Georgia Aquarium Instructor-Led Field Trips

It’s the Cycle of Life

What do animals need to survive? Does that change as they grow? Are life cycles different for plants and animals? Come join us as we compare and contrast the basic needs and life cycles from species to species, and as we compare and contrast their basic needs as humans with the animals and plants they see.

Standards: CD-SC3.4a

K.1 Transportation Station

All aboard the ocean of motion express. Have your students ever wondered how aquatic animals move from place to place? From oceans to streams, ecosystems are different, and all animals have distinct ways of getting around their environments. How do beluga whales and whale sharks move? Do sea stars and sea urchins move at all? Join us as we discover different ways animals move and even demonstrate some movements.

Standards: SKL2a, SKP2b, K.MDR.7, K.MDR.7.1, K-PS2-1

K.2 Light the Way

Why do animals rely on changes in the sky to survive? Why do whale sharks stay at the top of the ocean and how do animals survive at the bottom? Their behaviors depend on the light from the Sun, Moon and stars. Come discover how the stars, sunlight, and moonlight change the behavior of aquatic animals and analyze the effect humans have on these natural lights.

Standards: SKE1b, K.PAR.6, K.PAR.6.2, 1-ESS3-3

1.1 Nature’s Needs

Do all plants and animals have similar basic needs? Do those basic needs differ from animal to animal or plant to plant? How are their needs met in human care? Join us as we compare and contrast the needs of marine and freshwater habitats to the basic needs of plants and animals at Georgia Aquarium.

Standards: S1L1b, 1-LS1-1, K-LS1-1

1.2 An Ocean Orca-stra 

The ocean is alive with many sounds. Animals, including fish, whales, sea turtles, and crustaceans, are almost always communicating with one another. Sound is pertinent to these animals’ lives and the environments they inhabit. Georgia Aquarium incorporates sound in training our animals, too! Join us as we uncover the lively sounds of underwater sea life here at Georgia Aquarium.

Standards: S1P1d, K-2-ETS1-1

2.1 The Motions of the Ocean

There are many ways to put animals into different categories, including groups based on their physical properties. In this lesson, students will learn about how these physical properties influence the lives of aquatic animals, and how these fascinating creatures are able to physically move through their environments. This program allows students to investigate how aquatic animals move their bodies to travel throughout their underwater worlds, and how they have adapted to survive in unique and often difficult conditions.

Standards: S2P1a, S2P2c, 3-PS2

2.2 Life is a Cycle

Animals come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors– all of which can change depending on their life cycle stage. Through engaging activities and exploration, students will be challenged to think like scientific researchers by investigating the unique life cycles of plants and animals at Georgia Aquarium. Students will also learn about how the life cycles of these marine organisms compare to the life cycles of humans. Finally, students will demonstrate their knowledge by properly sequencing the life stages of aquatic plants and animals and comparing and contrasting the lives of organisms at Georgia Aquarium.

Standards: S2L1, 2-LS4-1

3.1 Fun with Fossils

How do fossils serve as evidence of past organisms? What do fossils reveal about the history of marine life? In this program, students have the opportunity to examine biofacts, marine fossils and images of marine animal remains. They will also identify the key differences between rocks and fossils and analyze how fossils serve as helpful scientific tools to dig up the past.

Standards: S3E2a, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS4-1

3.2 Pollution Solution

How can human activity positively or negatively impact environments? How can people help protect local environments within their state? In this program, discover the effects pollution has on marine ecosystems and the solutions we can enforce to eliminate it. Students will investigate the purpose of the Four R’s (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) and brainstorm ways they can implement these practices in their daily lives.

Standards: S3L2a, S3L2b, 3-LS4-4

3.3 Aquatic Adaptations

What is an adaptation? How have animals adapted over time in order to survive in their respective ecosystems? In this program, students will analyze different examples of behavioral and physical adaptations of animals such as mimicry, camouflage, and hibernation. Come over to Georgia Aquarium as we discover how unique habitats have shaped the development of these adaptations over time.

