Class Field Trips

Gateway Science Museum is now scheduling spring 2012 field trips.

Structure: The museum will be open for class visits. Docents will be available to answer any questions students or teachers may have about our exhibits.  Teachers are encouraged to develop their own class museum experience.

Days and Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays from January 31 – May 25, 2012

• 9:00 am - 10:20 am OR

• 10:30 am - 11:50 am

Location: Gateway Science Museum, 625 Esplanade Avenue, Chico (next to Bidwell Mansion)        

Parking: Please note that parking is limited and purchase of a parking permit is required. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket dispenser near the entrance to the museum. Follow the instructions posted on the kiosk for successful ticket purchase.

Cost:  $50.00 per class

Number of visitors: Space is available for two classes during each time slot (about 30 students per class). Each class must have 1 adult chaperone for every 5 students in order for the class to be admitted. Chaperones must be familiar with museum rules and be able to direct children in appropriate behavior and safety.

Exhibits: Toys: The Inside Story: This engaging exhibit reveals the secrets behind many favorite toys. Learn what role circuits play in the classic game Operation®. Unmask the amazing collection of switches, cams and motors that make Elmo® dance and Mr. Machine® run. The exhibit’s hands-on stations illustrate simple mechanisms found inside common toys, such as pulleys, circuits, cams, gears and linkages, while allowing budding engineers to use simple mechanisms to creatively construct their own toys. In an era when so much of our nation’s ingenuity and economic success demands creative engineers, this is a great opportunity for parents and children to better understand the power of design, math and production on all scales. Developed by Montshire Museum of Science and partially funded by the National Science Foundation. Toys: The Inside Story is provided by Sciencenter of Ithaca, New York. Curriculum standards are available here.  Activity guides prepared by Sciencenter in Ithaca, NY are available here. Toys will be on display through May 2012.

Noise! features exhibits on sound, music and hearing, and is sure to knock your socks off! Creating experiences from the “can you hear me now” Scream Chamber to the “good vibrations” of the Dancing Sand Plates, the exhibits take a look at the physics of sound waves as well as how music and sound affect our mood. A pre-visit informational sheet is available here, a guide for grades K-2, and a guide for grades 3-8. Noise! is produced by Science Works Hands-On Museum and will be on display through the end of April 2012.

Larger Than Life: A variety of subjects in the natural world are explored in this collection through the unique perspective of photographs taken zoomed in at high magnification. Photographs provide a truly "up close and personal" view of flowers, leaves and a host of other specimens that will keep you guessing. Larger Than Life is produced by Science Works Hands-On Museum and will be on display through the end of April 2012. A guide for Larger Than Life is available here.

In the Company of Flowers: A glimpse into the world of pollinators is an exhibit portraying the relationship between flowers and pollinators. The exhibit is based around 45 photographs of pollinators in wild and garden settings, primarily taken by Northern California plantsman and naturalist, John Whittlesey. These images vividly portray the intriguing lives of many kinds of pollinators. While many people recognize the European honeybee as an important pollinator, In the Company of Flowers highlights many native pollinators, all of which play a key role in the ecology of Northern California. In the Company of Flowers will be on display from the end of April through July 2012.

Museum Explorer Program

There are also opportunities for 4^th–6^th grade classes to take part in our Museum Explorer Program held on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 10:00am - 11:30am, February 15 through May 11, 2012 (excluding the dates of March 2, 21 and 23, April 27, 2012). Classes will be guided by CSU, Chico students through three activities during the 1.5 hours of instruction. This unique museum opportunity allows for one class per time slot. No more than 3 adult chaperones per class are allowed during the Museum Explorer program. Thank you in advance for respecting this requirement.

Contact: To schedule your class for a field trip or Museum Explorer opportunity, reply to gateway@csuchico.edu or call 898-4121. Please include your name, school, grade level, preferred date(s), time, number of visitors (students and adults), and contact phone number. We will accommodate your request as best as possible. The open field trips and our Museum Explorer Program have limited availability, and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. You will be notified via email once your date is selected, confirming your field trip and/or Museum Explorer opportunity.

*Payment and additional logistical information will be sent to you with confirmation.