Exploration Cards encourage students to connect what they are learning in the classroom to their own lives and communities. Over the past several years, we have developed numerous cards covering a wide variety of topics and grade levels. Students receive the Exploration Cards from their teacher and then complete them outside of school. If a student completes and returns an Exploration Card, they receive a special prize that is supplied by TRIP.

As we move toward sustainability in the fourth year of TRIP, we are changing the process around Exploration Cards. Teachers can now access, download, and print an unlimited amount of Exploration Cards at any time from the Exploration Card Database.

Teachers can still fill out the Treasure Chest Incentive Form to request the items that are awarded to students for completing and returning their Exploration Cards. We can also include a reem of 250 pages of cardstock paper with each incentive order to assist with printing the Exploration Cards. Teachers may request incentives once a quarter.

In Year 4 of the TRIP program, every kindergarten through second-grade student in the target schools can receive a museum passport allowing access to Children’s Museums and Science Centers across Tennessee. The passport is good for General Admission (no special programs) and can be used by the family (student + up to 4 family members) outside of school time.

Passports for Year 4 are redeemable from September 1, 2024 through July 30, 2025 and provide access to:

• Creative Discovery Museum, Chattanooga, TN

• Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, Murfreesboro, TN

• Hands On! Discovery Center at Gray Fossil Site, Gray, TN

• MUSE, Knoxville, TN

• Museums of Science & History, Memphis, TN

Family Passports must be requested by classroom teachers. Teacher can make this request by emailing Claire Stockman. Please make sure to include the teacher name, school name, and number of cards you are requesting in the email.

In Year 4, kindergarten through second-grade students from our partner schools are invited to enjoy our Museums and Science Centers through field trips. All field trips must be scheduled through the Reservations Departments of each participating site.

• Creative Discovery Museum, Chattanooga, TN: Sheila Woody

• Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, Murfreesboro, TN: Kalab Fulton

• Hands On! Discovery Center at Gray Fossil Site, Gray, TN: Sarah Laposky

• Muse, Knoxville, TN: Mary-Bartlett Smythe

• Museums of Science & History, Memphis, TN: Kimberly Taylor

Live Immersive Programs can be booked with the Tennessee State Museum or Hands On! Discovery Center. We also offer several pre-recorded virtual programs that expose students to museum resources from the comfort of your classroom. See the Immersive Programs page for more information.

Each school may request two consecutive days of Outreach Lessons OR one Family STEM Night from select museums. Options and formats vary by museum.

Museum Outreach

• Creative Discovery Museum: Outreach Lessons are 60 minutes long and accommodate 25 students at a time. Students rotate between hands-on activities set up in one classroom. One grade level can be accommodated per day. For more information, visit CDMfun.org/outreach-lessons or email Sheila Woody

• Discovery Center at Murfree Spring: Museum-to-Go programs are for one class and last approximately 60 minutes per class. Themes available include Animals All Around and S.T.A.R. Tour. Live Action Science Assemblies are available for up to 200 kids. Contact Kalab Fultonfor more information.

• MUSE Knoxville: Lessons are 55 minutes long and take place during school time hours. Students rotate between hands-on experiences in the classroom. One grade level can be accommodated per day with select lesson offerings. Contact Mary-Bartlett Smythe for more information.

Family STEM Night

• Creative Discovery Museum: Family Nights can accommodate up to 400 participants and require at least nine school-based volunteers. Attendees rotate between nine hands-on activations set up in a gym, cafeteria, or multi-purpose room. Visit CDMfun.org/family-nights or email Sheila Woody for more information and topics.

• MUSE Knoxville: Two hours of thematic programming for 150 people, five STEAM-based activities, MUSE educators to facilitate training for volunteers. Contact Mary-Bartlett Smythe for more information.

More information coming soon!

INTERACTIVE SITES FOR YOUR CLASSROOM

Code.org®: This education innovation nonprofit is dedicated to the vision that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science as part of their core K-12 education.

ScratchJr: Coding is the new literacy! With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) can program their own interactive stories and games. In the process, they learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer.

STEM LESSONS, ACTIVITIES, GAMES, ETC.

Colors of Nature: The Colors of Nature project blends art and science through programs for students, families, and educators.

