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| Morris Museum Outreach Program visits
the Sacred Heart School in Dover. Photo credit: Todd
Mundt |
The Morris Museum offers
Outreach Programs related to science, history and art – all
to support your classroom curriculum. Conducted by the museum’s
outreach educator, all programs are inquiry driven, with a
lively interaction between the educator and your students as
students examine museum artifacts and reproductions.
Boxes of handling objects, working models, interpretive
materials and educational games are all part of the Outreach
experience. Slide Presentations use slides as a teaching
tool. Object Presentations use objects as a teaching tool.
Planetarium Presentations are presented in the museum’s
Portable Planetarium.
We encourage you to choose our Outreach Programs to enhance
your school theme days. We suggest booking Musical Instruments
from Around the World for Music in the Schools Month, Pioneers
for National History Day, Quilts: Connecting Communities
and Cultures for Women’s History Month. Please call
for further suggestions.
Teachers are also encouraged to visit the Morris Museum
on a field trip (where indicated) to participate in Exhibition
Programs or Classroom Intermission Theatre Series Programs
that relate directly to the topic of study in your Outreach
Program. Please inquire when booking.
Outreach Programs at the Morris Museum are supported in
part by Bayer HealthCare Consumer Care Division.
(Grades 1-4)
Object/PowerPoint Presentation
The unpredictable nature of weather is a source of endless fascination and your students are sure to enjoy learning about the hows and whys of phenomena such as clouds and thunder through experiments that demonstrate the principles of hot and cold air masses. As an added new program feature, students will examine photographs and paintings to understand links between science and art as they explore the sometimes wild and always wonderful world of weather.
Visual and Performing Arts Standards 1.1, 1.5; Science Standards 5.8, 5.10
(Grades 1-6)
Object/PowerPoint Presentation
From the ocean to the jungle and from the savanna to the treetops, this program gives students insights into the diverse habitats and lifestyles of the animal kingdom. Special emphasis is given to threatened and endangered species and the impact of human choices on our wildlife neighbors. Students will also handle skulls, skins, furs and feathers as they discuss the different ways animal bodies are adapted to their particular needs.
Science Standards 5.5, 5.10
(Grades 4-8)
Object/PowerPoint Presentation
How are rocks like chocolate chip cookies? Find out in this tour of the earth’s active crust, showcasing the impact earthquakes and volcanoes have on our planet. Through the use of handling materials, students will examine and compare igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. (The museum has an extensive Rock and Mineral Gallery, so participation in an Earth Explorers Exhibition Program is suggested.)
Science Standards 5.2, 5.8, 5.10
(Grades 4-8)
Object Presentation
Make simple machines…simpler! Using an inclined plane, a lever or a pulley can help even the weakest of us perform tasks of which a bodybuilder would boast. Students will discover and test the mathematical relationship between force and distance when using a simple machine to do work while discussing ways these machines improve everyday life.
Science Standards 5.4, 5.7
(Grades K-3)
Object/PowerPoint Presentation
Footprints, bones, and teeth, oh my! In this study of the giants that inhabited the earth millions of years ago, students will use fossils and models to reconstruct the size, food preferences, and movement of dinosaurs. Through observation and comparison, students will model the habits of paleontologists. (The study of this topic can be continued by participating in an Earth Explorers Exhibition Program.)
Science Standards 5.2, 5.5
(Grades 1-4)
Object/PowerPoint Presentation
Take a walk in the woods without ever leaving your classroom and discover the secret signs that mammals, birds and reptiles leave behind. Students will learn about members of the woodlands community and their interconnections while handling feathers, antlers, turtle shells, and other natural specimens.
Science Standards 5.5, 5.10
(Grades 1-4)
Object/PowerPoint Presentation
Insects are so much more than buzzing, hopping creatures! This program lets students get up-close with actual specimens of beetles, butterflies and other insects. See what makes these tiny animals unique in their body structures, diets, life cycles and homes.
Science Standards 5.5, 5.10
(Grades K-8)
Object Presentation
Sometimes a cappella is not enough – what can we use to make music besides our voices? What makes those unique sounds possible? Students will learn how different objects vibrate to produce sound and how tones can be used to express emotion. It’s a multi-sensory exploration of music when students see, hear and touch instruments as diverse as an angklung, sansa, and a kaen while learning a little bit about the culture that created each instrument.
Visual and Performing Arts Standards 1.1, 1.5; Science Standard 5.7; Social Studies Standards 6.3, 6.6
(Grades 1-8)
Object/PowerPoint Presentation
What we own says a lot about who we are and what we value. Using reproductions and museum artifacts, students will learn to think like historians and piece together a picture of pioneer life in the 1800s. This program pays special attention to ways life in the late 19th century was both similar to and different from life today.
