Teachers > Field Trips > The Rock Program

The Enhanced Museum
Visits for Students Program

The Rock Program

Greetings San Francisco 4th and 5th Grade Teachers and Administrators,

We are excited to welcome you, your students and their families to the Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Enhanced Museum Visits for Students Program.

The Program aims to provide all 4th and 5th grade students in San Francisco, as well as the teachers and families who support them, with quality science and sustainability education opportunities. Each of the following FREE features is designed to support participation:

Teacher workshops and hands-on classroom resources
Field trip bus transportation for school groups not within walking distance
Educational lessons led by professional educators during the field trip
NEW! All field trip programs may be offered in Spanish
A pass entitling each student unlimited free admission through August 31, 2014
A one-time free family pass and activity book for each student
NEW! Family Nights held at the Academy in partnership with your school

Applications for the 2013-14 school year field trip programs will be accepted starting May 1, 2013. To apply, please prepare up to 10 dates you are available to come on a fieldtrip and prioritize your program choices.

Field Trip Programs & Associated Teacher Workshops

African Ecosystems: Adaptations, Food Webs and Sustainability

African Hall at the California Academy of Sciences

Field Trip Program: Explore Africa’s diverse ecosystems through the eyes of a scientist. This program is available Thursdays from January-April.

Associated Teacher Workshop: Skulls: Structure and Function (November 6); includes a free rental of the Skulls Classroom Kit.

If you can’t attend the workshop, check out our African Teacher Resource Guide for ideas on connecting the museum to your classroom curricula.

California Geology: Evidence of the Rock Cycle

Field Trip Program: Dive into ways rocks are formed by using microscopes to see minerals in a whole new light. This program is offered Mondays throughout the school year.

Associated Teacher Workshop: Geology! on September 14; includes a free rental of the Geology Classroom Kit.

If you can’t attend the workshop, check out our Geology Teacher Resource Guide for ideas on connecting the museum to your classroom curricula.

Coral Reef: Structure, Symbiosis and Conservation

Coral reef at the California Academy of Sciences

Field Trip Program: Get up close and personal with our coral specimens, and discover why they are so colorful. This program is offered Tuesdays from January - May.

Associated Teacher Workshop: Coral Reefs - Science & Conservation on December 7; includes a free rental of the Coral Reef Kit.

If you can’t attend the workshop, check out our Coral Teacher Resource Guide for ideas on connecting the museum to your classroom curricula.

Get Outside! Native Plants in the Park

Living Roof at the California Academy of Sciences

NEW! Field Trip Program: We’re heading outside into the California Native Plants garden in Golden Gate Park. This program is offered on Tuesdays in September, October and May.

Associated Teacher Workshop: Outdoor Learning on July 11 and 12.

If you can’t attend the workshop, check out our Get Outside Resource Guide for ideas on connecting the museum to your classroom curricula.

Ocean Shells: Animals, People and Climate Change

Field Trip Program: Dig into our shell collection to explore how mollusk populations have changed over time. This program is offered Thursdays from November - December.

Associated Teacher Workshop: Connecting Field Trips to Classrooms (September 21).

If you can’t attend a workshop, check out our California Coast Exhibit Guide, or the free Marine Invertebrates Backpack Rental.

Planetarium Student Show: A Tour of Our Solar System

Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences

Field Trip Program: Become a virtual space traveler and chart your course to the edge of the solar system! This program is offered Wednesdays throughout the school year.

NEW! Spanish Field Trip Program: This program will be delivered simultaneously in Spanish and English in a live, interactive presentation by our education staff; it is available on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 at 10:30am.

NEW! Associated Teacher Workshop: Astronomy on November 2; includes a free rental of the Astronomy Classroom Kit.

If you can’t attend the workshop, check out our Astronomy Teacher Resource Guide for ideas on connecting the museum to your classroom curricula.

Plants: Carbon, Energy, and Sustainability

Field Trip Program: Check out carbon, the building blocks of plants and fossil fuels, and the way it cycles throughout Earth! This program is offered Wednesdays throughout the school year.

Associated Teacher Workshops: Plants and Carbon on October 2, from 4:30-6:30pm.

If you can’t attend the workshop, check out our Plants Teacher Resource Guide for ideas on connecting the museum to your classroom curricula.

Tropical Rainforests: Animal-Plant Relationships and Biodiversity

Rainforest at the California Academy of Sciences

Field Trip Program: Look closely and think critically as your class examines specimens of plants and their pollinators from a rainforest ecosystem. This program is offered on Tuesdays from September - December.

Associated Teacher Workshops: Rainforests of the World on October 5; includes a free rental of the Rainforest Classroom Kit.

If you can’t attend the workshop, check out our Rainforest Teacher Resource Guide for ideas on connecting the museum to your classroom.

ROCK PROGRAM

Apply for your field trip here:

FAMILY NIGHTS AT THE ACADEMY

The Rock Program seeks to support family learning and partners with schools to host Family Nights at the Academy. If you are interested in having your school participate, please contact .

BILINGUAL ACTIVITY GUIDES

All field trip programs may taught in a combination of Spanish and English or solely in Spanish. Additionally some of our print-at-home activities are available in Spanish and Chinese. For more information email: .

ESSENTIAL FIELD TRIP PRINTABLES

Here you’ll find convenient resources to print before your trip.

To find an activity or scavenger hunt with a focused learning objective, browse through our Lesson Plan Database.

COMMENTS & QUESTIONS

Contact:

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The Enhanced MuseumVisits for Students Program