The Tech Science Labs
At The Tech Museum enhance students' experience by allowing them to explore a science topic in an interactive, hands-on setting. Most labs utilize Design Challenge Learning, an exciting, fun process that enables students to engage in an open-ended design process that results in an original solution. All of our labs align with California standards of learning.
Lab sessions are available (Monday through Friday) throughout the school year. Labs begin at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and last 90 minutes. Labs have a maximum of 32 students per session. Each lab session costs $225, and a full fee waiver is available for Title I schools.
Groups with Science Labs: Day of Visit Information
Groups with scheduled labs will meet their lab instructor in New Venture Hall. The instructor will then escort the group to their lab location in the museum. Morning lab groups will be picked up at 9:20 a.m and afternoon lab groups will be picked up at 12:20 p.m. It is important that the group arrive early so that the lab can begin on time. Failure to arrive on time may result in cancellation of the lab without refund.
Science Labs for 2011-2012
Physics of Roller Coasters
Grades 2-8 (Adaptable for high school students)
Students design their own roller coasters to learn how engineers prototype and build machines. They also explore kinetic and potential energy, friction and Newton's 1st and 2nd Laws of Motion.
California Science Content Standards: Grade 2: 1a, 1c-e, 4; Grade 3: 1c-d, 5; Grade 4: 6; Grade 5: 6; Grade 6: 3a, 7a; Grade 7: 7; Grade 8: 1a-f, 2a-f, 9; Grade 9-12: Physics 1a-l, 2a-h, Investigation & Experimentation
Physics of Roller Coasters Lab Summary
Chemicals of Innovation
Grades 5-8
Strong ties to 5th and 8th Grade Standards
Students explore chemical properties and bring the periodic table right into their hands as they experiment with chemical reactions to discover dramatic results and see how chemicals work in Silicon Valley inventions.
California Science Content Standards: Grade 5: 1a-d, 1f- i, 6, 6b, 6d-h; Grade 6: 7, 7a; Grade 8: 3a-b, 3d-f, 5a, 5c-e, 6b-c, 7a-b, 9, 9a, 9c Chemicals of Innovation Lab Summary
Engineering for Earthquakes
Grades 5-8
Students learn about earthquakes and engineering principles, then design and construct seismically sound buildings that they put to the test on a shake table simulating seismic waves.
California Science Content Standards: Grade 5: 6; Grade 6: 1a-f, 2d, 7; Grade 7: 7; Grade 8: 2a-b, 9
Engineering for Earthquakes Lab Summary
DNA and Genetics
Grades 6-8
Created with Stanford's Genetics Department. Students examine their own DNA from cheek cells, spool DNA from animal cells, and explore how genes shape traits. California Science Content Standards: Grade 6: 7; Grade 7: 1a, 1c, 1e, 2, 2b-e, 3a, 7; Grade 8: 6c, 9 Grades 3-8 To discover how to harness solar energy, students learn about circuit design, nanotechnology, and solar panels. They then plan and prototype a solar-powered city. California Science Content Standards: Grade 3: 1a-b, 1d, 1f, 1h, 2a-b, 3c-e, 5; Grade 4: 1, 1a, 6; Grade 5: 6; Grade 6: 3a-b, 4a-b, 5a, 6, 6a-c, 7; Grade 7: 3e, 6c, 6f, 7; Grade 8: 4d, 9 Grades 4-8 Students discover how to make electricity work. They learn about switches and circuits as they tinker with electricity to light up the world and make some noise. California Science Content Standards: Grade 4: 1a, 1g, 6; Grade 5: 1c, 6; Grade 6: 3a-c, 7 Grade 7: 7; Grade 8: 9 Grades 3-8 Students learn about energy waves, as they explore the properties of light and sound. They see how light behaves, discover the underlying principles of color, and create sound devices to visualize sound waves. California Science Content Standards: Grade 3: 1a, 1c-e, 2a-d, 5; Grade 4: 1g, 6; Grade 5: 6; Grade 6: 3a, 4b, 7; Grade 7: 6a-g7, ; Grade 8: 4d, 9
Grades 4-8 California Science Content Standards: Grade 2: 1f; Grade 3: 1b-d, 5; Grade 4: 1a-g, 6; Grade 5: 1c, 6; Grade 6: 3a, 7; Grade 7: 6a, 7; Grade 8: 3a, 9
Green by Design
Green by Design Lab SummarySimplicity of Electricity
Simplicity of Electricity Lab SummaryLight, Sound, Action!
Light, Sound, Action! Lab SummaryPower the Future
Students learn about electricity and magnetism, and how they relate to each other. They construct an electromagnetic circuit and an electromagnet, and then combine the two technologies together! Power the Future Lab Summary
