Discovery Days May 8, 2010

The second-annual series of one-day family festivals are held the second Saturday every month from March to August. Each festival offers dozens of unique hands-on activities and demonstrations centered on a different nature or science theme:

May 8 Discover Dinosaurs - Dinosaurs are not extinct! On the heels of the Museum’s nationally reported 96 million-year-old bird fossil find, this event reveals several of the 9,000 living species of modern-day dinosaurs that evolved from the likes of T. Rex. Aspiring paleontologists can go on a dinosaur scavenger hunt in the museum using our Dinosaur Guide and take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum’s paleontology lab with Museum paleontologist Ron Tykoski (11:30 am and 1, 2, 3 and 4 pm, 15 visitors per session, first-come, first-served.) Members only can sift through and break open prehistoric rock excavated from right here in Dallas County to find shark teeth fossils up to 120 million years old. Kids can make and take a number of crafts, including dinosaur-themed Mother’s Day Cards. The model of T. Rex created for Steven Spielberg’s approval and use in “Jurassic Park” will make its public debut (courtesy of Rogge Dunn.)
June 12 Discover Water sponsored by Dr Pepper Snapple Group - It’s time to turn the tide on understanding and conserving our most precious resource. Visitors can see how water can power fuel-cell cars, learn where drinking water comes from and what happens when you flush bugs, trash and tissue down the toilet. The National Weather Service demonstrates what happens to rain when it hits earth and Museum staff guide hands-on activities that show how water has shaped our planet, from the Grand Canyon to the Mississippi Delta. Zooniversity presents several live creatures that are the earth’s best water adapters and explains their water survival strategies. Special appearance by and photos with City Of Dallas’ Water Conservation “Dew” mascot.
July 10 Discover Transportation sponsored by Fluor Corporation - Cars, planes, and other vehicles may have originally been invented just to get us from one place to another—but today, it’s all about speed and performance. Find out how the advanced engineering inside your favorite speed machine can make your heart race, right along with its engine, pilot your own remote-controlled aircraft as you learn how science helps progress take flight, and more.
August 14 Discover Fine Arts - Some of the most creative forms of art have their basis in math. This is your chance to experiment with the different materials artists use to create their masterpieces and explore different instruments in a hands-on setting. Most of all, it’s a great opportunity to learn how computation and inspiration work together to produce dazzling works of art.

Official Website: http://www.natureandscience.org/kids/discovery_days.asp