Virtual
Field Trips
Virtual Programs
Winter Virtual Field Trips
December 2, 2024 – March 21, 2025
Mondays – Thursdays, 10 or 11:30 a.m., 12:30 or 1:30 p.m.
(no programs December 23 – January 3, January 20 or February 17)
Grades: preK – 12 | $140 per class | Online
Maximum one program per time slot
Virtual Field Trips deliver Garden learning to your classroom through an online meeting platform of your choice. Each program includes a kit of materials and a 45- to 60-minute investigation of NGSS-related phenomena led by a Garden educator.
Field Trip workshops must be booked a minimum of three weeks in advance; full payment is due at time of scheduling. Select workshop topic upon checkout.
Once your program is booked, a Garden educator will reach out to arrange delivery of materials and online meeting connection.
To ensure the quality of the experience, schools may not combine multiple classrooms into one program.
Registration
If you would like to register for a Virtual Field Trip, please enter your unique school code supplied to your school or district. If you do not have your code, please locate it here, then click on your school’s link to register. If your school is not on the list, contact us to request a school code or call (847) 835-6801 with any questions.
Winter Virtual Program Offerings
45-to 60-minutes each
Discovering Plants
Grades K – 1
How do the parts of a plant help it get the things it needs to grow? And what happens when a plant doesn’t get what it needs? Dig deeper into plant structures and functions and pot your very own plant
NGSS: K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1, 1-LS1-1
Flower Lab
Grades 2 – 3
What is the reason for a flower, and how does it do its job? Become scientists through a guided dissection of a real flower to look for patterns in form and function and to hypothesize about how pollination works.
NGSS: 2-LS2-2; 3-LS1-1; 4-LS1-1
Carnivorous Plants
Grades 3 – 5
What's going on with these plants that eat bugs? We will virtually introduce you to sundews, pitcher plants, and Venus flytraps and guide you through an experiment using non-carnivorous plants to understand what plants need and why carnivorous plants have adaptations to trap insects.
NGSS: 4-LS1-1; 5-LS2-1; MS-LS1-4
DIY Hydroponics
Grades 6 – 12
Can you make a system to grow plants in water? Take a video tour of the Windy City Harvest’s aquaponics system, learn the basics of growing plants in water, and then work with a Garden educator to design a small system hydroponics system in your classroom.
NGSS: MS-LS2-4; MS-ETS1-1, 2, 3; HS-ETS1-1,2,3
New! Classroom Connections
Fridays: January 17, 24, 31
February 7, 21, 28,
or March 7, 21
10 – 11 a.m. or 1 – 2 p.m.
Grades: 1 – 8 | $25 per class | Online
Maximum one program per time slot
Available Programs
Art in Science - Miniature Gardens | Grades 1 – 5
Explore the intersection of art and science. Discover the process behind creating and using dyes made from natural materials and get inspired to create using the colors of nature.
Behind the Garden | Grades 1 – 8
Hear from Chicago Botanic Garden specialists about how they take care of some of the most remarkable plants at the Garden. Discover how they apply life science concepts in the real world.
Grow More Plants! | Grades 3 – 8
How do you get new plants? Learn about why you don’t always need seeds to grow new plants and follow along with us as we walk you through the steps of propagation and set up a classroom experiment.
Meet a Scientist | Grades 3 – 8
Get an introduction to careers in botany, conservation, and horticulture. Presenters from a variety of backgrounds will describe their work and why they love their jobs. Learn how they use the skills of scientific exploration every day.
Registration
If you would like to register for Classroom Connections, please enter your unique school code supplied to your school or district. If you do not have your code, please locate it here, then click on your school’s link to register. If your school is not on the list, contact us to request a school code or call (847) 835-6801 with any questions.
Register for Classroom Connections
If you have any questions, please email or call the Registrar's Office at (847) 835-6801.