Educator Pages

May 10, 2021 by

Book Virtual Field Trips & Activities

Group Leader/Contact Name * Required
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School District
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Type of Group
Does your group identify as a homeschool goup, public school group, private school group, after school program, kids' club or something else? Let us know! We use this for internal reporting.
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Grade Level or Audience Age Range * Required
Please indicate if you are entering a grade level or age.
Number of Adults/Teachers/Guides joining the Virtual Program * Required
Please enter a number from 1 to 300.
Number of Learners Joining the Virtual Program Quantity * Required
Please count each student/learner joining the program.
Price: $9.00
What is the maximum number of devices you expect to log-on for this live, virtual program? * Required
The museum can accommodate up to 450 simultaneous program participants.
Please enter a number from 1 to 450.
Large groups have the option to schedule multiple sessions to accommodate their learner needs. Do you anticipate needing multiple live sessions to accommodate your group?
- Yes
- No
Select a Virtual Program Theme * Required
- Dinosaurs
- Powdermill Nature Reserve
- Animals & Their Ecosystems
- Egypt
- Reptiles
- Rocks & Geology
- Plants & Botany
- Insects
- Three Sisters: Haudenosaunee Science & Culture
Which Virtual Dinosaur Program would you prefer? * Required
- Dinosaur Exhibit Live Tour
  Explore classic favorites, as well as some surprises, from Dinosaurs in Their Time—Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s core exhibition featuring real dinosaur fossils. Museum experts guide you through an interactive experience broadcast live with amazing views of the fossils and environments on display.
- Dinosaur Interactive Lesson and Hands-on Activity
  Travel back in time to a world ruled by massive plant eaters and vicious carnivores. Discover fossils, learn about what a paleoartist does, and try your hand at this Cretaceous career!
Which Virtual Animals Program would you prefer? * Required
- Explore Ecosystems: Wildilfe Halls Live Tour
  Take a virtual tour of the wildlife hall at Carnegie Museum of Natural History and investigate unique adaptations of animals and their environments through drawings and observations. Discover connections between animals, plants, and their ecosystems, and practice strategies for exploring nature wherever you are
- Animal Tales Interactive Lesson and Hands-on Activity
  Meet some of the live animals in the museum collection we call animal ambassadors! Learn about their habitats, adaptations, and what we as people can do to protect their wild relatives.
Which Virtual Egypt Program would you prefer? * Required
- Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt Tour
  Take a virtual tour to explore the connections between nature and human culture in Ancient Egypt. Through observation, drawing, and discussion, participants will investigate materials created by ancient Egyptians and look together for evidence of nature’s influence on Egyptian writing, belief systems, and daily life.
- Ancient Egypt Interactive Lesson and Hands-on Activity
  Write your name in hieroglyphics, analyze awesome artifacts, and create your very own food mummy with the museum educators at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
Powdermill Nature Reserve
Explore the wonders of nature and field research through virtual media! Our expert naturalists will guide you through favorite features of Powdermill Nature Reserve such as Powdermill Run, Black Birch Trail, and indoor nature exhibits as we explore plant and animal adaptations to different habitats. Plus learn how scientists safely study birds at Powdermill Avian Research Center, examine the entomology collection, and more!
Reptiles
Spend time with the live reptiles at the museum learning about their adaptations. Identify differences between reptiles and amphibians, and see if you can design some cool new habitats for our scaly friends to explore!
Three Sisters: Haudenosaunee Science & Culture
Explore contemporary cultures of the Haudenosaunee people (also called Iroquois) and their relationships with the natural world. Examine tools and hand-crafted objects to learn about unifying themes and unique beliefs across the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora nations.
Plants & Botany
Get cool, green, and shady with museum educators as you learn about the ways plants are important for humans and wildlife across the world. Design your own plant specimen while discovering the function of different plant parts.
Insects
Get up-close with Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches as you discover what makes insects so special. Learn about the important roles that insects play in their environment, and experience pollination first-hand with your own hand-made butterfly or bumblebee.
Rocks & Geology
Discover the hidden wonders of rocks and minerals! Learn why some rocks glow and others float, and use clay to demonstrate the transformation of some rocks under heat and pressure.
Desired access date for self paced content * Required
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Desired date for virtual program * Required
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Desired date for virtual program * Required
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Select a back up date if second choice is not possible. * Required
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Preferred time of day for your virtual program
We are in the Eastern Time Zone. Please use Eastern Time Zone for this portion.

