Educational Programs

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SASI is a nonprofit, membership-supported environmental and science education organization founded in 1986. SASI’s mission is to foster an awareness, knowledge and appreciation of all nature through the study and interpretation of the vital roles arthropods play in the Sonoran Desert ecosystem. We accomplish this mission through research, educational programs and print and Internet publications.
SASI's location in Tucson Mountain Park is a
model research educational facility in prime
Sonoran Desert habitat.

Although we specialize in bringing the critters to you, we also have opportunities to come to the desert depending on the size of your group.
Its interpretive trails, laboratory, synoptic collections and a classroom equipped with video, computers and microscopes aid outdoor education and scientific research focusing on the arthropods. SASI provides the general public of all ages with rewarding educational programs both on-site and around the community.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS
School Programs

Thanks to financial support from the Virginia M. Ullman Foundation,
SASI is pleased to add first and fifth grades to existing second through fourth grade programs and to offer all school programs at a greatly reduced fee.

SASI’s school programs are aligned with the Arizona Academic Standards in Science, grades 1-5, Strand 1: Inquiry, and Strand 4: Life Science. All 45 minute to one hour programs include lively, fun and educational activities, a variety of props, arthropod models, pictures, and, of course, live arthropods.

Upon receipt of payment, teachers will receive confirmation, detailed program information, correlations with Arizona Science Standards, and a "Teacher's Activity and Information Booklet" with vocabulary, classroom activities, and background and resource information.

Please send payment as a school purchase order or check payable to
SASI, P.O. Box 5624, Tucson, AZ 85703
One class, 1 hour (30 students maximum, unless other arrangements have been made.)
$30.00
(a $125 value)
Each additional program (same day/grade)
$25
For an ADDED VALUE to your program, schedule an additional 1/2 hour magnifying center and up-close and personal arthropod encounters.
$35
First Grade: Bugs on the Move!
(Not intended for after-school programs or other youth groups - see Traditional Program below)
Hop. Crawl. Walk. Fly. How do bugs stay alive? Meet arthropods of the Sonoran Desert. Discover how they move and avoid predators.
Second Grade: It’s a Bug’s World!
(Not intended for after-school programs or other youth groups - see Traditional Program below)

Explore the special characteristics of arthropods and how they grow, feed and move. Discover the similarities and differences between spiders and insects.

Third Grade: Arthro-Connections
(Not intended for after-school programs or other youth groups - see Traditional Program below)

In addition to the second grade concepts, identify arthropod adaptations to the desert and food web interrelationships.

Fourth Grade: Who’s Who of Arthropods
(Not intended for after-school programs or other youth groups - see Traditional Program below)

Discover the characteristics of the five classes of arthropods and their adaptations for survival. Experience insects’ amazing jumping ability and compare it to a human’s ability.
Fifth Grade: Inquiring Minds Want to Know-Secrets of Success
(Not intended for after-school programs or other youth groups - see Traditional Program below)
Meet the local arthropods. Investigate their special structures and how they function for movement and protection.
Traditional Program
(appropriate for all ages)

Since 1986, SASI has provided educational programs to schools and organizations that have included:

Live Arthropods and Natural History Interpretation

Observe live arthropods and learn about their natural history and amazing adaptations.

45 minutes to 1 hour.

One program (30 participants maximum, unless other arrangements have been made)
$150
For each additional program add (same day/location)
$25

Programs are Presented to:
Schools
Libraries
Neighborhoods
Special Needs Groups
Community Organizations
Hiking Clubs
Gardening Clubs
Regional Events
Families/Intergenerational Audiences
Conservation Organizations
Sonoran Desert Enthusiasts

To schedule a program please click Program request form and complete the form. Click the submit button to send the request to us. We will contact you as soon as your request has been processed, usually within the week.

Additional Resources SASI is a membership supported nonprofit organization. Teachers benefit from their SASI membership by receiving the instar, SASI's newsletter. Members also have access to SASI's library of entomology books and teaching aids. Membership starts at $25.00 per year. Click "Join SASI" in the left hand menu.

Specialty workshops and field trips may be arranged upon request.

For more information please call (520) 883-3945 or email members@sasionline.org