Standards: S3L1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3

4.1 Sights and Sounds of the Sea

Many hidden factors on Earth can affect animals and their environments. Noise pollution, the Earth’s orbit, and the moon’s phases are some factors that can affect the ocean’s animals in massive ways. What other hidden factors can impact the animals we know and adore? Students will investigate which elements can play a part in animal behaviors and how animals have adapted to their environment’s ever-changing sights and sounds.

Standards: S4E2c, S4P2a, 4.MDR.6, 4-PS3-2

4.2 Kelp-ing the Balance

Ecosystems throughout the world have unique food chains that are essential for life. But how do living and nonliving factors affect these food chains? Do food chains adapt to accommodate the needs of animals in a particular ecosystem? Students will focus on a kelp forest ecosystem and investigate the relationship between sharks, sea urchins, sea otters, and kelp. Moreover, hypothesize how an ecosystem could be impacted if one of these elements becomes more prominent or absent.

Standards: S4L1b, S4L1c, 4.NR.2-1, 5-LS2-1

4.3 Lights, Gravity, Pressure

Animals that live on land are significantly affected by light, gravity, and pressure. But did you know that these factors also impact marine life? Students will discover how different aquatic animals are affected by these factors while forming an understanding of how marine creatures respond to certain stimuli! Students will expand their knowledge while engaging in conversation about certain adaptations marine life has because of these forces of the ocean.

Standards: S4P1a, S4P2a, 4.NR.2-5, 4-PS4-2

5.1 Extreme Events

The surface of the Earth is a complex, ever-changing landscape. From earthquakes and volcanoes to floods and tsunamis, there are many constructive and deconstructive processes that impact the lives of this planet’s many species. Come along and discover how animals are able to adapt to and survive these extreme events.

Standards: S5E1b, S5P1b, 4-ESS2-1

5.2 A Shark’s Sixth Sense     

Sharks are among the most impressive predators in the world and have inspired fascination for centuries. From their dentition to their dermal denticles, sharks have many unique adaptations. However, few people realize that their ability to sense electromagnetic fields makes them highly efficient apex predators. In this program, uncover how sharks use this sixth sense to find their prey, and discuss ways that we can help to protect these incredible creatures.

Standards: S5L1a, S5P3a, 5.NR.2, 5.NR.2.1, MS-PS2-3

5.3 Big Changes, Small Organisms

Microorganisms can be found all over the Earth, even in some of the planet’s harshest ecosystems. They can be found in habitats such as air, soil, and even our oceans. These creatures might be tiny in size, but they have a massive and essential impact on the health and function of our ocean. Take a deeper dive into the tiny world of these mighty microbes and discover different types of plankton, their significance in the food chain, and their importance in our lives.

Standards: S5L4a, S5L4b, MS-LS1-6

6.1 Turning the Tides

The oceans’ tides, currents, and waves play a significant role in the health of many unique ecosystems around the world. Animals have formed many adaptations to depend on these predictable patterns for many aspects of their lives. This program provides students with a greater understanding of tides, nutrient cycling, and unbelievable behaviors of ocean-dwelling organisms around the globe.

Standards: S6E4c, S6E3d, MS-ESS2-4, 6.NR.1, 6.NR.1.3

6.2 Fueling the Future 

Earth’s growing population will continue to need more energy. The two types of energy sources found on Earth, renewable and nonrenewable, can have both positive and negative effects on marine ecosystems. Explore Georgia Aquarium while learning about how rising greenhouse gas emissions are impacting environments around the world. Additionally, identify the impacts of offshore drilling, solar power, alternative fuels, and why we should protect our ecosystems.

Standards: S6E6a, S6E6c, MS-ESS3-5, 6.PAR.8, 6.PAR.8.1

6.3 Saving the Seas

One of the leading causes of damage to our planet is human activity. Rising temperatures, degraded water quality, and habitat destruction are drastically altering many habitats – from warm, tropical waters to the cold, Arctic Sea. Engage in a hands-on activity to recognize signs of coral bleaching, analyze the effects of rising temperatures on animals, and discover how coastal engineering can play a role in protecting our marine ecosystems and our own infrastructure.