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Our preferred platform for virtual programs is Zoom as we have found it provides the best experience for participants. Will all Adults/Teachers/Guides and learners be able to join us via Zoom? * Required
- Yes
- No
What platform do you prefer for your virtual live tour?
E.g., teams, google, etc.
Do you have any requests or students with special needs? If so, please describe:
Scholarship Request
- Yes, I would like to apply for a scholarship.
- No, I will not be applying for a scholarship.
How did you hear about our program?
- NEA
- Smithsonian K12
- Share My Lesson
- Google Search
- Big Deal Media
- We have booked programs with you before
- Word of mouth
Estimated total cost
$0.00
A museum representative will contact you to confirm details, potential scholarship information, dates, and any other information. Thank you!

Percentage of students eligible for free or reduced school lunches * Required

Please use most recent available figures: these may be current or last school year.
If there are additional circumstances beyond your participants’ eligibility for free or reduced school lunches, please let us know:
How much of the per-participant cost can your organization cover? * Required
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Indicator of Financial Need	% Scholarship to Allocate
>40% students eligible for Free & Reduced Lunch	Up to 100% Scholarship
20-40% students eligible for Free & Reduced Lunch	Up to 50% Scholarship
20% students eligible for Free & Reduced Lunch	Not Eligible for Scholarship Funds

Scholarship / Funding Information

Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History offer limited scholarship funding each year for K–12 schools and groups who demonstrate financial need. If you are interested in applying for scholarship assistance, please review the guidelines below.

How do I know if I qualify?

Funding is based on financial need. Decisions about disbursements are made based on the table below.

Indicator of Financial Need	% Scholarship to Allocate
40% students eligible for Free & Reduced Lunch	Up to 100% Scholarship
20-40% students eligible for Free & Reduced Lunch	Up to 50% Scholarship
<20% students eligible for Free & Reduced Lunch	Not Eligible for Scholarship Funds

What does the funding cover?

Depending upon available funding sources, grants may cover program and admission fees, bus transportation, or some combination of both. Funding is contingent upon participation by your group in a museum educational program. Funding is not available for student lunches or unguided visits.

In order to extend funds to as many students as we can, we may offer partial funding based on your school or groups needs and our program costs. We receive many requests and try to match every request with appropriate funding whenever possible, but group scholarship funds are limited.

How do I know if I received funding?

When we have received your application and visit request, we will check them against our group calendar and current funding opportunities, and email you with your visit dates and funding amounts.

How does bus funding work?

If you are awarded bus funding, order your bus(es) as you usually would, and have the bus company send the invoice to us for payment. If that’s not possible, we can reimburse your school with an invoice from your business office. All invoices should be sent to the Group Visits Office at the above address. Invoices for busing must be received within 30 (thirty) days of your visit. Invoices received after that time may not be able to be paid.

