Lessons for Pre-K to Grade 6
The Strong offers a wide range of educational programs for students in pre-K through grade 6 amid dynamic, hands-on exhibits and world-renowned collections. These lessons can be adapted to meet the needs of teachers or utilized by homeschoolers.
PLEASE NOTE: School lessons are only available during the school year (September to June).
School Lesson Rates
- School lesson prices are indicated in the lesson descriptions below.
- A minimum of fifteen (15) students are required to book a school lesson. Maximum of 30 students per lesson. Limit two lessons per day.
- One adult chaperon admission is included for every three paid students. Each additional chaperon, who is not a member, pays full admission.
- If your lesson does not include a visit to the butterfly garden, it can be added for $5 per person.
- $1 per person to add a train ride.
- Interested in a group visit without a school lesson? Please go to the Field Trip information page.
- Reservations must be made and paid in full at least two weeks in advance.
- Transportation arrangements are the responsibility of the visiting school. The museum is close to many downtown bus routes.
Math
Bear Bucks: Beginning Economics (Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2) $13 per student
The Berenstain Bears: Down a Sunny Dirt Road exhibit provides a bustling environment with Mama Bear’s Quilt Shop, Papa Bear’s Woodworking Shop, the Bear Family Restaurant, and Farmer Ben’s Farm. Using Bear Bucks withdrawn from the bank, students role-play the parts of business owners and consumers. This is a fun way for students to apply basic math skills of adding, subtracting, beginning multiplication and recognition of dollar denominations. View Lesson Extension.
1 hour
15 student minimum
30 student maximum
$13 per student
Subject areas addressed: Math; Social Studies; Health, Family, and Consumer Science
Science
Butterfly Life Cycle Exploration (Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3) $14 per student
Students build knowledge about the butterfly life cycle by observing chrysalises and butterflies in Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden. Students use informational text and science talk (a discussion protocol designed to promote student questioning and speaking scientifically). Working in small groups, students demonstrate what they have learned by illustrating and acting out the butterfly life cycle. View Lesson Extension.
1 1/2 hours
15 student minimum
30 student maximum
$14 per student
Subject areas addressed: Science, Arts, English Language Arts
Predators and Protection (Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3) $14 per student
With a keen eye for design, color, and a splash of curiosity, students enter the fabulous Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden and learning lab. Students become lepidopterists as they visit the garden to observe live butterflies and spend time in the lab closely observing preserved specimens. After playing an interactive game about predators and prey, they make valuable discoveries about butterfly predators and how butterflies protect themselves. View Lesson Extension.
1 1/2 hours
15 student minimum
30 student maximum
$14 per student
Subject areas addressed: Science, Arts, English Langauge Arts
Very Hungry Butterflies (Pre-K, Kindergarten, Grade 1) $14 per student
What do butterflies do when they are hungry? Students explore this and other questions as they observe real butterflies in Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden. Eric Carle’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, is the springboard for this imaginative experience. Children focus on the stages of a butterfly’s life cycle through a magical music and movement activity. View Lesson Extension.
1 hour
15 student minimum
30 student maximum
$14 per student
Subject areas addressed: Science, Arts, English Language Arts
Language Arts
Ernie’s Alphabet (Pre-K, Kindergarten) $13 per student
Ernie has lost the letter vests he made for his friends, Grover and Cookie Monster. Students help Ernie to find the missing vests by hunting in the Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street exhibit. While searching, they practice letter identification and letter-sound recognition. This lesson can be expanded to include word building and word-play. View Lesson Extension.
1 hour
15 student minimum
30 student maximum
$13 per student
Subject areas addressed: English Language Arts, Social Studies
Once Upon a Time… (Pre-K, Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2) $13 per student
Students transform into a character from one of five stories in the dramatic fairy-tale section in Reading Adventureland: Cinderella, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, or Three Billy Goats Gruff. Students become the cast as they select a setting, retell, and reenact one of the above classic tales. View Lesson Extensions.