Social Studies Standards 6.1, 6.4
(Grades 2-8)
Object/PowerPoint Presentation
Students receive a broad overview of American Indian life in four major geographical and cultural areas: Eastern Woodlands, Plains, Southwest and Northwest Coast. Investigating authentic artifacts and reproductions will enable students to develop a more accurate picture of what native life was like before European settlement.
Visual and Performing Arts Standards 1.1, 1.5; Social Studies Standards 6.3, 6.4
(Grades 3-8)
Object/PowerPoint Presentation
Your students will want to explore their family tree after this exploration of the diverse cultures that have contributed to New Jersey’s history! From the earliest Dutch traders to the most recent arrivals, New Jersey has long been an entry point for those seeking to find a home in the New World. Whether their reasons for coming were religious, political or economic, New Jersey’s history is full of the stories of everyday men and women – some of who are our ancestors in fact, and all of who are our ancestors in spirit.
Social Studies Standards 6.4, 6.6
(Grades 3-12)
Object/PowerPoint Presentation
Much more than bedcovering, quilts serve as tangible expressions of community and heritage, a legacy connecting women and families for over two hundred years. Students will explore the stories that lie between the stitches as they learn about the art and history of quilting in various cultural groups. Through a blend of art and history, students will see how quilts can be “read” as letters from the women who created them – with messages of hope, friendship and family.
Visual and Performing Arts Standards 1.1, 1.5; Mathematics Standard 4.2; Social Studies Standard 6.4
(Grades 3-12)
Object/PowerPoint Presentation
How do we learn about history? Using material culture – the objects of the past – relating to everyday life in the eighteenth century (such as a firestriker, a nutmeg grater, and a candle mold), your students will learn to understand the events and people of history in a fuller context. Students will discuss how what they are seeing may influence their perspective on the past, and why it is important to preserve these tangible pieces of history as they work together to write a “museum label” for an object.
Visual and Performing Arts Standards 1.1, 1.5; Language Arts Literacy Standards 3.2, 3.3; Social Studies Standards 6.1, 6.4
(Grades 3-12)
PowerPoint Presentation
In our highly visual culture, students see so much, but observe very little. Using a four-step art critique process, students will learn how to take time to appreciate fine and decorative art objects in a new way. Students will examine diverse pieces from the Morris Museum collection, including Pan of Rohallion, a bronze 1890 sculpture by Frederick MacMonnies, a mechanical musical instrument from the Murtogh D. Guinness Collection and works by nineteenth and twentieth century painters such as Joseph Alexander Ames, Harry Devlin, Henry Gasser and Kay Walkingstick.
Visual and Performing Arts Standards 1.1, 1.4, 1.5; Social Studies Standards 6.1, 6.4
Object/PowerPoint Presentation
(Grades 3-12)
What are mechanical musical instruments and automata? How long has this type of “on demand” entertainment been around and why are they important? As a complement to the museum’s new Murtogh D. Guinness Collection of automota and musical instruments, this program incorporate a variety of multi-media clips from the museum’s exhibition as well as audio clips of various pieces. Discussion will focus on the historical significance of this collection which spans the 16th thorugh 20th centuries and will reveal how the concept of entertainment and changed over time.
Visual and Performing Arts 1.1, 1.4, 1.5; Social Studies 6.3, 6.4
Planetarium Presentation
(Grades 3-6)
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| Students from Kennedy Elementary School in Succasunna enjoy a program in the museum's portable planetarium. |
This program is an enchanting introduction to the history and mythology of our starry nights. Students will learn about the mythological origins of constellations and many of the imaginative interpretations by ancient peoples who saw pictures in the night sky. Discover how to "read" the heavens, identify the stars, asterisms and constellations, and hear the stories associated with them. Learn the significance of the North Star, Polaris, how to locate it and why it is used for navigation on land, sea and in the night sky. What is meant by a star's magnitude and why do some stars appear to be red or blue? What is the difference between circumpolar and seasonal constellations? During their celestial journey, your students will be introduced to the scientific basis behind these questions through a series of entertaining stories.
Science Standards 5.2, 5.9
Call the Morris Museum at 973.971.3710 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Outreach Programs are available Monday through Friday beginning at 9:30 a.m. To ensure the dates of your choice, we suggest you schedule as far in advance as possible.
