We've got a lot to offer.
Many programs are available for booking this fall, with more exciting experiences returning in the spring. Click on the links for each program to confirm availability. Book your program today!
Astrotots to the Moon!
Virtual Science Academy
Recommended for ages 3-5
Countdown to lunar exploration and fun! Put on your helmet and buckle up as we blast off together for an adventure that takes us to Earth’s moon and back, all powered by our rocket-fueled imaginations. Students will have a chance to practice their science skills as they travel virtually with our professional Museum educators.
Currently a pilot program, we are seeking Early Childhood educators interested in having students participate in this free virtual program. In exchange, we are hoping you provide the Museum with post-program feedback.
Virtual Heart
Grades 3 - 8
Virtual Science Academy
Available for bookings now!
2022 VSA Heart Science Standards
Get your students' pulse going with this live dissection experience. Your class will participate in interactive experiments and discussion, as well as guide the dissection of a real sheep heart.
Virtual Lung
Grades 3 - 8
Virtual Science Academy
Available for bookings now!
2022 VSA Lung Science Standards
Take your classes' breath away as they get to peer inside the respiratory system. Explore lung anatomy while observing a sheep lung dissection and participate in activities, then make observations to learn how the respiratory system works.
Virtual Art Station: Titan
Grades 1 - 8
Virtual Science Academy
Available for bookings now!
2022 VSA Titan Science Standards
Blast off to new discoveries with this live program that merges space science and scientific illustration! Titan is Saturn's largest moon and one of the most fascinating places in our solar system. Students and teachers will learn how to capture their own Titan investigations using scientifically accurate illustrations, just as other great scientists have done throughout history.
Virtual New Me
Grades 5 - 6
Virtual Science Academy
Available for bookings now!
2022 VSA New Me Science Standards
Explore the physical, emotional and chemical changes to the human body during a sensitive, respectful, co-ed discussion led by a professional educator. Ask honest questions and get honest answers. This class is now only offered as a Distance Learning course.
SPECIAL EDITION! Scientists in Action: Walking With Gorillas
Grades 4 - 12
Scientists In Action
Tuesday, October 3
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time
Created for grades 4-12, but all are welcome.
Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka grew up knowing she wanted to help animals. After becoming Uganda’s first wildlife veterinarian and working with mountain gorillas however, she discovered the health of animals, humans, and the environment was more interconnected than realized and by helping one, you could help them all. Join us for this special edition of Scientists in Action as we hear from this incredible conservationist, author, and doctor whose work has been internationally recognized and awarded. Students will get to ask questions, learn more about how they may help, and leave inspired. This is a virtual event you will not want to miss - register today!
Scientists in Action: The Anthropology of Death
Grades 4 - 12
Scientists In Action
Thursday, October 26, 2023
9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. All times are Mountain Time.
Created for grades 4-12, but all are welcome.
Death: everyone eventually experiences it, but not everyone sees or honors it in the same way. Join anthropologist Dr. Erin Baxter as she discusses the fascinating and often inspiring ways human cultures past and present celebrate their dead, preserve (or dismantle) biological material, and ultimately face and embrace death. From exploring Día de los Muertos to sky burials and accidental mummification to ash soup, students will hear about incredible human traditions and learn how scientists can study, but also respect and honor diverse death rites worldwide. Despite the topic at hand, this virtual program with Q&A will be no grave affair. Register today!
Scientists in Action: T. rex to Turkey
Grades 4 - 12
Scientists In Action
Thursday, November 16, 2023
9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. Mountain Time
Created for grades 4-12, but all are welcome.
Did you know that every time you enjoy a meal of chicken, duck, or turkey, you are actually enjoying some delicious dinosaur? That’s right - every bird alive today, from ostrich to oriole, pigeon to penguin, are descendants of theropod dinosaurs like T.Rex and Velociraptor. But how did this change occur? What clues do scientists look for? Find out on this virtual behind-the-scenes trip with Museum paleontologists and ornithologists as they explore evolution with fossils, natural history collections, and more. Your questions will guide our exploration and will ensure that you never look at a chicken nugget the same way again!
