Bring Museum of the Rockies into your classroom with real fossils and artifacts, engaging hands-on activities, and current research in science and history. These resources support STEM education, Montana Content Standards, and Indian Education for All, bringing MOR into your classroom.
Each crate costs $50 per week to support the development of new materials and shipping costs. Crates can be picked up at Museum of the Rockies or shipped to your school. A return shipping label is included in the crate for you to easily return it at the end of the week.
If cost is a barrier in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact moroutreach@montana.edu for assistance.
Note: A $50 late fee applies if a crate is not returned within one week of use.
Bison have been an integral part of the great plains since the last Ice Age and still roam in herds across Yellowstone National Park today. This kit uses real, ethically sourced parts of a bison and a robust curriculum to support science learning and the essential understandings of IEFA. The curriculum was developed by Shane Doyle, Ed.D and created in partnership with Southwest Montana School Services and with funding from Montana's Office of Public Instruction and MOR. View the Curriculum.
Build your students’ knowledge of the IEFA Essential Understandings with this fun, engaging, and active collection of traditional games. The kit includes all materials necessary for playing traditional native games, as well as thorough curriculum guides that explain the games and their cultural significance. Learn more.
Dig in and explore paleontology, biology, and geology through hands-on fun! The kit includes two interactive lessons that provide students with the context necessary for studying dinosaurs by introducing them to the geologic timeline and key events in Earth’s history. Students will also study the differences between avian and non-avian dinosaurs, make observations about the size and measurements of different dinosaurs, and draw comparisons between the habitats and biological characteristics of modern animals and dinosaurs. This kit is great for grades PreK-2. Learn more.
Museum of the Rockies’ fossil collection and research are world-renowned. This kit engages students in an in-depth look at different types of fossils, both real and cast, and encourages them to make inferences based on observations and evidence. What is a fossil? How can you tell the difference between a fossil and other mineral specimens? Lessons introduce students to the ethics behind fossil collecting and contain instructions for a fossil research project. Note: Kit includes fossil molds to make your own fossil casts, but plaster will need to be supplied by the educator. Learn more.
In 2016, Carter County Museum (CCM) and its sister museum, Museum of the Rockies, embarked on a collaborative educational project known as MAIA: Mobile Science Lab.
This classroom lab explores the mathematical and biologic concepts of growth curves while connecting students with Montana’s agricultural economy and rich fossil history. A lesson developed by the science and math departments at Carter County High School (CCHS) and recently piloted at CCHS in Ekalaka, Montana, engages students in measuring femurs of cattle, chicken, deer, and the dinosaur Maiasaura. MOR and CCM provided access to materials and content oversight.
This traveling outreach program combines the osteology collections of CCM, one of the world’s best-studied dinosaur growth series from MOR, and partnership with Carter County High School. The result is an engaging learning experience that connects Montana rural students to mathematical concepts, agriculture, and natural science.
Download our letter to teachers here: MAIA Letter to Teachers
For more information, check out our press release: MAIA Press Release
The teacher’s guide and student workbook are available upon request.
The trunk is available for use to Montana high schools upon request. The first priority for MAIA will be given to teachers and schools in southeastern Montana. To reserve the trunk or for further questions, contact Sabre Moore at smoore@cartercountymuseum.org.
Montana isn’t called “the treasure state” for nothing! Montana is rich in geologic history, Explore sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic, and igneous rocks with real rocks and sparkling minerals from the state of Montana. Kit includes an ultraviolet light to explore fluorescence and descriptions of each sample. Kit includes agate, sapphires, gold, and more!
Explore Yellowstone National Park with this crate! From geysers to praries to welands, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has many features and ecosystems to learn from. Explore real skulls, pelts, and rubber tracks with our included curricula.
