Choose from the following topics
according to your students’ grade level:





Capacity: 24 students per session
Length: 30–45 minutes
Pre-K and Kindergarten

Making Sense of It
Young learners are natural scientists, exploring the world with their senses. Hands-on activities teach vocabulary while providing sensory experiences. (PA Academic Standards: 1.6.3A; 1.6.3D; 3.2.4B; 3.2.4C; 3.3.4B)

Magnificent Magnets
Attract and repel; bounce and flip—what else can magnets do? Students manipulate a variety of magnets to discover the power of magnetism. (PA Academic Standards: 1.6.3D; 2.1.3G; 3.2.4A; 3.2.4C; 3.4.4C)

Floaters and Sinkers
Using science and literature, students predict results, test ideas and observe
the outcome as they explore concepts of buoyancy. (PA Academic Standards: 1.6.3B; 1.6.3D; 2.1.3G; 3.2.4B; 3.2.4C; 3.4.4C)

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Capacity: 24 students per session
Length: 30–45 minutes
Grades 1-2


Air and Water
Everyone knows we need air and water to survive, but what else do you know about these two life-sustaining substances? Students do hands-on activities to learn more about the water we drink and the air we breathe. (PA Academic Standards: 1.6.3D; 2.7.3A; 3.2.4C; 3.4.4A; 3.5.4D; 4.2.4A; 4.3.4A)

Bug Bytes
Swarm into the intriguing world of insects. Discover what makes one bug a pest
and another a friend. Experiment with a variety of Integrated Pest Management techniques to take care of the irritating intruders! (PA Standards: 1.6.3B; 3.2.4C; 4.5.4A; 4.5.4B; 4.5.4C; 4.6.7A)

Dinosaur Discoveries
Explore the world of dinosaurs through their ancient bones. Can you put the pieces together to solve the mystery of the dinosaurs? (PA Academic Standards: 3.5.4A., 4.7.4C, 3.2.4C, 3.3.4B)

From the Ground Up
Get down and dirty as we scratch the surface of geology. Separate soil samples to get an up-close look and discover what soil is made of and where it comes from. Examine many unique rock specimens and choose your favorite. (PA Academic Standards: 1.6.3B; 3.1.4E; 3.2.4B; 3.4.4A; 3.5.4A; 3.5.4B; 4.2.4C; 4.6.4A)

Seeds and Such
Investigate the science of seeds and leaves. Learn how seeds and fruit are linked in plant cycles, and use natural plant and fruit dyes to create your own
Whitaker Center keepsake. (PA Academic Standards: 3.1.4C; 3.2.4B; 3.3.4B; 4.4.4C).

Windows on Weather
Uncover the mysteries behind weather phenomena, including wind, cloud formation and thunderstorms. (PA Academic Standards: 3.2.4A; 3.2.4B; 3.5.4C; 3.7.4A; 3.7.4B)

Treasure Boxes
Come and explore the world of attributes and patterns through sorting. Students
create graphs and Venn diagrams using everyday objects from our treasure boxes.
(PA Academic Standards: 1.6.3B; 1.6.3D; 1.6.3E; 2.1.3G; 2.6.3A; 2.6.3B; 2.6.5C; 2.8.3A)

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Capacity: 36 students per session
Length: 45 minutes
Grades 3-5

All Systems Go
Discover the amazing abilities of the body on a fast-paced trip through the nervous, digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems. (PA Academic Standards: 1.1.5E; 1.6.5A; 1.6.5C; 1.6.5D; 1.6.5E; 3.1.4A; 3.1.7A; 3.2.4C; 3.3.4A; 3.3.7A; 3.3.7B)

Bridging the Gaps
Explore the wonders of engineering! What makes some shapes stronger than others? Using K’NEX,® build a bridge and test it out. Can your bridge carry the load? (PA Academic Standards: 3.1.4B, 3.1.7C, 3.4.7C, 3.6.7C, 2.8.3A, 2.9.3D)

Chemistry Concoctions
Investigate ways to connect the wonderful worlds of chemistry and art while exploring basic chemistry concepts, such as the properties of acids and bases.
(PA Academic Standards: 3.1.4E; 3.2.4A; 3.2.4C; 3.2.7C; 3.4.4A)

Circuit Circus
Turn your students on to electricity in this charged-up, battery-operated festival of circuit building. Students will explore open and closed circuits, insulators and conductors. (PA Academic Standards: 1.6.5D; 2.6.3A; 3.2.4A; 3.2.4B; 3.4.4B; 3.4.7B)