Scientists in Action: How Our Brains Learn
Grades 4 - 12
Scientists In Action
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. All times are Mountain Time.
Created for grades 4-12, but all are welcome
We go to school to learn new things, but how exactly does our brain work when we absorb new information? Are there ways to help our brains with the process? Join learning scientist and biologist Dr. Melanie Peffer on a virtual adventure that explores the science of learning. Together we’ll peek inside our heads to see what’s going on when we acquire, process, and remember something new and in the meantime, gain an appreciation of all our minds can do. Dr. Peffer will also explain strategies for studying to help our brains learn better. Register today and get ready to learn something new!
Scientists in Action: Virtual Voyage Through the Universe
Grades 4 - 12
Scientists In Action
Thursday, January 18, 2024
9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. Mountain Time.
Created for grades 4-12, but all are welcome.
No spaceship? No problem. Space scientist Dr. Ka Chun Yu will be your students’ guide on a virtual adventure through space, starting with our home planet and voyaging into the solar system and beyond with the assistance of stunning scientific visualizations. Learn about our place in the universe, how we fit in the solar system, and how we are integrally connected to space! This is a fully interactive program where participants direct their questions to Dr. Yu and vote to guide our voyage through the universe.
The Third Annual Rocky Mountain Regional Mind and Brain Education Conference
Grades K - 12
Saturday, September 30
Featured keynote speaker: Pooja Agarwal, Ph.D. - Cognitive Scientist, Educator, Author
Join us at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science for a day of " Mind & Brain Education" presented and attended by local K-12 educators and university researchers with a common interest in applying psychology and neuroscience to their practice as they learn about things like:
- How do we learn?
- How do we regulate emotion?
- Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain
- What motivates and demotivates learners?
- The Science of Belonging & Agency
We are bringing together local facilitators who will present some evidence-based strategies that you can walk away and use tomorrow. Choose between several 90-minute concurrent mini-sessions held in 3 rounds.
Preconference Workshop Teaching to Learn: How to Support Student Success with the Science of Learning
Grades K - 12
Friday, September 29
Join your peers in an interactive day of learning about the science of learning and how to incorporate nudges into your teaching to help students learn how to learn effectively in your classroom. Rather than redesigning what you already do, learn ways to incorporate small changes into your content to help your students better understand how they learn and how to apply that to learning in your classroom.
Demystifying STEM: An introduction to fun and practical approaches to engineering
Grades K - 5
Dates and times:
IN-PERSON
June 14 (Wednesday) 8:00am - 4:00pm
June 15 (Thursday) 8:00am - 4:00pm
June 16 (Friday) 8:00am - 12:00pm
ONLINE (Asynchronuus)
September 25 - October 30
You don't need to be a scientist or an engineer to teach STEM. You just need a little curiosity!
In collaboration with the University of Colorado Boulder’s TeachEngineering and EleSTEMary, Demystifying STEM is your entry point into engaging and ready to implement STEM teaching practices tailored specifically for the elementary school classroom. Come learn how teaching STEM can go hand-in-hand with teaching literacy, and how inquiry-based lessons can help give your students a head start towards developing 21st century skills.
Blended Course: Sense-Making By Design For Secondary Teachers
Grades 6 - 12
In-Person Portion
Weds-Fri June 21-23, 2023 ( 8am-3:30 pm), October 7 , 2023 (8am- 3:30pm)
Asynchronous On-Line Portion
September 4 -Oct 15 Complete Four Classroom Implementation Assignments & A Weekly Discussion Forum (approx 2 hrs per week of work for 6 weeks)
Learn why the sequence of your lessons and labs matters! Join renowned science educator and author Patrick Brown for a fun and interactive course about bringing conceptual coherence for learners to your lessons and labs.
