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Science Standards

The Discover Center meets the standards set by the California State Board of Education for Science. Read the following class summaries to see exactly which standards we meet for teaching your kids about nature:

Quick-Links: Find a class by subject
Animal Mania	Pond Life	Dino-Mite	Musical Trash
Blood & Guts	Earthquakes & Volcanoes	Bubbles & Color	Weird Science
Five Senses	Build It Up!	Weather	Space
States of Matter	Magnets & Electricity	Day in the Life of a Yokut	Egyptology
Rocks & Minerals	Starlab: Constellations	Starlab: Planet Earth	Starlab: Microbiology
Gardening Classes


	Animal Mania: Pre - 6th Back to Top You may select one or all of the following animal groups. Keep in mind that the more groups selected, the more general the lesson due to time constraints. These classes can also be tailored to whatever animal group your class is currently working on, i.e. classes focusing on habitats such as the ocean, rainforests, or grasslands, on animal groups such as dogs, bats, or spiders, or on food webs and animal populations. These classes cover the science standards for grade 1, 2a-d, grade 2, 2a-d, grade 3, 3a-e, grade 4 2a-c and 3a-b, and e, and grade 6, 5a-e.
	Animal Mania: Vertebrates Mammals: Can you tell what different mammals "do for a living" just by looking at their skeleton, skulls, and teeth? Know exactly what to look for in our class dedicated to mammals. Class includes a wide variety of skins, skulls, and skeletons. Reptiles and Amphibians: Do you know the differences between reptiles and amphibians? It's easy to spot the differences once you've been to our Reptile and Amphibians class! Class includes several live animals as part of the presentation. Fish: Get hands-on learning at this class dedicated to studying fish as we pass around fish skeletons and talk about their characteristics. Class includes live animals and a fish-print art project. Birds: Do you know just how much we can learn, just by looking at a bird's beak and feet? What can a bird's wingspan tell us? Come unlock the secrets of your favorite sky voyagers. Class includes a live animal.
	Animal Mania: Invertebrates General Invertebrates: Learn about the many animals that do not have a backbone in this class, which goes from sponges on up. Real specimens of each group are a part of this class, as well as several live animals, including crayfish, insects, spiders, and worms. Insects and Spiders: Explore the world of invertebrates as we take a closer look at insects and arachnids in this hands-on class. We will discover what it means to be an invertebrate and learn the differences between our six and eight-legged friends. Children will get a chance to meet some live critters and will even make an insect of their own! This interactive class is a great way to get kids excited about "bugs!" This class also covers the butterfly life cycle from science standard grade 2, 2b.

	Pond Life: Pre - 6th Back to Top We use our Walden Pond and educational animals to explore a pond ecosystem in this enjoyable class. We take a look at how ponds are made and learn about the creatures and plants that live there. Discover who eats whom in the food chain and what job each animal has in its environment. Class includes live animals. Pond life covers the science standards for grade 1, 2a-e, grade 4, 2a-c, and grade 6, 5a-e.

	Dino-Mite: Pre - 6th Back to Top Join us as we use fossils and models to go back in time when dinosaurs ruled the earth! Learn about these amazing reptiles and how they differ from the reptiles alive today. We'll talk about hatching from an egg, digesting food, and more! Students will even get a chance to dig up some cow bones like a real paleontologist would do and run the length of some of the longest dinosaurs in a dinosaur race! This class covers science standards grade 2, 3d and grade 3, 3e.

	Musical Trash: Pre - 1st Back to Top It's never too early to learn the three R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! In this exciting class, children learn that they play an important role in taking care of the earth. We explore where "trash" comes from and how long it takes for "trash" to decompose. Children discover that one man's trash is another man's treasure, as we use common "trash" items to make musical instruments! Get ready to make some noise for the environment!

	Lung Lab / Blood and Guts: 4th & up Back to Top Just when kids think they've heard it all when it comes to health, this class adds excitement and hands-on projects that spark their interest like never before! We will have a real sheep heart and lungs and microscopes for children to observe and learn anatomy firsthand. They will discover how important our lungs and heart are as we emphasize the negative effects of smoking and why we need to keep our heart and lungs healthy. This class covers the science standards for grade 5, 2a-d and grade 7, 6j.