1 hour
15 student minimum
30 student maximum
$13 per student
Subject areas addressed: English Language Arts; Arts
Playing with Setting: Literacy Foundations (Grade 3) $13 per student
Working in small groups, students analyze the importance of setting by developing the plot of a short story. All groups will deal with the same main character, conflict and theme, but each group will be assigned a different setting in Reading Adventureland. Groups share their story outlines and discuss how setting can have a major impact on a story, before leaving with new inspiration to continue writing back at school. View Lesson Extensions.
1 hour
15 student minimum
30 student maximum
$13 per student
Subject areas addressed: English Language Arts, Arts
Sleuth School (Grade 3) $13 per student
Students attend the Mystery Mansion School of Artful Sleuthing in Reading Adventureland to learn and practice the skills detectives use to solve mysteries. After exploring the Mansion in small groups to discover what makes a great detective, these groups create their own detective and begin work on a possible mystery that could occur in their own school. Each group shares its ideas, after which all students graduate from Sleuth School with honors! View Lesson Extensions.
1 hour
15 student minimum
30 student maximum
$13 per student
Subject areas addressed: English Language Arts; Science
Who Dunnit? (Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2) $13 per student
A mystery at the Mystery Mansion needs to be solved and your students are the detectives! Through deductive reasoning, prediction, mapping skills, and collaboration, detectives use their clues to crack the code of “Who Dunnit?” in the captivating mystery section of Reading Adventureland. View Lesson Extensions.
1 hour
15 student minimum
30 student maximum
$13 per student
Subject areas addressed: English Language Arts
Health, Family and Consumer Science
Health Nuts (Grade 1, Grade 2) $13 per student
What foods do we need every day to be healthy? Meet Francine, a life-size puppet who can’t keep up with the kids at recess and falls asleep during school. What can she do to have more energy? Students take on the challenge of helping Francine become healthy. Using the USDA’s “MyPlate” food guide, students shop in Wegmans Super Kids Market and have fun packing a healthy lunch for Francine. Together, Francine and her new friends learn a “Fit as a Fiddle” cheer to help them remember what it takes to be healthy. View Lesson Extensions.
1 hour
15 student minimum
30 student maximum
$13 per student
Subject areas addressed: Health, Science, Math, Arts
Healthy Beginnings (Pre-K, Kindergarten) $13 per student
Students use dramatic play, movement, and math skills to determine what foods keep people healthy and strong. Dressing in the colors of the symbols from the USDA’s “MyPlate” food guide, students discover what each color on the plate reveals about healthy eating. Acting as “Super Shoppers,” students visit Wegmans Super Kids Market to select foods that promote healthy eating. After shopping, students create healthy and balanced snacks by playing an interactive game. View Lesson Extensions.
1 hour
15 student minimum
30 student maximum
$13 per student
Subject areas addressed: Health, Science, Math, Arts
Social Studies
Playing Along: Toys Throughout History (Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6) $13 per student
What did children play with long ago? How have toys and play changed or remained the same over time? During this lesson, students will examine toys featured in the America at Play exhibit and complete a scavenger hunt and timeline activity designed to allow them to uncover the ways toys and play have changed.
1 hour
15 student minimum
30 student maximum
$13 per student
Subject areas addressed: Social Studies
Playthings and Pastimes from Long Ago (Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2) $13 per student
What did children play with before the era of plastics, batteries, computers, and videos? Students visit One History Place to learn about early 20th century America. Through examination and discussion of toys from today and long ago, students draw conclusions about how they are alike and how they are different. They continue the experience by playing in and exploring the exhibit. View Lesson Extension.
1 hour
15 student minimum
30 student maximum
$13 per student
Subject areas addressed: Social Studies, Arts
X Marks the Spot (Grade 1, Grade 2) $13 per student
Ahoy! Drop anchor in Reading Adventureland to work on mapping skills and have an adventure. Students work in small groups to create and follow maps, explore Reading Adventureland, and play a treasure hunt game. Using mapping techniques, students find hidden puzzle pieces to complete a map that will help them solve a mystery. View Lesson Extension.
1 hour
15 student minimum
30 student maximum
$13 per student
Subject areas addressed: Social Studies
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