Tifft Workshops

These 2-3 hour in-depth science activities give students hands-on experiences both indoors and outdoors. Engage your class in a unique, inquiry-based learning opportunity.
 

GRADES Pre-K – 2

ANIMAL HOMES AND HABITATS

Available November – June
Students observe real animal homes from the collections of the Buffalo Museum of Science and Tifft Nature Preserve through hands-on discovery. A Tifft facilitator will take students outdoors to experience and learn about the animals and their homes. Students will also work to match animals to their proper habitats and share their findings with the class. 

SNOW SCIENCE

Available December – February
Learn about winter weather and how animals and plants are able to survive. Students will look for animal evidence on an outdoor hike, use weather monitoring instruments, and compare animal survival adaptations. Snowshoeing may be requested ($2 per person) weather permitting.

GRADES 3 – 12

Content is adjusted to suit each grade level.

ANIMAL HOMES AND HABITATS

Available November – June
Students observe real animal homes from the collections of the Buffalo Museum of Science and Tifft Nature Preserve through hands-on discovery. A Tifft facilitator will take students outdoors to experience and learn about the animals and their homes. Students will apply their knowledge of adaptations to design and construct their own animal.

 AQUATIC ECOLOGY

Available April - October
Students study characteristics of water plants and animals and test properties of the water itself. To study fishing techniques and go fishing, add $2 per student. This informative program is ideal for older students interested in an immersive study of the waters of the Great Lakes region.

IROQUOIS NATIVE AMERICANS

Available November- June
Explore the history and daily lives of the Iroquois. This workshop includes an interpretive walk through Tifft Nature Preserve, interactive lessons on their domestic responsibilities, inventive tools, and survival of Seneca Native Americans.

 IT'S EASY BEING GREEN

Available January - April 
Make everyday Earth Day! Students explore ways everyone can reduce their ecological footprint. We will discuss possible solutions to current environmental challenges while examining consumer products, energy use, technologies, and conservation practices. Students will investigate how humans have impacted the preserve during an outdoor tour.

 SNOW SCIENCE

Available December - February
Learn about winter weather and how animals and plants are able to survive. Students will look for animal evidence on an outdoor hike, use weather monitoring instruments, and compare animal survival adaptations. Snowshoeing may be requested ($2 per person) weather permitting. 

NEW! TIFFT ARCHAEOLOGY

Available April - October
Students will explore the industrial heritage of Tifft Nature Preserve to understand the human impact on natural ecosystems while discovering ways to be more sustainable. Students will also study real Tifft artifacts and conduct a plot analysis in the preserve. This interdisciplinary program is an ideal addition to units on the history of Buffalo, archaeology or sustainability. 

GRADES 5-12 

PROBING TIFFT

Available April – October
Want to get your students outside and collecting real data? Come to Tifft and investigate temperature, pH, wind, and/or soil and water quality. Compare the accuracy of traditional data collecting techniques to the use of computerized probeware. Students will be able to analyze their data and compare areas throughout the preserve and design their own experiments using Pasco probeware. Please notify the reservationist of the area of study in which you are interested.