Museum at Prairiefire
This service provider requires payment upfront : No
Price Range: $5 - $250
Phone Number: (913) 333-3506
Email: education@visitthemap.org
Address: 5801 W 135th St., Overland Park, Kansas 66223
Educational Value
The Museum at Prairiefire is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to meaningful learning and engagement with science, culture, art and natural history. As well as hosting a variety of dynamic, authentic Natural History, Science and Art exhibitions, the Museum at Prairiefire offerings include regular events, interactive activities and programs for adults and children. SciFun Camps are drop-off, day long camps, with science oriented experiments and activities designed for elementary &/or middle school age students. Our Lead Educator designs curricula for facilitating these activities with the intention that the students will participate expectedly and learn concepts as well as enjoy the activities. We are offering 4 SciFun Camps this summer. Science of Sci-Fi: What’s your favorite sci-fi movie? Did you ever wonder if the gadgets and advanced technologies you see in the movies could exist one day, or even already exist? Well, it turns out some of these technologies featured in movies, even from ones over 100 years old, actually went on to become real...or at least somewhat real! While we haven’t invented time travel or passed through any wormholes (yet?), there are some cool sci-fi technologies we can explore and experiment with in this camp. Coding + Biotech + Internet Safety: Do your kids like computers? Do they like to work with their hands, write codes, and tinker with things? In this camp, kids will learn coding through games, design and make "junk robots" and build model cars with everyday objects. In our internet safety lesson, they will learn how staying safe online has become increasingly more important in our digital age. We will also learn about biotechnology, performing experiments with food and hygiene to learn about the importance of technology in medicine. Ecology: In this advanced camp, middle schoolers will explore our wetland and prairie habitats behind the museum and conduct experiments that teach them how these ecosystems are so beneficial to the planet. We will learn how to carry out both plant and animal surveys, test the soil for nutrients, and collect water samples to see what things could be swimming around in the creek! Learn about native and invasive species and grab some tools to get your hands dirty in our butterfly garden. Dinosaurs and Beyond: When it comes to paleontology, dinosaurs are the star of the show, but did you know there were many different types of animals that lived in the distant past? In fact, Kansas is home to some of the world's best preserved fossils of animals that lived long before dinosaurs. We even had huge ice mammals roaming around our state long after the dinosaurs died out. In this paleontology camp, you will learn about the plants and animals (including the dinosaurs!) that lived in the ancient past. Junior Adventurers at the Museum (JAM) Sessions engage elementary students in fun, hands-on inquiry-based activities to familiarize students with STEM-essentials. Experiments and crafts are sure to feed any child’s curiosity. JAM Sessions are 45 minutes and have two topics per month.