The National Aquarium, Baltimore, offers several professional development opportunities for educators. These include day-long teacher workshops, an annual teacher overnight, and an intensive weeklong teacher institute. Below you will find the dates and times for all that we offer.
Reservations for teacher workshops at the National Aquarium, Baltimore, will be accepted beginning June 14, 2012, at 9 a.m. by phone: 410-576-3833.
Project Learning Tree
April 20, 2013
Investigate environmental education concepts through activities from the Project Learning Tree Activity Guide. Project Learning Tree is an award-winning, multidisciplinary curriculum for educators of students in grades Pre-K–8. Participants in this workshop receive a copy of the Project Learning Tree Environmental Education Activity Guide.
Date: Saturday, April 20, 2013
To Register: Call 410-576-3833 beginning June 14, 2012, at 9 a.m.
Registration Deadline: April 5, 2013
Cost: $10 per person (includes Aquarium admission and refreshments. Lunch is not included)
Space is limited to 20 participants.
The National Aquarium, Washington, DC, invites educators in the District of Columbia metropolitan region to participate in a free, stipend-based program, generously funded by the Toyota USA Foundation. Participating teachers receive a stipend of $50 or $100 depending on the program; classroom materials, such as reference books and posters; a curriculum guide developed specifically for each program; and free instructional workshops.
According to U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy’s An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century, environment-based education directly helps teachers address the environmental education needs of students.
Educators will learn aquatic and marine science concepts that develop their skills and address the National Science Education Standards (NSES) that were designed to “guide our nation toward a scientifically literate society.”
Workshops include five or 10 hours of instruction over one or two consecutive Saturdays, depending on the program you select. They take place at the National Aquarium's Washington, DC, venue, located in the Department of Commerce Building on 14th Street (between Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues).
Space is limited to 12 participants for each session. Sessions are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Early application is encouraged.
Workshop Descriptions and Dates
Aquatic and Marine Science for Today’s Classroom Teacher
(a two-day, 10-hour workshop)
Dates: September 22 & 29, 2012; May 4 & 11, 2013
Among the topics you'll explore are:
- Diversity of life—a basic review of biological classification
- Freshwater ecosystems—rivers, streams, lakes, bogs, and swamps
- Marine ecosystems—estuaries, tide pools, coral reefs, and kelp forests
- Major animal groups—fish, sharks, sea turtles, and other aquatic reptiles
- How to incorporate marine and aquatic science into your curriculum
- How to utilize the National Aquarium as a classroom resource
- Other resources that are available and how to use them
Aliens Among Us: Invasion Ecology
(a one-day, five-hour workshop)
Dates: November 3, 2012; February 23, 2013
Workshop participants will learn about some local introduced and invasive species and the problems they present. What is the difference between an introduced species and an invasive species? What can be done about the problem? Lesson plans on invasive ecology will be shared and demonstrated.
Watershed Dynamics
(a one-day, five-hour workshop)
Dates: December 1, 2012; March 2, 2013
Participants will receive an overview of watershed science including biological, chemical, and physical properties of rivers and streams. In addition, we will work with topographic maps and how to use them in the classroom. Participants will receive lesson plans to help incorporate more watershed dynamics into their classroom.
Sex in the Sea
(a one-day, five-hour workshop)
Dates: February 2 and April 6, 2013
Aquatic animals exhibit many interesting adaptations for survival. When it comes to reproduction, the adaptations are as varied and strange as you can imagine. How and why do fish change sex? Why do male seahorses give birth? Is it true that a lot of animals live to reproduce and then die? Answers to these and many other questions will be explored in this new workshop to help you answer some of those questions your students may ask!
How to Apply
Download the application form and mail or fax it along with support materials to the address provided on the form.
Acceptance letters are e-mailed immediately upon receipt of applications. When an applicant’s first session choice is full, the second choice is confirmed. Should the second choice also be full, the Aquarium will contact you to determine if another session is workable.
For more information, call the director of education at 202-482-0852.