Academy on the Go: Program Topics
Our outreach program, Academy on the Go, offers structured Lesson Programs and Informal Programs that are appropriate for fairs, fund-raisers and similar events. Unless otherwise noted, these programs can be reserved for large or small groups and tailored to all ages.
Does your group have a particular need? Academy on the Go can also be customized to suit your audience. Options include subjects not listed, programs of different lengths, and many other exciting opportunities. Call 215.299.1060.
Lesson Programs
A total of ten lesson programs are available. The Lesson Programs have been developed to meet or exceed Educational Standards, including the National Benchmarks for Science Literacy and Pennsylvania Scientific Standards. For more information on a specific lesson program, click on its link below. (The paw print 
indicates that the program uses live animals.)
- Amazing Adaptations
- Animals with Bad Reputation
- Bugs to Butterflies
- Dinosaur Fun
- Discovering Dinosaurs
- Discovering Your World
- Everybody Needs a Home
- Fur, Feathers and Scales
- If We Could Talk to the Animals…
- Raptors: Predators of the Sky
- Watery Worlds
A new Lesson Program is currently in development. Check back in January to book a hands-on lesson at your school during which students will apply the scientific method of inquiry using a colony of live animals (Grades 3 - 6).
1) Amazing Adaptations
What is an adaptation and what kinds are there? Learn about the wide variety of animals on Earth and discover some features and behaviors that help them to survive. (Grades 1 and above only)
- National Benchmarks: 1B, 1C, 5A, 5D, 12E
- PA Academic Standards in Science & Technology:
- Biological Sciences (3.3.4A, 3.3.7D)
- Earth Sciences (3.5.4C)
- PA Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology:
- Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species (4.7.4A, 4.7.4B, 4.7.7A, 4.7.7B)
2) Animals with Bad Reputations
Slimy? Scary? Sneaky? Separate fact from fiction in this investigation of fascinating animals that are often misunderstood.
- Download the Pre/Post Lesson Materials:
- Animals with Bad Reputations materials for grades Pre-K to 2 [.pdf format, 1.5MB]
- Animals with Bad Reputations materials for grades 3 to 6 [.pdf format, 830KB]
- National Benchmarks: 1B, 1C, 5A, 5D, 5F, 6D, 9C, 9E, 11D, 12E
- PA Academic Standards in Science & Technology:
- Inquiry and Design (3.2.4A, 3.2.7A)
- PA Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology:
- Environmental Health (4.3.4C, 4.3.7C, 4.3.10C)
- Integrated Pest Management (4.5.4A, 4.5.7A)
- Ecosystems and their Interactions (4.6.7A)
- Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species (4.7.4A, 4.7.4B, 4.7.10B)
3) Bugs to Butterflies
What’s the difference between an insect and a spider? Do butterflies have bones? What senses does a cockroach use to discover its world? Journey from egg to adult as you explore the features of various invertebrates using activities, museum specimens and one live arthropod. (Grades preK-3 only; all formats available, but Large Group limited to 75 participants)
- Download the Pre/Post Lesson Materials:
- An Educator's Guide to Butterflies!: Lessons and Other Resources for Teachers
[.pdf format, 1.6MB]
- National Benchmarks: 5A, 5D, 5F
- PA Academic Standards in Science & Technology:
- Biological Sciences (3.3.4A, 3.3.4B, 3.3.4C)
- PA Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology:
- Ecosystems and their Interactions (4.6.4A)
4) Dinosaur Fun
What were dinosaurs like? How were they similar to animals still alive today? Fun props and activities help small children learn how dinosaurs lived, ate, and protected themselves. The introduction of one live animal reinforces the concepts. (Little Explorers format only)
- National Benchmarks: 5A, 5D, 5E, 5F, 6D, 11B, 11D
- PA Academic Standards in Science & Technology:
- Biological Sciences (3.3.4A, 3.3.4D)
- PA Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology:
- Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species (4.7.4A, 4.7.4C)
5) Discovering Dinosaurs
How do we know what dinosaurs were like? Were other animals alive at the same time as the dinosaurs? Learn the answers to these puzzles of paleontology by examining fossils and meeting one living link to the past. (Grades 1 through 6 only)
- National Benchmarks: 1B, 1C, 5A, 5D, 5F, 6D, 9C, 9E, 11B, 11C, 11D, 12E
- PA Academic Standards in Science & Technology:
- Inquiry and Design (3.2.4A, 3.2.7A, 3.2.10A)
- Biological Sciences (3.3.4A, 3.3.4D, 3.3.7D)
- Earth Sciences (3.5.4A, 3.5.7A)
- PA Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology:
- Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species (4.7.4A, 4.7.4B, 4.7.4C, 4.7.7A, 4.7.10B)
6) Discovering Your World
Using their skills of observation and questioning, your students will be biologists exploring the natural world in this inquiry-based, hands-on experience. Study a colony of live animals and design an experiment right in your own classroom! (Grades 3-6, Small Group Format only)
- National Benchmarks: 1B, 1C
- NJ Core Curriculum: 5.1.8A, 5.1.8B, 5.4.4C
- PA Academic Standards in Science & Technology
- Inquiry and Design (3.2.4A, 3.2.4B, 3.2.4C, 3.2.7A, 3.2.7B, 3.2.7C)
- Biological Sciences (3.3.4A, 3.3.7A)
- PA Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology
- Ecosystems and their Interactions (4.6.4A, 4.6.7A)
- Philadelphia Core Curriculum Grade Levels: 4, 5
7) Everybody Needs a Home
Food, water, shelter, space —all creatures need a habitat that provides these things. Meet several animals from different habitats and discover how these needs are met. Also explore how animals depend upon and relate to one another within a habitat.
