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Shady Science

Botany Lab

Plants provide the Earth with the basic needs for all life – but they need our help.

Investigate plant species near you, then create sketches and shadings to compare their traits. Learn about flora-based conservation by identifying which are native, invasive and exotic while also understanding what that means for both ecosystem management and home owners.

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Reserve This Program

Fill out our form to begin your reservation. Lab experiences last 45 minutes. Each session accommodates up to 30 individuals. Experiences are primarily offered during core hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Virtual

  • Offered Monday–Friday
  • Requires a strong internet connection
  • $200 for first virtual lab; 10% each additional virtual lab of the same theme on the same day

In Person

  • Primarily offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
  • Hosted at your site; requires a classroom, library or other quiet setting
  • $250 for first in-person lab; 10% off each additional lab of the same theme on the same day

Requests for alternate days or times will be considered. Within 48 hours after you submit your request, an Education Outreach team member will contact you to discuss your proposed itinerary. Once everything is reviewed and set, the invoice will be sent.

K-12 Florida Education Standards

The following standards are focused by suggested grade levels and aligned to Florida Department of Education benchmarks.

  • 3rd Grade

    SC.3.P.10.1: Identify some basic forms of energy such as light, heat, sound, electrical, and mechanical.

    SC.3.N.1.1: Raise questions about the natural world, investigate them individually and in teams through free exploration and systematic investigations, and generate appropriate explanations based on those explorations.

    SC.3.N.1.2: Compare the observations made by different groups using the same tools and seek reasons to explain the differences across groups.

  • 4th Grade

    SC.4.N.1.2: Compare the observations made by different groups using multiple tools and seek reasons to explain the differences across groups.

    SC.4.P.10.2: Investigate and describe that energy has the ability to cause motion or create change.

    SC.4.P.10.1: Observe and describe some basic forms of energy, including light, heat, sound, electrical, and the energy of motion.

  • 5th Grade

    SC.5.P.10.1: Investigate and describe some basic forms of energy, including light, heat, sound, electrical, chemical, and mechanical.

    SC.5.P.10.4: Investigate and explain that electrical energy can be transformed into heat, light, and sound energy, as well as the energy of motion.

    SC.5.P.10.2: Investigate and explain that energy has the ability to cause motion or create change.

  • 6th Grade

    SC.6.N.2.2: Explain that scientific knowledge is durable because it is open to change as new evidence or interpretations are encountered.

    SC.6.N.2.3: Recognize that scientists who make contributions to scientific knowledge come from all kinds of backgrounds and possess varied talents, interests, and goals.

    SC.6.N.1.4: Discuss, compare, and negotiate methods used, results obtained, and explanations among groups of students conducting the same investigation. 

  • 7th Grade

    SC.7.P.10.2: Observe and explain that light can be reflected, refracted, and/or absorbed.

    SC.7.P.10.3: Recognize that light waves, sound waves, and other waves move at different speeds in different materials.

    SC.7.P.11.2: Investigate and describe the transformation of energy from one form to another.

  • 8th Grade

    SC.8.P.8.6: Recognize that elements are grouped in the periodic table according to similarities of their properties.

    SC.8.E.5.1: Recognize that there are enormous distances between objects in space and apply our knowledge of light and space travel to understand this distance.

    SC.8.N.4.2: Explain how political, social, and economic concerns can affect science, and vice versa.

More to Explore

Want to get more from your adventures?

Combine labs, demos and field trips to reinforce learning and fun.

  • Aquarius Journey: Connect to Protect – Take the conservation journey underwater with a biology lab that features Mission Inspire curriculum and focuses on the importance of marine protected areas to global health.
  • Tech to Protect – Join research expeditions and field work in a technology lab that examines different types of camera rigs used in biodiversity science while giving you the chance to troubleshoot and make your own.
  • Explore Your Backyard – At the FIU Biscayne Bay Campus, head into the mangrove forest to learn about three different varieties that dominate the South Florida ecological landscape.