Educational opportunities abound in Austin! Along with our friends at Alt Ed Austin, we’ve put together a new series that highlights some of the amazing DIY educational adventures to be found for families here. We invite you to join us for the next few weeks as we Visit, Learn, and Do fun activities at some of the best educational spots in town!
Visit: The Texas Memorial Museum
The Texas Memorial Museum is Austin’s first science museum. Located on the campus of the University of Texas, it’s a conveniently located educational resource for families in Austin. Spread across four floors and including an outdoor area, the exhibits at the museum focus on dinosaurs and fossils, wildlife, and gems and minerals found in the state.
Admission: $4 for adults, $3 (ages 2 to 12), and free for children under 2. Discounted admission is available for non-UT college students and military families. UT faculty, staff, and students are free.
Parking: The nearest parking garage to the museum is the San Jacinto Garage, which charges an hourly rate.
Learn: Thinking About Fossils
The Hall of Geology and Paleontology (1st floor), the Great Hall (main floor), and the outdoor area all feature fossils of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. While exploring these floors, let’s look for the answers to these questions:
- What is a fossil?
- How are fossils formed?
- What can fossils tell us about life in other time periods?
- Where are fossils found?
Do: Let’s Go on a Fossil Hunt!
The majority of the fossils featured in the Texas Memorial Museum were found in Texas. Let’s go on a fossil hunt through the exhibits and find fossils that were found in various Texas counties. Print a fun Texas Fossil Hunt page here.
Additional Educational Resources:
The Texas Memorial Museum offers a number of educational resources for teachers and parents. Visit their Education page to find a large selection of free printable curriculum guides, scavenger hunts, lessons and activities, and coloring sheets.
Want to bring some fossils home for a visit? The Texas Memorial Museum offers free educational loaner kits! Educators (including homeschool parents) can choose from 14 different kits with topics ranging from half billion year old fossils, DNA-RNA protein synthesis, mammal skins, and more. Get more info on loaner kits here.
Have fun exploring the Texas Memorial Museum and learning about the fossils found in Texas!
This post was sponsored by Alt Ed Austin:
Since 2011, Teri Sperry of Alt Ed Austin has been helping families explore the many diverse schooling options that Austin has to offer. Because no one school or approach is right for every kid, Teri offers affordable private consultations and group workshops to guide you through the process of choosing a school where your unique child will truly thrive. Check out Alt Ed Austin’s free online resources and sign up for the monthly newsletter at AltEdAustin.com.
