Education
Educator Professional Development
Shedd’s professional development experiences for educators are immersive and transformative!
We offer a range of opportunities to connect Shedd to your classroom, and your curriculum to the field. Workshops and resources in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) are designed to connect you with peers and empower your students to develop deep scientific inquiry.
Which part of your practice will you transform with Shedd?
Wetlands Flora and Fauna
Suggested for K to 12th-grade teachers
Wetlands study is a great opportunity to get outdoors for hands-on scientific investigations. This multidisciplinary course will use resources at the Chicago Botanic Garden and at Shedd Aquarium to enhance participants’ knowledge and experience in wetlands ecology. At the garden’s lakes we’ll identify animals and learn about plants and their vital roles in aquatic ecosystems. At the aquarium we’ll study animals from local waters and from aquatic habitats around the world.
April 24 at Shedd Aquarium
May 1 at Chicago Botanic Garden
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Price: $150 ($140 for educator members)
CPDU credits: 15
CPS Lane credit: 1
Graduate credit: 1
To register for this program, visit the Chicago Botanic Garden’s teachers spring programs.
Field Trip Basics and Curriculum Connections
Suggested for K to 8th-grade teachers
Expand your curriculum and learn important strategies for planning focused and successful field trips. Discuss the details of the registration process and explore aquarium exhibits and programs for your students. During the workshop we will also practice creating a pre-trip lesson plan and an activity for during the field trip, and we’ll create a post-trip lesson as a group. Light refreshments will be provided. Advance registration is required.
Nov. 12 or Dec.10, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
FREE
Available credit: 3 CPDUs
To register for this workshop, please call 312-692-3165 or e-mail teacherservices@sheddaquarium.org.
Come to Shedd or have us come to you -- whichever works better for your group. These two-hour workshops are designed for a maximum of 20 educators. The $250 fee includes curriculum and support materials.
Classroom Habitats – Grades K–12
Explore basic tools and skills needed to set up a classroom habitat while discovering several ways live-animal encounters can increase students’ comfort with science. We explore animal behavior and how animal observations are great tools for inquiry and science fair projects.
Great Lakes in My World – Grades K–8
Shedd educators bring one or more of our “Great Lakes in My World” discovery boxes and coach you through discovering and applying its treasures. Explore ways to connect students to the local environment and meet standards at the same time.
Learning to See: Scientific Sketching and Journaling – Grades K–12
Practice the techniques used by Charles Darwin, Leonardo de Vinci and the crew of the HMS Challenger to record the natural world. Observe how scientific sketching can improve student observation skills and assist students in asking creative and critical questions.
Inquiry in Action: Worm Compost Bins – Grades K–12
A worm bin is a great way to introduce environmental conservation and waste reduction, but did you know it can also be an incredibly useful science-inquiry tool? Create a worm bin for your class and discuss strategies for using it for science investigation and maintaining it.
To register, download and complete the Teacher Registration Form and fax it to 312-663-1472. Reservations must be made three weeks before the date requested.
Teacher in-services are designed for groups of up to 30 participants, including school educators, administrators and pre-service teachers. The FREE one-hour program introduces the wide range of Shedd Aquarium resources for educators and their students, and it can take place at Shedd or at your school. Learn about professional development opportunities, field experience, field trip information, the aquarium's website and other resources for your classroom.
Call 312-692-3165 to schedule your Shedd in-service.
Wilderness Classroom – North American Expedition
Suggested for 3rd- to 8th-grade teachers
Join Wilderness Classroom and Shedd Aquarium for a workshop that brings aquatic and terrestrial environments throughout North America to your classroom. Explore exciting new ways to study the Pacific Northwest, Great Lakes, mangroves, salt marshes, coral reefs and more. Create immersive learning environments as you interact with workshop hosts Dave Freeman and Amy Voytilla during their upcoming 12,000-mile journey across the North America by canoe, kayak and dogsled. Receive 2 CPDUs and a variety of teaching materials courtesy of Wilderness Classroom.
Nov. 3, 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Price: FREE
Registration is closed. Join our e-mail list to hear about upcoming programs.
.jpg)
NOAA Ocean Exploration Part I
Suggested for science teachers grades 6-12
From bioluminescent corals to deep-vent worms, and from tropical underwater volcanoes to the Arctic Ocean floor, share the excitement of current ocean science discoveries with your students. This program from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) includes the Learning Ocean Science through Ocean Exploration curriculum, CD and the Ocean Explorer website. The second part of this two-part workshop will be held in spring 2010. Educators who attend both full-day workshops will receive a $100 stipend. Each participant will receive the curriculum book, CD, materials related to activities presented during the workshop, a NOAA Ocean Exploration certificate of participation, a continental breakfast and lunch.
Nov. 14, 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Registration is closed. Join our e-mail list to hear about upcoming programs.
Day of Discovery
Presented by Discovery Education and Shedd Aquarium
Shedd Aquarium and Discovery Education are pleased to present a Day of Discovery on Oct. 10, 2009. This Day of Discovery will provide educators with an exciting and enriching day of professional development focused on creative ways to engage students using digital media from Discovery Education streaming.
Participants will learn how they can use images, audio clips and videos to create multimedia presentations, digital stories and virtual field trips. Administrators are invited to attend special sessions geared to supporting teachers as they use digital media, student assessments and technology.