Learning Blade:Learning Blade easily integrates STEM, CS, and CTE concepts into a child’s education. Appropriate for grades 5-9, Learning Blade provides 12 “missions” that contextualize learning and engage all students, including underrepresented and special populations, while reinforcing academic standards. Each lesson and resource is indexed so you can see what state standards are being met.

NASA eClipsTM Resources for Rural Educators: Providing educators in rural communities with standards-based videos, activities and lessons to increase STEM literacy through the lens of NASA.

National Geographic Kids:National Geographic Kids has tons of fun activities, games, puzzles, videos and more.

National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Network): The NISE Network is a community of informal educators and scientists dedicated to supporting learning about STEM across the United States.

National Inventors Hall of Fame: Free STEM Activities to Turn Your Classroom into a Collaborative, Creative Space

TeachEngineering: The TeachEngineering Digital Library is an educational resource featuring standards-aligned, design-rich curricula. The goal is to help educators put the ‘E’ in STEM— by making applied science, technology, and math come alive through engineering design and design thinking. Educators and learners have FREE access to our ever-growing collection of peer-reviewed curricula, which include activities, lessons, units, maker challenges, informal learning activities, and living labs.

Tennessee Valley Authority: These lessons—designed by Tennessee Valley teachers for use in the classroom—may be formative steps for tomorrow’s doctors, civil engineers, nuclear scientists, computer programmers, or robot designers. With a strong foundation in STEM learning, the potential is limitless.

STEM AWARENESS AND ADVOCACY

IF/THEN®is designed to activate a culture shift among young girls to open their eyes to STEM careers.

National Girls Collaborative Project: NGCP is a network of networks bringing together organizations committed to informing and encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM. There is a regional chapter for Tennessee as well.

Science Near Me: Science Near Me is a free resource to help you quickly find opportunities to engage in all types of science, technology, engineering, math, (STEM) events, projects, and programs near you, in person and online.

Tennessee Valley Robotics:Teaching students the STEM skills needed to prepare them for the future job market.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT

Appalachian Association for Children's Early Education: AACEE is a professional early childhood organization serving early childhood educators in Northeast Tennessee.

National Rural Education Association: The National Rural Education Association (NREA) was originally founded as the Department of Rural Education in 1907. It is the oldest established national organization in the United States. Through the years, it has evolved as a strong and respected organization of rural school administrators, teachers, board members, regional service agency personnel, researchers, business and industry representatives, and others interested in maintaining the vitality of rural school systems across the country.

Tennessee Afterschool Network: The Tennessee Afterschool Network supports children, youth, families, and communities by advocating and building capacity for safe, healthy, and enriching out-of-school time experiences.

Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA):TECTA is a statewide organization committed to providing high-quality training and tuition assistance to early childhood educators.

Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN): TSIN Regional Hubs: Regional TSIN STEM Innovation Hubs are the nucleus of STEM activity, representing a formal partnership among school districts, post-secondary institutions, STEM-businesses, and community organizations committed to amplifying the impact of STEM programs in their regions.

TSIN Rural STEM Collaborative: The Tennessee Rural STEM Collaborative is a year-long cohort of Tennessee educators that works towards ensuring that all students have access to high-quality learning opportunities in STEM by exposing them to 21st Century Skills and local STEM career pathways.

STEM SUPPLIES, MATERIALS, & MANIPULATIVES

Arbor Scientific - www.arborsci.com
CanaKit - www.canakit.com
Carolina Biological Supply - www.carolina.com
Discount School Supply - www.discountschoolsupply.com
Educational Innovations - www.teachersource.com
Fisher Scientific - www.fishersci.com
Flinn Scientific - www.flinnsci.com
Hand2Mind - www.hand2mind.com/products/stem
Lakeshore Learning - www.lakeshorelearning.com
Learning Resources - www.learningresources.com
Nasco Education - www.nascoeducation.com
Nature Watch - www.nature-watch.com
Resource Area for Teaching - www.raft.net
School Specialty - www.schoolspecialty.com
SparkFun - www.sparkfun.com
S&S Worldwide - www.ssww.com
STEM Supplies - www.stem-supplies.com
Steve Spangler Science - www.stevespanglerscience.com
VEX Robotics - www.vexrobotics.com/