Outreach Programs

Assembly Programs

Outreach assembly programs feature active learning tools, slides, costumes, animal biofacts (bones, fur, baleen, etc.), and life-sized inflatable animals. They'll help your students develop their observation and comparison skills and their marine science awareness. Before each program, you'll receive a free Teacher's Guide with information and activities to share with your students.

Program topics rotate annually. All programs last 45 minutes and are limited to 300 students. Check out the 2009-2010 Schedule to find out when the Aquarium will be in your area.

 

Program Descriptions

Pre-K-2 outreach programs

Tales of Whales

The open ocean of the Oregon coast is home to several kinds of whales. Using puppets, songs, slides; life-sized inflatable whales; and real teeth, baleen, and bones, students will become acquainted with the adaptations of these amazing marine mammals. After this program, your students will know the difference between toothed and baleen whales.

View the curriculum for Tales of Whales by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

View the confirmation material for Tales of Whales by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

 

Flippers, Fur and Fun
Seals and sea lions are adapted for survival in nearshore waters and bays. Students will compare size, body structure and swimming styles as they wear costumes; look at slides and examine seal and sea lion pelts, skulls and bones, and see how they measure up to a life-sized elephant seal inflatable. After this program, your students will be able to identify seals and sea lions based on their unique characteristics.

View the curriculum for Flippers, Fur and Fun by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

View the confirmation material for Flippers, Fur and Fun by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

No Bones About 'Em
Tide pools are full of life. Students will compare their own adaptations to those of invertebrate tidepool animals and get to know a few of these spineless wonders as they wear colorful costumes, look at slides and examine invertebrate biofacts such as octopus beaks and sea urchin teeth. After this program, your students will understand how specific animals are adapted to live in the tidepools on Oregon's rocky shores.

View the curriculum for No Bones About 'Em by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

View the confirmation material for No Bones About 'Em by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

Shark Shenanigans
What makes a shark a shark? With the help of a puppet and a song, an inflatable shark, slides, and shark skin, teeth and jaws, students will find out how sharks use their fins, senses and other amazing adaptations for survival in the vast ocean environment. After this program, your students will understand more about the lives of these predators of the deep.

View the curriculum for Shark Shenanigans by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

View the confirmation material for Shark Shenanigans by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

Grades 3-5 outreach programs

What About Whales?

Toothed and baleen whales are well adapted for survival in the open ocean. Using slides, bones, blubber, baleen and two life-sized inflatable whales, your students will compare their own adaptations with those of these magnificent mammals of the sea. After this program, your students will understand the difference between toothed and baleen whales and be familiar with the characteristics of killer whales and gray whales.

View the curriculum for What About Whales? by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

View the confirmation material for What About Whales? by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

From Tube Feet to Tentacles
In the midst of pounding waves and changing tides, life flourishes on Oregon's rocky shores. Students will put on striking marine invertebrate costumes, look at slides and examine invertebrate biofacts such as octopus beaks and sea urchin teeth. After this program, your students will be familiar with specific marine invertebrate adaptations for survival on the rocky shore.

View the curriculum for From Tube Feet to Tentacles by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

View the confirmation material for From Tube Feet to Tentacles by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

Dressed for Success
Seals, sea lions and sea otters are well adapted to life on sandy beaches, rocky shores and in the cold water of the northern Pacific Ocean. Using slides, costumes, bones, pelts, skulls and a life-sized inflatable elephant seal, students will get to know these amazing marine mammals. After this program, your students will be familiar with how these unique animals are able to survive the harsh conditions of their marine environment.

View the curriculum for Dressed for Success by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

View the confirmation material for Dressed for Success by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

Sense-ational Sharks
These fascinating fish have been around for about 400 million years. Students will travel beyond the myth of the man-eater through slides, audience participation, an inflatable shark, and shark jaws and skin. After this program, your students will be able to tell shark fact from fiction and understand how sharks are supremely adapted for the life of an ocean predator.

View the curriculum for Sense-ational Sharks by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

View the confirmation material for Sense-ational Sharks by clicking here. (PDF format - right click to save)

More information

Still have questions about what our program offers? Contact our outreach specialist by e-mail at outreach@aquarium.org.

Fees and Registration

Program subjects rotate on a yearly basis. For example, if we brought sharks to your area last year, this year we would bring marine mammals. The next year we would bring tidepool invertebrates, then whales and back to sharks. The sequence is always the same.

The costs is:

 

To register call our group coordinator at (541) 867-3474, ext. 5301 to schedule a program at your school. You can also contact us by e-mail at schoolgroups@aquarium.org.

 

Outreach dates are limited and are filled on a first come, first served basis.





©2009  Oregon Coast Aquarium