Classroom Programs

If you can't make it out to Starr's Cave for a field trip, don't worry, we can always come to you! We have many programs written and ready for the classroom. We are also more than happy to create new ones upon request to compliment what science topics your classroom is currently learning about. We have furs, skulls, tracks, fake scat (animal droppings), fossils, birds, and an insect collection (just to name a few items) that we would love to share with your students. Most programs are a half an hour to an hour in length.

Listed below are some of the programs ready for the classroom.  Click here to view the Classroom Programs document.

Preschool/Kindergarten

Sense-sational: Learn how animals use their senses to survive and communicate.

Puppet Plays:

- Bears "Big Sleep" is an intro on how animals survive winter (great fall & winter play).

- "New Hog on the Block" is an intro on how animals share habitats (perfect for springtime).

- "Who's Your Mama?" is an intro to animals that live in a forest habitat.

- "Don't Trash My Home" is perfect for teaching preschoolers why littering is bad (great for Earth Day).

1st grade

Mammals: Learn what makes a mammal a mammal.

Treerific Plants: An intro to plants; their parts & functions.

Seed Program: Learn all about seeds and plant your own.

Winter Temperatures: Discover how to use a thermometer & how to dress for different weather.

Camouflage: Learn why animals are certain colors.

2nd grade

5 Classes of Animals: Dress students in costumes as they learn the differences between groups of animals.

Hibernation & Migration: Where do all the animals go during the winter?

Toughing It Out: How do animals survive winter if they don't hibernate or migrate?

Dinosaurs: Compare your feet to the size of a dinosaur's footprint & learn about what it is like to be a paleontologist!

3rd grade

Bird Beaks: Bird's beaks are adapted to the food they eat & the habitat they live in.

Batty Basics: Learn about bats and compare yourself to a little brown bat.

Food Chains: Everyone is someone's lunch!

Owl Program: Learn about the common owls in Iowa & dissect an owl pellet ($1.75 per student).

Tracking: Learn to identify common Iowa wildlife tracks.

Water Cycle: Become a water molecule and flow through the water cycle and see where you go.

4th grade

Battle of the Bats: Play a game to learn more about bats.

The 3 R's: Learn about how landfills are made & how long it takes items to decompose. Plus find out what we can recycle here in Des Moines County.

Our Watery World: How much water does the world actually have & what do we use it for everyday?

Mystery Minerals: Discover how to identify minerals hands-on with streak and hardness tests.

5th grade

Compasses: Learn how to use a compass & practice outside.

Human Survival Program: Learn about what a survival situation is and how to pack a survival kit.

6th-8th grades

Values on the Line: Learn about values & respecting others during an activity.

Teambuilding: A five week program incorporating the six pillars of character with hands-on activities.

Vertebrate Biology: A more in depth lesson on classifying & identifying animals.

High School

We can help build on topics you are already discussing in your classroom. Programs such as natural resources, water safety/fishing casting, dissecting owl pellets, conservationist Aldo Leopold, predator-prey relationships, & water quality are just a few examples.  We can develop environmental education programming that will work in non-science classes as well.