Don Harrington Discovery Center Amarillo

a CILC Content Provider

Explosions, melting metal and fire eating?
It's all in a day's work at the Don Harrington Discovery Center!

Serving our five-state region since 1976, DHDC is an interactive, hands-on science learning center which hosts tens of thousands of participants through our Education Program each year.

Our distance learning sessions feature our Science Live! shows which are 45 to 60-minute long "edu-tainment" events bursting with hair-raising demonstrations and explosive results live-streamed into your classrooms and auditoriums in spectacular high definition. Funny, engaging, and jam-packed with learning, Science Live! will leave your students cheering for more!

All of our education programs align with both the TEKS (Texas) and the NGSS and a cross-curricular Correlation Chart is available to view with each program we offer.

2022-2023

Honorable Mention

2021-2022

2020-2021

Programs by Don Harrington Discovery Center Amarillo

Amphibians and Reptiles

**Modifications can be made for certain grades/age groups** Turtles, and frogs, and snakes, oh my! If you love our Critters Live demo, but you're looking for something a little more targeted, this is the program for you! Learn about some of your...

Animals of the High Plains

**Modifications can be made for any grade/age group** Got any animal-lovers and nature-lovers in your class? Maybe you're one yourself! Or maybe you'd just love to show your class the fascinating world of the Texas outdoors! From horned lizards...

Archaeology Hour!

Ever wondered all that archaeologists' study? Well, this is the program for you! This will include learning subjects such as ancient writing systems and languages, the studies and science of ancient pottery-making, bio-archaeology (or the study of...

Archaeology of Animals

Do you love animals? Do you have pets at home that you look forward to seeing every day? Well, the ancients did too! And we can actually see this "love" of animals in the archaeological record itself! Come and learn about the ancient bonds between...

Archaeology of Games

Have you ever wondered what kind of games the ancients might have played? Have you ever wondered where your favorite board game originated? And have you ever thought that some of the pieces to your favorite games might have been found in the...

Archaeology of Love

In this program, we'll be talking about some of the most romantic finds in archaeology! The legend of St. Valentine and where you can meet him today, ancient Egyptian love songs and poetry, and kisses that have lasted thousands of years!! Come and...

Archaeology of Luck

Ever wondered where everyone got that idea of the pot of gold at the end of rainbow? Ever wondered where the idea of "lucky charms" and charm bracelets came about? Well, lucky for you, archaeology can shed a little light on the matter! Come and...

Archaeology of the Stars

How many of us stare at the stars at night? How many of us know all the constellations that rest so high above our heads? They're hard to see these days with so much light pollution. But these same stars we see every night are the same ones that...

Christmas Tree Science

**Modifications can be made for certain grades/age groups** Get in the spirit of Christmas with our Christmas Tree Science program! We'll talk about the history of Christmas trees, what keeps them green all year round, different kinds of pine...

Egg Decorating and Symbolism in the Ancient World

Who doesn't love a good Easter egg hunt? As it turns out, as they hunted for history, archaeologists have found decorated eggs across time worldwide! Learn from our on-staff archaeologist about how people have been using and decorating eggs for...

Fighting for Recognition: Women in Science

Who says girls can't be scientists? In this program, the DHDC will be highlighting some of the greatest female scientists of all time and exploring what made their work so important. These women's contributions, through their respective fields...

Ooey Gooey Science Lab

The name says it all. Shapes, states of matter, solutions, and physical and chemical changes are just a few of the scientific principles examined in this highly entertaining lab.Grades PK-2 investigate solutions and variables in experiments as...

Pictographs vs Petroglyphs

Art exists in many forms, which has been true throughout time. When it comes to art, it's always about what the artist is trying to say, especially about the times in which they live. In this installment of the Archaeology Hour series, we'll be...

Science Live! - An EGG-cellent Science Show!

**Now available for sign up, but the shows don't start until April 1st** In honor of the Easter holiday, we’ll have a whole show dedicated to all kinds of egg experiments! Yes, there are many kinds of egg experiments! We’ll show you how to make an...

Science Live! - Autism Awareness Special Event

**Now available for sign up, but we will not start doing this presentation until April 1st** In honor of Autism Awareness month in April, we will be offering a special science live show to demonstrate how our five senses work and how these might...

