Classroom
Field Trips

In this inquiry-based challenge, students will observe and analyze plants as well as the animals that pollinate them to better understand their role in the enviornment. Once they’ve collected their information, they’ll design a hand pollinator to successfully pollinate a specific type of flower.

Students meet some of VAI’s resident animals in an investigation that combines engineering, computer science, and biology. By observing each animal’s unique adaptations, students will design, program, and test a Sphero robot that can move, make sound, and respond to its environment like a living creature.

Velcro, waterproofing, winter coats – what do all these things have in common? Their designs were inspired by plants and animals. Observe a variety of organisms and use what you learn to design your very own solution to everyday problems!

This immersive field trip introduces students to the science of watersheds and their important role in our health. Students will use their knowledge and creativity to create a watershed model to demonstrate how pollution interacts with our environment and what each of us can do to keep our water clean!

Engineers and emergency workers need to know how to safely catch people (and pets) when disasters occur. Students learn the science behind force and motion as they engineer a device that can safely catch precious cargo.

Explore the stages of frog metamorphosis with Lego WeDo. In this challenge, students create and program a young frog, then observe and handle real frogs! Finally, students use their observations to transform their young Lego frog into an adult.

Are organisms more alike or more different? Students will ponder this very question as they use their senses and scientific tools to observe the natural traits of various plants and animals found at Van Andel Institute. Once they’ve collected their knowledge, they’ll put it to use by organizing and highlighting the similarities between species.

Every animal is equipped with a unique set of traits that help it succeed in the wild. This field trip investigates the physical adaptations of different organisms while presenting students with an important question, How do an organism’s structural traits help it survive in its environment?

Show your classroom the power of instinct. In this field trip, students will investigate the behaviors of different organisms and attempt to answer the question, How do an organism’s behavioral traits help it survive in its environment?

Students explore how fossils are formed, uncovered, and used to help us understand Earth’s past. This hands-on investigation lets students experience the mysteries of prehistoric life with a mini-fossil dig that allows them to think and act like paleontologists.

The power has gone out! Students must work together in teams to engineer a device that will help them survive in the dark. In the process, they’ll discover different ways to create a circuit and light a bulb!

A beloved VAI organism has gone missing! Luckily, the criminal left behind a mysterious powder. Utilizing physical and chemical properties, students identify the substance left behind and link it to a suspect to help bring our friendly reptile home.

Invisible forces are all around us! Give your students a crash course in magnetic fields with an investigative activity that will have them engineering a device that can detect magnetic properties in the objects around them.

A massive storm has caused the widespread pollution of our drinking water! Students will explore how the earth naturally filters water, then work as a team to design and build a filter that will clean the water so it is safe to use once again.

It’s a race to the finish line! Students take the role of a scientific pit crew as they use their knowledge of magnetism to engineer a vehicle capable of levitation and movement on a magnetic track.

Using a variety of common materials, students design and test a nest that will hold the weight of a chicken egg. They will also explore how birds in different environments build a nest for their eggs to survive.

Students transform into rocket scientists and design a rocket capable of landing on a far-off planet! They’ll investigate how different variables affect the flight of a rocket while learning about aerodynamics, forces, and motion along the way.

Working in groups, students will design and build ramps that allow marbles to roll, spin, and drop. Their goal is to create a track that (safely) transports the ball to the bottom in a pre-determined amount of time!

From webbed feet to snapping teeth, all animals are specially adapted to live in their unique enviornment. In this investigation, students learn about different habitats and adaptations. Then, they use their knowledge to design a completely new animal that will thrive in a specific habitat.

Robots are helpful machines that can be equipped to interact with the world through sensors. To better understand how robots work, students will examine Sphero robots before working with them to create a simple sensor. Finally , they will practice programming their Sphero robot to interact with the world around them.

Students embark on a scientific odyssey as they set out to uncover the origins of a new infectious disease. They will step into the shoes of visionary epidemiologists and master the art of tracking down an elusive “patient zero” amidst the chaos of a novel disease outbreak. Once completed, they’ll use what they’ve learned to educate the public on ways to prevent the spread of disease!

Do your students have what it takes to be a Mini Golf Master? Through this engaging lesson, they’ll learn the basics of coding and program their own smart golf ball (Sphero BOLT) to putt their way to victory!

Students dive into the science of roller coasters before designing their own marble roller coaster to observe how energy transformation works! By developing a computational model, students will investigate energy and work in a closed system.

Engineers utilize large shake tables to test the ability of buildings to withstand various types of seismic waves generated by earthquakes. Become an engineer, build your own building, and evaluate how well various designs withstand seismic activity on our shake table!

Robots are helpful machines that can be equipped to interact with the world through sensors. To better understand how robots work, students will examine Sphero robots before working with them to create a simple sensor. Finally , they will practice programming their Sphero robot to interact with the world around them.

This immersive field trip introduces students to the science of watersheds and their important role in our health. They will use their knowledge and creativity to create a watershed model to demonstrate how pollution interacts with our environment and what each of us can do to keep our water clean!

Are your students interested in exploring the world of coding and robotics? Have them learn the basics of block coding and watch as they create their own Lego Robot to complete fun challenges — no experience required!

Have your students join the next generation of crime fighters by learning the skills and techniques that real forensic scientists use in the field. They’ll apply the science of fingerprinting, fiber analysis, and blood typing to solve a devious crime!

Give students hands-on experience with model organisms as they learn to recognize levels of organization within plants and animals. This includes viewing cells under a microscope, extracting DNA, and talking to researchers about how these disciplines are used in research!

A catastrophe has struck Grand Rapids! An oil pipline burst and is leaking oil into the Grand River, impacting both humans and wildlife. Use creative and critical thinking skills to stop the leak, cleanup the oil spill, and care for the affected animals.

Each year 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, stormwater, and industrial waste are dumped into United States’ waterways. These pollutants affect the health of many organisms, including humans. Students will uncover the effects of different environmental contaminants on the heartrate of Daphnia, and by extension, learn what impact they could have on humans.

“How do food webs impact the flow of energy through a habitat?” Students will investigate this question and more as they dissect an owl pellet to learn where an owl’s energy comes from. Afterwards, they’ll construct a bone diagram for them to take home.

One of the biggest challenges associated with space travel is the return to Earth. Using everyday materials, students will design, build, and test a waterproof capsule that will protect astronauts as they splashdown on Earth!

Someone poisoned the food! VAI needs students’ help to figure out who is responsible. Can they successfully analyze the stomach contents of victims to determine the presence of lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins, then use that information to identify the culprit?

Give students an experience to remember as they design rockets and test multiple variables to learn how a rocket flies. They’ll discover how Newton’s laws of motion play a part in rocketry and use this knowledge to land their rocket on a far-off planet!

Introduce your class to the world of neurobiology as students learn how distractions slow down their reaction time. By dissecting a sheep brain, students will also learn to identify the different parts of the brain as well as their primary functions.

A flood has stranded citizens in their homes! Students are tasked with rescusing the victims by considering which materials float best and how to get a Sphero to move effectively through water. They’ll need to use their knowledge of robotics, problem solving, and teamwork to save the day!

Wind power has more than tripled over the past decade and is now the largest source of renewable generating capacity in the country. Students will explore different variables of wind power and determine how to maximize the efficiency of their own turbine.

It’s a race to the finish line! Students take the role of a scientific pit crew as they use their knowledge of magnetism to engineer a vehicle capable of levitation and movement on a magnetic track.

Sphero needs help navigating through a maze as quickly as possible. To complete this challenge, students will need to gather data, determine the best route, and figure out how to build a block code program so Sphero can successfully navigate the maze without getting lost!