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College of Life Sciences
Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum
School Programs
Public Programs

Goodbye to the live animals at the Bean Museum


OUR NEW SCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE. THEY MATCH THE NEW UTAH STATE SCIENCE CORE CURRICULUM (Fall 2020)

Free Weekly Programs


Monday: Family Patterns at 6:30 PM and Vertebrate Variety at 7:30 PM
Tuesday: Physical Traits at 7:30 PM
Wednesday: Utah's Diversity at 7:30 PM
Thursday: Family Patterns at 7:30 PM
Friday: Physical Traits at 7:30 PM
Saturday: Vertebrate Variety at 1 PM & 3 PM

We also hold free public programs on weekdays at 1PM and 3PM during the months of June, July, and August.

We offer school programs in any of the following formats:
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In-house
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Outreach
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Webcast
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FHE (Family Home Evening)

WHILE THE MUSEUM IS CLOSED, WE WILL NOT BE OFFERING SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN THIS FORMAT.

IN-HOUSE PROGRAMS MUST BE SCHEDULED AT LEAST ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE.

Our school programs are 30-45 minutes and currently include up to 3 live animals. The Museum offers these programs in the following formats:

The Bean Museum offers free public programs throughout the week! These are scheduled every evening at 7:30 PM with an additional program on Mondays at 6:30 PM. Saturday programs are at 1PM and 3PM. We also hold free public programs at 1PM and 3PM on weekdays in the months of June, July, and August. If you would like to schedule a free, private education program, please read the following and schedule your program using the link provided.

Programs start 15 minutes after the hour and may be scheduled from 10:15 AM until 6:15 PM Monday - Friday. Saturday programs start 15 minutes after the hour and may be scheduled from 10:15 AM until 4:15 PM, except during the public programs which are 1PM and 3PM.

To schedule a school program for your group at the museum, click on the link below and select the date and time. Fill out the form as completely as possible. We can accommodate small groups and groups as large as 200. In-house programs must be requested at least ONE WEEK in advance and cannot be scheduled more than 4 months in advance.

WHILE THE MUSEUM IS CLOSED, WE WILL NOT BE OFFERING OUTREACHES. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THIS INCONVENIENCE.


OUTREACH PROGRAMS MUST BE REQUESTED AT LEAST TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE.

For a small fee, we will bring one of our school programs to you.

Outreach programs cost $55. There will be an additional $20 distance fee for every 20 miles (beyond the first 20 miles) required to travel to your location. Additional outreach programs scheduled back to back (within 30 minutes) for the same day at the same location are $20 each.

To schedule an outreach program, click on the link below and select the date and time. Outreach programs must be requested at least two weeks in advance and cannot be scheduled more than 4 months in advance. A credit card will be required to secure your reservation but you will not be charged until after the outreach has occurred.

We apologize but due to the situation regarding Covid-19, we are unable to offer outreaches at this time. Please consider a webcast (Skype or Zoom).

WEBCAST PROGRAMS MUST BE SCHEDULED ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE.

All webcast programs are free of charge. These are broadcast to your home or classroom using Skype or Google Hangouts.

Schedule a Webcast

The Bean Museum hosts two public programs at the museum every Monday night at 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM. These are free and open to the public. Come and bring your friends and family!

Current School Programs
Our current school programs are designed for specific grades in connection with the Utah State Science Core Curriculum. We no longer use live animals in our programs but we do include museum specimens for students to touch.

See a description of each program below:
Animal Discovery (Preschool)
A quick, age-appropriate glance at Subphylum Vertebrata. Students will play a “game” and in the process discover new things about animals. This program is interactive and created specifically for kids under the age of 6. While we won’t limit group size, it will work much better for groups of 20 or less.
Needs of Living Things (Kindergarten)
Students will use specimens to play a matching game that compares the needs of living things, including plants, animals, and humans. They will also discuss where these plants and animals live in order to meet their needs. (Standard K.2.1, K.2.2)
Family Patterns (First Grade)
Students will compare and contrast a variety of different animal parents and their offspring. They will also observe patterns in animal behavior and identify relationships between the parents and the offspring. (Standard 1.2.3, 1.2.4)
Habitat Hunters (Second Grade)
An opportunity for students to explore various life sustaining factors and decide which habitat a particular organism might best live and survive in based on that organism’s adaptations. (Standard 2.2.1, 2.2.2)
Physical Traits (Third Grade)
Students will identify and analyze how various physical traits can affect the survival of an organism in certain environments. Includes a variety of hands-on specimens that students can use to make observations and enhance their learning. (Standard 3.2.3, 3.2.4)
Utah's Diversity (Fourth Grade)
A discussion of several Utah ecosystems including the kinds of plants and animals that occupy each ecosystem. This program involves an interactive discussion about three Utah ecosystems: wetlands, forests, and deserts. Students will help analyze each specimen and learn why they are found more commonly in one habitat versus another. (Standard 4.1.1, 4.1.2 )
Energy Matters (Fifth Grade)
In this program students will analyze how plants, animals, and decomposers obtain and use matter and energy. Students will also track the flow of energy through a variety of ecosystems using food chains and specimens. (Standard 5.3.1, 5.3.2, and 5.3.3)
Interactions in Ecosystems (Sixth Grade)
Students will be presented with a variety of organisms and specimens, which they will use to identify and discuss the complex interactions between them, including competition, mutualism, and predation. Students will then organize the plants and animals into a food web that tracks the flow of energy and matter in the ecosystem. (Standard 6.4.2, 6.4.3, and 6.4.4 )
Biodiversity
This program is designed for all ages and covers learning standards from each grade K-6. Students will analyze an ecosystem and determine the needs of the organisms living there, the traits that allow them to survive, and the interactions between them.
Vertebrate Variety (General Audience)
Participants will learn the distinguishing characteristics of the 5 vertebrate classes; fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. This program is meant for museum visitors of all ages and can be easily adapted for any size group.