Education

Teacher Programs

Teacher Field Experience: Underwater Robotics

Suggested for 6 to 12th-grade teachers

Make underwater discoveries with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV)! Build your own ROV, conduct field research with it, and observe how science and technology, engineering and math can inspire inquiry. Receive several hundred dollars worth of materials and a full curriculum to share the excitement with your middle- or high-school class.

Aug. 10 — 14; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Fee: $250 per team includes lunch, transportation,and materials
Lane credit or two graduate credits available from NLU ($135/credit paid separately)
*Teachers must apply in teams of 2-3*

Take a look at photos of Shedd's participation in the regional competition.

Apply on line.

Teacher Field Experience: Freshwater Ecology
Suggested for K through 12th-grade teachers

Travel to several habitats of the Great Lakes to conduct scientific ecology research at rivers, bogs and fens. Sites include Waterfall Glen in DuPage County and Glacial Park in McHenry County as well as several others. Team up with scientists, teachers and site-specific stewards to explore local environments and engaging ways to apply the scientific process.

June 15 — 19; 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Fee: $150 per person; includes lunch, transportation and materials
Lane credit or two graduate credits available from NLU ($135/credit paid separately)

Apply on line.

Teacher Field Experience: Biology in the Bahamas 2009

Accepting K through 12th-grade teachers

Learn about the marine environment and scientific research by studying it at Shedd and then experiencing it firsthand in the Bahamas on board Shedd's research vessel, the R/V Coral Reef II. Through hands-on experience, teachers will gain a greater understanding of data collection and analysis, how it applies to current scientific research and how to integrate this into a classroom curriculum.

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Animal Giants: The Megafauna
For K through 12th-grade teachers
Fee-based program
Credits available; see below for details

Join the staffs from three of your favorite field-trip destinations for an exploration of “bigness.” How do some of the planet’s largest animals make their way in the world? What are the advantages of being big? What hurdles must be overcome to succeed as a biggie? We begin on Saturday, July 11, at Lincoln Park Zoo, with an introduction to animal size plus a look at big cats. Then a chartered bus will take us to and from Shedd Aquarium, where we’ll explore big invertebrates and marine mammals. On Sunday, July 12, at Brookfield Zoo we will visit the big hoofed animals and pachyderms for the grand finale. Illinois Science Goals 11A+B (inquiry and technological design) and 12A+B (function, adaptation, change, interaction with environment) are highlighted. Participant lesson plan assignment will also include adaptation of field-trip lessons for special needs and literacy skill development. Participants must attend both Saturday and Sunday.

Program fee:
$140 includes parking, bus transportation and program materials
Dates/times:
Saturday, July 11; 8:00 a.m. — 5:30 p.m.
(Lincoln Park Zoo and Shedd Aquarium)
AND
Sunday, July 12; 11:00 a.m. — 5:30 p.m.
(Brookfield Zoo)

Select one of the credit options below:

1 semester hour of CPS lane placement credit (no charge)
1 semester hour of education graduate credit via Aurora University — $100
1 semester hour of education graduate credit via National-Louis University — $126
1 semester hour of science graduate credit via Benedictine University — $115

Registrants must send a nonrefundable registration fee of $25 (to be applied toward the program fee), along with printed name and e-mail, to:

Education Programs
Attn. GIANT ANIMALS
Lincoln Park Zoo
P.O. Box 14903
Chicago, IL 60614

A confirmation letter with directions will be sent to you from Lincoln Park Zoo. CPS teachers must also register on PD Central. Please contact Susan Teller-Marshall at 312-742-2070 or e-mail steller-marshall@lpzoo.org with questions.

Workshops on Demand
Shedd is offering professional development where you want it, when you want it. Come to Shedd or we’ll come to you, whichever works best for your group. Workshops are two hours long and designed for up to twenty teachers. Price of $250 includes curriculum and support materials.

To register for our teacher workshops, please download a copy of the teacher registration form, complete the registration form and fax it for processing. Reservations must be made three weeks in advance.

Classroom Habitats
Grades K-12

Gain the basic skills needed to set up a classroom habitat, and discover several ways that live animal encounters can increase students’ comfort with science. We will also look at animal behaviour and how to use animal observation for inquiry and science fair projects.

Great Lakes in My World
Grades K-8

Shedd educators will bring out one or more of our Great Lakes in My World Discovery Boxes, and coach teachers in how to use it. Explore ways to connect students to the local environment and meet standards at the same time.

Learning to See: Scientific Sketching and Journaling
Grades K-12

Practice the techniques used by Charles Darwin, Leonardo de Vinci, and the crew of the HMS Challenger to record the natural world. See how scientific sketching can improve student observation skills and help students to ask more thoughtful questions.

Inquiry in Action: Worm Compost bins
Grades K-12

A worm bin is great way to introduce conservation and waste reduction, but did you know it can also be an incredibly useful science inquiry tool? Create a worm bin for your class and learn strategies for maintaining it and using it for science investigation.

For programs descriptions and registration information, please call 312-692-3165.

Teacher Basic In-Service

Teacher in-services are designed for groups of up to 30 participants, including school teachers, administration, and pre-service teachers. The FREE one-hour program introduces the many resources Shedd Aquarium has to offer teachers and their students and can take place at Shedd or at your school. Learn about professional development opportunities, field experience, field trip information, the aquarium's Web site, and other resources to be used in your classroom.

Please call 312-692-3165 to schedule an in-service.

Check out an article about Shedd's Teacher Field Experience program from a recent issue of Connect.