	Earthquakes and Volcanoes: 2nd-6th Back to Top Learn what makes the earth shake, rattle and roll as we discover the dynamics of earthquakes and volcanoes in this exciting class! See if you can best our shake table by building a sturdy structure. We'll even set off our own model volcanoes and to see the difference between explosive volcanoes and those that ooze! This class covers the science standards grade 4, 4a and 5a, grade 6, 1a-g, and grade 9-12 earth science standards 3a-f.

	Bubbles & Color: Pre - K Back to Top Investigate the physics of bubbles and water in this fun (and wet) hands-on class. Explore the shape of a bubble, why bubbles like wet surfaces, and how you can blow a bubble inside another...even make a bubble big enough to fit over your body!

	Weird Science: 2nd-6th Back to Top Learn the fun and excitement of chemistry in this cool class! We'll mix up some soda with science that students can drink using the carbonation of dry ice, make chain molecules of flubber that students can take home, and do some acid-base reactions to blow up balloons. This class covers the science standards grade 5 1a, b, and g.

	Five Senses: Pre - K Back to Top In this animated class, young children explore the wonders of their five senses. Developing vocabulary is an added bonus to the fun these children will have using their five senses to identify mystery objects. Five senses is a great class to introduce students to what their own body can do. We use our eyes, ears, tongue, hands and nose to discover in this energetic class.

	Build It Up!: 2nd-6th Back to Top This is a great class for children to learn all about the center of gravity, distribution of weight, and the strength of different shapes. Your students will have hands-on experience building structures out of toothpicks, newspapers and nails, as well as learning about ancient architecture. At the end of the class, they'll get to build their own model teepee out of clay and natural materials to take home. This class covers social science standards grade 3, 2.2 and grade 6, 2.5 and 7.8.

	Weather: 1st-6th Back to Top Students will learn about what causes different types of weather, from precipitation to superstorms, learn about different cloud types, wind and current patterns, the role of the sun, and much more! This class covers science standards grade 1, 3a, grade 5, 3a-c and 4a-e, grade 6, 4a and e, and grade 9-12 earth science standards 6a-d.

	Space: Pre - 6th Back to Top Join us on a journey through our solar system and beyond! During this awe-inspiring class, students learn how small the Earth really is in comparison to other planets, the rest of the solar system, our galaxy, and the universe! Children learn about past space exploration missions, make their own star chart and big dipper finder, and even their own galaxy art! This class covers science standards grade 3, 4a-e and grade 5, 5a-c.

	States of Matter: 2nd - 5th Back to Top Solids, liquids and gases have one thing in common - matter. In this interactive class, we'll experiment with the three states of matter found on Earth, as well as oddities such as dry ice and non-Newtonian substances like Flubber. Uncover the truth of how matter changes from state to state. The class culminates by gathering around the edges of a giant parachute for a fun and interactive demonstration of the states of matter and density! This class covers science standards grade 1 1a-b, grade 3, 1e-h, grade 5, 3a-c, and grade 7, 3d and e.

	Magnets & Electricity: 2nd - 6th Back to Top Students will get charged up about science in this hair-raising class. First we explore the properties of magnets through hands-on group experimentation; we even defy the law of gravity using magnetic properties! We then come full circle while learning about circuits and electricity. Students turn on motors and light bulbs using a circuit board. We finish with our Van-Der-Graff generator as we discover static electricity. Students will be shocked with how much they can learn while having fun! This class covers science standards grade 2, 1f, grade 3, 1b and d, and grade 4, 1a-g.

	Day in the Life of a Yokut: 2nd - 6th Back to Top The Yokuts, Monos and Miwok were the dominant people of the Central Valley foothills and mountains before the California Gold Rush. The history and daily life of these local tribes will be explored through interactive activities like acorn grinding. Students will be able to see what the Native Americans used for everyday items through the use of our extensive Native American collection, including basketry, arrowheads, hairbrushes, blankets, clothing, and cooking items! This class covers social science standards grade 3, 3.2.

