School Programs

Roberson provides multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary programs designed to enhance school curricula with hands-on activities.

Most programs include a component of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math to engage students in developing STEAM skills. Pre and Post visit materials are available for most programs. Our education staff is currently aligning programs to Common Core Standards, and that information will be available as it is updated.

We are currently offering field trips with COVID safety precautions. Contact our education department for details.

Scheduling Information

Interested in a virtual field trip?

Contact Christina at cmack@roberson.org

Downloads Pre and Post Visit Materials

Learn More

Our Programs In Action

Reviews From Past School Groups

The kids really liked it. Most of the children have never been here or any where like this. Thank you! Great job!! We’ll be back next year, I even learned a few things.”

Binghamton Educator

We had a great visit. I love how each center tied to our curriculum. Very interactive and fun.”

Chenango Forks Educator

just wanted to say thank you to you and the staff at Roberson for an excellent program. Our students really enjoyed their visit and learned quite a bit.

Learning about Edwin Link and his inventions integrated so well with what we have been studying in the ELA module. Common ideas and vocabulary really help our children internalize their learning. Needless to say, they absolutely loved building sails and the Planetarium show.

Thank you again for all your help in arranging this field trip. Fifth grade teachers at Perry Browne are looking forward to planning more trips to Roberson in the future.”

Norwich Educator

On behalf of the staff and students from Otselic Valley I would like to say thank you for a wonderful visit and lessons. The students could not stop talking about all the different activities. As teachers we were impressed by all the staff we worked with. The lessons and activities were engaging and on point with the curriculum and grade level. Our educators did more than present, they made sure the students were all engaged and having a good time. I look forward to bringing more classes and students to experience all the Museum has to offer.”

Ostellic Valley Educator

Academic Programs for Field Trips to Roberson

Programs may also be mixed and matched to create a unique experience for your students.

Price is $225 for a group of a maximum of 25 students. We can accommodate multiple groups at one time. Programs include one to three different activities and last approximately 2 ½ hours. We can provide an area for students to eat their own bag lunches on a scheduled first come, first served basis. Teachers and chaperones are admitted free of charge at a ratio of one adult to ten students. Additional adults will need to pay regular group admission of $7.

For BT BOCES aidable programs, please visit the BT BOCES website

Visit Site

Interdisciplinary Programs

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Grades Pre-K through 12

November – January

This holiday season, discover the many ways people express their cultural heritage. Explore holiday traditions of several ethnic groups through exhibitions and programming including Roberson’s International Forest. Enjoy the magical Roberson Mansion, furnished and decorated for the season. A seasonal planetarium show will round out your visit. Please schedule early.

NY Standards: Arts 1, 2, 4; SS 2, 3; ELA 1, 4

PA Standards: A&H 9.2; H 8.3; 8.4

IROQUOIS CULTURE Grades 3 through 7

Discover the Iroquois, their culture, their relationship with the land and how European culture has impacted native peoples. Students create pinch pots and learn Native American constellation legends in the Planetarium. (Also applies to Eastern Woodland tribes).

NY Standards: Arts 1- 4; ELA 1, 3, 4; SS 1-3; MS&T 4

PA Standards: H 8.1, 8.3; A&H 9.2; S&T 3.4; E&E 4.2, 4.4, 4.8

SEA MONSTERS: A PREHISTORIC ADVENTURE Grades 3 through 12

Bring marine reptiles and other creatures of the prehistoric world to life. Be immersed in this world through our full-dome film, Sea Monsters. Students will also explore fossils and animal adaptations.

NYS Standards: MS&T 4

PA Standards: Coming soon

HEROES AND SCIENCE OF THE SKY Grades 6 through Adult

Experience an interdisciplinary look at mythological heroes and how their stories influence culture and science. Students will use art from other cultures to inspire their own hero’s story, learn about heroes in the night sky (including constellations and planets), and explore the size of our solar system by creating a scale model of the distance between planets.

NYS Standards: Coming soon
PA Standards: Coming soon

STEAM Programs (Art & Science)

Art Programs Grades 2 through Adult

Be inspired by Roberson’s collections and our permanent and temporary exhibitions. Using critical thinking skills, students may interpret works of art, create their own aesthetic response in the studio or sketch in the galleries. Choose from different art lessons listed below when you schedule the program, or a combination from one of our other programs.

NY Standards: ELA 1-4; Arts 1-4

PA Standards: A&H 9.1-4; RWSL 1.4-6

Program Name	Grade	Description
Visual Thinking Strategies	Grades PreK-Adult	Learn how to use analytic skills to “read” the artists intention. Can choose Futuristic or Hero themed lessons if preferred
Sketching in the Gallery	Grades 2-Adult	Examine different pieces of art, sketch them and discuss art concepts (composition, materials, etc)
Printmaking	Grades 2-Adult	Explore relief printmaking and make one

Science Programs

Science Programs Grades K through Adult

Choose a STEAM theme and customize your visit. Choose two different STEAM lessons listed below and a planetarium show when you schedule the program.