Science Live! - Critters Live!

Meet the DHDC's smallest residents, including Bluff the Magic Dragon! He may not breathe fire, but he can handle some heat! Some of the concepts explored in Critters Live! include life cycles;habitats; differences within species; and learned vs....

Science Live! - KABOOM!

Oxygen, fuel, and an ignition source. That's all you need for this spine-tingling Science Live! From fire tornadoes to barking dog rocket reactions, KABOOM! explores the science of combustion with demonstrations that will leave students cheering...

Science Live! - Science Below Zero

Science Below Zero examines some of the chilliest science on the planet. Discover the physical changes which occur when solids, liquids, and gasses are exposed to the extreme cold of liquid nitrogen. Come and be amazed as we use liquid nitrogen...

Science Live! - Sciencepalooza

Sciencepalooza features the zaniest experiments in the Science Live! collection and explores a variety of science concepts. With a brand new series of demonstrations (eddy current guillotine, anyone?) exploring everything from optical illusions to...

Science Live! - St. Nick's Science Show

Ever wonder how Santa fits down the chimney? Or how his sleigh flies? Well, a little bit of Christmas Spirit, joyful cheer, and Santa's magic is all you need to be a part of this winter wonder Science Live show! Join us for St. Nick's Science...

Science Live! - The Science of Magic

Magicians' secrets revealed! For years magicians have relied on scientific principles for their most amazing illusions. Witness tricks such as secret messages written in disappearing ink and the bed of nails and uncover the science behind the magic!

Science Live! - Unseen Forces: Physics at Work

Everything in our Universe moves and interacts. With the use of cannons, beads, and other crazy demonstrations, Unseen Forces investigates the relationship between force and motion and explains how these unseen forces are at work in our daily lives.

Science Live! A Cosmic Special Event

**Now available for sign-up, but the shows do not begin until April 1st**In honor of World Space Day, we’ve put together a cosmic set of experiments that you’re sure to never forget! Come and learn about the forces that push rockets off the ground...

Science Live! The Difference a Dream Makes

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and through the month of February, in celebration of Black History Month, The Don Harrington Discovery Center will be offering "The Difference a Dream Makes". This Science Live! will highlight some of the...

Spooky Archaeology

**Please keep in mind that this program will not be available until the first of October**Would you like to know where all of your favorite Halloween folklore and legends come from?! Well, look no further, we have just the treat for you! Come and...

St. Patrick's Day Special Event

Ever wonder how rainbows form or how to make that gold at the end of one that we’ve all looked for? Well, you’re in luck, because the Don Harrington Discovery Center is offering a special event just for St. Patrick’s Day to show you a fortune of...

Talking Bones and Rocks

Did you know that bones and rocks could tell a story? Yes, they can! Every feature and every property of rocks and bones can tell us a story about their journey, including the story of our world! Some of them have even been used to tell parts of...

Texas Insects and Their Relatives

Explore the world of some of the tiniest creatures in Texas! From the tarantula hawk wasp to butterflies to cicadas! Learn their incredible stories of birth and rebirth, and we'll even touch on some of the world's special creepy crawlies called...

Type of Organization

Science Center/Zoo

Contact

Heather Stover distance@dhdc.org
1200 Streit Drive
Amarillo TX 79106
806-355-9547
United States

http://www.discoverycenteramarillo.org/educators

Primary Disciplines

The programs of Don Harrington Discovery Center Amarillo cover:

Career Education
Health/Physical Education
Mathematics
Problem Based Learning
Problem Solving
Professional Development
Sciences
STEM
Technology/Information Science

Awards, Quotes, Testimonials

"My students are in AP Chemistry so I was really worried about the content not being on a high enough level to entertain my students, but you guys did an amazing job! My students were thoroughly entertained and the level of explanation was right on par."

"The students learned a lot of scientific vocabulary about the concepts that they were able to take back to the classroom and share again. This is one experience they will remember for a long time! Thank you!"

"Science Live! was so engaging! The kids were so entranced with the experiments. Thanks so much!"

"We can always count on you making it engaging and fun for the students."

"Many of [our students] do not have the opportunity to go to the Discovery Center and it is thrilling for them to see a bit of The Discovery Center come to them! Thanks again for this program!!!"