Discovery by Design

We have developed an innovative approach to help you maximize what the Museum has to offer! You choose the specific classroom and Museum-based Discovery Elements to customize your experience to meet your specific needs.

The goal of Discovery by Design is to provide educational experiences that utilize the best of the Museum’s resources to nurture an appreciation of the natural world, its processes, and challenges to its long-term health. These experiences are hands-on, inquiry-based, grade-level specific, and standards-aligned. See details on the following pages.

Discovery Elements:

• Docent Greeters stationed at our big iron gates welcome and orient visiting groups.
  
  
• Self-guided Tours
  (Tuesday–Friday, 10:00–11:00 AM)
  Provide open-ended opportunities for discovery in small groups with chaperones. Students explore the Museum visiting exhibit halls which focus on regional natural history, including birds, insects, mammals, marine life, paleontology, and the Chumash Indians. In various halls, Exploration Stations with Museum docents offer hands-on opportunities for up-close investigations. Group size: maximum 80 students. Can be combined with one additional program.
  
  
• Discovery Labs
  (Tuesday–Friday, 10:00–11:00 AM; 11:00 AM–12:00 PM)
  Are grade-specific programs for the whole class that provide hands-on, standards-based learning activities. Inquiry-based methods are used to stimulate thinking. Group size: maximum 20 students. Can be combined with a Self-guided Tour or Outdoor Nature Exploration.
  
  
  
• Planetarium Programs
  (Tuesday–Friday, 10:00–11:00 AM; 11:00 AM–12:00 PM)
  provide standards-based presentations for grades 3 and 5 that are also appropriate for other grades. Group size: maximum 44 people. Can be combined with Self-guided Tour or Outdoor Nature Exploration.
  
  
• Outdoor Nature Explorations
  [Tuesday–Friday, 10:00–11:00 AM; 11:00 AM–12:00 PM (one hour program) for grades K–4 or 10:00 AM–12:00 PM (two hour program) for grades 5–6.]
  Are available, rain or shine. Students explore the natural world along Mission Creek where science comes to life, right in the Museum’s own backyard. Group size: maximum 30 students. Can be combined with one additional program.
  

  All above activities are aligned with California State Science Standards.