Bring Museum objects to your classroom with our Discovery Kits, Critter Cases, and Classroom Kits
The University of Colorado Museum loans portable kits for in-class and home use.  Discovery Kits are carry-on sized suitcases and contain authentic museum specimens, casts, models, and information on each of the objects included. The kits can be used as a free-standing study unit or as pre- and/or post-visit activities when combined with a trip to the Museum. Kits are available for a rental fee of $10/week. Please contact the Education Office to schedule a rental and pick-up time.

Discovery Kits

Bats

Life Science
Learn about the fascinating bat and the roles it plays in the ecosystem.
Bats Inventory

Insects

Life Science
Explore the structure, life cycle, and adaptations of insects.
Insects Inventory

Raptors

Life Science
Study North American birds of prey including hawks, owls, and eagles.
Raptors Inventory

Owls

Life Science
Investigate North American owls and their prey.
Owls Inventory

Colorado Mammals

Life Science
Examine skulls, skins, and tracks from some of Colorado’s common mammals.
Colorado Mammals Inventory

Common Plants of Colorado

Life Science
Study common plants found in different ecosystems in Colorado.
Botany Inventory

Dinosaurs

Earth Science
Learn about the "terrible lizards" of the past.
Dinosaurs Inventory

Fossils of the West

Earth Science
Investigate different types of plant and animal fossils.
Fossils of the West Inventory

Air Quality InQuiry (AQ-IQ)

Earth Science
Monitor, test and learn about the air quality around your school.
AQ-IQ Inventory

Ancestral Pueblo of Colorado

Social Studies
Explore artifacts and the life ways of the Ancestral Pueblo.
Ancestral Pueblo Inventory

Ancient Life in the Boulder Valley

Social Studies
Explore touchable replicas of stone tools found in Boulder that date to near the end of the last Ice Age.
Ancient Life Inventory

iShare Discovery Kits

Learn about the Paiwan—a native people of Taiwan—and the Navajo—a native people from the U.S.—through two Discovery Kits featuring hands-on objects, interactive media, and teacher guides. The iShare Project is a collaboration between the National Taiwan Museum, the Laiyi Indigenous Museum, the Navajo Nation Museum, and the University of Colorado Museum. For more information, visit the iShare Project web site or call 303-492-4458.

iShare Navajo Kit Inventory

Paiwan Kit Inventory

Critter Cases

Individual mounted specimens of Colorado birds and mammals. Great for art projects or any study that requires looking at animals up close. The rental fee for Critter Cases is $2 per case per week. Please contact the Education Office at 303-492-1666 to schedule a rental and pick-up time.

  1. Spotted Skunk
  2. Prairie Dog
  3. Mantled Ground Squirrel
  4. Muskrat
  5. Pocket Gopher
  6. Thirteen Striped Ground Squirrel
  7. Green Winged Teal
  8. Yellow Headed Blackbird
  9. Western Tanager
  10. Robin
  11. Bohemian Waxwing
  12. Gambel’s Quail
  13. Evening Grosbeak
  14. Stellar’s Jay
  15. Western Meadowlark
  16. Red Winged Blackbirds (male and female)
  17. Mourning Dove
  18. Burrowing Owl
  19. Mountain Bluebird

Classroom Kits

Complete Fossil and Archaeology classroom kitHands-on outreach materials featuring real and cast specimens and artifacts, tools, and in-class lesson plans specifically designed to address Colorado Academic Standards. These kits are available and include training for teachers in their districts on how to best use the kits in their classrooms.

Classroom Kits are available for:

Please call 303-492-4458 if you are interested in learning more about this project and how you can receive a kit and training for your school.