Sloan Museum of Discovery and Longway Planetarium offer hands-on programs in STEM and Social Studies specifically for homeshool groups September through May.
The Education staff at Sloan Museum of Discovery and Longway Planetarium in the Flint Cultural Center regularly facilitate field trips, outreach programs, and homeschool programs for STEM and Social Studies curriculums from September through May.
Sloan Museum of Discovery opened in 2022 as a world-class hands-on science and history museum. This 107,000-square-foot venue features interactive exhibits for toddlers through adults. There are three designated classrooms, called Learning Labs, with smart boards and outlets that drop down from the ceiling for accessibility and for using hands-on tools. It has four permanent galleries (Discovery Hall science gallery, Hagerman Street early childhood learning gallery, History Gallery, the Durant historical vehicle gallery), a maker space, and a 6000-square-foot gallery for special traveling exhibits which always include an educational component. The Coffee Beanery cafe offers snacks, lunch items, and hot and cold beverages. The homeschool programs selected below accommodate various age groups.
Longway Planetarium is Michigan's largest planetarium dome at 60 foot tall. The planetarium regularly features educational STEM programming, including live planet and star talks and full-dome feature films. There are two classrooms for educational programming, plus a 129-seat dome theatre.
Educators follow NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) and GLCE (Grade Level Content Expectations) for integrated planning of your homeschool curriculum.
GROUP RATES & REQUIREMENTS
Minimum # of program participants: 20
Sloan Museum of Discovery: $6/student
Longway Planetarium: $5.50/student
- Teachers are admitted at no charge.
- Chaperones are not charged for hands-on science programs.
- Chaperones will be charged general admission pricing.
- Please do not bring siblings or additional children who are not registered in the homeschool program.
- Teachers & chaperones are asked to supervise students at all times.
- Lunch arrangements may be made in advance when reserving your programs.
PLEASE NOTE: Genesee County Arts Education & Cultural Education Millage benefits do not apply to homeschool field trip activities.
BOOKING YOUR PROGRAM
Book your program by calling (810) 237-3409 or emailing Reservations@SloanLongway.org. Choose from the following list of homeschool programs at either Sloan Museum or Longway Planetarium, or reserve both on the same day for a full day of learning. Classroom programs include the NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) and GLCE (Grade Level Content Expectations) codes for integrated planning of your homeschool curriculum.
SLOAN MUSEUM PROGRAMS
Pre-K through 8th Grade
AMUSEMENT
PARK SCIENCE
(1st - 5th grade)
Investigate balanced and unbalanced forces acting on a marble as students use a variety of interesting materials to build a roller coaster that moves a marble through upside-down loops, curves, and drops.
NGSS: 3-Ps2-1, 3-PS2-2
BUILD YOUR OWN
ECOSYSTEM
(K - 3rd grade)
Students will build an independent ecosystem to take home while exploring plant parts, water cycles, and learn what living things need to survive. Older students will also work collaboratively to design an investigation that explores how changing environmental features affect plant growth.
NGSS: K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3; 1-LS1-1; 2-LS2-1; 3-LS4-4
GALACTIC GOO
(Pre-K - 8th grade)
Chemistry at its finest and most fun! Matter, molecules, and polymers will be discussed in this hands-on activity. Each student will make and take home a bag of their own goo!
NGSS:2-ESS2-2
ICE CREAM
(Pre-K - 8th grade)
A sweet way to study solids, liquids, and gases. Working in groups, students will use beakers, measuring cups, and measuring spoons to mix up solids and liquids into an ice cream base. Educators will add the "magic liquid" that changes their liquid into solid ice cream. Each student gets some ice cream to taste.
NGSS: 2-PS1-1, 2-PS1-3, 2-PS1-4
IF I COULD
BUILD A CITY
(1st - 4th grade)
What is a community? It's never too soon to learn how communities work. Join our educators as they focus on the importance of transportation, location, communication, and infrastructure to help "build a city" and make it successful. Each team will discuss, plan, and build a two-dimensional model city.
NGSS: 2-G2.0.2, 2-G4.0.1, 2-G4.0.2, 2-G5.0.1, 2-G5.0.2, 2-E1.0.2
LANDFORMS
(2nd - 5th grade)
Students will build an independent ecosystem to take home while exploring plant parts, water cycles, and learn what living things need to survive. Older students will also work collaboratively to design an investigation that explores how changing environmental features affect plant growth.
NGSS: K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3; 1-LS1-1; 2-LS2-1; 3-LS4-4
LONGWAY PLANETARIUM PROGRAMS
Choose a live educational presentation shown inside the 60 foot planetarium dome
"PLANETS:
ROCKY WORLDS"
Live planetarium program where students will visit the inner planets while comparing and contrasting their geological characteristics. Students will travel to mountains, volcanoes, canyons, and craters on the planets and investigate their origins.
NGSS: 2-ESS1, 2-ESS2-1, 2-ESS2-2, 2-ESS2-3
"MOTION OF
THE SKIES"
Live planetarium program that investigates the motion of the Sun, Moon, Planets and stars in the sky. Students investigate the causes of motion including Earth's rotation, and the orbits of the Earth, Moon, and planets. Students will use this knowledge to predict future motions and occurrences in the sky.
NGSS: 3-PS2-2
"AN EVER-CHANGING
WORLD"
Live planetarium program where students will examine how the Earth can change from long-term processes, such as erosion and tectonic drift, to fast processes including deforestation, volcanoes, and severe weather events. Satellite images and simulations will be used to show changes using real data form the agencies such as NOAA and NASA.
NGSS: 4-EES1, 4-ESS3-2
BOOKING YOUR PROGRAM
Book your program by calling (810) 237-3409 or emailing Reservations@SloanLongway.org.
