EDUCATOR RESOURCES
Scroll through learning resources related to current and past exhibits
and borrow a discovery trunk for your classroom
All about Idaho
Click HERE to download the custom Field Guide for the Way Out West exhibit. Use this guide for students to dig a little deeper into the educational insights in the exhibit, as well as guiding the students through the exhibit. The guide is designed to be printed back-to-back - 1 page.
Click HERE for the Teacher Answer Key for the Field Guide. The Answer Key is designed to be printed back-to-back - 1 page
CLICK HERE to download the Way Out West Educator Guide
The Way Out West exhibit is the story of resources and resourcefulness, individualism and collectivism. Ultimately, it is the story of migration, transformation, and the adventure home. This exhibition unites the sciences and the humanities so that all who visit feel like they belong, can experience something familiar, and can open their minds to something new.
In this guide, you will find lessons on a variety of topics and geared towards a variety of age groups. Although there are suggestions for intended grade level, each lesson can be adapted to fit your specific group of students. Each lesson includes Before Your Visit, During Your Visit, and After Your Visit components as well as lesson extensions, essential questions, goals, key words, and curriculum connections. Most of these lessons do not require a visit to the Museum of Idaho, but our collection of objects and exhibits will serve to enhance student learning.
Explore early Idaho Falls through our digital 360 Eagle Rock exhibit! Click on each shop to experience the exhibit like never before and see what treasures you can find!
Anderson Bros. General Store & Bank
Click HERE to download the Eagle Rock Guided Tour.
Explore local books about local Idaho history that have been provided by archive.org
Click on resources below to view individually
- Beautiful Bonneville, county of contrasts
by Horton, Alice, ed; Jensen, Quincy M; Bitton, Afton; Grimes, Patti Sherlock; Ingram, Kay
Resources provided by Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Many resources in this section are from the INL ESER resources page, EarthLearningIdea, the Digital Atlas of Idaho, and the Idaho Geological Survey.
Click on resources below to view individually
- Banana Benders
- Bubblemania
- Flour Box Volcano
- Geologic Map of Idaho-click HERE and HERE to view
- GPS Activities
- GPS Games
- Hotspot Activity
- Identify Rocks
- Margarine Mountains
- Regional Metamorphism
- Rock Game
- Rock, Rattle and Roll
- Rocks of the Eastern Idaho Mountains
- See-how-they-run: Lava Activity
- Valley in 30 Seconds
- Yellowstone Hotspot
Add historical photos of Idaho Falls to your educational lessons. Open
Explore how Idaho Falls waded through the struggles of powering an expanding city. Click HERE to view
Learn about the great topics we cover in our local exhibits. Click HERE to view
Explore Idaho through its historical markers! Click HERE to view.
Genghis Khan
"He was one of the most fearsome warlords who ever lived, waging an unstoppable conquest across the Eurasian continent. But was Genghis Khan a vicious barbarian or a unifier who paved the way for the modern world? Alex Gendler puts this controversial figure on trial in History vs Genghis Khan." -TEDEd
CLICK HERE for the TEDEd video and lesson
- CLICK HERE for an Animation of growth of Genghis Khan’s empire on map
- CLICK HERE for an article that details the women who ruled the Mongol empire
- CLICK HERE for History Channel’s biography of Genghis Khan
- Make sure that you check out the other linked resources on the “Dig Deeper” tab of this lesson
CLICK HERE for 4 video lessons, entitled Genghis Khan, with response questions by Oak Teacher Hub and Mr. Cooper.
CLICK HERE for the You Can’t, but Genghis Khan lesson plan by Time Warp Trio.
CLICK HERE for the Genghis Khan: Hero or Villain? lesson plan by Jane Hill.
CLICK HERE for the SILK ROAD ACTIVITY: Is the Silk Road an example of globalization? by The Field Museum.
CLICK HERE for the Ibn Battatu Silk Road lesson plan by Stanford History Education Group.
CLICK HERE for the BBC's Rise of the Mongol Empire.
CLICK HERE for Wait for it…The Mongols Crash Course by Crash Course.
CLICK HERE for Mongols are the Exception by Adrian Nagy
CLICK HERE for the History Channel's biography of Genghis Khan.
CLICK HERE for The Genetic Legacy of the Mongols article by Tatiana Zerjal, Yali Xue, Giorgio Bertorelle, R. Spencer Wells, Weidong Bao, Suling Zhu, Raheel Qamar, Qasim Ayub, Aisha Mohyuddin, Songbin Fu, Pu Li, Nadira Yuldasheva, Ruslan Ruzibakiev, Jiujin Xu, Qunfang Shu, Ruofu Du, Huanming Yang, Matthew E. Hurles, Elizabeth Robinson, Tudevdagva Gerelsaikhan, Bumbein Dashnyam, S. Qasim Mehdi, and Chris Tyler-Smith.
