Christmas/Holiday Programs
December is a short month but full of special events and activities for students. Be sure to book your educational holiday-themed lessons now before they fill up! Click here to see what's available.
Spotlight Session: The Lost Art of the Christmas Card
Presented by Old Jail Art Center
Grades: 3-6
Cost: FREE
Date: December 9
Time: 10:00 a.m. CST
Celebrate this Holiday Season with the Old Jail Art Center. View the first Christmas card from 1843 and investigate the cultural, social, and technological changes that have shaped the history of this Western- European Holiday tradition. Students will briefly review the structure of a written letter (salutation, body, etc.), then compose and illustrate a pre-stamped Christmas postcard inspired by antique style and designs.
Spotlight Storytime: Snowflake Bentley
Presented by Amon Carter Museum of American Art
Grades: 1-3
Cost: FREE
Date: January 27
Time: 10:00 a.m. CST
Join us at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art for this story of perseverance and triumph. Take our virtual experience of learning about Wilson Alwyn Bentley or "Snowflake Bentley," whose love of snow and determination made contributions to art and understanding snowflakes firsthand. Our little learners will learn about water crystal formations, snowflake facts, and the reward of perseverance all through the Carters collection.
Johann Gutenberg and the Amazing Printing Press
Presented by The Printing Museum
Grades: 2-6
Cost: FREE
Dates: December 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, or 16
Time: Anytime between 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. CST
This program is available by request; contact tours@printingmuseum.org.
Join us as we read "Johann Gutenberg and the Amazing Printing Press" by Bruce Koscielniak. Re-live the pivotal moment when Gutenberg introduced the printing press to Europe! Learn how books were made by hand, leading up to the Gutenberg press and how the press changed bookmaking and sharing of information and ideas. After the reading, see a demo of the museum's Gutenberg press, learn the mechanics of making movable type, and discuss the influences of the Gutenberg press.
ExciteSpace! Observe the Sun
Presented by McDonald Observatory, University of Texas
Grades: Pre-K-4 or 3-12
Cost: FREE
Dates/Times:
Grades Pre-K-4
December 2 — 10:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. CST
December 7 — 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., or noon CST
December 13 — 10:00 a.m. CST
Grades 3-12
December 2 — noon. or 1:00 p.m. CST
December 6 — 10:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. CST
December 13 — 11:00 a.m. CST
This program is available by request; contact teachers@mcdonaldobservatory.org.
Journey through space and observe our star, the sun, in real-time through telescopes located at McDonald Observatory. Do your students know why sunspots are darker than the rest of the sun? To find out, join us and make drawings of the sun while making STEM connections in Astronomy.
The Bedecked Buckaroo
Presented by Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum
Grades: Pre-K-12
Cost: $75
Dates: December 6 or 13
Time: 9:00 a.m. CST
This program is available by request; contact education@pphm.wtamu.edu.
Cowboys in the Texas Panhandle faced many obstacles, including weather, wildlife, and wily livestock. Thus, the cowboy traveled light and owned very little. Every article of clothing and equipment had to be functional and serve many purposes. This program will discuss the role of cowboy clothing on the range and the purpose of each piece. We will also talk about the role of cattle drives, early Panhandle ranches, and the origin of barbed wire.
The Museum Guide to the Pacific War
Presented by the National Museum of the Pacific War
Grades: 1-12
Cost: FREE
Dates: December 6 or 13
Times: 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., or 1:00 p.m. CST
This program is available by request; contact distancelearning@nimitzfoundation.org.
This lesson is designed to provide a detailed focus or overview of the major components of the Pacific War. Many schools across Texas and the United States cannot come to the National Museum of the Pacific War, so this lesson provides a live virtual interpretive tour of one area of the museum campus of interest: The George Bush Gallery, The Nimitz Gallery, The Pacific Combat Zone, The Japanese Garden of Peace, The Memorial Garden, and The Plaza of the Presidents. Teachers can choose which areas of the museum and what themes they wish to concentrate on during their lessons.
Rocks Rock!
Presented by Petroleum Museum
Grades: 3-6
Cost: FREE (normally $75)
Dates/Times:
December 7 and 14 — noon, 1:00 p.m., or 2:00 p.m. CST
December 9 — 2:00 p.m. CST
Other dates/times are posted for January through May.
This program is available by request; contact education@petroleummuseum.org.
This interactive program geared towards third through sixth-grader students sets a geological foundation by covering key concepts such as layers of the earth, the rock cycle, fossil fuel formation, and more. Students will learn about the history of the Permian Basin from a geological standpoint. This program can be tailored to fit the needs of your classroom and includes a 40-minute interactive program with a museum educator and materials mailed for three post-program extension activities.
Intro to Bats — Their Habits and Habitats
Presented by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Grades: 4-6
Cost: FREE
Date: December 9
The abandoned railroad tunnel at Old Tunnel State Park is home to up to 3 million Mexican free-tailed bats and 3,000 cave myotis bats from May to October! In this exciting and surprising program, Ranger Nyta will introduce you to the amazing adaptions these and other bats worldwide have developed to successfully survive and thrive in their environments.
A recorded option is available, but registration is required. The posted recording date/time is for registration purposes only. You will receive a link 1-3 business days AFTER the live program to view with the registered class at your convenience.
Field Day: Bag Seine
Presented by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Grades: 4-12
Cost: FREE
Date: December 14
Join Coastal Fisheries biologists live from the field! During this program, students will watch biologists collect bag seine data, discover species found in our bays, and learn about how and why Texas Parks and Wildlife Department manages coastal resources.
Recordings available all school year!
Connect2Texas
Email: c2tx@esc11.net
Website: www.connect2texas.net
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Phone: 817-740-7516
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