Engaging Hunt at the Museum: Science Activities for Your Next Field Trip

A museum visit or trip to a science center offers a unique and educational experience that extends classroom learning into real-world science.

This science museum field trip lesson plan blends exploration of scientific exhibits with a Goosechase Interactive Experience, creating a fun and interactive game that encourages teamwork and exploration. Students will learn about the human body, gravity, and outer space while developing observation skills, curiosity, and critical thinking.

Science museum scavenger hunt: engaging students

This science museum scavenger hunt encourages students to engage with scientific concepts, work together, and apply knowledge creatively.

If you’re wondering how to make the field trip educational, this lesson plan provides resources, digital worksheets and optional activities to maximize learning outcomes. It can be customized for your students’ grade, interests, and specific exhibits at the science or science center museum.

Grade: 4 - 9

Subject: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM)

Objective: learning outcomes and skills

• Students will explore exhibits during their museum visit to deepen their understanding of scientific concepts and spark curiosity.
• Students will use observation skills, answer questions, and apply knowledge to real-world situations.
• Encourage students to reflect on learning and participate in discussions with peers and teachers.

Materials: resources for a successful visit

• No field trip printable scavenger hunt worksheets needed!
• Science center map and exhibit guide
• Notebooks and pencils for observations
• Assignment sheets (optional)
• Educational resources and an optional lesson follow-up packet
• A mobile device with the Goosechase app downloaded

In-class preparation:

• Introduction to the science center:
  • Briefly describe the museum of science or science center and highlight key exhibits.
  • Ask students which scientific concepts they are most excited to explore.
  • Discuss the objectives of the science museum field trip, encouraging students to prepare questions and reflect on learning goals.
• Overview of the activity:
  • Discuss the learning objectives for the visit.
  • Introduce the science museum Goosechase Experience as a fun and interactive way to learn and explore.
• Exhibit research: pre-visit preparation
  • Assign each student or group an exhibit to research before the visit.
  • Ask them to brainstorm questions they have and will attempt to answer during their visit.
• App set-up: ensuring smooth technology use
  • Dedicate time to ensuring all students have the Goosechase app downloaded and joined to the Experience to make sure everything runs smoothly on the day of your museum visit.

Science center visit and scavenger hunt:

• Upon arrival at the science center:
  • Gather students for a brief orientation.
  • Review the day’s schedule, map out the exhibits to visit, and discuss expected behavior.
  • Encourage students to ask the staff questions and take advantage of educational resources.
• Exhibit exploration:
  • In groups, students explore assigned exhibits with Science Center staff or chaperones.
  • Encourage them to take notes, ask questions, and interact with the exhibits.
• Scavenger hunt exploration:
  • Students work in teams to find something at each station, answer questions, and complete tasks from Goosechase.
  • Emphasize collaboration, reflection, and creative thinking.
  • Observations are documented in the app and saved for discussion later
  • Student observations are captured in the Goosechase app and automatically saved for later review.
• Debrief & reflection:
  • Conduct a classroom discussion to review findings and encourage peer reflection.
  • Students complete a worksheet recording their learning, favorite exhibits, and remaining questions.
  • Discuss concepts explored and how they connect to the curriculum

Optional activities upon return to the classroom:

• Research Project & Presentation: Assign students to research further a topic of interest they discovered during the visit and present their findings to the class.
• Creative Project: Encourage students to create a project (e.g., a model, poster, or digital presentation) based on their visit to the science center.
• Assessment: Assess students’ participation and engagement during the visit, completion of any pre- or post-visit worksheets, and the quality and creativity of the research project/presentation.

Want a copy of this lesson plan to use with your class? Click to download!

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