April 26, 2021 by

Educator Resources

Blogs for Educators from the Museum

Botanists Gone Wild! Perspectives from the Record-Breaking Finish for City Nature Challenge 2024
May 22, 2024
by Jessica Romano Every spring people all over the world join in the City Nature Challenge, a global effort to safely document and identify nature …Read More »
City Nature Challenge: Noticing Invasive Plants
April 19, 2024
by Rachel Reeb and Jessica Romano This spring, thousands of people will join the City Nature Challenge, a global effort to document biodiversity safely and …Read More »
Snags, Logs, and the Importance of a Fallen Tree
April 9, 2024
by Jessica Romano As the seasons change from winter to spring here in western Pennsylvania, a common sight on a recent walk included fallen and …Read More »
Scientific Names Matter in March Mammal Madness
February 29, 2024
by Erin Southerland March Mammal Madness (MMM) bracket advice: look up the scientific names of species on the MMM website before you make your predictions. …Read More »
Happy Retirement, Pat McShea!
December 29, 2023
If you’ve read our blog before today, you have almost certainly encountered the work of Museum Educator Pat McShea. Pat has written more than 125 …Read More »
A Three Rivers Waterkeeper Biocube
December 13, 2023
As frontline defenders for water protection in Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania, staff of Three Rivers Waterkeeper patrol and monitor for pollution in our waterways by using high …Read More »
Birds in “Twelve Days of Christmas”: a Museum Search
December 1, 2023
by Patrick McShea The Twelve Days of Christmas When a traditional song about Christmas gifts reaches young ears, the centuries-old lyrics naturally prompt questions. If …Read More »
A Tree Pittsburgh Biocube
November 10, 2023
by Patrick McShea On a late October afternoon, Joe Stavish, Director of Education for Tree Pittsburgh, uses a biocube in one of the organization’s greenhouses …Read More »
Turtle-Centered Learning
November 8, 2023
by Patrick McShea This fall, for elementary students in the Meadville area, visits to the school library became opportunities to learn more about turtles. Beth …Read More »
Museum Connections to a College Lab
October 19, 2023
by Patrick McShea During a recent Vertebrate Diversity Lab at Duquesne University, Dr. Brady Porter’s students closely examined preserved wildlife material on five rows of …Read More »
Hispanic Heritage Month Scavenger Hunt: Three Birds and a Butterfly
October 6, 2023
by Patrick McShea Hispanic Heritage Month creates an opportunity to consider how we share some forms of winged wildlife with Spanish-speaking regions far to our …Read More »
March Mammal Madness 2023: Learn and Win
March 7, 2023
by Patrick McShea What chance does a giant water bug have in a battle with a wolverine? During the next few days participants in the …Read More »
Echoes of Freedom in an Owl’s Call
February 6, 2023
by Pat McShea “Is that owl real?” Students who approached the museum activity station at a “Dream STEAM” event on Martin Luther King Jr. Day …Read More »
Beyond the Simple Ecosystem Graphic: Teaching About Biodiversity and Pollination
February 3, 2023
by Pat McShea You probably remember some version of this graphic: simple line drawings linked by arrows to chart energy flow through an ecosystem featuring …Read More »
An Intern’s Point of View
September 6, 2022
by Jia Tucker A week before accepting a summer internship with Carnegie Museum of Natural History, I found myself standing on Forbes Avenue in front …Read More »
Finding Answers: From Museum to Mountains and Back Again
June 3, 2022
by Patty Dineen The beautiful wildlife dioramas on the second floor of Carnegie Museum of Natural History have been fascinating visitors for decades. Within the …Read More »
Wonderment Returns
April 19, 2022
by Joann Wilson “What if one of us discovers the missing boat?” The full-voiced question arose from a group of fourth-grade students eagerly pointing to …Read More »
The Art of Making Fish Familiar
March 31, 2022
by Patrick McShea Fish in the wild are difficult to observe, even for the scientists who study them. Monster Fish: In Search of the Last River Giants, …Read More »
Learning From Misinterpretations
March 28, 2022
by Patrick McShea Every job has its awkward moments, even work aiding museum visitors in their interpretation of exhibits. One memorable situation in that realm …Read More »
March Mammal Madness and Middle School Science Class
March 10, 2022
by Patrick McShea At one suburban Pittsburgh school, the tournament bracket sheets currently generating discussions have nothing to do with basketball. Since 2013, science teacher …Read More »
Pitt Outreach Efforts Enriched with Museum Materials
November 4, 2021
by Patrick McShea At the University of Pittsburgh’s Community Engagement Centers in the Hill District and Homewood, the field of natural history has been well …Read More »
Survival of the Fishiest: Astonishing Adaptations of the Aquatic World
August 12, 2021
by Shelby Wyzykowski For Charles Darwin, all sorts of species—from birds and large land animals to flowers and tiny invertebrates—captured his interest and encouraged him …Read More »
Rising through the Educator Ranks
August 4, 2021
by Patrick McShea Every morning, as young participants in the museum’s summer camp and the adults accompanying them approach an outdoor sign-in table, Olivia McNulty …Read More »
Interpreting Museum Exhibits Virtually
July 12, 2021
by Patrick McShea Natural History Interpreters are a corps of educators charged with presenting the museum’s exhibits to audiences in a way that encourages the …Read More »
Fish and the Fourth of July?
June 25, 2021
by Patrick McShea During the cold early months of 1778, did the outcome of the American colonies’ armed struggle for independence hinge upon a spawning …Read More »
Expanding the Scope of Environmental Education
June 7, 2021
by Patrick McShea Seven years after he graduated from Allegheny College with a degree in Environmental Studies, Will Tolliver Jr. accepted responsibility for teaching some …Read More »
Reading Results: CNC Final Phase
May 19, 2021
by Patrick McShea Whether you participated in the recent City Nature Challenge (CNC) or not, the results of the Pittsburgh Region’s broadest annual citizen science …Read More »
Stage and Screen Sharing
May 10, 2021
by Patrick McShea Social Skills Instructor Stacy Smith wanted to convey just how challenging last year’s abrupt shift to remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic …Read More »
Go For a Color Walk
April 26, 2021
by Jenise Brown City Nature Challenge (April 29-May 2, 2022) is coming soon! Going for a “color walk” is one fun and easy way to …Read More »
Evidence Counts for Absent Creatures – City Nature Challenge
April 13, 2021
by Patrick McShea Participation in the upcoming City Nature Challenge (April 30 – May 3) can range from using your phone’s camera to document a …Read More »

