Pre-K to 2
A class field trip to Gulf Specimen Marine Lab is a great deal more than simple entertainment. It is an environmental education opportunity unrivaled in our area for hands-on learning and real-life experience interacting with the marine environment. Our large assortment of touch tanks, fiddler crab troughs, horseshoe crab tanks, and shark feedings offer children an opportunity to interact with marine animals on a personal and intimate level that larger facilities cannot recreate. In an effort to add value to our educational programs at Gulf Specimen, we have prepared this reference guide to key topics in the PreK – 2 Sunshine State Standards that are addressed during a field trip to our facility. Reference numbers to the specific standards are provided in the parentheses.
Science
Students will learn that life occurs on land, in the air, and, of course, in the water, and that life has played an important role in shaping the physical properties of the Earth (SC.D.1.1). Students will also come to understand the need for the protection and conservation of natural systems, and that people, as well as the rest of the life on Earth, are influenced by their actions (SC.D.2.1). The structure and function of living things will be heavily addressed during a trip to the lab, with discussions to include the basic needs of life, the differences between living and non-living things, changes in organisms as they grow and mature, and how the structure of organisms is adapted to their function (SC.F.1.1). The importance of genetic diversity will be stressed, with special emphasis on how diversity allows marine animals to live in a wide variety of environments (SC.F.2.1). Students will come to understand the interdependence of living and non-living properties of ecosystems, that plants and animals depend upon each other for survival, and that different cadres of plants and animals have evolved to live together in many special, unique habitats (SC.G.1.1). Finally, students will be introduced to the concept of limited natural resources, and the consequences of human actions on the environment (SC.G.2.1).
The benefits of a field trip to Gulf Specimen Marine Lab, however, are not just limited to increasing your students’ content knowledge on marine science and the environment. Listed below are other areas in the Sunshine State Standards that are addressed during a trip to our facility.
Language Arts
If the teacher chooses to use our pre and post field trip learning activities, students will gain practice in effective reading practices (LA.A.1.1) and effective writing practices (LA.B.1.1), (LA.B.2.1). During field trip presentations students will have practice using effective listening strategies (LA.C.1.1) as well.
Visual Arts
The pre and post trip learning activities provide opportunities to create artwork based on the students’ experiences at the lab (VA.A.1.1).
Social Studies
Perhaps the most important message students will take away from Gulf Specimen Marine Lab will be an increased awareness of how people interact with their physical environment, and how the natural resources provided by the environment play major roles in our everyday lives (SS.B.2.1). The students will come to understand how scarce many of these resources are and how that scarcity affects the choices we must all make concerning the conservation of natural resources (SS.D.1.1).
Workbook
Teachers: before coming to the aquarium, it is a good idea to prepare your students with our specimen workbook and worksheets.
Grades 3 – 5
A class field trip to Gulf Specimen Marine Lab is a great deal more than simple entertainment. It is an environmental education opportunity unrivaled in our area for hands-on learning and real-life experience interacting with the marine environment. Our large assortment of touch tanks, fiddler crab troughs, horseshoe crab tanks, and shark feedings offer children an opportunity to interact with marine animals on a personal and intimate level that larger facilities cannot recreate. In an effort to add value to our educational programs at Gulf Specimen, we have prepared this reference guide to key topics in the 3 – 5 Sunshine State Standards that are addressed during a field trip to our facility. Standardized reference numbers to the specific standards are provided in the parentheses.
Science
Students will come to understand the flow of energy through a marine ecosystem (SC.B.1.2) as well as to know that energy is required for organisms to live and to grow (SC.B.2.2). Students will learn the difference between renewable and non-renewable forms of energy and the dangers in relying solely on non-renewable forms (SC.B2.2). The geologic and biological processes that help to shape the physical features of the Earth will be discussed, with emphasis on the large portion of the Earth’s surface that is covered by water, the hydrological cycle, and the continually changing face of the Earth (SC.D.1.2). Basic life processes will be covered, such as the interdependence of plants and animals, the evolution of similar traits in different animals (SC.F.1.2), and the difference between inherited traits and learned behaviors (SC.F.2.2). Displays of the interaction of marine organisms with their environment are one of the great strengths of Gulf Specimen due to our unique and highly accessible touch tanks and other displays. Students will learn how plants and animals interact with each other; specifically that animals eat plants, animals, or both in order to grow and survive and that marine organisms compete with other organisms and are constantly adapting to their environment and to their competition. Students will also learn that variations in environmental conditions, such as light and temperature are largely responsible for evolutionary pressure (SC.G.1.2). Finally, an environmental ethic will be introduced to students, concentrating on such concepts as the possibly harmful effects of habitat alteration by humans (SC.G.2.2) and the ethic of reduce, reuse, and recycle (SC.D.2.2)
The benefits of a field trip to Gulf Specimen Marine Lab, however, are not just limited to increasing your students’ content knowledge on marine science and the environment. Listed below are other areas in the Sunshine State Standards that are addressed during a trip to our facility.
Language Arts
If the teacher chooses to use our pre and post field trip learning activities, students will gain practice in effective reading practices (LA.A.1.2) and effective writing practices (LA.B.1.2), (LA.B.2.2). During field trip presentations students will have practice using effective listening strategies (LA.C.1.2) as well as having an opportunity to practice effective speaking strategies in order to ask questions and clarify their understanding (LA.C.3.2).
Visual Arts
The pre and post trip learning activities provide opportunities to create artwork based on the students’ experiences at the lab (VA.A.1.2).
Social Studies
Perhaps the most important message students will take away from Gulf Specimen Marine Lab will be an increased awareness of how people interact with their physical environment, and how the natural resources provided by the environment play major roles in our everyday lives (SS.B.2.2). The students will come to understand how scarce many of these resources are and how that scarcity affects the choices we must all make concerning the conservation of natural resources (SS.D.1.2). Students will be exposed to how population growth and economic development effect the use and conservation of natural resources (SS.B.2.2).
Workbook
Teachers: before coming to the aquarium, it is a good idea to prepare your students with our specimen workbook and worksheets.