	NEW! Egyptology: 2nd-6th Back to Top Students will learn what it was like to live in ancient Egypt. From piecing pottery fragments back together like real Egyptologists to learning how to translate hieroglyphics, this class is an exciting glimpse back in time. We'll learn about some of the Egyptian gods, myths, and burial practices, as well as pyramid building and about some of their more famous rulers. Students will get to make their own hieroglyphic cartouche (their name in hieroglyphics) with a kit to take home. This class covers social science standards grade 6, 6.2.3, 6.2.5, 6.2.6, 6.2.7, and 6.2.9.

	Rocks and Minerals: 2nd-6th Back to Top This class covers how rocks and minerals are formed and the differences between them. Students will learn about sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks, volcanoes, weathering, and fossilization, the hardness scale, and more through a hands-on class with many beautiful samples of the rocks and mineral under discussion. This class covers science standards grade 2, 3a-e, grade 4, 4a-b, and grade 7, 4c.

	Starlab - Constellations and the Solar System: 3rd and up Back to Top Join us in our famous Starlab portable planetarium as we explore the stars as we know them today and learn about how ancient cultures viewed the stars through a variety of star myths from Greek, Egyptian, and Native American cultures. Finally, we will take a look at the solar system and our galaxy, emphasizing the differences in the relative sizes and positions of the planets and objects therein. This class covers the science standards for grade 3, 4a, d, and e, grade 5, 5a-c, and the social science standards for grade 3, 2.1, grade 6, 6.2.3 and 6.4.4, grade 7, 4a-e, and grade 9-12 earth science standards 1a-g and 2a-b.
	NEW! Starlab - Planet Earth: 3rd and up Back to Top Our new starlab portable planetarium show focuses on our home planet. Students will learn about plate techtonics, weather patterns, ocean currents, latitude and longitude, and our position in the solar system and in the galaxy. Don't miss this fascinating look at planet Earth! This class covers the science standards for grade 4, 4a and 5a-c, grade 5, 3a-c and 4a-e, grade 6, 1a-f, 2a-d, and 4a and e, grade 7, 4a, d, and f, and grade 9-12 earth science 1a-g, 3a-f, and 5 b-g.
	NEW! Starlab - Microbiology: 4th and up Back to Top This new starlab portable planetarium show is for the microscope rather than the telescope! We'll learn about the different parts of plant and animal cells, cellular reproduction through mitosis and meiosis, and about single-cellular or simple multi-cellular organisms. Once students recognize the features of these microorganisms, they will prepare their own slides with pond water from our very own Walden Pond to attempt to find various living microorganisms under a microscope. This class covers science standards grade 4, 3d, grade 7, 1a-f, and grade 9-12 biology/life science standards 1a, c-g, and j, and 2a-c, e-f, and 10d.

	NEW! Gardening Classes Back to Top Join the University of California Master Gardeners - who run the Garden of the Sun on the Discovery Center's grounds - as they teach all about different types of plants! There are 4 unique classes to choose from so that all ages can enjoy learning about botany and gardening! These classes cover science standards grade 1, 2e, grade 2, 2e-f, grade 4, 3c, and grade 5, 2f.
	Planting Seeds: 2nd - 5th Students learn all about planting as they scoop soil and plant seeds in a take-home container. We'll discuss germination and learn exactly what all plants need in order to grow. Your kids will receive a seed-sprouting diagram for them to color and use as a studying tool. Botany on Your Plate: 2nd - 5th Your kids will learn the importance of discovering food sources in the fruits and vegetables harvested from our garden. They just might be surprised when we discuss what parts of different plants we eat everyday, such as roots, stems, leaves, and fruit. Pressed Flower Activity: Pre - 2nd Your primary-grade students will learn about pressing flowers as they create beautiful wall-hangings to take home. Intermediate children gather flowers from our Garden of the Sun in a temporary take-home press. We'll teach all your kids the best way to gather and press flowers. Leaf Rubbings: Pre - 2nd Bring your to create rubbings of fresh leaves gatehred from our special garden. Your little botanists will observe and learn all about different leaf characteristics.