- Download the Pre/Post Lesson Materials:
- Everybody Needs a Home materials for grades Pre-K to 2 [.pdf format, 3.5MB]
- Everybody Needs a Home materials for grades 3 to 6 [.pdf format, 121KB]
- National Benchmarks: 1B, 1C, 5A, 5D, 5E, 6D, 9C, 11D, 12E
- PA Academic Standards in Science & Technology:
- Biological Sciences (3.3.4A, 3.3.4C, 3.3.7A, 3.3.7D)
- Earth Sciences (3.5.4C)
- PA Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology:
- Environmental Health (4.3.4A, 4.3.4C)
- Ecosystems and their Interactions (4.6.4A, 4.6.7A, 4.6.10A)
- Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species (4.7.4A, 4.7.4B, 4.7.7A, 4.7.7C, 4.7.10A)
8) Fur, Feathers and Scales
Why do animals have fur, feathers or scales? Learn about the importance of animal coverings and discover some of the basic differences between mammals, birds and reptiles. (Grades K and above only)
- National Benchmarks: 1B, 1C, 5A, 5D, 6D, 8D, 9C, 11B, 11C, 11D, 12E
- PA Academic Standards in Science & Technology:
- Inquiry and Design (3.2.4B)
- Biological Sciences (3.3.4A, 3.3.7A, 3.310A)
- PA Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology:
- Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species (4.7.4A, 4.7.4B, 4.7.7A, 4.7.10B)
- Download the Pre/Post Lesson Materials:
- Fur, Feathers and Scales materials for grades Pre-K to 2 [.pdf format, 2.7MB]
9) If We Could Talk to the Animals …
How do animals convey messages without speaking? Explore some of the secrets of animal communication, such as body language, scent, color or sound.
- Download the Pre/Post Lesson Materials:
- Talk to the Animals materials for grades Pre-K to 2 [.pdf format, 1.4MB]
- Talk to the Animals materials for grades 3 to 6 [.pdf format, 241KB]
- National Benchmarks: 1B, 1C, 5A, 5D, 5F, 6D, 8D, 9C, 11B, 11C, 11D, 12E
- PA Academic Standards in Science & Technology:
- Inquiry and Design (3.2.4)
- PA Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology:
- Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species (4.7.4A, 4.7.4B, 4.7.7A, 4.7.10B)
10) Raptors: Predators of the Sky
Hawks, falcons, owls —what makes these creatures so amazing? Get a bird’s-eye view of these magnificent animals and discover how they differ from one another. (Grades 3 and above only)
- National Benchmarks: 1B, 1C, 5A, 5D, 5F, 6D, 11A, 11D, 12E
- PA Academic Standards in Science & Technology:
- Biological Sciences (3.3.7A)
- PA Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology:
- Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species (4.7.7A, 4.7.7B, 4.7.7C, 4.7.10A, 4.7.10B)
11) Watery Worlds
What do ducks and frogs have in common? Learn about ponds, rivers, and oceans and some amazing creatures that inhabit these watery worlds. Fun activities and the introduction of one live animal encourage investigation into the features that make aquatic animals unique. (Grades K-2 only; Little Explorers or Small Group formats only)
- National Benchmarks: 1B, 1C, 5A, 5D, 5F, 6D, 9C, 11B, 11D, 12E
- PA Academic Standards in Science & Technology:
- Biological Sciences (3.3.4A)
- Earth Sciences (3.5.4D)
- PA Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology:
- Watersheds and Wetlands (4.1.4A, 4.1.4B, 4.1.4C)
- Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species (4.7.4A, 4.7.4B)
Informal Programs
These programs are appropriate for informal settings, including fairs, festivals or fund-raisers, where participants are free to come and go as they please while having the chance to ask questions and meet a variety of live animals or examine fossils. (The paw print indicates that the lesson or informal program uses live animals.)
You can request a date by phone (215.299.1060) or request a date online once you've decided on a format and program.
Animal Encounters
Are you having a fair, festival or fund-raiser? Enjoy a casual format where your guests come and go as they please while having the chance to ask questions and meet a variety of live animals face-to-face. Complete with artifacts and expertise.
- Age level: All ages
- Length of program: 2 hours
- Maximum number of participants: Unlimited
- Fee: $350 plus travel fee ($100 for each additional hour)
Dinosaur Diversions
Enjoy the same informal format as above, but with a variety of fossils, activities, and artifacts related to dinosaurs.
- Age level: All ages
- Length of program: 2 hours
- Maximum number of participants: Unlimited
- Fee: $350 plus travel fee ($100 for each additional hour)
