, and an insect collection (just to name a few items) that we would love to share with your students. Most programs are a half an hour to an hour in length.

Listed below are some of the programs ready for the classroom. View our program guide.

Preschool/Kindergarten

Sense-Sational

Learn how animals use their senses to survive and communicate.

Puppet Plays

  • "Bear's Big Sleep" is an intro on how animals survive winter (great fall and winter play).
  • "New Hog on the Block" is an intro on how animals share habitats (perfect for springtime).
  • "Who's Your Mama?" is an intro to animals that live in a forest habitat.
  • "Don't Trash My Home" is perfect for teaching preschoolers why littering is bad (great for Earth Day).
  • "Under the Sea" is great for learning about animals living in the ocean.

1st Grade

Mammals

Learn what makes a mammal a mammal.

Trees Are Terrific!

An intro to plants; specifically trees and their parts and functions.

Seed Program

Learn all about seeds and work on a classroom project.

Camouflage

Learn why animals are certain colors.

2nd Grade

Five Classes of Animals

Dress students in costumes as they learn the differences between groups of animals.

Winter Adaptations

Find out who migrates and who hibernates. Includes an outdoor activity that further explores hibernation and winter shelters.

Animal Signs

Wildlife can be secretive and difficult to see when you are out in the woods. Learn how to read the signs so you can tell the stories of Iowa's wildlife.

Dinosaurs

Compare your feet to the size of a dinosaur's footprint and learn about what it is like to be a paleontologist!

3rd Grade Bird Beaks

Bird's beaks are adapted to the food they eat and the habitat they live in.

Batty Basics

Learn about bats and compare yourself to a little brown bat.

Food Chains

Everyone is someone's lunch!

Owl Program

Learn about the common owls in Iowa and dissect an owl pellet ($1.75 per student).

Tracking

Learn to identify common Iowa wildlife tracks.

Water Cycle

Become a water molecule and flow through the water cycle and see where you go.

4th Grade

Battle of the Bats

Play a game to learn more about bats.

Fly, Fly, Away

We discuss what makes a bird a bird, and learn about some of their adaptations.

Endangered

Discover what animals are endangered and why. Students will play a game while learning about endangered species.

Mystery Minerals

Discover how to identify minerals hands-on with streak and hardness tests.

Fossils

This fossil dig program teaches kids how fossils are formed and what we can learn from them.

5th Grade

Compasses

Learn how to use a compass and practice outside.

Human Survival Program

Learn about what a survival situation is and how to pack a survival kit.

Archaeology 101

Become an archaeologist by exploring culture, artifacts, and doing your own dig!

6th-8th Grades

Teambuilding

A five week program incorporating the six pillars of character with hands-on activities.

Enviroscape

Learn how to keep our waterways clean

High School

We can help build on topics you are already discussing in your classroom. Programs such as natural resources, water safety/fishing casting, dissecting owl pellets, conservationist Aldo Leopold, predator-prey relationships, and water quality are just a few examples. We can develop environmental education programming that will work in non-science classes as well.