K - 5
Give your students a unique and unforgettable aquatic experience without even leaving your classroom! Don’t have the time to hassle with planning a field trip? Can’t afford to send your entire to school to the Aquarium? Let the Aquarium bring the wonder of the ocean to you at your school! All traveling programs meet North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS) requirements. Choose from a variety of Interpretative Animal Programs and Aqua-exploration Labs, listed below.
Interpretive Animal Programs
Want to enhance your classroom curriculum with live animals? Aquarium outreach programs bring fun, hands-on activities to your classroom while meeting North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS) standards for science. Please note that these programs can be modified to fit your specific curriculum needs. (Program length: 45-90 minutes)
Life in the Sea
Want to sea what makes ocean habitats amazing? Bring some salty water and big ocean waves into your school! This programs focuses on the larger animals living off the North Carolina coast - whales, sharks and sea turtles. Interactive educational props, costumes and a live sea turtle make this an exciting experience for all.
Scaly Skin, No Fins
Have a close encounter with the native reptiles of North Carolina’s land and sea! Learn about the characteristics of this amazing group of slithering, sliding, swimming and crawling creatures. Discover where they live, what they eat and which ones may be hiding in your own backyard. You’ll even be able to see and touch the scales and scutes of our live alligator, turtles and snakes!
Journey Through North Carolina
Take a virtual journey through the great state of North Carolina. Starting with the mountains, participants explore the different habitats and ecosystems of the state, including the Piedmont, coastal plains and eventually ending up at the sea. Program includes live animals and educational props from these habitats.
Sea Turtle Trails
Sea turtles are some of the oldest, most intriguing and fascinating reptiles on the planet. Explore the life history and adaptations of these threatened and endangered species. Find out where hatchlings go during their time at sea, and what brings turtles back to the same North Carolina beaches where they hatched. See a loggerhead sea turtle as well as examine sea turtle shells, skulls and other bones. If you want to meet the largest of the sea turtles, we’ll bring along our 10-foot inflatable leatherback! (1-1.5 hours)
Bones, Baleen and Blubber
Let us tell the amazing tales of the marvelous marine mammals that migrate through our coastal waters. Biofacts from whales and dolphins, along with amazing photos, teach you about the anatomy, feeding techniques and unique behaviors of the largest mammals on earth. Meeting the Aquarium’s 40-foot humpback whale will be an unforgettable experience! This program is designed as an auditorium or gymnasium presentation only. Please note: there are no live animals presented in this program. Inflatable whale may not be available for all visits.
Swamp Symphony
An Aquarium favorite, students explore the similarities and differences between reptiles and amphibians, and then examine their life cycles and adaptations. After having an encounter with our ectothermic friends, transform your classroom into a swamp using live frogs, toads, turtles and interactive props.
Aqua-Exploration Labs
Help your students explore our local aquatic environments by choosing an interactive lab program. Due to the hands-on nature of these programs, participation is limited to a maximum of 30 students per session. Aquarium outreach programs bring these fun activities and live animals to your classroom, while meeting North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS) requirements for science - click for details. (Program length: 1-1.5 hours)
Invertebrate Encounters
Experience life as a spineless oceanic invertebrate! While working in small groups, participants fine-tune their hands-on observation skills with live snails, crabs, urchins and other boneless sea creatures. Shaking hands with a sea star will be an experience your students will never forget! (Grades 3-5 Only)
Wow! Wetlands!
From swamps to marshes, do your students know the importance of wetlands? Students define a wetland and brainstorm wetland values and organisms; then explore the relationships between wetland organisms and their environments. In a lab setting, students investigate wetland and non-wetland soils and waters, as well as learn what makes wetland plants unique. Live animals that inhabit wetlands make this program extraordinary. (Grades 3-5 Only)
Squid Squish
What do squid, snails and scallops have in common? Find out as your students explore the amazing world of mollusks! Students examine the anatomy and adaptations of these cephalopods through scientific investigation and squid dissection. (Grades 3-5 Only)
The Water Dance
It’s more than just a glass of water - it’s a precious limited resource! Students explore the water cycle and learn the differences between fresh, saline and brackish water through scientific investigation. They will test the pH and salinity of aquarium tanks and their school drinking fountain to determine what types of aquatic life can survive in each environment. (Grades 3-5 Only)