Teacher Services
     School Programs
     Traveling Trunks
 


 

 
Teacher Services
     
  We are here to assist teachers from all areas of education - classrooms, home schools, scout meetings and kids clubs. These programs and services are designed to give you, the teacher, resources for your students .  
  • Museum Store Discount
    Teachers receive a 10 percent discount on educational items in the Columbia River Trading Company with proof of educator status.

  • William G. Dick Library & Educator Resource Center
    Education materials, including curriculum guides, books, and videos may be checked out of our Educator Resource Center located within our William G. Dick Library. Some lending restrictions may apply. Call for hours of operation.

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School Programs
 

 

 
  Guided Tours  
     
  Guided tours are presentations provided by Museum educators, volunteers, and USDA Forest Service Interpreters. Programs utilize key exhibits to illustrate one aspect of natural or human history, last 30-60 minutes, and encourage student participation and critical thinking skills.  
  • The Life and Times of Columbia River Salmon
    Grades 4 - 6
    45 minutes
    Grades 7 - 12
    60 minutes

    Students will be introduced to the lifecycle of the Columbia River salmon and the types of salmon found in the Columbia River.  Students will then be put into "schools" of salmon and sent down the river and back.  As the "schools" brave the river, they will encounter many roadblocks and hazards.  Not all of them will make it back to their spawning grounds.  Students will learn what efforts are being taken to save the Columbia River salmon.


  • Animal Habitats in the Gorge
    Grades K - 4
    45 minutes

    Students will learn about the diversity of animals and plants of the Gorge.  Students will discover how each supports and contributes to the survival of the other.  Presentation will include "hands on" activities.



  • Skills of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
    Grades 4 - 12
    60 minutes

    The Corps of Discovery succeeded in their mission because of their problem solving skills, individual strengths, and teamwork.  Students will train to become a member of the expedition by going through a series of skills stations.  As they master a skill students will be certified.  The skills include map reading, fire starting, navigation, hunting, drawing and communicating with Nativa Americans.


  • Columbia Gorge:  Forces of Nature
    Grades 4 - 12
    60 minutes

    This program examines the intertwining of the geology, animals, weather, and plants of the Columbia Gorge. 

 

  • The Oregon Trail: Decision at The Dalles
    Grades 4 - 9
    60 minutes

    Students role play an Oregon Trail wagon train and examine the "Decision at The Dalles" to gain an appreciation for how pioneers heavily relied upon planning, teamwork, and critical thinking skills during the Great Migration.


  • Early Gorge Inhabitants of the Columbia Gorge
    Grades 4  - 12
    60 minutes

    Students wil simulate a gathering an hunting experience.  Instead of hunting and gathering food and supplies students will gather and hunt for knowledge about lives of Columbia Gorge Native Americans.  their "hunt" will take them to key areas in the Interpretive Center and Museum.  Students will have to use a viarety of skills to gather and hunt for the information.



  • Columbia Gorge Sampler
    Grades K - 12
    30 - 90 minutes

    Students will tour the entire facility with a staff or volunteer guide.  The tour will highlight all of the exhibits and displays including a pond walk.  Teachers may request the tour highlight certain topics.  Staff will then customize your tour based upon your needs.

 


 

Self-Guided Tours

 
   
  Self-Guided Tours allow your group to explore the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center at your own pace, adjusting your tour to the special interests and needs of your students. Worksheets and game materials can be provided to motivate and focus self-guided groups; inquire when you call.  
  • Treasures of Wascopam
    Grades 3 - 5
    45 minutes

    This highly interactive game uses all exhibits to show 14 resources or values that humans consider to be Treasures of the eastern Columbia River Gorge. It requires that parent volunteers be comfortable with reading aloud.

  Arranging Your Visit  
   
 
  • Reservations: 2 weeks in advance
  • Cost: $3.00 per student & chaperone; teachers & bus drivers free. Cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, and Purchase orders are accepted.
  • Time: Self-guided tours of exhibits and films take 1-2 hours. Include additional time for school programs and lunch.
  • Chaperone/Student Ratio
    1:5 for grades K-8,
    1:10 for grades 9-12.
  • Please contact steve@gorgediscovery.org or call 541 296-8600.
 

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  Adopt-An-Acre  
   
  The Discovery Center still has transportation funds available for school and community groups who want to participate in our Adopt-An-Acre Program. This is a fun experience for teaching habitat protection and restoration by helping eradicate invasive species and restoring natural vegetation on the Discovery Center's 54 acres. It’s also a great way to provide hands-on opportunities while teaching Oregon State benchmarks. All tools and materials are provided. Groups are trained and supervised by Discovery Center staff.

Please contact steve@gorgediscovery.org or call 541 296-8600.

 

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Travelling Trunks
     
  Bring museum reproductions, lesson plans, and resource guides into your classroom. Our custom designed trunks explore wildflowers, the Oregon Trail, and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
 
  • Taking to the Trail: An Oregon Trail Overview
    Grades 4 - 6
    Fee: $10.00 per week
    Ten Unit Curriculum
    $50.00 refundable
    security deposit

    Recreate an Oregon Trail encampment in your classroom! A ten-unit curriculum guide will walk students along the Oregon Trail and examine why pioneers went westward, how they prepared for the journey, and what challenges they faced along the way. A seven-section map will allow students to move their wagon along the trail as they complete each unit. The Traveling Trunk includes pioneer costumes, craft materials, candle molds and beeswax, pioneer games, pots and pans, and other activities that bring this great migration to life.

  • Wildflower Education Kit
    Grades 3 - 6
    Fee: $10.00 per week
     
    $50.00 refundable
    security deposit

    The Columbia River Gorge is home to over one-fourth of Oregon's total wildflower population. With this kit, students will have fun exploring this abundant resource during the peak of the wildflower season. This Traveling Trunk includes four hands-on activities, hand lenses, plant samples and products, seed samples, geologic time-line cards, and 30 wildflower resource books and posters.

  • Students of Science: Lewis and Clark's Scientific Method
    Grades 4 - 6
    Fee: $10.00 per week
    Six Unit Curriculum
    $50.00 refundable
    security deposit

    Along with their political and economic missions, Lewis and Clark also had scientific goals. Using lessons from the Lewis and Clark Expedition, students explore the scientific process through a five-unit curriculum guide by Observing and Listening, Describing, Collecting, Identifying, and Hypothesizing. The Traveling Trunk includes animal pelts, seed and leaf identifying games, plant specimens, plant presses, microscopes, journals, map making materials and more.
  Arranging Your Loan  
 
 
 
  • Cost, $10 a week up to two weeks and a $50 refundable security deposit.
  • Teachers are responsible for picking up, returning, and/or shipping trunks. Occasionally museum staff may be in position to assist.
  • Contact:
    Steve Thompson
  • Columbia Gorge Discovery Center
    5000 Discovery Drive
    The Dalles, Oregon 97058
    541-296-8600, extension 209
    steve@gorgediscovery.org
 

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Columbia Gorge Discovery Center | Wasco County Historical Museum | 5000 Discovery Drive, The Dalles, OR 97058, Tel: 541-296-8600