Make a Day of It

The Wonders of Water
Explore the amazing world of H₂O and what makes water so special by learning its properties! This offering is completely hands-on for students. They will make density rainbows while learning about capillary action and compete in a surface tension activity which demonstrates that one-of-a-kind property of water. They discover how and why hydrophobicity is so important with two separate experiments and delve deeper into the structure to explain why ice floats and snowflakes are hexagonal. Students will create hand-made paper while discussing the roles of water and hydrogen bonding in paper making. The wonders never end when it comes to learning all about water.

Key Themes
• density, surface tension, hydrophobic, hydrophilic, geometry, hydrogen bonds

Price
• $11/person includes one admission into the Atlas Science Center and one ticket to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s performance of Mister C Live! Air is Everywhere

Schedule
• 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Atlas Science Center Lesson
• 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Lunch at the Atlas Science Center
• 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Travel to Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
• 12:30 p.m. – Showtime at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center

The Science of Fear
Edgar Allan Poe is probably best known for his tales of horror and the psychological intensity of his short stories. How does the human brain process fear? What causes the heart rate to increase when there is a perceived danger? We will explore the role of the brain and the autonomic nervous system when a human feels fear…even when that emotion is generated from a book! A hand-made paper activity will include an Edgar Allan Poe-themed embedment.

Key Themes
• fear processing, autonomic response, biological electrical circuits, adrenaline, blood composition

Price
• $11/person includes one admission into the Atlas Science Center and one ticket to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s performance of Joshua Kane performs Edgar Allan Poe’s Tales of Terror

Schedule
• 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Atlas Science Center Lesson
• 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Lunch at the Atlas Science Center
• 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Travel to Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
• 12:30 p.m. – Showtime at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center

Gravity is Optional!
Students will explore the topics of physics that allow acrobats to balance and complete moves that appear to defy gravity. Basic formulas will help us understand and better appreciate these talented performers. Students will also have the opportunity to make paper with their own unique decorations and embedments.

Key Themes
• gravity, conservation of momentum, inertia, torque, center of mass, equal and opposite forces

Price
• $11/person includes one admission into the Atlas Science Center and one ticket to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s performance of Cirque Kalabante Afrique en Cirque

Schedule
• 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Atlas Science Center Lesson
• 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Lunch at the Atlas Science Center
• 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Travel to Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
• 12:30 p.m. – Showtime at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center

The Engineering Process: Building without Instruction
After a brief discussion on engineering, students will build a simple machine (using only scissors, a small PVC pipe and a balloon) capable of launching a marshmallow into a bucket. We discuss the steps of the engineering process, including iteration and revision of our machines after we gather initial data. We will also make paper and each participant will get to take home their own sheet of unique, hand-made paper!

Key Themes
• simple machines, problem solving, iterations, product testing

Price
• $11/person includes one admission into the Atlas Science Center and one ticket to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s performance of Theaterworks USA Production of Ada Twist, Scientist and Friends

Schedule
• 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Atlas Science Center Lesson
• 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Lunch at the Atlas Science Center
• 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Travel to Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
• 12:30 p.m. – Showtime at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center

Students will explore music and how it can tell a story. They will create their own instruments and learn from local musicians about how they tell stories through their music. They will also have the opportunity to play in the museum.

Price
• $11/person includes one admission into the Building for Kids and one ticket to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s performance of Songs and Stories of the Black Wolf – Wade Fernandez

Schedule
• 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – The Building for Kids
• 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Lunch at The Building for Kids
• 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Travel to Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
• 12:30 p.m. – Showtime at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center

Students will experience Building for Kids’ Food to Grow exhibit where they will explore a variety of foods and engage in activities that allow them to share their own food stories and traditions. They will also have the opportunity to play in the museum.

Price
• $11/person includes one admission into the Building for Kids and one ticket to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s performance of Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s The Pa‘akai We Bring

Schedule
• 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – The Building for Kids
• 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Lunch at The Building for Kids
• 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Travel to Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
• 12:30 p.m. – Showtime at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center

Students will get into the Halloween spirit (pun intended) as they explore the Museum’s Mini Exhibit: Museum After Dark: Casual Killers. They will learn local history as they view oddities from the Museum’s collections. (Program may contain mention of death and dying, disease, blood, and mental illness.)

Price
• $10/person includes one admission into the History Museum and one ticket to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s performance of Joshua Kane performs Edgar Allan Poe’s Tales of Terror

Schedule
• 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – Showtime at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
• 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Travel to the History Museum and lunch break
• 11:45 a.m. –  1:30 p.m. – Museum visit

Students will learn about the Menominee, Ho-Chunk, and Oneida nations, their cultures, how their homelands have changed over time, and what modern Native American cultures and traditions look like.

Price
• $10/person includes one admission into the History Museum and one ticket to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s performance of Songs and Stories of the Black Wolf – Wade Fernandez

Schedule
• 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – Showtime at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
• 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Travel to the History Museum and lunch break
• 11:45 a.m. –  1:30 p.m. – Museum visit

Students will explore aspects of Hmong history and culture. They will analyze primary sources from the Secret War, view artifacts related to Hmong culture and history, read stories from local Hmong refugees, create their own version of a sketched storycloth, and play traditional Hmong games.

Price
• $10/person includes one admission into the History Museum and one ticket to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s performance of Literature to Life’s The Latehomecomer

Schedule
• 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Showtime at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
• 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Travel to the History Museum
• 11:45 a.m. –  1:30 p.m. – Museum visit