CLICK HERE for the Time Magazine article, 13th Century: Genghis Khan (c.1167-1227), that names Genghis Khan as the Person Of The Century (13th century) and one of the Most Important People Of The Millennium by Howard Chua-Eoan in 1999.
CLICK HERE for Genghis Khan May Have Been Killed By a Pandemic by Tibi Puiu
CLICK HERE for an opinion piece, The Most Important Lesson We Can Learn From Genghis Khan, by Alexandre Porto from History of Yesterday.
CLICK HERE for the Stanford Question Answering Dataset quiz for Genghis Khan.
Past exhibits
Click HERE to download the custom Safari Guide for the Animal Inside Out exhibit. Use this guide for students to dig a little deeper into the educational insights in the exhibit, as well as guiding the students through the exhibit. The guide is designed to be printed back-to-back - 1 page.
Click HERE for the Teacher Answer Key for the Safari Guide. The Answer Key is designed to be printed back-to-back - 1 page
Click HERE for the Educator Overview of Animals Inside Out
Animal Inside Out Education Guides (by grade level):
- Click HERE for the K-12 Guide
- Click HERE for the Intermediate Guide
- Click HERE for the Secondary Guide
"IT’S ALIVE! Your body, that is. Our bodies work continuously (every second of every day!) to keep us going. Grow and flex your kids’ knowledge of the human body with these printable activities — and have a little fun." -Tinybob blog
CLICK HERE to access the Hungry Birds lesson Plan.
CLICK HERE to access the activity sheet that goes with the lesson Plan.
This lesson is designed to help students explore the effects of natural selection on populations with trait
variation by use of a video game that they can experience in the Museum Exhibition. (Grades 3-6.)
CLICK HERE to access the different Fact Sheets on unique Galapagos animals, geology, and discoveries.
CLICK HERE to access the Great Fossil Find lesson plan.
A great resource for grade 7-10 science teachers. The focus is on a simulated dig to retrieve the fossil remains of a dinosaur. The hands-on activity is taught over a five-day period. Also provides good material to continue the discussion of the nature of science.
CLICK HERE to access a website which contains a number of articles related to birds as modern dinosaurs.
CLICK HERE to access an article from Scientific American that provides an overview of new research on the question of birds as modern dinosaurs.
CLICK HERE to access this lesson plan which helps students understand the physics behind the Archimedes Screw and make one of their very own!
CLICK HERE to access this lesson plan where students can apply scientific and engineering ideas to design, evaluate and refine three
different shaped paper structures (triangle, circle and square) that minimize the force on a large
scale object in order to discover which shape is the strongest.
CLICK HERE to access this lesson plan where students can discover the volume of a solid using the same method that Archimedes devised over 2,000 years ago: Eureka!
CLICK HERE to access this lesson plan about Galileo and Lunar Gravity.
CLICK HERE to access this lesson plan about triangles and inclined planes!
Build a robot with this simple lesson. Design it into a dinosaur robot for extra Dinosaurs in Motion fun! Click HERE to view.
Explore a few books that have inspired this imaginative exhibit!
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne: FULL BOOK HERE [PDF] www.gutenberg.org
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: FULL BOOK HERE [PDF]
- The Time Machine: An Invention by H. G. Wells: FULL BOOK HERE [PDF] www.gutenberg.org
Click HERE to view this guide composed of sixteen activities including two design challenges that embody the ideals of STEAM and are aligned with the Idaho Science Performance Standards. These lessons and activities bridge the learning from the Exhibition to the classroom. Eight of the activities cover a variety of 3rd through 5th grade performance expectations, and eight of the activities cover a variety of 6th through 8th grade performance expectations, so teachers can choose which activities are best aligned with their curriculum and which are best to fit their students’ needs and interests.
Use your math skills to add color to these pages.
Discover how cameras work by creating your own camera obscuras. Fun activities for all ages. Just click HERE.
Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley's novel.
Frankenstein is a modern myth: a 200-year-old story that explores themes of human creativity, societal responsibility, and scientific ethics. These themes continue to resonate today. As citizens with access to incredible tools for creation and transformation, we need to understand the fundamentals of science and technology and develop the skills to actively participate in civic and policy discussions.
Frankenstein200 takes on the challenge of supporting learning related to responsible innovation. The project uses themes from Frankenstein to examine emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and genetic engineering, while promoting the development of 21st century skills related to creative collaboration and critical thinking. Frankenstein200 explores three important questions: What is life?, Why do we create?, and What are our responsibilities as creators, scientists, and engineers?
Learn more from the National Informal STEM Education (NISE) Network here. View the entire digital kit here.
Make an automaton, a moving mechanical device that imitates the movement of a human, animal, or other living thing. Click HERE to view.
Make a voltaic pile, the first kind of battery. Click HERE to view.
