On-Site
Workshops
Guided Field Trips
On-Site Workshops
Weekdays at 10 & 11:30 a.m.
Grades: preK – 12 | $140 per class | Learning Center
Maximum class size per program: 25 students, 5 adults
Field trip workshops are 45- to 60-minute investigations of NGSS-related phenomena and they include an indoor lunch space for your group after the workshop. Field Trip workshops must be booked a minimum of three weeks in advance; full payment is due at time of scheduling. Select your preferred workshop topic at checkout.
Before or after your workshop, explore the rest of the Garden with your class. Small, chaperoned groups may visit the Model Railroad Garden (early May – early October) and Butterflies & Blooms (Memorial Day weekend – Labor Day weekend) free of charge.
Note: Exhibition entry is first-come, first-served and based on availability. Only small, chaperoned groups will be admitted at a time and entry ticket must be shown at the ticket booth. On busy days, expect there to be a wait. Exhibitions are open daily, weather permitting.
Scholarship funding to cover the workshop cost is available on a first come, first served basis for qualifying schools. Visit the Chicago Botanic Garden scholarship application to learn more and apply.
Fall Registration
September 3 – November 22, 2024
(no programs October 14, November 5 or 11)
Fall Workshop Offerings
45 - 60 minutes each
Discovering Plants
Grades preK – K
How do the parts of a plant help it get the things it needs to grow? Transplant a flowering plant and get ready to take care of it at home.
IELDS: Science Learning Standards 12.A and 12.B
NGSS: K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1
Terrific Trees
Grades K – 1
What do plants need to survive, and how do they get it? Investigate trees around the Garden and find patterns to learn how plants use their structures to survive.
NGSS: K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1, 1-LS1-1
Surprising Seeds
Grades 2 – 3
How do plants magically appear in new spots? Seeds have amazing ways to get around. Compare seed structures and functions and test different ways seeds disperse.
NGSS: 2-LS2-2; 3-LS4-3
Carnivorous Plants
Grades 3 – 5
What's going on with these plants that eat bugs? We will introduce you to sundews, pitcher plants, and Venus flytraps and guide you through an experiment to understand what plants need and why carnivorous plants have adaptations to trap insects.
NGSS: 4-LS1-1; 5-LS2-1
Pond Life Investigation
Grades 3 – 5, 6 – 12
Only September 3 – October 18
What lives in a pond ecosystem? Find and identify organisms found in the Garden’s lakes and assess the water quality by measuring the biodiversity of organisms. Learn how certain species are indicators of heathy water.
NGSS: 3-LS4-3; 4-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1MS-LS2-4; HS-LS2-2; HS-LS2-6
DIY Hydroponics
Grades 6 – 12
Can you make a system to grow plants in water? Take a video tour of Windy City Harvest’s aquaponics system, learn the basics of growing plants in water, and then work with a Garden educator to design a small hydroponics system in your classroom.
NGSS: MS-LS2-4; MS-ETS1-1, 2, 3; HS-ETS1-1,2,3
Spring Registration
March 31 – May 30, 2025
(no programs May 26)
Spring Workshop Offerings
30 – 45 minutes each
Science with your Senses
Grades preK – K
See, hear, smell, and touch the natural world! Practice science skills as you discover patterns in different plants around the Garden.
IELDS: Science Learning Standards 12.A and 12.B
NGSS: K-LS1-1
Wonders of Worms
Grades K – 1
What do you mean worms don’t eat dirt? Investigate worms’ structures to understand their needs, hypothesize about their habitat, and learn some surprising facts about these marvelous organisms.
NGSS: K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1, 1-LS1-1
Flower Lab
Grades 2 – 3
What is the reason for a flower, and how does it do its job? Become scientists through a guided dissection of a real flower to look for patterns in form and function and to hypothesize about how pollination works.
NGSS: 2-LS2-2; 3-LS4-3
Tropical Plant Paradise
Grades 3 – 5
What makes tropical plants suited to their environment? Observe the characteristics of plants that grow in the tropics and explain how these adaptations help them survive in warm, humid conditions.
NGSS: 4-LS1-1, 5-LS1-1, 5-LS2-2
Pond Life Investigation
Grades 3 – 5, 6 – 12
Only April 28 – May 30
What lives in a pond ecosystem? Find and identify organisms found in the Garden’s lakes and assess the water quality by measuring the biodiversity of organisms. Learn how certain species are indicators of heathy water.
NGSS: 3-LS4-3; 4-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1MS-LS2-4; HS-LS2-2; HS-LS2-6
Propagation Foundations
Grades 6 – 12
How can plants grow without a seed? Investigate and experiment with different methods of plant propagation and discover how and why a plant has specialized structures to reproduce in different ways.
NGSS: MS-LS1-4, MS-LS3-2, HS-LS1-4, HS-LS1-2