April 22, 2021 by

Signs of Climate Change in Migratory Songbirds of Pennsylvania

Designed by the Climate and Rural Systems Partnership with support from the National Science Foundation (grant no. 1906774).

Signs of climate change in migratory songbirds of Pennsylvania

Follow along with the Wood Thrush, who teaches us how climate change is happening in Pennsylvania.

Since 1961 scientists at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Powdermill Avian Research Center (PARC) in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands have been monitoring birds. They have banded over 600,000 birds! These long-term data allow scientists to study how birds respond to the warming climate. The Wood Thrush story demonstrates how most birds are responding.

Average April temperatures are projected to warm by 4-5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050.

They have already increased by 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1960s. Warmer springs trigger earlier plant budburst. Insects, especially caterpillars, feast on buds and young leaves, which have fewer toxins than older leaves. Caterpillars are the breakfast of champions (among birds). So, migratory songbirds need to arrive early, according to the calendar, to be on time, according to the food web. The early bird literally catches the worm.

Many migratory songbird species are responding to the warmer, earlier springs in two ways.

Arrive earlier. Wood Thrushes arrive from Central America 5 days earlier than they did in the 1960s.
Eat, love, nest (in a hurry). Wood Thrushes nest 24 days earlier than they did in the 1960s.

But birds won’t always be able to keep pace with climate change.

Birds need our help. Already we’ve lost 3 billion North American birds since 1970 (www.3billionbirds.org).

Individuals and communities can help birds by mitigating climate change:

Renewable energy

A Just Transition¹ to renewable energy sources like properly-sited wind² and solar will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide local jobs, improve air quality, and help protect birds from climate change.

¹https://www.bluegreenalliance.org/work-state/pennsylvania/

²www.audubon.org/news/wind-power-and-birds

Eat your vegetables

A more plant-based diet is an impactful way to reduce our greenhouse gas footprints. Learn more: www.drawdown.org.

Designed by the Climate and Rural Systems Partnership with support from the National Science Foundation (grant no. 1906774).

References

Marra, P. P. et al. 2005. The influence of climate on the timing and rate of spring bird migration. Oecologia 142:307-315.

McDermott, M. E., DeGroote, L. W. 2016. Long-term climate impacts on breeding bird phenology in Pennsylvania, USA. Global Change Biology 22, 3304–3319; doi: 10.1111/gcb.13363

McDermott, M. E., DeGroote, L. W. 2017. Linking phenological events in migratory passerines with a changing climate: 50 years in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. PLOS ONE 12(4): e0174247.

February 23, 2021 by

Question about Safety Procedures

February 23, 2021 by

Continuing Education Credits

December 16, 2020 by

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