NY Standards: MS&T 1, 4, 6

PA Standards: S&T 3.1, 3.2

Program Name	Grade	Description
Mini-Microscopes	Grades K-2	Begin to explore the purpose and use of magnification through simple microscopes
Dissecting and Compound Microscopes	Grades 3-8	Examine objects using both dissecting and compound microscopes
Lights and Spectrums	Grades 3-8	Learn how scientists use spectrums to identify gases and how this applies to space
Nocturnal Animals	Grades K-4	Discover how animals see at night, as well as other senses, through interactive activities
Rocks and Minerals	Grades 2-Adult	Learn properties of rocks and minerals and how to identify them
Polymers	Grades 1-8	Explore phases of matter, and make a polymer to take home
Journey of a Water Molecule	Grades 2-Adult	Become a water molecule and learn about the water cycle through a fun activity
Bird Beak Adaptations	Grades 2-Adult	Examine different bird beaks and how the beak shape relates to their diet
K’NEX in the Stars	Grades 2-5	Create constellations using K’NEX kits and explore the mythology of the stars
Water Pollution	Grades 5-Adult	Explore water pollution through a hands-on simulation using large plastic landscapes
Science of Music	Grades 3 to Adult	Explore properties of sound and how that relates to musical instruments
Fossils	Grades 3 to Adult	Find and identify fossils and make a mold to take home
Metamorphosis	Grades K to 2	Explore metamorphosis through an interactive game
Scale of the Solar System	Grades 6-Adult	Learn about scales and ratio related to the distances between planets in our Solar System
Inventors: Edwin A. Link	Grades 3 to 8	Coming Soon

RIVER STUDIES Grades 4 through 12

Offered only May through October

Discover the Chenango and Susquehanna River habitats. Students collect specimens and water samples from the river, and analyze the water samples and examine the specimens. Students encounter an intensive field experience while enhancing their STEAM skills.

NY Standards: MS&T 1, 3, 4, 6

PA Standards: S&T 3.2, 3.3, 3.5, 3.7, 3.8

GEL ELECTROPHORESIS: DNA INVESTIGATIONS Grades 9 through 12

A crime has occurred and your students have been called to solve the mystery. Students are introduced to DNA Fingerprinting. They will be given four DNA samples, enhancing their STEAM skills while comparing the DNA samples through gel electrophoresis to find the culprit.

NY Standards: MS&T 2, 4, 5, 7

PA Standards: S&T 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.7

History Programs

Grades 4 through Adult

Explore our community’s evolution from prehistoric times to the present. Choose three different history lessons listed below when you schedule the program. You may also choose to include a planetarium option as one of your three choices.

NY Standards: Arts 1; CDOS 1, 2; ELA 1, 3, 4; MST 5; SS 1-5

PA Standards: H 8.1, 8.3; Eco 6.1, 6.4; RWSL 1.1, 1.2, 1.8; S&T 3.8; Geog 7.3

Program Name	Grade	Description
Factory	Grades 2-Adult	Be immersed in industrialization through a shoe box assembly line
Local History Scavenger Hunt	Grades 4-Adult	Learn Broome County History by participating in a scavenger hunt
Immigration	Grades 2-Adult	Explore how immigrants kept their culture when they came to the Binghamton area
Edwin A. Link	Grades 2-Adult	Explore Edwin Link’s contribution to flight and sea travel
Iroquois Culture	Grades 3-Adult	Examine Iroquois artifacts

Outreach Programs

INVESTIGATING PRIMARY SOURCES: MYSTERY OF THE MONTH Grades 2 through 8

$200 for nine months of shipments

Your school receives a mysterious artifact once a month (September-May) for your classroom. Artifacts range from tools to toys and relate to American History. Each shipment includes a teacher’s guide and a context clue. This is a great way to get students excited about social history through hands-on observation.

NY Standards: ELA 1, 3, 4; SS 1

PA Standards: RWSL 1.6, 1.8; H 8.1

STEAM OUTREACH Grades K through 8

$6 Per student (20 student minimum) plus mileage

Can’t make it to Roberson? Bring Roberson to you! These interactive outreach programs based in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math provide unique learning experiences and allow students to explore different science, history and art topics in a hands-on way. Topics include:

Steampunk Sculpture Building: Students learn about steampunk art and create their own piece out of scrap woods and metals.
Historic Object Identification: Students use their deductive reasoning to determine the function of antique objects. They will also take several antique objects and imagine a new use for them.
Animal Adaptations: Students explore unique attributes of different animals by examining our taxidermy collection as well as hands on activities.
Phases of Matter: Students explore solids liquids and gases through interactive activities and make their own “slime” to take home.
Magic of Science: Students will learn demos and experiments that wow, as well as the science that makes them work.
Fossils: Dig for, and identify common fossils. Students will also learn how fossils are formed, and make their own fossil impression to take home. For other topics and more information please contact cmack@www.roberson.org or (607) 772-0660 ext 236.

Standards vary per topic

Planetarium Programs

Planetarium programs can be booked separately for $150/class, ($6.00/student for groups larger than 25 with a maximum of 50). Come experience the newly refurbished planetarium through updated programming. This digital system will allow students an up close and personal journey through our solar system and provide a more concrete view of individual constellations.

Planetarium Info Available Shows