Standards: S6E3a, MS-ESS3-5, 6.NR.4, 6.NR.4.1

7.1 Ecosystems of Change

Every organism on the planet is connected in one way or another. Many organisms coexist across the varying ecological levels, through dependance on habitat and resource availability. Discover how human activity is impacting these long-established relationships animal groups have with each other and brainstorm ways to help protect them.

Standards: S7L4a, S7L4c, MS-LS-2-2

7.2 – Sensational Systems

Have you ever wondered how big a shark’s liver is? Or how fish can move in schools? The human body is complex, but aquatic animals have a wide variety of complex bodies too. Come and learn about some sensational body systems and the similarities we share with different aquatic species.

Standards: S7L2c, MS-LS1-3

7.3 Progressing Populations

Have you ever considered how Georgia Aquarium’s animal care teams can tell our animal residents apart?  Have you wondered about the different reproductive strategies animals have? The answers can be found within strands of DNA! Come learn about Georgia Aquarium’s efforts to maintain sustainable populations in human care and some of the genetic hurdles of protecting endangered species, as well as the ways that animals keep their species surviving and thriving.

Standards: S7L3b, MS-LS3-2

8.1 Ocean of Energy

Our world is full of energy, especially in the ocean! Light, color, and heat waves are all present in the ocean, and can directly impact living organisms. Dive into the ocean to explore how different forms of energy can be transferred, conserved, or behave differently in different mediums. Students will observe how waves transfer energy to ecosystems, identify how animals use light and color to their benefit, and investigate how heat energy supports life in extreme conditions.

Standards: S8P2d, S8P4d, MS-PS4-2

8.2 Advancing Atoms

Frequently changing and constantly moving, atoms make up the matter all around us. Often called the building blocks of the universe, atoms are microscopic wonders. These atoms interact with each other in many ways, resulting in physical or chemical changes. Join us as we zoom into the microscopic universe and demonstrate how atoms move in different states of matter and experiment with the exciting properties of chemical reactions!

Standards: S8P1b, S8P1c, MS-PS1-4, MS-PS-1-2

8.3 Force of Nature 

Forces and energy are all around us and interact with the natural world in fascinating ways. One of those ways is found in how animals can manipulate these forces to aid in their survival. What happens when we go beyond a science lab and apply these scientific phenomena to living, breathing organisms? From electroreceptive sharks to shrimp so fast they can boil water, dive into how aquatic animals use forces, kinetic and potential energy to succeed.

Standards: S8P2b, S8P5a, MS-PS2-5, MS-PS3-5

Oceanic Occupations

There are many unique jobs required to keep Georgia Aquarium afloat, from animal care specialists, chemists, engineers, nutritionists, divers, and aquarists. Dive deep beneath the waves to see how these teams work together and what they do to care for animals and provide unique experiences, all while exploring the variety of career pathways one can follow to be part of the team!

Standards: SZ5, SSPFL4, HS-ETS1

Animal Behaviors

Have you ever wondered what it takes to properly care for animals at an aquarium? From beluga whales to penguins and turtles, it’s important for animal care staff to understand the variety of needs and behaviors of all our animals. Investigate different training and enrichment techniques, as well as see how vet care, nutrition, and psychology can help support animal care and health at Georgia Aquarium.

Standards: SZ5, AFNR-VS-16, AFNR-VS-8, HS-LS2-8

Alien Extremes

From organisms who prefer the furthest depths of the ocean to nearly microscopic organisms living in the saltiest lakes, the world is filled with strange and mysterious organisms known as extremophiles. However, our planet may not be the only place to harbor such fascinating life forms. Dive deep into the ocean with us to begin uncovering the mysteries of some of Earth’s most intriguing organisms and learn why scientists think our planet may not be the only one they call home.

Standards: SAST6, SB5, SMI7, HS-LS4-4

Oceanography

The ocean is one of the most amazing places on the entire Earth yet remains largely unexplored. Oceanographers seek to better understand the ocean by examining the ocean’s ancient history, observing current conditions, and looking towards a brighter future. Step into the shoes of an oceanographer as we examine the physical, chemical, geographical, and biological features of the ocean.

Standards: SO1a, SO3b, HS-ESS2-4