Brucemobile Programs are:

• developmentally appropriate
• interactive
• hands-on/minds-on
• inquiry-based

All Brucemobile Programs feature Museum objects.

Programs are offered to schools within a 25-mile radius of the Museum.

To learn how to schedule a visit, click here.

For more information on the following Brucemobile Programs, please see our Activities and Lesson Plans. There you will find background information, curriculum connections, classroom activities, and further resources for each of these programs.

For further questions about Brucemobile programs, please contact Peter Linderoth, Manager of Outreach Education, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 203-413-6742.

Click to view programs for

School Programs for Pre-K through 5th grade:

Pre-school Programs are 30 minutes.

Class size is limited to:

• 15 children for 3 year olds
• 20 children for 4 year olds

• Class size is limited to 25 students.

Program Descriptions

Woodland Indian Life
Native American artifacts and reproductions are used to help recreate the life of a Woodland Indian family before colonial contact.

Crusty Crabs/ Coastal Ecology
Through careful, hands-on observation of live crabs and other small seashore animals, children learn about the structure and characteristics of crabs and other crustaceans, and their place in the seashore community and the food web.

Shapes and Patterns
Children will define 5 basic shapes, find shapes in natural objects from museum collections, and create patterns and symmetry. Pattern activity included

Animals in my Backyard/ Animal Adaptations
Different body coverings, colors and physical structures help vertebrates adapt to their environment, find food and escape from predators. Students learn these concepts while handling fur pelts and mounted mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish.

Butterflies
Students explore symmetry in nature while learning about the structure of butterflies and insects. The life cycle, adaptations, habitats, and camouflage patterns of butterflies and insects are also introduced. Museum specimens and photographs create a visually comprehensive classroom experience

Dinosaurs
Fossilized dinosaur bones, teeth, footprints, and other parts are used by students to reconstruct the size, food preferences, and movement of these 'terrible lizards'. Comparison is made between dinosaurs and modern animals. Through observation and comparison, students become paleontologists, conducting their own fossil dig.

Desert Ecology
Students investigate the properties of a desert ecosystem and discuss special adaptations of the animals and plants that inhabit these areas. Experimentation and handling Museum specimens provide hands-on activities for the students

Rock Detectives
This program allows students to observe demonstrations of the geologic processes that cause the rock cycle, and even become a part of the rock cycle themselves! Rock samples, demonstrations of Pangaea and plate tectonics, and interactive activities encourage students to use their hands and minds to explore earth's dynamic processes. As their final element of detective work, students will act as geologists working in teams to deduce where their rock came from in the earth, how it formed, and what type of rock it is.

Skeletons
Students will identify the location and purpose of major bones in humans and animals and develop related vocabulary. Through discussion, demonstration and hands-on activities, students will distinguish between endoskeletons and exoskeletons and describe the functions of a skeleton. Students will dissect owl pellets to uncover and identify rodent bones.

Middle School and High School

Classroom Programs are one hour in length.

Prehistoric Peoples
Award-winning, traveling exhibition presented by instructors from the Archaeological Associates of Greenwich (AAG) enables students to handle authentic prehistoric tools while learning about the progress of humankind from 4 million to 5,000 years ago. Slides and artifacts stress ancient peoples' adaptations to their changing environment. Slide projector and world map required.

Egypt
Instructors from the Archaeological Associates of Greenwich (AAG) offer stories behind the fabled pyramids, kings and queens of ancient Egypt's Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. Sites and artifacts are shown with emphasis on the life of young people. Adaptation to the harsh desert environment is stressed.

Assembly Programs are one hour in length, and can accommodate up to a full auditorium.
Fee: $195 per program.
Slide projector required

Note: Subjects can be customized to fit curriculum needs.

After-School Brucemobile Series

Students will be led through hands-on and conceptual lesson plans by an experienced Bruce Museum Instructor. Afterschool Series incorporate more activities and crafts than traditional classroom programs, as is appropriate to the afterschool setting. After-School Brucemobile Programs are available in a series of 4, 6, or 8 sessions.

Habitats: the World Around Us (Grades 2-5)
Habitats: The World Around Us introduces students to the earth’s diverse habitats. They will compare and contrast the regional Long Island Sound and Woodland habitats, examining how animals and humans live and survive in these environments as well as exploring the consequences of acts of nature and humans on these ecosystems. Students will have the opportunity to model life in the intertidal zone, simulate the impacts and clean up efforts of an oil spill, perform skits of animal’s behaviors in all seasons, and act as archaeologists to examine Native American artifacts. In culmination of their work, each student will create a snow globe diorama of his or her favorite habitat, incorporating the themes discussed throughout the program.

Artist’s Workshop (Grades 2-5)
The Artist’s Workshop exposes students to a wide range of artistic styles and techniques. Each of the sessions is directly related to exhibitions currently or previously on view at the Bruce Museum (sessions are subject to change based on the Museum’s exhibition schedule). Students will have the opportunity to closely examine reproductions of famous works of art, learn about different artistic styles and historical periods, and experiment with relevant artistic techniques.

Nature Adventure Series (Grades K-5)
The Nature Adventure Series offers an exciting series of programs with a central focus of exploring the many concepts of the natural world! This series covers the broadest range of topics of our afterschool selections. Children will step into the shoes of a paleontologist and study dinosaurs; get hands-on experiences with live animals from the Long Island Sound; discover the different skeletal structures animals have adapted; learn about local bird species and what they eat through an always popular owl pellet dissection; and many more fascinating sessions. This series can be tailored to the center’s needs.

For more information on Brucemobile Outreach Programs, please contact Peter Linderoth, Manager of Outreach Education, at 203-413-6742, or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

To make a reservation for a Brucemobile Outreach Program, please contact Ariel Fein, Museum Educator and Reservations Manager, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 203-413-6744 or click on How to Schedule.