Bayside Middle – Ocean Discovery

Over the past week we have welcomed nine classes of Grade 6 students from Bayside Middle School to the Huntsman to take part in the Ocean Discovery Program.  The students that attended today are the last ones for the fall session and with them we have seen over the 1000 students since Year 7 of the program began in October.  Wow, that’s a lot of students! 
 
As part of the hands-on Ocean Discovery Program the Bayside students used microscopes to view plankton for the first time, conducted a classification and observation lab using local marine invertebrates, such as rock crabs, Acadian hermit crabs, scallops, and sea urchins, and had lunch around the two touch pools in the aquarium, where the sea stars and skates created lots of excitement.  Depending on the weather some of the classes also went to the beach to explore, while others stayed in the aquarium and had a chance to view the seals, fish, and lobsters in the lower level.
 
Below are some pictures from the visits.    

Texture and movement were some of the characteristics

used to describe this sea star.

Using an inventive way to measure the rock crab!

Students being introduced to plankton in the lab.

Viewing phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Students love the crabs in the touch pool!

One of the students found this big moon snail in the touch pool.

Slimy!

The skate touch pool was popular.

Some of the students found a live sea urchin during their

beach exploration.

Homeschoolers – Day 2

This morning we had the second session of our homeschoolers program at the aquarium.  In the lab the Kindergarten – grade 2 students learned about the life cycle of seals during our Super Seals program, the grade 3-5 students learned about camouflage in the marine environment during the Hiding in Plain Sight program, and the middle and high school students used the microscopes to view plankton collected from Passamaquoddy Bay. 
 
While not in the lab the students watched the movie Seasonal Seas in the theatre and conducted a scavenger hunts around the aquarium (how many hermit crabs did you find in the touch pool?).
 
It was a great morning and I look forward to seeing everyone in the New Year at our January session!   

Harbour seal life cycle wheel made by the K-2 group.

The Grade 3-5 students looked at camouflage techniques in fish.

 

The middle and high school students studied

the amazing world of plankton.

 

Many students viewed copepods in their plankton sample.

Harry Miller Middle – Ocean Discovery

For the past three days grade 6 students from Harry Miller Middle School have been visiting the Huntsman to take part in the Ocean Discovery Program.  While on campus the students viewed phytoplankton and zooplankton using microscopes, observed marine invertebrates such as rock crabs, hermit crabs, and scallops, explored the animals in the touch tanks, conducted a behaviour experiment with echinoderms, and had a presentation in the theatre about the amazing life of lobsters.
 
It was a great three days of discovery and fun!

Drawing and describing a blood star.

Measuring a Cancer irroratus.

Enjoying the touch tank even though the water is cold!

There are sea stars of many sizes in the touch tank.

Plankton bingo!

How long did your sea star take to flip over?

Lobsters are cool!