No School, Camp’s Cool! – Nov. 29

Today, while schools were closed for parent-teacher interviews, we held a No School, Camp’s Cool Program at the Aquarium.  The theme for the day was Ocean Holiday Crafts.  The students worked on a tic-tac-toe game made with clam shells, holiday glitter decorations made with scallop shells, and greeting cards featuring animals with holiday themed names, such as the anglefish and the chocolate chip sea star.  We also played games and had time around the touch tanks. 
 
The next program, Seabirds, will be held on January 6.  For more information call 529-1200.

Tic-tac-toe game set with clam shells.

Scallop glitter decorations.

Holiday card with ocean animals.

Three slimy moon snails!

A seastar with a mutation was found in the touch tank.

River Valley Middle – Ocean Discovery

Despite the rain and wind students from River Valley Middle School arrived at the Huntsman excited and ready to experience marine biology.  While on campus the students were introduced to the microscopic world of phytoplankton and zooplankton, worked hands-on with live marine invertebrates such as hermit crabs, rock crabs, and scallops, ate lunch around the touch pools, and learned about lobsters during a presentation with Genny in the theatre. 
 
Below are some pictures from their great visit.

Working on a classification activity.

Drawing and describing a deep-sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus).

Viewing the amazing world of plankton.

Fun at the touch pools.

Learning about lobsters.

Large lobster claw and a one-year old lobster specimen.

Homeschoolers – Day 1

Today we had a number of homeschoolers visit the aquarium for the morning. The students were divided into three groups based on their grade level and each group conducted an age appropriate activity in the lab.  When not in the lab the students watched a movie in the theatre about the deep sea, watched the seal feeding, and explored the aquarium. 
 
While in the lab the Kindergarten to Grade 2 students worked on a program called Sensational Animals where we explored our sense of touch using the live animals.  The students touched sea stars, sea peaches, sand dollars, sea urchins, an anemone, a skate egg case, a sea cucumber, and a moon snail.  Some of the animals were rough and prickly, some were soft and smooth, and the moon snail was just slimy!  Then the students made a textured craft depicting the ocean floor to take home.
 
The Grade 3-5 students explored how animals survive in the deep sea.  We played 3D Ocean Bingo to learn about the different levels of the ocean, discussed why it is difficult to live in the deep ocean and adaptations that animals have to survive in that harsh environment (teeth so big you can’t even close your mouth or you would poke out your eyes!), and then made a glow in the dark picture to depict bioluminescence in deep ocean creatures.
 
Students in the Grade 6-8 group bundled up and headed out to the beach with me to explore what creatures call this place home.  We discussed why it is difficult to live in the intertidal zone and how animals cope when the tide goes out.  While on the beach we found lots of periwinkles and some sideswimmers hiding under the rocks and seaweed.                    
 
It was a good morning and we look forward to having the homeschoolers back in a couple of weeks for more fun programs!

Mini touch tank for the K-2 students.

Exploring bioluminescence through art.

Having fun in the touch tank!

Who put that hole in the periwinkle shell?

Forest Hills School – Ocean Discovery

We had a great group of grade 6 students from Forest Hills School visit us today to take part in the Ocean Discovery Program.  While here the students studied plankton (and learned that Plankton from SpongeBob is a copepod!), observed arthropods, such as rock crabs and hermit crabs, ate lunch around the touch tank, tested to see if size affects the flipping rate of sea stars and sea urchins, and learned about lobsters.  It was a great day filled with excitement and learning!

Determining the size of rock crab.

Drawing and identifying a blood star.

Using the microscope to view plankton.

Scallop in the touch tank...watch out or you might get wet!

Slimy moon snail!

Prickly sea urchin!

Sea star flipping experiment.

Barnhill Memorial – Ocean Discovery

We’ve had Grade 6 students from Barnhill Memorial School visiting the Huntsman this week to take part in the Ocean Discovery Program.  While on campus the students explored the intertidal zone, got up close to marine invertebrates, such as rock crabs, Acadian hermit crabs, sea urchins, and scallops, had lunch around the touch tank, and used the microscopes to view plankton collected from Passamaquoddy Bay.  It was three days filled with excitement and shouts of amazement and surprise!  Hands-on learning at its best!       

Finding sideswimmers under the seaweed.

Sketching a sea cucumber.

 

The students learned to identify if a rock crab is male or female.

Playing plankton bingo.

The view through the microscope...how many species can you ID? 

Forest Hills School – Ocean Discovery

Grade 6 students from Forest Hills School arrived on campus this morning to take part in the Ocean Discovery Program.  While here the students worked with live marine invertebrates, such as hermit crabs, rock crabs, and scallops, viewed phytoplankton and zooplankton using microscopes, had lunch around the touch tank, and conducted a behaviour experiment with sea stars and sea urchins.  It was a great day and we look forward to see the rest of the grade 6 students from Forest Hills next week.

Drawing a rock crab.

Working with a blood star.

Rock crab - boy or girl?

Sea star in the touch tank.

The touch tank was a big hit!

Using the microscopes in the plankton lab.

Playing plankton bingo.

Sea star flipping experiment...almost done!

Sir James Dunn Academy – Ocean Discovery

Today on campus we had grade 6 students from Sir James Dunn Academy taking part in the Ocean Discovery Program.  We had lots of fun viewing plankton with the microscopes, having snack with the seals, observing marine invertebrates, such as scallops and rock crabs, learning about lobsters, having lunch around the touch tank, conducting experiments with echinoderms, and exploring the beach.  It was a great day with some fantastic local students!           

Learning how to use the microscopes.

Drawing plankton.

Snorkel was intrigued by the toy seal.

Boy or girl?

Using the field guide to find the blood star's Latin name.

Sea star acrobatics.

One of the green crabs found on the beach today.

 

St. George Elementary – Ocean Discovery

Today a busload of excited Grade 6 students from St. George Elementary arrived at the Huntsman to participate in the Ocean Discovery Program.  While here the students used microscopes to view plankton, observed live marine invertebrates including rock crabs, scallops, hermit crabs, and sea urchins, had lunch around the touch pool, learned about lobsters during a presentation by Genny, and explored the intertidal zone.  It was a great day of hands-on learning and fun!       

 

She worked up the courage to pick up a rock crab! Yay!

Learning how to use the microscope.

Everyone excited about plankton!

Wow, did you know lobsters can be blue?

(approximately 1 in every 2 million)

Finding sideswimmers on the beach.

Fun at the touch tank!

Millidgeville North School – Ocean Discovery

Today on campus we had Grade 6 and 7 students from Millidgeville North School taking part in the Ocean Discovery Program.  As part of the program the students visited the plankton lab and used microscopes to view the amazing life that exists in a drop of seawater.  The students found lots of different types of phytoplankton and zooplankton on their slides, including copepods, which are better known as Plankton from Sponge Bob!  The second part of the program included the invertebrate lab where the students were introduced to classification while working with live animals, such as rock crabs, hermit crabs, sea urchins, and scallops.  As a bonus the students were able to have lunch around the two touch pools in the aquarium.  Have you ever had lunch with a sea star?      

Always point the scallop away from your books...

unless of course you like wet books!

The students loved the rock crabs.

Fun at the touch pool.

Plankton bingo!