Virtual and In-Person at the Discovery Center
To schedule a program, please email dcprograms@mdc.mo.gov(link sends e-mail). The Discovery Center will begin booking Fall programs on July 15 and Spring programs on November 1.
Kindergarten, 1 ½ hours
Discover one of Missouri’s largest mammals, the Black Bear. This program will allow students to learn the characteristics of bears and how they are able to thrive in Missouri. Through hands on activities students will discover everything bears need in their habitat for survival.
Missouri Learning Standards: K.PS1.A.1, K.PS3.B.1, K.LS1.C.1, K.ESS1.B.1, K.ESS2.E.1, K.ESS3.A.1, 1.LS3.A.1
K-2 grade, 2 hours
The natural world is filled with sights, sounds, textures and smells. Students will see live animals and learn how wild animals rely on their senses to survive. Spending time outside, students will participate in hands-on activities, focusing on each of their four senses (not taste) to better experience the natural world.
Missouri Learning Standards: K.PS3.A.1, K.LS1.C.1, K.ESS1.B.1, K.ESS2.E.1, K.ESS3.A.1, K.ESS3.C.1, K.ETS1.A.1, 1.PS3.A.1, 1.LS3.A.1, 1.ETS1.A.1, 2.ESS2.C.1, 2.ETS1.A.1
1-2 grade, 2 hours
From seed to sapling to mighty oak, trees change through the seasons and the years. Through this hands-on interactive program, students will understand the lifecycle of a tree and will explore different ways to identify trees; from nuts to fruits to leaves and the different resources they provide. Program concludes with students making their own tree art.
Missouri Learning Standards: K.PS1.A.1, K.LS1.C.1, K.ESS1.B.1, K.ESS2.E.1, K.ESS3.A.1, 1.LS3.A.1, 1.ETS1.A.1,1.ETS1.B.1, 2.ETS1.A.1, 2.ETS1.B1
3-4 grade, 4 hours
Ecosystems provide organisms with everything they need to survive. Through hands-on investigation, students will explore and learn about the plants and animals living in Missouri ecosystems: pond, prairie and forest. This program is designed to be completely outdoors.
Missouri Learning Standards: 3LS3.B.1, 3.LS3.C.1, 3.LS3.D.1, 4.LS1.A.1, 5.PS3.D.1
4-5 grade, 4 hours
Through investigations of skulls, beaks, pelts and live animals, students identify specialized structures and how plants and animals use them to survive. This program culminates as students create an artistic expression of their own species and identify how they survive in their habitat.
Missouri Learning Standards: 4.LS1.A.1, 5.PS3.D.1, 5.LS1.A.1, 5.LS1.C.1, 5.LS2.B.1
5-8 grade, 4 hours
(not available not available November 29 through March 17
We all live in a watershed and depend on clean water. Examine how our actions shape the waterways around us. Interact with the stream table and go on a hike to see first-hand some of the challenging water quality issues in an urban setting. Students will assess water quality using live macro-invertebrates to determine the health of an ecosystem.
Missouri Learning Standards: 6-8.LS1.B.2, 6-8.ESS3.A, 6-8.LS2.A.1, 6-8.LS2.C.1, 6-8.LS2.C.2
Crossing Missouri is the Lewis and Clark themed program. It is taught for a minimum of 25 students and a maximum of 125 total students. This program includes various activities that students rotate through. Length of the program will be 2-4 hours depending on group size.
(3-8 grade - Rotational activities)
The Lewis and Clark expedition crossed Missouri in 1804. Through hands-on experiences, students will learn how they survived. Engage in skills and learn about the land that provided for the expedition’s needs.
Please note when scheduling whether you will be send a virtual link to us or if the Discovery Center to send the link to you.
Seeds to Trees
(Grades K-2)
25-minute pre-recorded video followed by a 30 minute live virtual program with a naturalist. Snakes have elicited more misunderstanding and apprehension than almost any other group of animals. Once you learn some interesting facts about snakes you will discover most of them are harmless and beneficial. Join us as we explore several different snakes living in the prairies, ponds, swamps and forests of Missouri. You will also have an opportunity to meet the snake ambassadors living at the Discovery Center!
Missouri Learning Standards: 3LS3.B1, 3LS3.C.1, 4.LS1.A.1, 5.LS1.A.1, 6-8.LS1.B.1
(Grades 3-5)
45-minute live virtual program with a naturalist.
Snakes have elicited more misunderstanding and apprehension than almost any other group of animals. Once you learn some interesting facts about snakes you will discover most of them are harmless and beneficial. Join us as we explore several different snakes living in the prairies, ponds, swamps and forests of Missouri. You will also have an opportunity to meet the snake ambassadors living at the Discovery Center!
Missouri Learning Standards: 3LS3.B1, 3LS3.C.1, 4.LS1.A.1, 5.LS1.A.1, 6-8.LS1.B.1
(Grades 3-5)
45-minute live virtual program with a naturalist.
Owls are without a doubt some of the most fascinating raptors in Missouri! This naturalist led program will focus on the specialized structures and behavioral adaptations that make these regal birds a favorite to learn about. Whoooo knows, you too may learn to speak their language! It’ll be a hoot!
Missouri Learning Standards: 3.LS3.B.1, 3.LS3.C.1, 4.LS1.A.1