Educational School and Organizational Field Trips
Since 2002, The Longhorn Project has provided the STEM-based lessons to over 90,000 of students from the Clear Creek, Dickison, Galveston, Houston, Santa Fe, Pasadena, and Pearland school districts, several private schools, and youth organizations. The students have participated in a “hands-on” genetics lesson utilizing the Texas registered longhorns for data and visual evaluation. In addition, students learned about animal husbandry, fruit and vegetable cultivation, pond management, aquaculture, soil research and recycling technologies, and how this knowledge relates to the future of human space flight.
Educational Curriculum
Field trips are offered to school age students from third to twelfth grade. The field trip curriculum, based on the TEKS (Texas Education Knowledge Skills), was developed through a collaborative effort between the Clear Creek ISD Elementary and Secondary Level Science Coordinators and The Longhorn Project. Although the curriculum was designed based on the educational requirements for the third and seventh grade history and science program, the curriculum can be tailored to meet the needs of the student audience.
Field Trip Educational Components and Objectives
Animal Science - Students will:
• learn about the history on the longhorns and lessons on the distinct characteristics of the longhorn and basic genetics;
• have the opportunity to tour the longhorn barn and feed the animals, as well as learn about the basic daily and medical care required to raise longhorns;
• about the various agricultural programs offered by their local county extension 4-H club, high school FFA chapters, and competitive showing opportunities offered.
Aquaculture, Horticulture, and Enviromental Science – Students will:
• experience the outdoors as a great scientific learning laboratory as they tour the garden area that includes numerous beds with a variety of flowing plants, fruits, vegetables, herbs and cactus and a fish pond;
• learn about Texas native plants and how they increase habitats for pollinators and aid in agriculture production, and;
• discuss different types of soil and how they affect plant growth.
Science Lab, where students will:
Students will view everyday living things through the microscope. Many of our specimens are prepared slides of things the students will observe in the garden, such as, plants, insects, worms, and micro-organisms in the pond water.
Aerospace Engineering/Technology, where students will:
• connect directly with the excitement of manned space exploration during this lesson taught in the George W. S. Abbey Rocket Park;
• experience an original Apollo era Saturn V rocket and;
• learn about the first missions into earth orbit and to the moon
Field Trip Schedule & Operating Hours
Monday – Friday during the school year and by appointment during holiday and summer months. The field trips are generally conducted for 3.0 hours as follows:
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
12:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Food/Beverages: Groups may bring a picnic lunch to enjoy after the field trip in the open style Western Heritage Pavilion or in the green space at the George W. S. Abbey Rocket Park. The Longhorn Project provides water at scheduled intervals during the field trip.
Attire:
Students and adults should wear comfortable clothes appropriate for the weather, closed toe shoes, a hat and sunscreen.
Capacity:
The Longhorn Project can accommodate small groups of 20 guests to large groups up to 140 guests. (For groups over 110 students, add 30 minutes to the field trip time.)
Audience:
Public, private, & home school students and youth and adult organizations.
Location:
The Longhorn Project is located on the premises of the world-famous NASA Johnson Space Center at 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, TX 77058
For more information or to inquire about group rates and/or to schedule a field trip, please complete the
The Longhorn Project at Johnson Space Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.