Saturday, Oct. 10
8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Price: FREE (Includes lunch and fun prizes)
Registration is closed for this unique Discovery partnership program. Join our e-mail list to hear about upcoming programs.
Teacher Field Experiences
Freshwater Ecology
Suggested for grades K–12 educators
Travel to several habitats of the Great Lakes to conduct scientific ecology research at rivers, bogs and fens. Sites include Waterfall Glen in DuPage County and Glacial Park in McHenry County among others. Team up with scientists, teachers and site-specific stewards to explore local environments and engaging ways to apply the scientific process.
Price: $150 a person; includes lunch, transportation and materials
Lane credit or two graduate credits available from NLU ($135/credit paid separately)
Registration is closed. Join our e-mail list to hear about upcoming programs.
Underwater Robotics
Suggested for grades 6–12 educators
Make underwater discoveries with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV)! Build your own ROV, conduct field research with it and observe how science, technology, engineering and math can inspire inquiry. Receive several hundred dollars’ worth of materials and curriculum to share the excitement with your middle- or high-school class.
Aug. 10–14; 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Price: $250 a team includes lunch, transportation and materials
Lane credit or two graduate credits available from NLU ($135/credit paid separately)
Note: Educators must apply in teams of 2 to 3.
Registration is closed. Join our e-mail list to hear about upcoming programs.
Biology in the Bahamas
Suggested for grades K–12 educators
Dive deep into marine environments and scientific research by exploring it at Shedd and then experiencing it firsthand in the Bahamas aboard Shedd's research vessel, the R/V Coral Reef II. Through hands-on experience, gain a greater understanding of data collection and analysis, how it applies to current scientific research and how to integrate this into a classroom curriculum.
Pre-trip held at Shedd Aquarium
Field work in Bimini, Bahamas
Post-trip at Shedd Aquarium
Price: $895 with limited funding opportunities available through the generous support of COSEE Great Lakes Marine Immersion Scholarships.
Registration is closed. Join our e-mail list to hear about upcoming programs.
Educator Resources
Teacher Newsletter
Shedd Aquarium’s Fish Tales newsletter is a monthly electronic publication designed exclusively for educators. In addition to highlighting aquarium education programs, resources and collections relevant to teaching and learning, Fish Tales inspires creative aquatic science education in the classroom. From professional development opportunities to the latest Shedd news, Fish Tales has a wealth of information for you. For more information regarding Fish Tales, call 312-692-3165.
Sign up for Fish Tales..jpg)
Ten Fun Finds Maps
Looking for activities for your next field trip? Check out our Ten Fun Finds maps. With these printable PDF maps, you can guide your students through a themed exploration of Shedd's animals.
Shedd Highlights – All-Access
Make Your Own Map!
For Tots
Oceanarium Discoveries
Staying Alive: Animal Adaptations
Cool Moves: Animal Movement
Disguises for Hiding: Animal Camouflage
“Great Lakes in My World” Discovery Box
Shedd Aquarium has partnered with the Alliance for the Great Lakes to bring aquatic science with a local flavor into your classroom. Based on the Alliance’s “Great Lakes in My World” K–8 curriculum, the discovery boxes include lesson plans and all the necessary resources to guide your students through an exploration of the Great Lakes environment.
Boxes can be rented for $15 for a maximum of three weeks.
Boxes are available on the following Great Lakes topics:
Water (suggested for grades 4–8)
Habitats (suggested for grades 3–8)
Biodiversity (suggested for grades K–8)
Obtain a copy of the reservation form. For more information, call 312-692-3165 or e-mail teacherservices@sheddaquarium.org.
Shedd Educational Adventures (SEA)
Enhance learning with interactive online aquatic science resources for K-12 educators and students. Interactive programs and animal fact sheets virtually connect you and your students to Shedd Aquarium’s diverse collection of animals. Grade-specific lesson plans provide curriculum enhancements and focused field trip support with pre-trip, on-site and post-trip activities. All content aligns with Illinois and national science, language arts and math standards. Connect to SEA.
Activity Guides
Shedd Aquarium offers a variety of activity guides that provide classroom teaching tools to make a great connection to the aquarium.
Available activity guides: Amazon Connections, Coral Reefs, Oceans, Penguins, Fishes, and Sharks.
Green Your Classroom
Use ecofriendly cleaners in the classroom.
Ask students to monitor their water use at home and at school; create charts and graphs to discuss the results for reducing water use.
Conduct a waste audit. How many ways can students find to reduce their waste and recycle more?
Compost in your classroom. Request a workshop on demand for your teachers after school to learn how to create and use worm bins in your classroom.
Visit the Creative Reuse Warehouse to get free art and education supplies that have been donated by those no longer needing them.
NOAA Ocean Explorations
Follow along as NOAA scientists explore the depths of the oceans. Connect your students to science learning and aquatic environments with scientist blogs, video footage, and lesson plans created by educators for educators. Each year brings new expeditions from NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration.
Receive a Learning Ocean Science through Ocean Exploration curriculum and CD when you enroll in Shedd’s NOAA Ocean Exploration Part I program.
Programs for adults
Shedd experiences don’t stop in the classroom, grab a friend and enjoy some aquatic excitement.
Educator e-newsletter
Sign up for our educator e-newsletter and get info, tools and ideas customized for your classroom needs.
Check out an article about Shedd's Teacher Field Experience program from a recent issue of Connect.