Make a creature out of conductive dough and use it to create an electrical circuit. Click HERE to view.
Make a “creature” by mixing and matching different parts of toys. Click HERE to view.
Make a mask with a special feature: an LED bulb that lights up. Click HERE to view.
Make a toy bot with a surprising ability: it scribbles on a sheet of paper. Click HERE to view.
Create a battery from two kinds of metal and your own body! Click HERE to view.
Help Dr. Frankenstein design and build a new laboratory. Click Frankenstein's Laboratory
Help Dr. Frankenstein create a healthy, new lung for his monster. Click Frankenstein's New Lung
Use this lesson to learn more about steam era inventors. Click HERE to access the lesson.
Learn about the ocean layers and build a model with this activity. Click Ocean Diving
STEM activity that explores engineering and physics. Lesson by eGFI
Sink into these Secondary activities that explore the deep blue. Resources by oceans.digitalexplorer.com
Click on the items below to view.
Use this lesson to learn about Steampunk authors. Click on the items below.
Use your math skills design a Steampunk themed table top. Click Steampunk Table Top
Tell time the steampunk way. Click Steampunk Time Sheets
Past exhibits
Click HERE to view the 3-5 educator guide. You can find pre-visit, post-visit, and during your visit activities in this guide for younger students. Activities are easily adaptable for many learning abilities and are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.
You can find pre-visit, post-visit, and during your visit activities in this guide for older students. Activities are easily adaptable for many learning abilities and are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. Click HERE to view.
Use this online game to design a dino, learn about adaptations, and more! Click HERE to view.
For a lesson plan to go along with this game, click HERE.
Mix art and paleontology with these printable dinosaur origami sheets! Click HERE to view.
Design a moving dinosaur with this lesson from LEGO education. Click HERE to view.
These resources are a great way to engage your kids during the holiday season.
Click on resources below to view individually
Discovery Trunks
Pre-packed lessons for your classroom
- Exploring the Earth: Explore the Earth with hands-on materials and lessons from the NISE network.
- Activities include: Investigating Clouds, Mission to Space, Paper Mountains, Rising Sea
- Exploring the Sun: Explore the Sun with hands-on materials and lessons from the NISE network.
- Activities include: Magnetic Fields, Solar Eclipse, Pocket Solar System, Big Sun, Small Moon
- Exploring the Moon: Explore the Moon with hands-on materials and lessons from the NISE network.
- Activities include: Craters, Moonquakes, Observe the Moon, Training Games: Spacelebrity, Great Minds Think Alike, and Sort It Out.
- Exploring the Stars: Explore the Stars with hands-on materials and lessons from the NISE network.
- Activities include: Nebula Spin Art, Orbiting Objects, Star Formation, Space Guess Quest
- Exploring the Universe: Explore the Universe with hands-on materials and lessons from the NISE network.
- Activities include: Exoplanet Transits, Filtered Light, Objects in Motion, Imagining Life, Ice Orbs
- Space Engineering: Learn about all the challenges of engineering things to withstand the harsh environment in space with hands-on materials and lessons from the NISE network.
- Activities include: Asteroid Mining, Design - Build - Test, Stomp Rockets, Pack a Space Telescope, Mars Rover
- Early Space Explorers (Pre-K): Activites specifically designed for students age 2-5 to introduce them to STEM space topics with hands-on materials and lessons from the NISE network.
- Activities include: Hide and Seek Moon, Story Blocks, Measure Up!, Bear's Shadow, Early Explorations
- Let's Do Chemistry: Bring Chemistry into any classroom with these exciting and easy hands-on activities from the NISE Network's Explore Science: Let's Do Chemistry Toolkit.
- Types of Fossils: Learn all about how fossils are formed and the different types of fossils through hands-on specimens and activities.
- Adaptations: Explore the ways that animals and plants adapt to Idaho's environment through hands-on games and lessons.
- Conservation: Explore the importance of animal, plant, and environmental conservation through hands-on materials.
- GPS & Compass: Explore GPS and Compass technology through hands-on lessons with our set of 10, easy to use Garmin etrex devices and our set of 10, Coghlan's Deluxe Map Compasses.
- Idaho Falls History: Explore Idaho Falls History through historic photographs, science experiments, and more!
- Code Invent! Computer Science in Your Classroom: This kit includes unplugged activities, 12 Makey Makeys, 12 Raspberry Pi kits, Turing Tumbles along with a multitude of lesson plans and modules to get your classroom inventing! This trunk provided by generous grants from Cross Charitable Trust and the Idaho STEM Action Center.
- DIY: The Museum of Idaho has a large collection of skulls, shells, and fossils for educational use. Set up an appointment with Chloe Doucette to design your own discovery trunk with these materials! Requires at least 2 weeks lead time to when the materials are needed in the classroom.
