6th to 8th Grade

If you are an out-of-state educator, visit here for field trip programs and registration.

Pre-registration is required for all Student Programs and Guided Tours. Maximum of 35 students per program or tour. See descriptions for associated fees and availability. 

Unraveling DNA

Investigate the fundamental principles of DNA and genetics while learning about the scientific research conducted at The Field Museum. Students will extract DNA in a lab and connect with real scientists in the DNA Discovery Center! Meets ILS goals 11, 12, 13. 

Grades: 6th to 8th

Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes (includes 30 minutes for lunch)

Availability: Sept. - May Wednesdays and Thursdays; June - Aug. Tuesdays and Wednesdays 

Fees: $4.50 per student, pre-registration required

Egypt Unwrapped

Investigate the myths and lore of the ancient gods and goddesses of Egypt. Students get a chance to wrap a mummy replica and participate in a wailing ceremony to discover the symbolism and science behind traveling to the afterlife. After hearing about the history and practices of mummification, students who come to the Museum travel through Inside Ancient Egypt to find real mummies, images of rulers and gods, and uncover what they would look like as an ancient Egyptian! Meets ILS goals 16, 17, 18.

Grades: 6th to 8th

Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes (includes 30 minutes for lunch)

Availability: Sept. - May Mondays through Thursdays; June - Aug. Tuesdays and Wednesdays 

Fees: $4.50 per student, pre-registration required

The Great Fossil Hunt

Learn how to identify a real fossil and how to create a dig pit grid system to help you remember the location of your fossils. Students practice scientific illustration and make inferences about the origins of fossils. This hands-on class incorporates paleontology with the adventure of a mini-dig...this is one Great Fossil Hunt you won't want your students to miss! Includes a tour of Evolving Planet. Meets ILS goals 10, 11, 12. 

Grades: 6th to 8th

Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes (includes 30 minutes for lunch)

Availability: Sept. - May Mondays through Thursdays; June - Aug. Tuesdays and Wednesdays 

Fees: $4.50 per student, pre-registration required

Art of Ancient Pottery

Take part in an activity practiced throughout the early Americas: making pottery! Learn about the lives of past peoples by investigating artifacts, explore ceramic shards and other materials made and used in the Americas, and then make your own pottery using only tools and techniques available to early potters! Includes a tour of The Ancient Americas. Meets ILS goals 16, 17, 27.

Grades: 6th to 8th

Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes (includes 30 minutes for lunch)

Availability: Sept - May Wednesdays and Thursdays; not available over the summer

Fees: $4.50 per student, pre-registration required

Soil Adventure

Discover how soil scientists study the "ingredients" of soil and learn why soil is so important to plants and people. Hear about the secrets of "soil recyclers", see and touch live earthworms, and practice scientific process skills. Meets ILS goals 11, 12, 13. 

Grades: 6th to 8th

Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes (includes 30 minutes for lunch)

Availability: Sept. - May Wednesdays and Thursdays; not available over the summer

Fees: $4.50 per student, pre-registration required

Waking the T. rex 3D: The Story of SUE
(At the Museum, in the Ernst and Young 3D Theater)

Discover the T. rex named SUE like you never have before in this new 3D film! Learn the amazing story of how the world's greatest predator was found in the dusty badlands of South Dakota, see what we've learned about her, and join in a real fossil excavation with Field Museum paleontologists. Meets ILS goals 11, 12, 13. Note, this program can accomodate more than 35 students.

Grades: 6th to 8th

Duration: 20 minutes

Availability: Mondays through Fridays; 10:40am

Fees: $6 per student, pre-registration required

D3D Cinema and The Field Museum present Waking the T. rex 3D: The Story of SUE, sponsored by McDonald's Corporation.