Science Alliance: Middle School Program

Each week students will engage in a new theme covering a range of scientific topics, including evolution, ecology, anthropology, astronomy, and Earth and planetary sciences. Students will explore the unique places where science happens by visiting the Museum’s collections and labs and meeting scientists. This academy will nurture students’ innate curiosity while allowing them to generate new questions about the natural world.

Program Dates: Monday, July 8–Friday, August 9

Program Time: 9 am–4 pm Monday–Friday

Program Cost: $5,000

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Registration Open

Have you ever dreamed of flying through the cosmos? In Digital Universe Flight School, students will learn to operate OpenSpace—an interactive data visualization software, funded in part by NASA, which allows users to explore the entire known universe. Students will travel through space and time to create their own astronomy shows, which they will present in the Rose Center’s Hayden Planetarium.  Students will engage with various halls throughout the Museum, with a focus on astrophysics and curatorial design. They will obtain a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what happens at the Museum and interact with Museum scientists and creators. 

Thursdays:  10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 11/7, 11/14, 11/21, 12/5, 12/12

General Sale starts on 5/28

Cost: $1,000

Registration Open

Microbiology is the study of tiny organisms—those that are too small to be seen with the naked eye. You’ve heard about these microorganisms before: bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and algae. Now learn how to study them, their central importance to all of life on this Earth, and how microbiology is used to make medicines, improve food safety, protect the environment, or even find ways to grow crops better. Our young explorers will learn how to create microbial communities, sample and culture microbial strains, and use microscopes to examine and study microbes. 

Thursdays: 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 11/7, 11/14, 11/21, 12/5, 12/12 

General Sale starts on 5/28

Cost: $1,000

Registration Open

How do ants farm fungus? Why do some birds “moonwalk”? Why do capuchin monkeys like to poke each other in the eye? Animals exhibit complex sets of behaviors. In this course, you will explore the ways that animals form sophisticated social structures, investigate their strategies for finding food and avoiding predators, and discover the lengths they will go to to attract mates and outcompete their rivals. Students will conduct observational field studies of animals in the wild and in captivity, interpret behavioral data like migration patterns and communication strategies, and meet with experts who work to understand the dynamic lives of the animals that coexist with us.  

Fridays: 10/11, 10/18, 10/25, 11/8, 11/15, 11/22, 12/6, 12/13 

General Sale starts on 5/28

Cost: $1000

Registration Open

Throughout human history we have always looked to the sky, for navigation, for spiritual guidance, and for understanding our place in the universe. Examine the relationship between the Mayan civilization and the cosmos. Explore the social structure, belief systems, and daily life of Mesoamerica through the lens of archaeoastronomy. Investigate how celestial bodies affect a culture’s interpretation of time, mathematics, our calendrical system, and the way whole cities are designed. You will construct your own timekeeping device, experiment with alternative forms of mathematical calculation, and develop unique calendars.   

Fridays: 10/11, 10/18, 10/25, 11/8, 11/15, 11/22, 12/6, 12/13 

General Sale starts on 5/28

Cost: $1,000

Registration Open

How do ants farm fungus? Why do some birds “moonwalk”? Why do capuchin monkeys like to poke each other in the eye? Animals exhibit complex sets of behaviors. In this course, you will explore the ways that animals form sophisticated social structures, investigate their strategies for finding food and avoiding predators, and discover the lengths they will go to to attract mates and outcompete their rivals. Students will conduct observational field studies of animals in the wild and in captivity, interpret behavioral data like migration patterns and communication strategies, and meet with experts who work to understand the dynamic lives of the animals that coexist with us.  

Saturdays: 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/16 

General Sale starts on 5/28

Cost: $1000

Registration Open