Science teachers looking for an outstanding educational experience when they take their students to New York City won't want to miss the Liberty Science Center, located in nearby Jersey City, New Jersey. With a rich assortment of science exhibits, students will be talking about this venue for months to come.
From the minute they step inside one of the state-of-the-art laboratories, students will experience hands-on learning led by knowledgeable science educators. The center focuses on inquiry-based investigations designed to facilitate comprehension of complex subject matter such as native wildlife, chemistry, watersheds, and the properties of light.
Educators might want to consider another educational approach by scheduling a comprehensive tour of an exhibition gallery led by a science educator. In this type of tour, science concepts are reinforced through a hands-on lesson related to the exhibit, while the students interact with their instructor.
Other exhibits include:
"Live From . . ." where teachers and students experience the thrill of real-time interactive videoconferencing through a series of hospital surgeries, featuring cardiac, neurosurgery, kidney transplant and robotic surgery. Visitors get to witness firsthand the sights and sounds of surgery and benefit from having a surgical team of doctors, nurses, technicians and physician assistants answer their questions.
One of the science center’s most ambitious projects is the 12,800-square-foot Skyscraper! Achievement and Impact exhibit, dedicated to exploring the mysteries of our tallest buildings. With multimedia, full-body kinetic experiences and experiment-based lab stations, visitors will learn about the planning, design, engineering and construction of a modern skyscraper. They also learn about the environments that are created and changed when these massive buildings are erected.
Several additional displays offer students great opportunities to explore various science concepts:
Infection Connection: Students explore interactions between microbes and humans, learn about emerging diseases, and see how science develops tools and technologies to prevent and treat them. They can even conduct microbiology and epidemiology experiments in a laboratory environment.
Communication: Students learn how people communicate, not only with advanced multimedia and personal communication devices, but with our bodies, language and symbolism.
Our Hudson Home: This is a hands-on learning experience that highlights the balance required for commerce, recreation and environmental preservation to co-exist in everyday life.
Eat and Be Eaten: This exhibit is filled with scores of live animals and visitors learn about the complex interaction that has been elegantly called the "circle of life."
Breakthroughs: This is a fitting exhibition for our fast-changing world; an interactive, multimedia experience featuring exhibits and programs that address current issues and events in science and technology.
Energy Quest: Students take a journey through the five major sources of Earth’s energy, learning about the many methods humans have used to explore and harness these energy sources.
The Liberty Science Center also offers special on-site programs for local student groups:
In Partners in Science, students visiting the science center go beyond textbooks and school-based labs by immersing themselves in authentic scientific research conducted by professional scientists. The intensive, eight-week summer experience for high school juniors and seniors pairs students with mentor scientists and challenges them to participate in on-going research and independent projects. Through Partners in Science, students are exposed to current questions driving scientific discovery in real laboratory settings. They also develop a network of advisors and lifelong connections that help them identify and focus their career goals.
The nearby Liberty State Park also offers unique learning opportunities. Teachers and students can go out in the field, and explore the plants, animals, habitats and geology of the Hudson River Estuary, as well as the impact of humans on the river, all with a choice of land-based or on-the river experiences.