EcoVenture Class: Aquarium Careers 7 th -8 th Grade Teacher Guide Overview and Resource Materials

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1 EcoVenture Class: Aquarium Careers 7 th -8 th Grade Teacher Guide Overview and Resource Materials For more information contact: Amy Ehrhart School Programs On-site Manager 725 East South Sandy, UT (801) 355-FISH (3474) ext. 206 Fax: (801) [email protected] Or visit our website

2 What s below the surface? Why have an aquarium in the desert? EcoVenture Class Overview... 4 Teacher s checklist Location of The Living Planet Aquarium Layout map of The Living Planet Aquarium....7 Teacher Outline and Core Connections...8 Pre-visit resources Post visit lesson materials Thank you!

3 Why Have an Aquarium in a Desert? After all, where else in the world is water so valued and respected? It s a precious resource that defines how we live in Utah. Because we re not surrounded by oceans and immense water habitats, we have fewer opportunities to experience, understand and appreciate the water environments that cover more than 70 percent of our planet. The Living Planet Aquarium brings animals to people who might not have the chance to see them or their water-based ecosystems in a natural setting. Our children are the future custodians of the environment. Yet, the majority of today s young people don t have the opportunity to understand the ocean nor their own waterdependent environments. The Living Planet Aquarium provides a living classroom, educating us all about our interdependence on the living planet s fragile ecosystems. The Living Planet Aquarium is a world-class organization that enriches lives through education outreach, dynamic exhibits and programs. The Living Planet Aquarium provides an entertaining learning experience and hands-on educational opportunities to help individuals understand and appreciate the water environments encompassing our planet, leading to an enriched personal life. Having this aquarium provides us with countless opportunities to understand and respect this precious resource and the living habitats it supports, both in Utah and in our planet s waters. 3

4 School Visit Overview Thank you for choosing The Living Planet Aquarium for a school visit. We look forward to your arrival! This section of the Teacher Guide provides an overview of your visit and a checklist of things to accomplish before, during and after your experience with us. EcoVenture Classes Each EcoVenture Class lasts approximately minutes. While the class is separate from your general aquarium visit, there is not an additional cost for the classes. To provide a quality and interactive experience for your students, we allow a maximum of 75 students per class. This means, we can present the same program several times back-to-back to accommodate larger groups. The EcoVenture Classes take place in our Sunken Ship or our Education classroom with one or two Education Presenters, depending on the class. There are also Education Presenters located throughout the aquarium to answer any questions you or your students may have. EcoVenture Start Times The contact teacher will receive an with a confirmation sheet. This confirmation sheet will list the school s arrival time and each group s EcoVenture Class start time. Please remind the chaperones to arrive promptly to the classroom at their designated start time to allow the group to have the full classroom experience. "Give people facts and you feed their minds for an hour. Awaken curiosity and they feed their own minds for a lifetime." (Ian Russell) 4

5 School Visit Checklist The Living Planet Aquarium Pre-Visit Download from our website: This document (Teacher Guide) Please Educate the students and chaperones on behavior expectations. Divide your students into smaller groups and assign each group a chaperone. Supply each adult chaperone with a Chaperone Guide. This guide includes the rules, tips to facilitate learning and an aquarium map. Day of Remind the students and chaperones of the behavior expectations. Remind the chaperones of their EcoVenture Class start time and location. All groups must pay in one lump sum. Bring payment if your school is not a sponsored Title 1 or Head Start school. If your visit is sponsored, you do not pay for your students, but please remember the chaperone-to-student ratio. Any additional adults will be asked to pay. Have FUN and enjoy learning at the Living Planet Aquarium! Post-Visit This document contains post-visit materials. Other materials may become available as separate downloads in the future, so check our website often. 5

6 Location of Living Planet Aquarium 725 East South, Sandy Utah Phone: (801) Directions: From 1-15, take exit 293 Head east on S. (approx. 1 mile) The Living Planet Aquarium is on the northeast corner of S. and 700 E. 6

