Learning Is for Life
New backpacks, fresh lesson plans and a readiness to learn can only mean one thing: back to school season! Though you may not be returning to the classroom this year, it’s never too late to get excited about learning!
Lifelong learning is important, and fun! Remaining curious and inquisitive opens the door to new experiences. At Shedd, you can discover endless facts about the underwater world and creatures you never knew existed. Make Shedd your classroom this August, let’s dive in!
Animal Spotlights
Turn on your listening ears! Did you know Shedd is home to over 1,500 species? During an Animal Spotlight, you get the chance to learn all about one. Do dolphins live in freshwater or saltwater? Do they have belly buttons? Get answers to these questions and more from a Shedd expert. Watch a training session and get the inside scoop on how you can protect these incredible marine mammals and their habitats.
Between dolphins, belugas and sea lions, you’ll never know who will show up! Check out Today at Shedd for the Animal Spotlight schedule.
Shedd Stories
Learn with Shedd from the comfort of your couch! If you’re an avid reader, mix in Shedd’s stories with your daily routine. Discover how Shedd feeds 32,000 animals, how different species parent their young or how you can act for the Earth. With new stories every month, you’ll stay in the know about weird and wonderful animal biology, groundbreaking conservation research and the latest and greatest at Shedd.
Ready to read? Check out our stories.
Kayak
Trade pencil and paper for a paddle and get to the heart of Chicago with Shedd. Kayak for Conservation offers the opportunity to look nature in the eye and learn about the innovative efforts taken to improve the health of the Chicago River. Learn all about the history of the Chicago River and the progress made over the past century.
This experience is perfect for Chicago nature lovers. Help your Shedd guides monitor turtles and waterfowl during a beginner tour or contribute to fish monitoring for intermediate paddlers. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of the wild habitat that is the Chicago River and how to protect it.
Animal Encounter
Raise your hand if you want to meet an animal! During an animal encounter you can prepare an enrichment activity for a sea otter, touch a beluga whale or hang out with penguins.
Encountering new species that you might never get the chance to see in the wild deepens your knowledge and understanding. Exposure to these animals opens your eyes to regions of the world you haven’t experienced before. After your encounter, tap into your inner marine biologist by exploring each gallery at Shedd. You might discover a new favorite animal or walk away with a different perspective about our ocean, rivers or lakes.
To learn more, visit the Animal Encounters page.
Touch Experience
Multi-sensory learning uses multiple senses to strengthen understanding and learning. Tactile learning uses hands-on experiences to help people remember information.
Touch and feeding experiences at the aquarium give you the chance to experience the ocean with your hands. Head down to Sea Star Touch in the Polar Play Zone to feel five species of sea stars. Feel the textured skin and learn how these animals eat and move around their environment. Step outside to feel the soft stingrays as they glide under your fingertips — or feed them a seafood snack! Please note Stingray Touch and Feeding is a seasonal experience.
In the At Home on the Great Lakes gallery, feel the leathery skin of lake sturgeons. These animals have existed for more than 200 million years, outliving dinosaurs! Get up close with these living fossils and feel the rough bony plates that encase their bodies.
Live Chat
Every day, you have the chance to learn from experienced Shedd educators about animals and their habitats! From watching electric eels emit pulses to learning why a penguin may waddle or hop, you’ll hear interesting facts all around the aquarium. We promise, no pop quizzes!
Learn how sharks thrive and why anacondas are valuable to their ecosystem. Explore the upcoming chats by visiting Today at Shedd.
You may not be headed back to school this August, but you can make life your classroom. Learning is a lifelong adventure full of opportunities. Shedd is just one way to connect and learn more about the world around you. From learning about interesting animal adaptations to important conservation efforts — Shedd is a library of information waiting to be checked out.
P.S. - Become a member for a year’s worth of learning-filled adventures!