The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is opening its educational resources to homeschool families with a new catalog of programs, available as a series or a la carte classes.
“Each year, The Maritime Aquarium reaches some 80,000 school students during field trips to the Aquarium and through our presentations of more than 30 standards-fulfilling educational programs,” said Aquarium spokesman Dave Sigworth.
“But you shouldn’t have to be enrolled in a formal school setting to have access to our educational programs. So we’re happy to open these unique learning opportunities to the many homeschooling parents and students in the tri-state area.”
Photo from the Maritime Aquarium
The Maritime Aquarium is offering new standards-based educational programs to homeschool students this fall, available as a series for ages 10-13 and as individual programs for ages 3 to 17.
For ages 10 to 13, a new “Marine Biology Series” is available on Monday mornings from Sept. 18 to Nov. 6. Most sessions are two hours long, with start times varying between 9 and 10 a.m. (The Sept. 25 cruise is 2.5 hours long.)
Here is the series schedule:
• Sept. 18: Introduction to Field Biology and Biodiversity
• Sept. 25: Marine Life Study Cruise
• Oct. 2: Water Quality Monitoring/Cycles
• Oct. 9: Shoreline Scientist Program
• Oct. 16: Biodiversity Data Analysis
• Oct. 23: Microscopes/Plankton
• Oct. 30: Fish Dissection
• Nov. 6: Careers and Conservation
For program descriptions, times and the standards they fulfill, go to the aquarium website and click on “Fun & Learning.”
Students must sign up for the entire eight-week series. Cost is $175 per person and includes Aquarium admission on class days.
In addition to the series for ages 10 to 13, The Maritime Aquarium also is offering one-time programs for homeschoolers across a broad range of ages. Sign up for one or more of these fun educational programs. All programs are drop-off style, except for the Marine Life Study Cruise.
Here’s the single-class schedule, with intended age groups, dates and times.
• Meet The Animals (ages 3-5) — Monday, Sept. 18 from 10 to 10:45 a.m.
• Similarities & Differences (ages 6-7) — Friday, Sept. 22 from 10 to 11 a.m.
• Marine Life Study Cruise (ages 7 & up) — Monday, Sept. 25 from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
• Shark Safari (ages 6-8) — Wednesday, Sept. 27 from 10 to 11 a.m.
• Exploring Systems (ages 9-13) — Thursday, Sept. 28 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
• Shark Anatomy & Evolution (ages 14-17) — Wednesday, Oct. 4 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
• Squid Adaptations (ages 7-10) — Tuesday, Oct. 10 from 10 to 11 a.m.
• Science of Diving (ages 14-17) — Thursday, Oct. 12 from 10 to 11:15 a.m.
• Marine World Magnified (ages 8-10) — Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 10 to 11 a.m.
For program descriptions and the standards they fulfill, go to the aquarium website and click on “Fun & Learning.”
Costs for the single programs vary from $10 to $20 per person for programs in the Aquarium, and are $29.95 per person for the Sept. 25 program aboard the research vessel R/V Spirit of the Sound. For the cruise program, all children must be at least 42 inches tall, and a ticketed adult must accompany child(ren).
For all classes — in the series or the single sessions — a discount of $3 off aquarium admission is available for parents and siblings on program days. Parents or siblings who do not wish to purchase aquarium admission can wait in the café or leave the aquarium and return at pick-up time.
For more details about the Maritime Aquarium’s new homeschool programs, go to the aquarium website or call (203) 852-0700, ext. 2211.