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Science Activities

Volcanoes and Hawai‘i

Explore Hawaiʻi’s special relationship with volcanoes and learn what makes our volcanic relationship so unique compared to the rest of the world.

Volcanoes in Hawai‘i

Take an in-depth look at the creation of the Hawaiian Island chain, with a special focus on volcanoes and lava!

The Hawaiian Hot Spot

Learn about what a hot spot is, how it forms, and its important role in the creation of a volcano.

The Hawaiian Hot Spot and the Pacific Plate

A relationship that has lasted more than 30 million years. Learn about how the Hawaiian Hot Spot and the Pacific Plate have worked together to create the Hawaiian Island chain.

a person holding a tablet with the text the explosive truth on it.

The Explosive Truth!

A homemade volcano experiment that highlights the main differences between shield and composite volcanoes!

a tablet with a paper on top of it.

Edible Islands

Can you make a model that demonstrates the formation of the Hawaiian Islands and eat it too?

Fish of Hawai‘i

a group of fish that are on a coral.

Butterfly Fish

There are many species of fish that live in the waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands. Some are native, some are non-native, and some are endemic, which means they are found nowhere else in the world! In the following Blog post and activities, you will learn more about a very special fish that was discovered by a scientist at the Bishop Museum, along with an experiment on why fish do not float or sink! 

Discovery of a New Species

Learn about the discovery of a new species of butterflyfish in this video with Dr. Richard Pyle of the Bishop Museum!

Butterfly Fish in the Science Adventure Center

Check out this short clip of one of the butterflyfish that Dr. Pyle discovered that you can actually see live in our Science Adventure Center. 

a person drawing a fish on a piece of paper.

Prognathodes basabei Coloring Page

A fun coloring sheet that highlights the new species of fish that you can see on display in our Science Adventure Center!

a circular poster with a picture of a boat on it.

Just Keep Swimming

Ever wonder why fish don’t just sink to the bottom of the ocean or float at the surface? Learn about the swim bladder and how it works in fish with this fun and interactive activity!

Plants of Hawai‘i

a round picture with a plant in the foreground.

Credit: Paul Krushelnycky, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Public domain.

Haleakalā Silversword

The silversword is a distinctive, globe-shaped rosette plant with rigid (swordlike), succulent leaves densely covered by silver hairs. When a plant flowers at the end of its life, it produces a spectacular flowering stalk that can reach up to six feet tall. This plant receives more attention from visitors to Haleakalā National Park than any other plant or animal because of its striking appearance and restricted distribution. 
 
The Haleakalā silversword was near extinction in the 1920s because of human vandalism and browsing by goats and cattle. The plant has increased under protection and deserves attention as the most dramatic conservation success story of the Hawaiian Islands. It is the most famous member of the endemic Hawaiian silversword alliance, perhaps the premier example of evolutionary adaptive radiation in plants.
Loope, L. L. (2007). Haleakalā Silversword. Retrieved on April 25, 2020 from http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/noframe/t172.htm 
a black and white photo of a circular object.

Silversword Coloring Sheet

After learning a little bit about the silversword above, color one in using this coloring page!

a green and white poster with words on it.

Plant Bingo

A fun  activity for families to enjoy on walks around the neighborhood or rides around the island. Learn what different plants look like and whether they are native or non-native! 

a page of a leaf identification guide.

A Part for Plants

Turn a trip to the garden into a close-up look at Earth’s oxygen-makers: plants and their leaves! Teach or review plant parts and needs, then further explore the part leaves play in photosynthesis and Earth’s carbon cycle. 

Pōhaku: Rocks, Stones, & Geology

There are many different rocks in the world. And each type behaves differently under different conditions. Pressure, heat, and erosion are just a few of the conditions that can be applied to rocks, and they can become different types of rocks according to the Rock Cycle. Check out the PODCAST and Rock Cycle Game to learn more about the process of the rock cycle and the different types of rocks it produces before creating your very own edible rock cycle! 

a brochure with a white background and a circular background.

Edible Rock Cycle Activity

After learning about the rock cycle, check out this fun activity using Starburst candies to create your own edible rock cycle!

the rock cycle game on a computer screen.

Rock Cycle Activity

Use PowerPoint to follow the path a rock takes to change type.

a paper with a question mark on it.

Rock Cycle Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will explore theories of island formation based upon evidence in the geosphere. They will investigate Hawaiian igneous rock by participating in hands-on activities with rock samples and using models to demonstrate the rock cycle.

Rock Cycle Podcast

Play the podcast and reference the images below while listening.

Earth Week

Celebrate earth week with these science-based activities.

a bunch of white papers laying on top of each other.

Mapping your World Activity

Observe the diverse terrestrial landscape of our planet in this data collection activity! Take your keen eyes to the outdoors to map your world like a scientist or satellite. Extended activities and resources included. 

a bunch of white papers laying on top of each other.

Making a Pressed Plant Activity

Make some eco-friendly art at home with your keiki with this pressed plant instruction kit! 

Ocean Plastics Video

Watch and learn about garbage patches of the ocean and how you can make a difference today!

Wings

Discover the science of birds in Hawai’i and their impact on the environment around them.

a picture of birds on a window sill.

