Field trips to the St. Louis Aquarium are sure to spark curiosity and create a natural desire to learn about the amazing marine animals students will see here. Make the most out of this experience by utilizing our free online resources to help your students prepare, get the most out their visit, and revisit what they learned when you return to the classroom. Online resources will include pre-visit lessons, during visit guides, and post-visit lessons for each grade level, aligned to state learning standards.
Habitat Helpers
K-2nd Grade
Students will identify the things all animals need to survive, and think critically about the relationship between an animal’s needs and their habitat. Students will develop an understanding of how human actions affect animals’ homes, health, and habitats. Focusing on the issue of litter, students will explore ways we can help keep waterways safe and healthy for all animals.
Pollution Solutions
3rd-5th Grade
Students will learn how trash and pollution end up in our waterways and how this impacts the lives of the animals and people that depend on clean water. Thinking critically about their own habits, students will strategize ways to reduce the amount of waste they produce as a class and track their waste reduction on a graph.
Shark Tank
6th – 8th grade
Students will learn about the important role apex predators play in a food web and how they help maintain biodiveristy. Students will research a well-known ocean apex predator, the shark. Acting as animal biologists, students will create a shark exhibit to help the public understand the importance of protecting sharks.
Ecosystem Design
9th-12th grade
Students will design an aquarium habitat based on knowledge of the requirements of a balanced ecosystem and animal needs. Acting as animal biologists, students will create a habitat plan that includes the size, cost, and educational value of their proposed exhibit.
