Museum of York County 4621 Mt. Gallant Road, Rock Hill, SC 29732 Phone: 803-329-2121 Fax
Discovery Kit Descriptions
Museum of York County
4621 Mt. Gallant Road, Rock Hill, SC 29732
Phone: 803-329-2121 Fax: 803-329-5249
Contact: Cynthia Spratley / Education Program Manager
/ Office: 803-909-7225
Check out: Please, see the Discovery Kit Registration Form for detailed information about checking out our Discovery Kits. Due to the number of Discovery Kits available; only 2 kits may be requested at a time. Kit(s) may be kept for a period of 2 weeks and must be returned and picked up between 10 am and 5 pm; Tues.-Sat. at the Museum of York County’s Rock Hill location at the main desk. *If you need an alternate time (before 10 am or after 5 pm), please pre-arrange with Cynthia Spratley.
Cost: $10 per check-out. Maximum 2 weeks, late fee of $10 per day over 2 weeks. Damaged or missing items have a $25-$50 replacement fee.
Handling: Please be aware that a few kits have fragile components, so no matter what age or grade, you will be teaching students that these are very special and require careful handling. The specimens are breakable if not handled very gently and the specimens may not be replaceable. This instruction and modeling of proper handling by you will help protect them
the most. We want them to handle the contents of the kits!
Lesson Plans: We purposefully did not give our own grade suggestions, because as teachers we want you to have the freedom to use these as you have the creativity and desire. However, all kits come with 1-2 optional lesson plans and some may include a field guide or other books, posters, or reproducible pages that can be copied for use in your classroom. Please leave the originals in the kit for the next teacher’s use.
Descriptions: These are not inclusive but are included to give you an idea of what each unit-size Discovery Kit contains. Each Discovery Kit has an inventory list included. Please feel free to email us suggestions for improvements to these kits and ideas for using them. This is a new venture and we are open to constructive input.
Invertebrate Discovery Kit 1:
This kit is an introduction to the amazing world of invertebrates (animals without backbones) and includes some samples from the main groups of invertebrates.
This includes examples of echinoderms, arthropods, sponges, worms, and millipedes. Make this kit a prelude to a field trip to the museum for our Awesome Animal Adaptations Class with the Naturalist Center Lab component which expands on the variety of invertebrates that the students can interact with close-up and hands-on.
Vertebrate Discovery Kit 2:
This kit is an introduction to the wonderful diversity of vertebrates (animals with backbones) and includes a sample of each of the five main phyla of vertebrates: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. This discovery kit will give you just a little taste of the Naturalist Center Lab classes with fur, feathers and skulls.
Nocturnal Discovery Kit 3:
This kit is for introducing students to the nocturnal realm through learning about bats. It also has some examples of other nocturnal animals like moths and owls. This kit is
designed for young students, but older ones find it interesting as well. When you visit the museum, be sure to go into the Nocturnal Room in the rear of the Piedmont Present gallery. The Awesome Animal Adaptation Class also includes the Nocturnal Room.
Animal Coverings Discovery Kit 4:
Students explore the textures of animals by using their sense of touch; this kit does include other senses in a delightful way using both African and Piedmont native animal coverings. We offer an Animal Coverings Class in the Naturalist Center Lab which will go into much more detail and offers six tables of specimens to enjoy.
Beginning Fossils Discovery Kit 5:
This kit is a fun unit-size addition to the fascinating topic of fossils. We included a few types of fossils and for shark enthusiasts; it even has some Megalodon teeth. After using this kit bring your students to the Naturalist Center Lab for hands-on encounters with incredible piedmont Ice Age fossils.
Shapes & Colors Discovery Kit 6:
Although this kit was created for students learning colors and shapes, it can be used for art discussions as well. Learning to observe nature and the beauty that is inherent in the world around us is a lesson for all ages. Using photos from magazines and natural history items students can play a matching game or “I Spy”. Craft ideas and art ideas are included.
Questions? Email: for more information.