It’s Probable
Move from wild guesses to educated predictions in this fun introduction to
probability and statistics. (PA Academic Standards: 2.6.5E; 2.7.3C; 2.7.5A; 2.7.5H)

Predators Aloft
What makes a bird a successful hunter? Discover the tools and amazing adaptations used by birds-of-prey while exploring the similarities and differences between four different species. Explore the “menu” of an owl’s meal through owl pellet dissection and take home the evidence left behind! (PA Academic Standards: 4.6.7A; 4.6.7B; 4.7.7A; 4.4.7B; 4.4.7C)

Tantalizing Tessellations
Do you tessellate? You will if you join us for this discovery lab where math
meets art. Create beautiful tessellation patterns in a variety of hands-on
activities. (PA Academic Standards: 2.9.3G; 2.9.5G; 2.9.5J; 2.9.5K; 2.9.8J; 2.9.8K; 3.2.4C; 3.2.7C)

The Nature of Math
Connect math concepts, such as patterns, symmetry and geometry, to objects found in the natural world, from starfish to sunflowers. (PA Academic Standards: 1.6.5D; 2.6.5A; 2.8.3A; 2.9.3D; 2.9.3F; 2.11.3D; 2.11.5A; 3.1.4C)

StarLab
(Available September–February only)
In our portable planetarium, students use star charts to find some easy constellations while hearing stories from Greek mythology. Students will also be introduced to the basic celestial navigation techniques used by ancient
and modern explorers. (PA Academic Standards: 1.6.5D; 3.4.7D) StarLab is
supported by CommunityBanks.




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Capacity: 36 students per session
Length: 45 minutes
Grades 6-8

The Art of Sound
Join us as the classroom is transformed into a recording studio where sound effects and dramatic readings make a radio-drama script come alive! (PA Academic Standards: 1.1.8H; 1.2.5B; 1.3.11E; 1.3.8F; 1.6.8D; 3.2.7C; 3.8.7A; 9.1.8J)

Bone Riddles
Unravel the riddles of the past with tools and techniques used by paleontologists and physical anthropologists. (PA Academic Standards: 2.3.8G; 3.1.10B; 3.1.10C; 3.2.10A; 3.2.10B; 3.2.10C; 3.3.10A; 3.3.10D)



Operation Outbreak
A contagious disease outbreak has just occurred and only you can stop it. Unravel the mystery and stop the disease before an epidemic gets out of control. Can you uncover the path of transmission and break the chain before time runs out? (PA Academic Standards: 3.2.10A; 3.2.10B; 3.2.10C; 3.6.10C; 3.8.10A; 3.8.12C; 10.2.12E)

Racer Energy
Science, math and technology come together for a fun-filled experience as students assemble and test K’NEX® vehicles, collect data and graph their results. (PA Academic Standards: 1.6.8D; 2.5.8B; 2.6.5A; 2.6.8C; 2.8.5H; 3.1.4A; 3.1.7E; 3.2.7B; 3.2.7C; 3.4.4B, 3.6.7C)

Rock and Roll Earth
Can you build a structure that will survive an earthquake? Join us for this lab where earth forces shake and shatter. Discover more about earthquakes, their causes, and how damage can be minimized. (PA Academic Standards: 3.1.7B; 3.1.10B; 3.2.7C; 3.2.7D; 3.5.7A; 3.5.10A; 3.6.7C; 3.7.7B)

Science Detective
Use forensic science techniques to examine evidence and solve a crime—a real Whodunit! (PA Academic Standards: 1.6.8D; 3.2.7A; 3.2.7B; 3.2.10C; 3.4.10A; 3.7.10A; 3.7.10B)

StarLab
(Available September–February only)
In our portable planetarium, students use star charts to find some easy constellations while hearing stories from Greek mythology. Students will
also be introduced to the basic celestial navigation techniques used by ancient
and modern explorers. (PA Academic Standards: 1.6.5D; 3.4.7D)
StarLab is supported by CommunityBanks.


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Capacity: 36 students per session
Length: 45 minutes
Grades 8-10

Amusement Park Physics
Engineering, physics and math collide in this colossal exploration of the science of amusement park rides. Using K’NEX,® explore how energy, forces,
speed and sturdy construction help build thrill and excitement! (PA Academic
Standards: 3.1.12A; 3.1.12B; 3.1.10C; 3.1.10E; 3.2.10B; 3.2.10C; 3.7.10A)

























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The Discovery Lab Program is supported in part by
grants from EDS, Tyco Electronics and funding provided
by corporations that donate through the Educational
Improvement Tax Credit Program of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania