Museum programs

Learn all about dinosaurs! Meet Albertosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Tyrannosaurus and the rest of their friends. Students will learn about the full-size skeletons in the museum, as well as handle a variety of REAL dinosaur fossils! The program includes a fossil dig and a guided dino walk. 

Museum visit, 90 min

OR

If the museum is too far, we can visit your classroom. Students will learn about different dinosaur types, how they ate and communicated with each other, what happened to them over time, and handle a variety of REAL dinosaur fossils. We will finish off the program with a ride on Trish the Triceratops and a short book.

Classroom visit, 60 min

Museum visit, 90 min

OR

Classroom visit, 60 min

Discover the hidden world of groundwater with a story featuring the characters Wally the Worm and Deanna Waterdroplet. Learn about where our drinking water comes from in Waterloo and then build a water cycle craft to take home. Includes an Eye-Spy scavenger hunt in the museum.

Museum visit, 90 min

OR

If the museum is too far, we can visit your classroom. Discover the hidden world of groundwater with a story featuring the characters Wally the Worm and Deanna Waterdroplet. Learn about where our drinking water comes from in Waterloo and then build a water cycle craft to take home.

Classroom visit, 60 min

Museum visit, 90 min

OR

Classroom visit, 60 min

Determine the difference between rocks and minerals with this hands-on learning experience! Students get to handle 25+ different specimens before getting a tour of our underground mine tunnel. Finish off with either the rock cycle game or fossil fish dig and scavenger hunt.

Museum visit, 120 min

OR

If the museum is too far, we can visit your classroom. Minerals ROCK and rocks ROCK, but what's the difference? As we play mineral BINGO, hammer into what minerals exist, how to identify them, and where you use them in your life. Students get to handle 25+ different rock and mineral specimens.

Classroom visit, 60 min

Museum visit, 120 min

OR

Classroom visit, 60 min

From volcanoes and earthquakes to massive landslides and hurricanes, explore all of earth’s natural hazards by learning what powerful forces on our planet cause these disasters. Then, put your knowledge and building skills to the test with a classroom-wide competition to see who can build a structure that will survive the earthquake-table! The program includes a museum scavenger hunt.

Museum visit, 120 min

OR

If the museum is too far, we can visit your classroom. Explore Earth’s natural hazards and the powerful forces behind them. Learn more nature facts and safety tips with natural disaster bingo! Then, put your knowledge and building skills to the test with a classroom-wide competition to see who can build a structure that will survive the earthquake-table!

Classroom visit, 60 min

Museum visit, 120 min

OR

Classroom visit, 60 min

Take a close look at a few critical minerals in our batteries and electronics; graphite, copper, aluminum and lithium. Where do they come from in Ontario and the world and what social impacts are related to their extraction. Activities include creating a mineral map of Ontario, learning about the history of the battery while creating a simple battery of their own and making a dimmer switch with raw graphite. Finish the program with an in-house critical mineral scavenger hunt. 

Museum visit, 120 min OR Classroom visit, 75 min

Add-on to this in-museum program: Rock Garden Geowalk (15 to 60 min), Faculty of Science tour (45 to 60 min), UWaterloo Campus tour (60 to 90 min), Q&A session with students/faculty (45 to 60 min)

Connects to the curriculum in the following elementary and secondary courses: SNC1W, CGC1W, SVN3M and SES4U

Museum visit, 120 min

OR

Classroom visit, 75 min

Explore what's under the Earth's surface using geophysical techniques! Learn how scientists can find valuable resources without even digging into the ground. See the technology used and try finding these resources yourself! 

Museum visit only, 120 min

Add-on to this in-museum program: Rock Garden Geowalk (15 to 60 min), Faculty of Science tour (45 to 60 min), UWaterloo Campus tour (60 to 90 min), Q&A session with students/faculty (45 to 60 min)

This is an in-class program designed to introduce students to the mining industry in Canada, discuss environmental concerns associated with mining and introduce current research into mine site remediation. The programincludes four hands-on activities, three videos about Earth science careers, featuring active university staff and students, and a take-home field guide for every one.

NOTE: This kit is for classroom teachers. Kit includes detailed written and video instructions and can span 2 or 3 class periods. Shipping the kit is free of charge in 2026/2027!

REVISED! Become a geologist, mineralogist and petrologist for the day! Explore the world of rocks and minerals through hands-on investigations using real specimens, scientific tools, and petrographic microscopes. Discover how geologists identify Earth materials and examine rocks at the microscopic level. Students will then tackle a mining challenge, balancing economic benefits with environmental responsibility.

Add 30 min to the program with a tour of the historic Cobalt mine tunnel and a museum scavenger hunt focused on minerals in everyday materials.

Museum visit only, 120 min

Add-on to this in-museum program: Rock Garden Geowalk (15 to 60 min), Faculty of Science tour (45 to 60 min), UWaterloo Campus tour (60 to 90 min), Q&A session with students/faculty (45 to 60 min)

Connects to the curriculum in the following secondary courses: SNC1W, CGC1W, SVN3M and SES4U

The Peter Russell Rock Garden GeoWalk will introduce you to ancient Earth, landscapes and environments as well as gold resources, historic climate change, and plate tectonic processes recorded in the rocks. These intentionally selected stories that integrate information from multiple rocks give geography teachers a clear way to connect the Rock Garden to Ontario’s Grade 9 Exploring Canadian Geography course (CGC1W).

This program can be completed by a teacher independently in their classroom OR book this program below with one of our staff to conduct it IN PERSON in the Rock Garden at the Earth Sciences Museum. There are currently five stops. 

Museum visit, 60 min 

Add-on to this in-museum program: Faculty of Science tour (45 to 60 min), UWaterloo Campus tour (60 to 90 min), Q&A session with students/faculty (45 to 60 min)

Learn about microplastics and their impact on the environment, animals, and us. Discuss plastic as a resource and how microplastic pollution affects and disrupts sustainable ecosystems. With a tour of the Ecohydrology lab and hands-on activities, experience what researchers here in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department are doing to mitigate microplastics.

Museum visit, 120 min 

Add-on to this in-museum program: Rock Garden Geowalk (15 to 60 min), Faculty of Science tour (45 to 60 min), UWaterloo Campus tour (60 to 90 min), Q&A session with students/faculty (45 to 60 min)

OR

If the museum is too far, we can visit your classroom. Learn about microplastics and their impact on the environment, animals, and us. Discuss plastic as a resource and how microplastic pollution affects and disrupts sustainable ecosystems.

Classroom visit, 60 min

Connects to curriculum in the following secondary courses: SNC1W, CGC1W, and SVN3M.

Museum visit, 120 min

OR

Classroom visit, 60 min

Geochemistry studies the flow of elements through nature. This program introduces students to how chemicals help us monitor, clean and prevent water resource contamination. Students will practice laboratory techniques as they perform various tests on known and unknown samples, participate in real-world drinking water problems (and solutions!), and visit a working geochemistry lab in the Earth & Environmental Sciences department. 

Museum visit only, 150 min

Add-on to this in-museum program: Rock Garden Geowalk (15 to 60 min), Faculty of Science tour (45 to 60 min), UWaterloo Campus tour (60 to 90 min), Q&A session with students/faculty (45 to 60 min)

Connects to curriculum in the following secondary courses: SCH3U, SCH4U and SES4U.