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Enrichment Labs

Sign your class up for a Field Trip Enrichment Lab!

These 45-minute, hands-on classroom programs will enhance your students’ experience with interactive lessons led by a Eugene Science Center educator, designed for up to 30 students at a time (two groups of 15). Larger groups may be split into 2 or more sections and rotated among other field trip options (Exhibit Areas, Planetarium).

Labs are subject to instructor and classroom availability and may not be available on all days.

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Enrichment labs arranged by grade level

We are developing all new enrichment labs. Please check back regularly to see updated offerings.

Grades K-2

Balance Lab

In this interactive lab, students explore the science of balance through hands-on physics challenges. Using balance manipulatives like beam scales, counterweights, and tilting platforms, students investigate how weight distribution, center of gravity, and force affect stability. Through guided play, they test different balancing strategies, experiment with symmetry, and discover how small adjustments can make a big impact. By the end of the activity, students will have a deeper understanding of balance as a key concept in physics and engineering, all while engaging in fun, hands-on exploration.

Grades 3-5

Bee-havior Enrichment Lab
This activity introduces students to two structures honeybees have that allow them to find food: their body hair and their eyes. To start, students explore how, through electrostatic pull, honeybee body hair helps them find flowers. Next, students explore how honeybee eyes detect UV light to find flowers. Lastly, students engage in an embodied waggle dance game to explore how honeybees work as a group to share information about food sources. Together, this lab covers topics related to structure and function and group behavior among animals.
Balance Lab
In this interactive lab, students explore the science of balance through hands-on physics challenges. Using balance manipulatives like beam scales, counterweights, and tilting platforms, students investigate how weight distribution, center of gravity, and force affect stability. Through guided play, they test different balancing strategies, experiment with symmetry, and discover how small adjustments can make a big impact. By the end of the activity, students will have a deeper understanding of balance as a key concept in physics and engineering, all while engaging in fun, hands-on exploration.

Grades 6-8

Marine Life Squid Dissection Lab

In this hands-on dissection lab, students take a deep dive into marine biology by exploring the anatomy of a squid. Guided by an instructor, students examine external features such as tentacles, suction cups, and chromatophores before carefully dissecting the squid to investigate its internal structures, including its gills, ink sac, and beak. Along the way, students will discover how the squid’s anatomy is specially adapted for survival in the ocean, from jet propulsion movement to its advanced eyesight. This lab provides a fascinating opportunity for middle school students to develop their dissection skills while gaining a greater appreciation for marine life and biological systems.

Pricing

Each enrichment lab is 45 minutes to 1 hour in duration and designed for groups of 15 students or less.   Groups with more than 15 students can be split into two groups and registered for two back-to-back or concurrent programs.

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