The session is designed as a complete guided tour for novice teachers, classroom veterans, curriculum specialists, methods course instructors, and informal science educators
Topics include:
- What you need to do. An overview of an effective instructional model called “Explore Before Explain” with considerations about planning and designing effectively
- How to do it. Ready-to-teach lessons to cover a variety of science topics. Detailed examples show how specific aspects of all three dimensions of the NGSS can translate into your classroom.
- What to do next. Reflection questions will spark thinking throughout the sequencing process and help you to develop the knowledge necessary to adapt these concepts to your curriculum and students’ needs.
Interact with supportive peers as you develop your own practice of science instruction that promotes engagement as well as deep, long-lasting understanding for your students.
Archive: 2020-2021 Tools @ Tea Time Program
K-12 TPD
Teachers! Grab your afternoon tea and log in for an end-of-the day boost, with tips and resources from the Museum Teacher Professional Development Team and an opportunity to share strategies with other teachers about remote and hybrid learning.
Museum 101
Specially designed for Preservice Teachers, these in-depth two-part sessions provide our future teachers of science and social studies the opportunity to:
- Participate in an inquiry-based activity that involves evidence gathering in one of the museum exhibition halls AND
- Explore the Museum’s unique resources and programs for students and teachers that can support both curriculum and teacher professional development.
Contact us at [email protected] to schedule.
Built to Fly
Grades 2 - 5
Curiosity Kits
Available for bookings now!
Discover the marvels of natural engineering! Explore the secrets of nature’s best fliers as your students build gliders and experiment with wing structures inspired by insects, birds, and bats. Imaginations will soar as your students learn about flight through this hands-on design challenge. A maximum of 105 students can be accommodated over three days.
Lost Worlds of Colorado
Grades 2 - 5
Curiosity Kits
From tropical rainforests to saltwater shores—surprise, discovery, and creativity await! Dig into Colorado’s past using the scientific process as paleontologists and geologists do. Analyze evidence and iconic discoveries, and create simulations of Colorado’s lost worlds where dinosaurs once roamed.
Powered By Nature
Grades 4 - 8
Curiosity Kits
Harness the power of Colorado’s natural resources in this hands-on game of geographic discovery and real-world ingenuity. Teams will be challenged to power cities across Colorado while balancing energy needs with environmental impacts and cost. Colorado’s future is in the hands of your students!
Preview the program here:
Mission To Mars
Grades 3 - 6
Wonder Workshops
Blast off on a journey of discovery and make room for a space station orbiting Mars, transporting your classroom of young astronauts. This transformation will challenge your group to use teamwork, critical thinking, and creativity to solve problems and design the future of space travel. Your Mars mission takes science to a new stratosphere! Junior astronauts will be left feeling inspired by human ingenuity and the universe around them.
Wild Senses
Grades PreK - 2
Wonder Workshops
We will transform your room into a natural wonderland ready to be explored. Young learners take on animal behaviors to experience the natural world around them, as animals would. Kids smell out their food like a squirrel, hunt in the dark like a raccoon, and use infrared detection to see prey like a snake. An adventurous Museum educator will guide your explorers as they discover adaptation and senses firsthand through animals’ wild senses. This program will amaze and delight your animals—er, kids—with pretend play and fun, educational activities.
Body Systems in Motion
Grades 4 - 8
Wonder Workshops
Get your body systems up and running while racing against the clock to complete challenges about your own body. The entire group will work together to bring their avatar to life.
Invisible Forces: A Physics Challenge
Grades 4 - 8
Wonder Workshops
Our apologies but this workshop is unavailable until further notice.
Race against the clock and use the invisible forces all around us to uncover mysterious codes and secrets. Your classroom will become a physics laboratory, where students will build, experiment, complete hands-on challenges, and reveal the physics behind sound waves, air pressure, and electricity. Let the adventure begin!
Wildlife Exhibits
On Permanent Display
Animals big and small come to life in exquisitely detailed dioramas that transport you around the world.
