NEW from the Belle Isle Conservancy:
A Virtual Field Trip and Ecology Lesson at the Belle Isle Aquarium
The COVID-19 epidemic has caused the Aquarium to be closed temporarily and our program of fifth grade field trips and other tours of the Aquarium to be suspended for the time being. But YOU CAN STILL MARVEL AT THE BEAUTIFUL FISH (and light, colors, plants, tank settings, and building) at the Belle Isle Aquarium. Come with us on a virtual field trip and ecology lesson at the BIA.
This field trip is not only a great introduction to the Belle Isle Aquarium but also a wonderful "home-schooling" introduction to food chains, water quality testing, and invasive species.
A Virtual Field Trip and Ecology Lesson at the Belle Isle Aquarium
The COVID-19 epidemic has caused the Aquarium to be closed temporarily and our program of fifth grade field trips and other tours of the Aquarium to be suspended for the time being. But YOU CAN STILL MARVEL AT THE BEAUTIFUL FISH (and light, colors, plants, tank settings, and building) at the Belle Isle Aquarium. Come with us on a virtual field trip and ecology lesson at the BIA.
This field trip is not only a great introduction to the Belle Isle Aquarium but also a wonderful "home-schooling" introduction to food chains, water quality testing, and invasive species.
|
“Promoting Student Interest in Science and Science Careers through a Scalable Place-based Environmental Educational Program at a Public Aquarium,” is an NSF project that will work with 90 Detroit Public School Community District (DPSCD) fifth grade teachers in biological STEM areas related to fisheries, wildlife, conservation and aquatic sciences. More than 2,300 fifth grade students from DPSCD are expected to participate in field trips to the Belle Isle Aquarium and follow-up activities.
The project focuses on fifth grade, considered a critical age at which decisions for lifelong science-related career choices are formed. “Our goal is to increase interest, knowledge and activity choices of students in ways that promote science education and STEM career choices among minority youth,” says Jeffrey Ram, a Wayne State Professor who heads the project . “By providing fifth graders with learning opportunities at the Belle Isle Aquarium, we hope to spark more excitement in STEM areas they may not have considered, with interesting follow-on learning opportunities to aid in maintaining their interest and knowledge.” |
4-DAY SUMMER TEACHER INSTITUTE
Each year of the project starts off with a 4-day summer institute for teachers. These workshops are intended to assist teachers in achieving their fifth grade curricular goals through activities at a community-based institution, the Belle Isle Aquarium. The Institute provides science background knowledge, field trips and hands-on activity, and a guide as to how best to achieve their curricular goals with a visit of their classes to the Belle isle Aquarium. Teachers can participate in the Summer Teacher Institutes by registering as a participant in the NSF project "Promoting Student Interest in Science and Science Careers through a Scalable Place-based Environmental Educational Program at a Public Aquarium" through our on-line registration form. FIELD TRIPS Teachers in the Summer Teacher Institutes are encouraged to bring their fifth grade students to the Belle Isle Aquarium. A field trip to the Aquarium is a unique experience, more like a classroom extension than an ordinary visit to an Aquarium. Aquarium educators work with teachers to support the curricular needs of the Michigan Fifth Grade Science and Social Studies Standards and to inspire students to see STEM careers as something they might want to do. For more information, click the FIELD TRIPS link at the top of the page. |
Useful Links
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (grantee must enter NSF grant number).
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. 
|
|
|