Cranbrook Institute of Science

Science on the Go!

Can’t come to us? Let us come to you! Cranbrook Institute of Science comes right to your classroom with a variety of programs for all ages and group sizes. Unless noted, programs are approximately 45 minutes in length.

Host a field trip right at your school! Cranbrook educators share their love and knowledge of science, and meet Michigan GLCEs through small and large group programs in your school or classroom. Find a program that meets your needs and contact the Scheduling office to book your visit from the museum.

To register, call 248 645.3210 or

Small Group Programs

Ideal for a classroom or smaller group, up to 32 students maximum. Programs are approximately 45 minutes in length.

Small Group Programs are $225 for the first session, $125 for each additional session on the same day.

New! Water, Water, Everywhere

Grades 1-4

Students experience how water moves through the water cycle by becoming part of it themselves, examine what occurs with runoff, observe how water moves through the ground, and realize the importance of water in our everyday lives.

New! Ecosystems

Grades 3-6

Explore desert, tropical rainforest and coral reef ecosystems on planet Earth! In this interactive program students will design an ecosystem using both living and non-living components. Students will also hypothesize the potential effects of various impacts to their ecosystems.

New! The Scientific Method

Grades K-5

What is science? What can we learn through science? How does the scientific method help us test hypotheses and draw conclusions? Students will answer these questions through an entertaining and safe grade-level appropriate activity. Perfect for the beginning of a unit or before a science fair.

Starlab

Grades K-8

Explore the night sky in your school and discover distant stars, constellations, planets, and galaxies with our portable planetarium.

The People of the Three Fires

Grades 3-6

Discover Michigan's rich culture and the history of the Ojibway, Ottawa, and Potawatomi tribes through interactive activities and authentic artifacts.

Money!

Grades 3-5

Students will trade along the Silk Road and set up their own stores in this fun, interactive introduction to barter and money economies that outlines the basics of economics and fiscal responsibility.

Investigating Light

Grades 3-6

A brilliant way to illustrate principles of light, color, reflection, refraction and more. Illuminating demonstrations show how light travels and how shadows can be used.

Rocks, Minerals, and Fossils

Grades 3-6

Utilizing Cranbrook's world-class rock and mineral collection and authentic dinosaur fossils, students will unearth details about Michigan's geological history by working together in groups.

Sun, Shadows and Solar System

Grades K-2

Journey into space to experience the planets in our Solar System and explore the basic principles of light and shadow to unveil the mystery of lunar and solar eclipses.

Dinosaurs

Grades PreK-2

Become paleontologists by digging up the latest knowledge of dinosaurs, including what we can learn by passing around genuine fossils and casts, act like a T. Rex, and act out how a fossil is created.

It's a Small World: Insects and Plants

Grades PreK-2

Focus on the minuscule world of insects and plants using live specimens and easy-to-use microscopes to learn how to identify an insect, the phases of their life, how they communicate, and what role plants play in their lives.

Large Group Programs

Large Group Programs are $300 for the first session, $150 for each additional session on the same day.

New! Forces and Motion

Grades 3-8

Explore the how and why of motion through different types of forces, Newton's Laws of Motion, an interactive graph, the launching of a trebuchet and more.

Matter and Energy

Grades 2-8

This crowd-pleasing stage show stars the different forms of matter and how they can change, along with light, sound, electricity and other forms of energy and the rules that govern them.

Simple Machines

Grades K-5

Find out what physicists consider is work and how many simple machines such as levers, pulleys, and screws can change how we do work.

Really Big Events

Family Science Nights

Bring families into your school, connect with students outside of the classroom and generate excitement for many science topics with a two-hour event held at your school. Provide ten volunteers, eleven tables and a large space, and we do the rest! Includes the shocking Van de Graff generator. Ten new stations are available for schools who have hosted a Family Science Night recently.

Family Science Nights are $500 for a two-hour session.

Custom Science Festivals

Cranbrook can help your school celebrate science with a customized program held throughout your school, from two hours to all day. Classes will rotate through stations and experience a variety of topics, from dinosaurs to rocks to electricity.

Institute In Your Community

Cranbrook Institute of Science is proud of the many corporate and foundation sponsors committed to sustaining our “Outreach Programs.” Their support makes it possible for us to touch the lives of people from all socioeconomic backgrounds. People of all ages can experience a hands-on inquiry-based science and natural history lesson with our “Science on the Go” or “Science on the Screen!” class. All programming is aligned with the Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs) and the Michigan Curriculum Frameworks (MCF).

A special thanks to our corporate and foundation sponsors who partner with Cranbrook Institute of Science.

The Chrysler Foundation
Ford Motor Company Fund
Bank of America
LaSalle Bank
Pulte Homes, Inc.
Masco Corporation Foundation
DTE
Comcast Foundation
IBEW Local 58
UAW Region 1
Denso
MEEMIC Insurance Company
State Farm Insurance Company
Cornerstone Community Financial
TIAA-CREF
Northern Trust Bank
The Carls Foundation