TEACHER'S GUIDE

Welcome to your guide to all the SOL-based programs at the Science Museum of Western Virginia! Each year, school groups visit from forty school districts all across western Virginia and eastern West Virginia, as well. In all, 52,000 students visited the Museum’s exhibits in 2007-2008, watched a star show or film, and/or participated in a class at the Museum.

The Science Museum strives to make science and technology an exciting experience for you and your students, at the Museum and in your classroom!

Science Museum announces Teacher Appreciation Night!

Thursday, October 16, 2008 from 3-6pm.

Teachers in all grade levels pre-K to 12 are encouraged to attend! At this free event, teachers can

explore the exhibits,
preview a new MegaDome film and a new planetarium star show,
network with other teachers,
learn how to schedule a field trip or a Museum Educator’s visit to your school,
and earn recertification points.

Appetizers will be provided by Café Madrid, located on Main and Market Streets in Salem. For more information, please call 540/857.4381.

Preview our films and exhibits anytime!

We encourage you to visit the museum any time before a field trip. Simply tell the visitor services representative at the fourth floor admissions desk that you are previewing the museum in preparation for an upcoming field trip, show them your school ID, and the desk staff will provide you with a complimentary adult admission.

So much is new…and this is just the beginning!

Africa: The Serengeti—this giant-screen movie takes viewers from Tanzania to Kenya and back, with widebeests, lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, monkeys and other incredible species that inhabit the plains of East Africa.

The Living River—you asked for it! Teachers missed our old "Chesapeake Bay Touch Tank." The Living River brings back hands-on aquatic species—bigger and better than ever! In addition, we've added three new watershed classes when your class visits the Museum, for grades 3-high school!

bigMouth—the anchor exhibit for our new Healthy Bodies gallery, coming in 2009.

The Sky Above Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood—a planetarium star show for our youngest visitors!

Our Educators are ready to help you!

The Science Museum partners with area school systems to develop curriculum that supports teachers and students in mastering science and technology SOLs.

Last year, we provided science education to 87,165 school children from 40 different school districts throughout central and western Virginia, including

56,330 school children who came to the Museum for exhibit tours, lab experiments, classes, star shows and large format films, and
30,835 school children taught in their classrooms throughout western and central Virginia by Science Museum Educators presenting over 30 different science topics. Each outreach topic is taught using a “box” full of models, hands-on manipulatives, and specialized equipment, each specially developed by Museum Educators. Last year our educators taught over 2,000 classes in the region's schools.