7 Layout of Living Planet Aquarium 7

8 Teacher Outline Aquarium Careers Duration of School Visit EcoVenture Classes (75 students max) are scheduled in 50-minute increments unless otherwise noted on your confirmation sheet. However, each EcoVenture Class is approximately minutes. Please allow your group 2 hours for a three-class visit, or 2 hours and 30 minutes for a four-class visit. Currently, our facility does not have space for school groups to eat lunch. If weather permits, we recommend bringing your group to Lone Peak Park at S 700 E, Sandy, UT This park is 5 blocks north of the aquarium on 700 East and offers covered picnic tables, grassy areas, and a playground. Background for Teachers Careers in the aquarium industry can be very rewarding and diverse. They range from an aquarist who monitors animal care to a marketing specialist who makes commercials for advertising. The focus of this field trip is the different jobs at an aquarium and the training and education recommended for those jobs. Intended Learning Outcomes/Measurable Objectives Students will learn about various careers in the aquarium industry and the training and education required for those careers. They will participate in an activity directly related to one of the departments at the aquarium and have a chance to meet some aquarium employees from different departments. 8

9 Pre-Visit Resources The following pages offer pre-visit information you can use in the classroom before your visit to The Living Planet Aquarium. These resources correlate with material that will be covered in your EcoVenture Class or in post-visit materials. There may also be links to UEN s website for additional information. As a suggestion, if you have internet access for your class, you can visit our website to let the students investigate what we have to offer. Here is the link: 9

10 Careers in the Aquarium Industry Below is a list of careers at an aquarium. Each student should receive a copy of this list before visiting the aquarium. Use this sheet to take notes and write down questions to ask during the Careers EcoVenture Class. This list should also be used as options for the crossword puzzle on the following page. Director/Chief Operating Officer o Executes policies as directed by the governing authority. Responsible for the institution's operation and plans for future development. Assistant Director o Assists the director and assumes charge in the director's absence. Finance Manager/Director o Manages the institution's finances, including payment of bills, purchasing, investments, and the preparation of financial statements. General Curator o Oversees an institution's entire animal collection and animal management staff. Responsible for strategic collection planning. Animal Curator o Manages a certain portion of an institution's animal collection; i.e., mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, etc. 10

11 Veterinarian o Responsible for the healthcare program for the animal collection and the maintenance of health records. Veterinary Technician o Assists the veterinarian and provides care to the animals under the supervision of the veterinarian. Registrar o Maintains computer records on the animal collection and applies for permits and licenses to hold or transport animals. Curator/Coordinator/Director of Research o Supervises research projects, serves as liaison between the institution and the academic community, and publishes articles in scientific journals. Curator/Coordinator/Director of Conservation o Oversees the institution's conservation activities, including field projects. Serves as liaison with government wildlife agencies and other conservation organizations. Conservation Biologist/Zoologist o Provides scientific and technical assistance in the management of the animal collection and assists in conducting various research or field conservation projects. 11

12 Head Keeper/Aquarist o Supervises a section or department of the institution; provides training and scheduling for keepers. Senior Keeper/Aquarist o Provides primary animal care for a department. Keeper/Aquarist o Provides daily care to the institution's animals, including diet preparation, cleaning, general exhibit maintenance, and record keeping. Operations Director/Manager o Responsible for the daily operation of the institution's physical plant and equipment. Curator of Exhibits o Creates exhibits and assists in the design of graphics. Curator of Horticulture o Responsible for the botanical collection and its application to the animal collection, as well as daily maintenance of the institution's grounds. 12

13 Director of Education o Plans and implements the institution's education programs. Public Relations/Affairs Manager/Director o Promotes the institution, its mission, and its programs to the public via the media. Development Director/Officer o Develops and manages fund-raising activities which can include writing grant proposals and attracting corporate sponsors, as well as soliciting private donations. Marketing Director/Manager o Creates advertising campaigns and other activities to increase public awareness of the institution. Special Events Manager/Coordinator o Develops and implements events to attract visitors throughout the year. Membership Director/Manager o Responsible for maintaining and increasing institution memberships for families and individuals and designing special events for members only. May also be in charge of "adopt-an-animal" programs to raise funds. 13

