Watershed Walkabout: Cape Fear

Meet a real Marine Conservation Biologist with our signature in-school field trip program! In this interactive, inquiry-based opportunity, your students will learn all about marine science, ecology, and conservation from an expert in the field. These 30 grade-appropriate STEAM lessons are taught exclusively to students in New Hanover, Pender, and Brunswick Counties, NC. They are all correlated to the Next Generation Science Standards, NC Essential Standards (new 2023), and Ocean and Climate Literacy Standards. Check out how we meet the standards HERE.

**We are expanding our Cape Fear program in 2024-25 to Duplin and Bladen Counties! Stay tuned for more about this program in your district. Pricing is below, but will include travel fees to these counties.**

Here's how it works:

Choose a lesson, contact our Director of Education to schedule a day that's suitable for you and the other teachers in your grade, and she'll bring the science to you! She doesn't need an auditorium or a gymnasium because her presentation style requires her to be in your individual classroom with your students. Each is hands-on, so students get the most out of the hour-long activities.

NEW PRICING FOR 2024-25! Cost is $85 for one class (base price) and just $65 each additional class. We use this flat rate so it's cheaper for your students. For example: 4 classes = $280 (plus tax). For 100 students total, that would be $3/student! We can only accept check or money order at this time. Registration must be made at least one week in advance and cancellations must be made within 24 hours of the scheduled date. (PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

K - 1st Grade:

Available to Both:

What Happened to My Food? - In this fun and interactive game, students play food web musical chairs to learn how species cope with depleting resources.

NC Essential Standards: LS.K.1.2, LS.1.1.1, ESS.1.3

Cross-Curriculum Standards: K.C&G.1.2, 1.E.1.3, NC.K.CC.1, NC.K.CC.6, K.OA.1, 1.OA.1,

1.OA.6

Sea Jellies Among Us - Get up close and personal with sea jellies without getting stung, and see how similar our bodies are to sea jellies. Students learn all about the main body parts of jellies and how they function by creating their own to take home. (craft/art component)

NC Essential Standards: LS.K.1, LS.K.2.1, LS.1.1.1, ESS.1.3.2

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.K.1, SL.1.1, SL.K.5, SL.1.5, K.C.1.1, K.V.1.1, K.V.3, 1.V.1.1,

1.V.3

Available to K ONLY:

Sand Critters - Through this discovery and nature play activity, students unearth who lives under the sand at the beach. (craft/art component)

NC Essential Standards: LS.K.1, LS.K.2.1

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.K.1, SL.K.5, K.C.1.1

Elasmo-Craze - Be an archaeologist and go on a fossil dig, while learning all about sharks, rays, and skates as cartilaginous fish.

NC Essential Standards: LS.K.1, LS.K.2

Cross-Curriculum Standards: K.G.1.2, NC.K.MD.2, NC.K.G.4

Available to 1st ONLY:

Baleen In-Between - Whales feed differently from each other, and through this water-based activity, students demonstrate these feeding techniques to better their chance of survival. (water component)

NC Essential Standards: LS.1.1, ESS.1.3

Cross-Curriculum Standards: NC.1.G.2

The Great Terrapin Race (NEW for 2024-25!) - Being a terrapin turtle is hard when you need to find food and hide from predators in the marsh. This predator/prey game of tag show students how to survive in one of the most biodiverse coastal ecosystems. (outdoor component)

NC Essential Standards: LS.1.1.1, ESS.1.3

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.1.1, SL.1.2, SL.1.3, 1.B.1.1, 1.C&G.1, 1.G.2

2nd - 3rd Grade:

Available to Both:

Turtles, Turtles, Everywhere - Three different turtle species, three distinct coastal habitats. Students discover who lives where through a series of clues based on predators, prey, and nest locations. (craft/art component)

NC Essential Standards: LS.2.1, LS.2.2, ESS.3.2.1

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.2.1, SL.3.1, SL.2.2, SL.3.2, SL.2.5, SL.3.5, 3.G.1.6, 2.V.2.3,

2.V.3.1, 3.V.2.3

Web of Life - As students demonstrate through this interactive food web, we are all connected by the foods we consume. This game highlights some of the effects to the web caused by human interactions and consumption.

NC Essential Standards: LS.2.2, LS.3.3.1, ESS.3.2.1

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.2.1, SL.3.1, SL.2.3, SL.3.3, 2.G.2.2

Available to 2nd ONLY:

Dichotomous Dilemma (same great activity, new name!) - We love collecting seashells on the beach, but wouldn't it be great to know how those shells were formed and what animal made them? As marine biologists, students learn how to use a dichotomous key to identify some local species based on their common characteristics.