A confirmation/invoice will be mailed at the time the program is booked. Payment is due within 30 days of the invoice. Fees for programs cancelled up to two weeks in advance will be fully refunded; fees for programs cancelled less than two weeks in advance are non-refundable.
- Object or PowerPoint Presentations may be offered for up to two classes, with a maximum of 50 students per session. Smaller groups allow optimal student interaction and are recommended. We offer up to two consecutive presentations of a topic per day for the listed fee. Fee: $150 for the first program; $100 for each additonal program
- Planetarium Presentations may be conducted a maximum of 4 times per day for a maximum of 25 students and one teacher per session. These programs are scheduled on Wednesdays only, and the museum respectfully requests that teachers not schedule more than an hour delay between morning and afternoon planetarium programs. Fee: $200
There is an additional travel charge of $25 for schools/organizations outside a 15-mile radius from the Morris Museum.
In order to provide the highest quality educational experience possible, groups are limited to 50 students per session. To facilitate this, the museum is pleased to offer up to two consecutive presentations of a program per day for the listed fee. If the number of students in any single program exceeds 50, there will be a charge of $2 per additional student.
In order to allow optimal student interaction with handling materials, we suggest booking your Outreach Program for smaller groups whenever possible.
Sessions held with one class at a time enable more students to ask questions and participate fully in all activities. Larger groups may not be able to engage in all the hands-on aspects of the program, particularly in cases where space is at a premium.
Please provide a large table at the front of the room for all programs; for PowerPoint presentations, please arrange for a screen to be set up in the room ahead of time. Consecutive programs must be held in the same location.
All programs are approximately 50 minutes in length.
The Morris Museum offers Outreach Programs…after school too!
When the last bell rings, keep the learning going with AfterReach Programs. Designed to combine a relaxed atmosphere with solid educational content, AfterReach is a great choice for aftercare groups, enrichment clubs, or scout troops. Any of our Science or Arts & Humanities programs may be scheduled between 3 and 5 p.m. as an AfterReach.
Each series of related programs will enable your students to explore the rich connections between different topics. Using a thematic approach, each series will provide an opportunity for your students to approach the guiding theme from multiple perspectives and to build on their insights and learning experiences from one week to the next.
Based on our popular NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURES program, immerse your students in a four-week series on North America’s first people. Each week, students will investigate life in one of the four major geographical and cultural areas (Eastern Woodlands, Plains, Southwest and Northwest Coast). Using authentic artifacts and museum reproductions, your students will develop a broader appreciation for the tremendous diversity and vitality of Native American cultures.
- Program 1: Woodlands Indian Cultures
- Focus on New Jersey’s Native American heritage as we seek to answer such questions as: How big were these old-growth trees, anyway? What was wampum? And what can you do with a deer’s brain?
- Program 2: Plains Indian Cultures
- Discussion topics will include the differences between nomadic and settled ways of living, and the effect of the introduction of horses upon traditional lifestyles.
- Program 3: Southwest Indian Cultures
- How were groups like the Pueblo and Navajo able to adapt to life in the desert and develop vibrant and creative cultures in spite of the hardships of their surroundings?
- Program 4: Northwest Indian Cultures
- How can you prove how wealthy you are by giving away as much as you own? Potlatches, totem-poles and pride will all be discussed.
(A visit to the museum for an American Indian Cultures Exhibition Program is highly recommended as a way to conclude this series.)
Students will get their hands dirty in as they learn about the earth from the inside out. From landforms to rock formation, from exotic species to those that live in our own backyards, earth is full of neat things to explore. Educational activities and handling materials allow students to investigate natural history in a way that’s tons of fun!
- Week 1: The Earth Under Our Feet
- Take a tour of the earth’s active crust, showcasing the impact earthquakes and volcanoes have on our planet and then investigate igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks.
- Week 2: What is a Tree?
- Students will learn to identify various species of trees as they compare leaves, count rings and discover the vital role that trees play in the cycle of life.
- Week 3: Wildlife: What it Takes to Survive
- Students will examine skulls, skins, furs and feathers as they discuss the ways different animal bodies are adapted to their particular needs.
- Week 4: Walking in the Woods
- Discover the secret signs that mammals, birds and reptiles leave behind while handling feathers, antlers, turtle shells and other natural specimens.
(A visit to the museum for an Endangered Species program is highly recommended as a way to enhance this series.)
Call the Morris Museum at 973.971.3710 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
AfterReach programs may be scheduled between 3 and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. All programs are approximately 50 minutes in length.
Fee: $95 per program or $350 per 4-week series
There is an additional travel charge of $25 for schools/organizations outside a 15-mile radius from the Morris Museum.
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