14 Gift Shop Manager o Manages staff and all aspects of gift shop operation from buying products to designing shops. Visitor Services Manager o Supervises the staff and facilities that cater to the visiting public including concessions and restrooms. Personnel Manager/Director o Responsible for all personnel matters including payroll, insurance, and tax matters. Volunteer Coordinator o Responsible for recruiting and maintaining a staff of volunteers/docents. Duties include scheduling docents for on- and off-grounds activities and keeping docents abreast of new developments to relate to the public. Exhibits Specialist o Duties include designing and creating exhibits from the ground up. Docent/Volunteer o Duties may include diet preparation, small animal care, teaching educational programs, leading group tours, and staffing special events. 14

15 Junior Keeper o Some institutions offer a summer program for high school students who wish to volunteer in a zoo or aquarium setting. Duties are often similar to those of other volunteers, but they are supervised much more closely. 15

16 Aquarium Careers Crossword Across 6. Manages a portion of the animal collection 8. Assists in conducting research and field conservation projects 9. Purchases products and designs shops at the institution 10. Maintains healthcare and records of the animal collection Down 1. Recruits and manages a staff of volunteers 2. Designs and creates exhibits 3. Promotes the institution and its mission through the media 4. Provides daily care for animals 5. Creates advertisements to increase public awareness of the facility 7. Responsible for physical operations of the facility

17 Now, you re off to the Living Planet Aquarium Remember to use your checklist to help you on this day. You should take some time to share copies of the Chaperone Guide with each adult leader as well as the aquarium layout map. Remember that teachers are free and you get one additional adult free for every 10 students. Any adults above this 1:10 ratio will need to pay a fee upon arrival. All entrance fees must be paid in one lump sum. 17

18 Post - Visit Resources Aquarium Careers The following lesson materials are intended to help you extend learning from your field trip back into the classroom. Build an Aquarium Exhibit Time Frame: 1 class period Group Size: Individual or groups of 2-3 students Materials: Design your own aquarium tank worksheet Pencils Markers/crayons Computers with internet access for research Summary: Students will use knowledge from their aquarium visit, research, and creativity to design a potential aquarium exhibit. They will take several factors into account to make sure the exhibit is suitable for the animal(s) they have chosen. Instructional Procedures: 1. To introduce the lesson, ask students to reminiscence about their visit to the aquarium. Ask them to choose an animal or group of animals that could be housed in an aquarium. This could include fish, invertebrates, mammals, amphibians, or reptiles. 2. The students should spend some time brainstorming and researching the needs of their animal(s) in order to design a suitable habitat. Ask the students to consider the following factors: Animal needs (food, space, shelter, etc.) If multiple animals are in one tank, do they all live in a similar environment? Will they get along? Do they need plants? If so, what kind? What type of soil/rocks/sand? Temperature, tank size, salt or fresh water Shape of tank Aesthetics (what surrounds the tank; how will the tank look to a guest?) 3. After researching and brainstorming, the students will draw and describe their exhibit on the Design Your Own Aquarium Tank worksheet. 18

19 4. Students should share their exhibit designs with a short presentation for the class. Possible Websites for Research:

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21 Web Sites for Fun All links are suggested resources only. The Living Planet Aquarium does not specifically endorse any of the following sites or organizations. If a link does not work you can try copying and pasting the URL into your web browser. Oceanography This site is packed with exciting ocean facts and information. From the Office of Naval Research. Planet Ocean (Grades 5-8) Discover what it takes for amazing ocean animals to survive this underwater world. MarineBio.org This link takes you to the education and careers section which has a variety of resources for careers in marine biology. Association of Zoos and Aquariums The AZA is an organization that links Zoos and Aquariums in the United States. There are strict requirements for an institution to be accredited by AZA. They have information on education, careers, animal care and conservation as well as job postings. Steve Spangler Science This site has a large number of hands-on science experiments and materials for students and teachers. There are videos, tutorials and products that can be purchased for activities and science fair projects. 21

22 Books to Include All books are suggested resources only. The Living Planet Aquarium does not specifically endorse any of the following books or authors. Careers with Zoos and Aquariums Institute for Career Research Careers for Animal Lovers and Other Zoological Types Louise Miller Starting Your Career as a Marine Mammal Trainer Terry S. Samansky Going Blue: A teen guide to saving our oceans, lakes, rivers, & wetlands Cathryn Berger Kaye and Philippe Cousteau Silent Spring Rachel Carson The Future of Life Edward O. Wilson The Diversity of Life Edward O. Wilson 22

23 Thank you for bringing your class. We look forward to serving you again! 23