The Lawrence Hall of Science
The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.
Wednesday - Sunday 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Animal Discovery Zone 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
We’ll bring our science programs to you.
We partner with school districts to support science learning. We offer district-wide elementary, middle, and high school programs, either virtually or in-person.
We collaborate with a range of partners to innovate in science education. Together, we go further.
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In this activity, learners will make their own prism and use a glass of water to separate sunlight into different colors.
Many people get water from a source deep underground, called groundwater. In this activity learners will make a model to explore this hidden water, and see how it connects to the other bodies of water.
Where rainwater goes after the rain stops? And why there are rivers and lakes in some parts of the land but not in others? In this activity, learners will make a model landscape using a plastic bin, sheet of plastic, and markers & food coloring to investigate the movement of water and find out how watersheds are formed.
Water on Earth is in lakes, the ocean, rivers, underground, and frozen glaciers. In this activity, learners will model how much water of each type is found around the globe to help visualize the distribution.
Most people will break a bone in their body at some point in their life, but how much force does it take to break one?
Most people break at least two bones in their lifetime. In this activity, learners will use celery stalks to model the many ways that bones can fracture.
Many germs spread by our hands, and often times, people don’t wash their hands well enough to get rid of germs. In this activity, learners will get their hands “dirty” with cinnamon and cooking spray, then test and compare different ways of washing their hands.
In this activity, learners make their own pinhole viewer in order to measure the size of the sun. After using the viewer to project circular image of the Sun on paper, learners use ratios and an equation to calculate the Sun’s real size.
In this activity, learners use binoculars (or a telescope) to identify and track sunspots.
In this activity, learners use tonic water to detect ultraviolet (UV) light from the Sun and explore the concept of fluorescence.
Some bugs can walk on the surface of a lake, stream, river, pond or ocean. In this activity, learners will investigate surface tension of and how it prevents these bugs from sinking under the water’s surface.
In this activity learners will explore water’s unique properties of freezing and melting, and how these relate to density and temperature.
In this activity, learners will explore how fertilizers can affect lakes and other bodies of water.
In this activity, learners will create a model of how snot works and will explore how it keeps our bodies healthy.
Most of the time, we don’t need to think about breathing. You’re breathing right now! How do you get air into your lungs (inhale) and out of your lungs (exhale)? Use a plastic bottle, a balloon, and a glove to model how your lungs work.
We breathe in and out all the time. What’s in the air we breathe out from our lungs (exhale), and how is it different than the air we breathe in (inhale)? Test to see if carbon dioxide is present in the air we breathe in and out.
Make your own solar prints with the power of the Sun and cyanotype technology. SUNPRINT® Kits are an easy and exciting project to do—perfect for DIY crafts, science experiments, and learning about the natural world.
Make and use your own Uncle Al’s Hands-On Universe Star Wheels to have a working star map for anytime of night, any month.
Vaccine Learning Resources These activities were designed to build vaccine confidence among families with young children who are considering the…
In this simulation, learners explore how ocean currents spread all kinds of pollution—including oil spills, sewage, pesticides and factory waste—far beyond where the pollution originates.
This activity gets learners looking at 6-sided shapes in nature, including the cells of a beehive, as well as other shapes.
In this art-related activity, learners make a coin rubbing—a process similar to what archeologists may do with ancient artifacts.
This warm weather activity introduces learners to the impact trees have on blocking the sun’s heat and reducing temperature on the Earth’s surface.
Rocks are made of minerals, and minerals often have crystal shapes. In this fun activity about geometry in nature, learners create their own crystal shapes out of paper. What does a tetrahedron look like? Find out here!
Create a miniature wind tunnel test by blowing air with a fan or blow dryer and flying paper airplanes, helicopters and other folded paper models in the “wind.”
Make a model of a beehive and learn about honeybees.
Measure yourself in nanometers then compare that to standard measurements in inches or centimeters.
Learn about symmetry in nature. Paint spots on the wing of a ladybug drawing.
Learn about birds by observing them near home or school.
Search for various kinds of items made from minerals around home or at school.
Investigate patterns and ratios through creating patterns of hair beads.
Create a paper helicopter and observe what happens when modifying the motion, weight, and blades.
This animated series was produced with Computer Science faculty to help young people learn important ideas related to cyber security. Parents, educators, librarians and community leaders – please use these videos with youth in your homes, schools and youth orgs to support conversations about how to safely and smartly use the internet.
Learners discover the bubble power of living cells in this multi-hour experiment with baker’s yeast.
In this activity, learners get a closer look at the shape of a drop of water and a drop of oil. Learners first drip water onto wax paper and examine the shape of separate drops from a side view.
This activity features two connected hands-on activities about dinosaur bones. Using chicken or turkey bones and regular household items, learners explore the scientific process of studying fossilized bones. By exposing the bones to vinegar or heat, learners begin to understand how paleontologists use chemical processes to study the bones of animals long dead and gone.