NC Essential Standards: LS.2.1

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.2.1, SL.2.3

Something Fishy (same great activity, new name!) - There's "something fishy" about these species and students discover and identify who they are and what they need to survive. (craft/art component)

NC Essential Standards: LS.2.2

Cross-Curriculum Standards: RI.2.3, RI.2.4, RI.2.7, S.L.2.1, S.L.2.3

Available to 3rd ONLY:

Made From Land, Made From Sea - As marine geologists, students uncover sands around the world and determine where their origins are from. Using scientific inquiry, they describe samples by their size, texture, shape, color, and composition. (craft/art component)

NC Essential Standards: ESS.2.3

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.3.1, SL.3.2, 3.G.1.3

Ecosystem Survivor (NEW for 2024-25!) - Resources for survival, such as food, shelter, air, and space, can become limited with increased population or human interference. Students demonstrate limited resources in this fun tag game of survival. (outdoor component)

NC Essential Standards: LS.3.2.1, ESS.3.2

Cross-Curriculum Standards: S.L.3.1, S.L.3.3

4th - 5th Grade:

Available to BOTH:

Alternate Route - Find the best way to save sea turtles at every stage of their life cycle from hatchling to adult. Discover how human have been impacting their populations in both positive and negative ways. (craft/art component)

NC Essential Standards: LS.4.1.3, ESS.4.3, LS.5.2, LS.5.3.1

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.4.1, SL.5.1, 4.G.1.2, 5.G.1.2

Animal S.O.S. - Let's role play as wildlife rescuers and rehabilitators in this interactive activity, where students work together in rescue teams to learn what care injured and sick marine species need. They will then take what they learn and design wildlife protection posters. (craft/art component)

NC Essential Standards: LS.4.1.1, ESS.4.3, LS.5.2.3, LS.5.3

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.4.1, SL.5.1, 4.G.1.2, 5.G.1.2, 4.V.2.3, 4.CX.2.2, 5.V.2.3

Available to 4th ONLY:

Incredible Journey - Water travels from the sky to the ground and back in a cycle around the world, and students follow this cycle from station to station as "water droplets." They demonstrate how easily pollution can infiltrate this cycle and discuss ways to keep it out. (craft/art component)

NC Essential Standards: ESS.4.3

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.4.2, SL.4.5, 4.G.1.2, 4.V.2.3, 4.CX.2.2

Mighty Migrations - Follow the trans-Atlantic migrations of birds and mammals as they feed and avoid harm from human interactions in this interactive migration game. Can students survive the long voyage?

NC Essential Standards: LS.4.1.1 ESS.4.3

Cross-Curriculum Standards: RI.4.1, RI.4.3, RI.4.4 SL.4.1, SL4.3

Available to 5th ONLY:

Climate Change Cause and Effect (NEW for 2024-25!) - There are causes of climate change, effects of climate change, and things humans can do to slow this process. Students use what they know about metaphors to identify these climate change factors and discuss ways they can contribute to slowing its process individually.

NC Essential Standards: LS.5.2, ESS.5.1.4

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.5.1, SL.5.3, SL.5.6, 5.G.1.1

Sea Level is On the Rise *(LIMITED ON SUPPLIES)* - Sea levels along the coast are rising at an alarming rate and nesting habitats for birds and turtles are disappearing fast. Students demonstrate how long their marsh habitats will survive an increase in sea level rise. (water component)

NC Essential Standards: LS.5.2, ESS.5.1.3, ESS.5.1.4

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.5.1, 5.G.1.3

6th - 8th Grade:

Available to ALL:

A Little Crab on a Big Decline - The blue crab is part of a large fishing industry in NC, and as fishermen, students learn how to manage the fishery during times of natural disasters and human harvesting seasons. (non-allergy food component and math component)

NC Essential Standards: LS.6.2.2, ESS.6.3, ESS.7.2, LS.8.3, ESS.8.2.1, ESS.8.3.2
Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.6.1, S.L.7.1, SL.8.1, SL.6.5, SL.7.5, SL.8.5, NC.6.RP.3,

NC.6.SP.4, NC.6.SP.5, NC.7.SP.6, NC.8.SP.1, 6.C&G.1.4, 7.E.1.2, 8.E.1.1, 8.G.1

Sum of the Parts - Students role play in this watershed game, understanding how to manage pollution through land use regulations and best practices in a local coastal ecosystem.