Jane Goodall's Reasons for Hope
Runtime: 45 minutes
"Jane Goodall’s Reasons for Hope" is a giant screen film that is based on Jane’s philosophy of hope for the world and all of life on it. The film is structured around Jane’s four main pillars of hope: the amazing human intellect, the resilience of nature, the power and dedication of young people, and the indomitable human spirit. The main purpose of the film is to highlight good-news stories and to inspire people to make a difference in the world around them.
Flight of the Butterflies 3D
Runtime: 45 minutes
Join hundreds of millions of Monarch butterflies on an extraordinary journey through the remote mountain peaks of Mexico in the exhilarating movie “Flight of the Butterflies.” Witness the relentless 40-year search of one scientist to unravel the mystery: where do they go each fall season? Prepare to be captivated by the mesmerizing visuals of “Flight of the Butterflies” at the Infinity Theater, with stunning cinematography from an award-winning team, including the renowned Oscar® winner Peter Parks. It's a uplifting movie experience you won't want to miss!
"Flight of the Butterflies 3D" is a trilateral co-production between Mexico, Canada and the U.K, Cowritten by Director Mike Slee and co-Executive Producer Wendy MacKeigan and produced by Executive Producer Jonathan Barker, and distributed by SK Films, a leading worldwide producer and distributor of entertainment content.
Secrets of the Sea 3D
Runtime: 45 minutes
Dive into the fascinating world of the ocean in "Secrets of the Sea." This film takes you on an underwater journey with an incredible variety of enchanting marine creatures, from pygmy seahorses and dazzling opalescent squid to majestic manta rays, tiger sharks and even a clever coconut octopus. This extraordinary film showcases the indispensable role of marine biodiversity in maintaining the well-being of our oceans. Filmed in 16 stunning locations, including Tahiti, Mexico, the Philippines and California.
UnEarth Colorado
Grades 2 - 5
Field Trip Adventures
Now accepting bookings for programs!
Dig up Colorado’s prehistoric past! Use real prehistoric evidence found in fossil analysis to become a junior paleontologist. This immersive experience allows students to interact with authentic prehistoric specimens and gather clues from ancient plants and animals.
Heart Lab
Grades 3 - 5
Field Trip Adventures
Now accepting bookings for programs!
Explore the human body and the parts and function of the circulatory system using hands-on investigations and small-group dissections of real sheep hearts.
Lung Lab
Grades 3 - 5
Field Trip Adventures
Now accepting bookings for programs!
Explore the human body and the parts and function of the respiratory system using hands-on investigations and small-group dissections of real sheep lungs.
Unraveling Mummies: Modern Technology, Dissection, and Ancient Egypt
Grades 6 - 8
Field Trip Adventures
Now accepting bookings for programs!
In our Unraveling Mummies Field Trip Adventure, students use CT imaging and dissections of a real sheep heart to dig into the culture, anatomy, and mummification & burial practices exercised by ancient Egyptians.
The Bear Necessities
Grades PreK - 1
Field Trip Adventures
Now accepting bookings for programs!
In this facilitated studio program, your students will be immersed in a Colorado habitat as they become black bears and search for food, water, and shelter. Also, explore the Bears & Sea Mammals diorama halls using an exhibit guide that is designed to connect your class with the exhibition and learn through play in the Discovery Zone.
Dinosaur Detectives
Grades PreK - 1
Field Trip Adventures
Now accepting bookings for programs!
Become a paleontologist in this studio program. Your students will uncover clues from the past in order to imagine what it was like when Colorado’s state dinosaur, Stegosaurus, roamed the land.
Amazing Animal Adaptations
Grades 2 - 5
Field Trip Adventures
Now accepting bookings for programs!
In this fun, interactive adventure, your students will use a keepsake trading card game to explore how animals use specialized senses and parts of their body to adapt to their environment. This adventure includes investigation time in the Wildlife Halls and adaptation bingo throughout the Museum.
Design Your Own Adventure
Grades K - 8
Design Your Own
Feeling creative? This option allows you to plan your own adventure at the Museum. Curate your trip to meet your group's needs with temporary exhibitions and Planetarium shows. Permanent exhibitions and Museum entry are free for PreK-12 school and youth groups.