Field trips

STEM topics exploration through hands-on activities

The Lederman Science Center’s hours have changed for the winter. Please view them on our Plan a Visit page.

Interactive field studies programs provide students with authentic experiences using scientific practices and crosscutting concepts from the Next Generation Science Standards. Workshops and Field trip essentials sessions are provided to prepare teachers with lessons and materials that support learners for the field trip topics.

Phriendly Physics

Grades 1-5

Help your students think about and solve problems like scientists at the Phriendly Physics field trips at Fermilab. Each of the four Phriendly Physics field trips includes special hand-on activities at Lederman Science Center. Each field trip is designed to wrap up a unit of study with exciting activities serving as focal points for the exploration of a topic.

A prism slits white light into a rainbow in a dark room.

Insects at Work in Our World

Grades 1-2

Students investigate the important roles insects play and the benefits they provide humanity and ecosystems through three engaging hands-on outdoor explorations. Students are provided the opportunity to observe and study insects, using authentic tools in science, be apprentice entomologists, and learn about the need to protect insects and their environment.

A student dips a net over some tall grasses and into a pond. The adult behind them watches closely.

Beauty and Charm at Fermilab

Grades 6-9

How do scientists work? How can we study things we can’t even see? Beauty and Charm at Fermilab is an activity-based program designed to introduce middle schoolers to particle physics. Beauty and Charm provides students with authentic experiences using scientific practices and crosscutting concepts from the Next Generation Science Standards.

Students on a field trip sit on the floor.

Energy and Ecosystems: Prairie, Water, and Woods

Grades 6-9

Students will explore and compare the biodiversity of the prairie, woodland, and wetland ecosystems of Illinois in this field trip. They will learn the many services these ecosystems provide as they collect authentic data using scientific practices and field survey tools to expand their knowledge of the interdependent relationships of organisms and the effects of abiotic factors and human impacts on the organisms’ environment.

A close-up photo of a light purple prairie flower.

High school physical science field trip

Grades 9-12

Have your classroom get to know Fermilab’s facilities and research with our high school tours! These tours are designed to introduce students to particle physics and to help them understand some of the cutting-edge research that goes on at Fermilab. We provide a unique experience with the support of a Fermilab scientist/engineer and visits to some of our unique research facilities.

Students stand in a hallway built to mimic the underground tunnels of the accelerator. Pipes and colorful magnets fill the right-hand side.

High school life science field trip

Grades 9-12

Students develop and enhance their knowledge and understanding of the concepts of soil, ecology, water, pollution, ecosystem services, and climate change through engaging field activities, using authentic scientific methods and tools to collect data in woodland, wetland, and prairie ecosystems. Students learn the value of stewardship as they participate in natural areas restoration supporting the ecological science of Fermilab to increase biodiversity, which creates resiliency to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Students stand in the prairie surrounded by tall grasses.

Field trip essentials (for teachers)

Prerequisite: To fully prepare your students for a physical science or life science visit, teachers must participate in either a two-hour training session or a summer Teacher Workshop. These will give you all of the information and resources to implement engaging preparatory activities in the classroom that introduce the essential concepts, content, and logistics of the field trip. Your participation will allow your students to learn more about the research and ecology of Fermilab and to better appreciate their on-site experience.

Teachers participating in the Beauty and Charm teacher workshop

Questions?

Contact Education and Public Engagement registrar at edreg@fnal.gov.

“Excellent! We were all so pleased with the field trip!! The docents were very knowledgeable and great with kids. Loved the 3 habitat visits + hunting for bugs.”

“This was an awesome experience. I learned so much about the facility and it makes me excited to go into particle physics!”

“I would like to express how much I enjoyed watching my daughter become enlightened every Saturday with the joy of learning and growing her passion for physics!”

“I love this place because I like S.T.E.M. (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)”

“Thank you for having me! I learned a lot and will come back soon. Your staff and volunteers are amazing.”

“This was so fun and informative! Thank you for this and all you do to advance our understanding of the universe!!”