Grades 6-8
Marine Birds (90 minutes to 3 hours) NEW 
The marine birds seen in Puget Sound have interesting life cycles and some travel thousands of miles and visit diverse habitats in the course of a year.
In this new class, students use scientific study skins and other resources to learn about adaptations birds have made to life on the water and discover the unique life stories of different marine bird species. Weather permitting, students can view seasonal species from our dock and beaches. They will learn why so many marine birds are drawn to Puget Sound and explore possible causes as well as solutions to the declines recently seen in seabird populations of our area.
Forage Fish (3 hours)
Forage fish are an important indicator species with complex life histories. Through games and discussion, students learn about forage 
fish behavior and roles in the food webs, participate in a simulated beach survey to find "eggs" and explore the interaction between beach geology and forage fish survival. Students then learn about basic fish morphology and biology by studying the anatomy of Pacific Herring during a guided dissection. Session concludes with a discussion of forage fishes’ ecological needs.
Puget Sound Plankton (90 minutes)
Students collect plankton and use dissecting microscopes to examine, draw and identify the types of plankton found. Stress is placed on plankton's importance to Puget Sound food webs and its contribution to oxygen production.
Marine Invertebrates (90 minutes)
Students learn about the major groupings of familiar marine animals. They observe, compare and contrast animals in touch pools. They divide them into phyla, and use resource books to practice identification and research skills.
Tides and Beach Zonation (2 hours)
Students learn about tides and investigate their effects on a cobble beach. Using a transect, they study marine communities of plants and animals, identify and group them according to their locations between high and low tide zones.
Inquiry and the Scientific Process (3 hours)
Students gain hands-on experience with experimental design. Students investigate live marine organisms, then make a list of observations and questions. These questions are used to guide small learning groups in: selecting a testable hypothesis, designing/conducting an experiment, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting results. Focus is on critical thinking, teamwork and development of scientific process skills.
Fossils and Geologic Time (90 minutes)
Students examine a varied collection of fossils and learn about the ancient animals and plants preserved in each specimen. They learn how scientists use fossil clues to date sedimentary layers around the world. They create a geologic time-line that includes these organisms and learn about geologic events and extinct life forms of Washington State.
Sands of the World (90 minutes)
Students examine the surprising characteristics of sand samples from around the world. They discover microscopic clues that tell the sand’s story: what it’s made of, how far it traveled, whether it formed on a beach or a sand dune. They learn why there are so many different kinds of sand in the world and discover the processes that form the sandy beaches of Puget Sound.
The Gray Whale (90 minutes)
Students assemble the complete skeleton of a 24-foot gray whale, reflect on functional anatomy and relate skeletal structure to the animal’s muscle attachments and movements. Students learn about migration routes, feeding habits and the life history of the gray whale.
Marine Mammals and Comparative Anatomy (90 minutes)
Students examine a human skeleton and assemble skeletons of several marine mammals, comparing and contrasting common structures. They consider ways in which the physical environments in which animals live affects their anatomy, feeding strategies, motion and communication.
The Big One (90 minutes)
Students examine recordings of earthquakes picked up on our on-site seismograph to learn about waves generated by earthquakes, and how they travel through the earth. After a discussion of earthquake preparedness for Pacific Northwest residents, they work in teams to design earthquake resistant structures.
Discovering Marine Birds (90 minutes)
Students learn the life histories and environmental threats to some common and not so common species of birds in our area. They experience a bird-watching walk and observe feathers, bones and other specimens to discover the wide variety of local birds.