NC Essential Standards: ESS.6.3, ESS.7.2, ESS.8.3.2, ESS.8.4

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.6.1, SL.7.1, SL.6.2, SL.6.5, SL.7.5, SL.8.1, SL.8.2,

7.G.1.3, 6.V.2, 6.CX.2.2, 7.V.2.2, 8.V.2

Microscope Mania - The marine food web begins at the planktonic and microscopic level, and students explore the most important flora and fauna to all other life underwater. They learn how to properly use microscopes to discover these smallest and most abundant species. (craft/art component)

NC Essential Standards: LS.6.2, LS.7.1, LS.8.2.3
Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.6.1, SL.6.2, SL.7.1, SL.7.2, SL.8.1, SL.8.5, 6.V.2, 6.CX.2.2,

7.V.2, 7.CX.2.2, 8.V.2, 8.CX.2.2

Available to 6th ONLY:

Migration Mayhem (NEW for 2024-25!) - In this interactive migration game, students demonstrate the obstacles birds and marine mammals face from their wintering to their nesting habitats. (outdoor component)

NC Essential Standards: LS.6.2.2, ESS.6.3.2

Cross-Curriculum Standards: RI.6.7, SL.6.1, SL.6.2

Available to 7th ONLY:

Beakology Decoded (NEW for 2024-25!) - Migrating shorebirds all have unique beaks that best serve them in finding the right food. Students engage in this lively activity to discover which beach is designed for which prey species.

NC Essential Standards: LS.7.1, LS.7.2

Cross-Curriculum Standards: RI.7.1, SL.7.1, NC.7.SP.1

Available to 8th ONLY:

Sea Turtle Salvation (NEW for 2024-25!) - Sea turtles can become injured or sick due to human interactions, and as wildlife rehabilitators, students learn how to diagnose and properly care for these injuries or diseases.

NC Essential Standards: LS.8.2.1, LS.8.3, ESS.8.3.2

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.8.1, SL.8.5

High School:

Biology:

Are You Fit to Survive? - Survival depends on many factors, including food and shelter. When populations are limited by these factors, ecosystems change. Through this game, students model that biodiversity loss.

NC Essential Standards: LS.Bio.5, LS.Bio.9.3, LS.Bio.9.4

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.9-10.1, SL.11-12.1, AH2.H.1.3, NC.M2.S-IC.2, NC.M3.S-IC.1

Calcium Carbonate Calamity - Acidification of our oceans greatly effects the growth rates of species who use calcium carbonate to form shells and exoskeletons. In this chemistry experiment, students demonstrate the rate of acidification using various concentrations on different species.

NC Essential Standards: LS.Bio.1.2, LS.Bio.5.2, LS.Bio.10

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.9-10.1, SL.11-12.1, SL.9-10.4, SL.11-12.4

It's Getting Hot in Here - Global temperatures are rising and that has long-term effects on gender ratios of sea turtle species. In this experiment, students excavate sea turtle nests to describe these ratio changes as temperatures continue to rise. (math component)

NC Essential Standards: LS.Bio.4.2, LS.Bio.5, LS.Bio.7.3

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.9-10.1, SL.11-12.1, SL.9-10.4, SL.11-12.4, NC.M2.S-IC.2

Environmental:

A Diplomatic Island - Let’s have a debate! Students work in teams to decide best management practices on a barrier island and within a community of stakeholders.

NC Essential Standards: ESS.EES.4.1, ESS.EES.4.4, ESS.EES.4.5, ESS.EES.5, ESS.EES.6

Cross-Curriculum Standards: RI.9-10.1, W.9-10.1, W.11-12.1, SL.9-10.1, SL.11-12.1, SL.9-10.3,

SL.11-12.3, SL.9-10.4, SL.11-12.4, AH2.H.2.3, FP.C&G.2.7, FP.C&G.3.6

Anatomy of a Beach *(LIMITED ON SUPPLIES)* - Students have the opportunity to model a barrier island system and demonstrate how storms can affect our coastline. They will determine the best ways to prevent erosion and save valuable wildlife habitat as our coastal storms increase in frequency and intensity. (water component)

NC Essential Standards: ESS.EES.4.1, ESS.EES.4.4, ESS.EES.4.5, ESS.EES.5.1,

ESS.EES.5.6, ESS.EES.6

Cross-Curriculum Standards: SL.9-10.1, SL.11-12.1, SL.9-10.4, SL.11-12.4, AH.G.1.1

Marine CSI (NEW for 2024-25!) - There was a crime committed and a major ecosystem has been destroyed! Student work together as investigators through a series of clues to discover who the culprit is. A discussion into careers in wildlife management, environmental law, and crime investigations will follow the activity.

NC Essential Standards: ESS.EES.3.1, ESS.EES.3.3, ESS.EES.4, ESS.EES.5, ESS.EES.6

Cross-Curriculum Standards: RI.9-10.1, RI.9-10.3, RI.9-10.7, W.9-10.1, SL.9-10.1, SL.9-10.4,

RI.11-12.1, RI.11-12.3, RI.11-12.7, W.11-12.1, SL.11-12.1, SL11-12.4

Marine CSI:

Coastal Science Investigations

Watershed Walkabout: Cape Fear