General Lab Information

Discovery Activities

Discovery-based, hands-on learning experiences at the Science Learning Center

Science Learning Center

A visit to Brookhaven's Science Learning Center will excite and engage students. Young scientists can enjoy discovery-based, hands-on learning experiences centered on a variety of scientific principles.

Session Information

  • Field trip sessions are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Contact us to schedule your field trip.
  • In-person sessions
    • Tuesday - Friday, 10 - 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 - 2 p.m.
    • Activities are pre-selected based on grade level.
    • Up to two classes per session, maximum 30 students/class
  • Virtual sessions
    • Tuesday - Friday, 10 - 10:30 a.m., 11:15 - 11:45 a.m., and 12:30 - 1 p.m.
    • Select one activity
    • Up to two classes per session
    • Teachers will receive a detailed Teacher Notes guide upon booking.
    • Secure link to Zoom.gov videoconferencing platform will be provided.

Programs

  • Intro to Measurement

    (In-person only) Use various materials to measure the length of an object to understand the need for a standard unit of measure.

  • Seeing the Light

    (In-person or Virtual) Explore the various properties of light.

  • Sounds Around

    (In-person or Virtual) Learn how sound is produced and travels through different forms of matter.

  • Animal Tracking

    (In-person or Virtual) Utilize observational skills to identify the characteristics of an unnamed animal as each species has its own track.

  • Engineering with Gravity

    (In-person or Virtual) Design and build a  structure that demonstrates gravitational pull.

  • Properties of Matter

    (In-person only) Use measuring tools to identify the correct sample material by understanding it's properties.

  • Conductors & Insulators

    (In-person only) Create a simple circuit to determine what materials are good conductors and insulators.

  • Magnets

    (In-person or Virtual) Learn the properties of magnets and determine which materials are magnetic. 

  • Observing Nano in Nature

    (In-person or Virtual) Learn about nanotechnology in nature through scientific observation.

  • Collisions

    (In-person or Virtual) Use marbles to simulate particle collisions to learn about energy transfer.

  • Potential & Kinetic Energy

    (In-person or Virtual) Collect and analyze data from a vehicle traveling down a ramp to understand potential and kinetic energy.

  • Series & Parallel Circuits

    (In-person only) Create both series and parallel circuits that are powered by a hand-crank generator.

  • Magnetic Levitation

    (In-person only) Use magnets and math to design and test the efficiency of a MagLev train.

  • Spectroscopy

    (In-Person or Virtual) Identify chemical elements through spectra produced by diffraction. 

  • Static Electricity

    (In-person or Virtual) Transfer electrons from the Van de Graaff generator to make objects repel each other.