Honeycreepers & Adaptive Radiation Blog Post

Hawaiʻi is home to over 10,000 examples of species changing and adapting to overcome environmental challenges. The Hawaiian Islands grow from a hotspot and then recede as they move further away from it. This movement creates changes to the environment, which in turn has created changes in species like Hawaiian Honeycreepers. The first flock arrived maybe around 8 million years ago *Wylie, R. (2015, June 25), and as the Honeycreepers expanded to other islands and sometimes returned to former habitats, changes occurred due to environmental adaptive measures.

Voyaging in the Pacific

Experience the science of Hawai‘i in your own backyard using these family fun activities and resources!

Wind & Land Adventure Game

Observe different ways that land affects the wind and match it to the correct wind type. Learn about different types of wind and try to take advantage of the different winds surrounding your waʻa (canoe) to get to your final destination faster! Download the powerpoint file to start your journey at home!

Family Voyage

This ‘ohana scavenger hunt can be done inside or outside, the fun cannot be contained! One family member will be tasked with creating the scavenger hunt and writing down directions. It can be complicated or simple, depending on how much time you have and the age range of your group.

Be a Part of Our Story

Celebrate the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific with a gift to Bishop Museum. As a partner in the Museum’s work, you can help to sustain vital collections, research, and knowledge, and inspire exploration and discovery with a tax-deductible donation.

a close up of a rock on a white surface.

Photo Credit: Granite 28 by jsjgeology on Flickr

Some rocks are at the very beginning of their story. These rocks start as new material from inside the Earth. This igneous rock—born of heat and changing pressure—starts off as magma or molten rock. When this magma cools beneath the surface where we can’t see it, it is known as intrusive igneous rock.

This slow cooling inside the Earth allows large, distinct crystals to grow, like those seen in an intrusive igneous rock called granite.

There are many types of granite, with differences in color, crystal size, and composition. This piece contains white, grey, black, and pink colored crystals. Overall, this rock has a lighter color.

Time and other forces expose intrusive rock like granite, bringing it to the surface where it can be seen and used. Granite can be seen making up the exterior of Castle Memorial Building on the Bishop Museum campus.

a display case with a rock and other items on it.

Photo credit: Connie Wong

Other times, hot magma breaks through to the Earth’s surface before it cools and hardens. We know this hot, glowing material as lava.

When the lava cools in the air or in water, it becomes a hardened lava rock.

You can find some of Earth’s youngest lava rock on the biggest Hawaiian Island, known as Hawaii Island or the Big Island. The active volcanoes there create a volcanic lava rock called basalt. All of the Hawaiian Islands are formed of this type of extrusive igneous rock.

Two types of Hawaiʻi’s basalt rock are dark in color with distinct appearances. The first is the bumpy ʻaʻā. The second is the smooth and ropy pāhoehoe. Hawaiʻi’s lava rock can be porous, with holes like a sponge, to dense, without any air pockets.

a hand holding a handful of black sand.

Photo credit: Black Sand by dannyman on Flickr

Over time, rocks break down into smaller and smaller pieces as they are worn by physical forces like wind and water. These pieces, after being transported and deposited in one place together, are called sediment. Other materials from plants and animals can also break down in in the same way. If you looked up close at sediment, you could discover its components and learn a little about its origin.

In the Hawaiian Islands, sediment from surrounding coral reefs makes up much of the white sand of Hawaiʻi’s famous beaches. Exposed black lava rock can also break down, forming the less common black sand beaches.

a close up of a rock on a white background.

Photo Credit: Coquina by National Parks Service Castillo de San Marcos

In some conditions, the spaces between individual sediment pieces are filled by binding materials or squeezed out by pressure. This transforms the loose sediment into another type of rock: the sedimentary rock.

Sedimentary rocks form from sediment particles of all shapes and sizes. Patterns of particle movement and settlement may create visible layers in the rock, like making layered rainbow gelatin. With these layers, these sedimentary rocks reflect changing conditions and the passing of time.

Hawaiʻi has sedimentary rock like sandstone and limestone, originating largely from oceanic materials. Other places around the world have a special type of limestone called coquina, seen in this photo. In coquina you can clearly find shells held together like a puffed cereal treat with marshmallows, taking the appearance of a “broken glass” gelatin treat. The number of organism shells that comprise a single piece of coquina can be staggering.

a close up of a rock formation with plants growing out of it.

Photo credit: Gneiss by National Park Service Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Even greater changes can be part of a rock’s journey. Conditions of intense heat and pressure transform existing rocks into new ones. With these forces, rocks can change in physical appearance, chemical structure, and properties.

One of the most beloved metamorphic rocks is marble. Limestone turns into this gleaming white stone, which has been chosen for constructing famous statues, monuments and buildings around the world.

Another metamorphic rock is gneiss. Gneiss, pictured here, often showcases a banded appearance, reflecting the extreme environmental stressors that create this rock.

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OPEN DAILY 9 AM – 5 PM

1525 BERNICE STREET
HONOLULU, HAWAI’I 96817

OPEN DAILY 9 AM – 5 PM

1525 BERNICE STREET
HONOLULU, HAWAI’I 96817

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