Shedd sheds the penguins

With images of penguins dancing in my head, on Thursday, Nov. 12. I attended a "Field Trips Basics" workshop taught by Master of Science, Eleanor Hodack at the Shedd Aquarium.  I did this while multi-tasking as a future educator and present journalist with my secret agenda of viewing the new "Oceanarium" and "Polar Play Zone" exhibits. This dynamic workshop for educators covered everything from an overview of the Shedd's fascinating web-based curriculum (www.sheddaquarium.org/sea) through a delight-filled evening walk through of the almost-vacant museum that included a peek at "Granddad," an Australian lungfish which is the world's oldest aquatic animal in captivity anywhere. Another activity offered during this time was an underwater photography class sponsored by the Shedd in conjunction with the Scuba Emporium.  The tour did not include the new Oceanarium or Polar Play Zone exhibits, nor did it include penguins, although I was assured that students may view them all during a field trip.

The "Field Trip Basics" workshop covered classroom interactives (my favorite was playing hide the camouflage fish that my clever classmates took to a new level) through activities to do while at the Shedd and expanded to post-field trip follow-up.   The ethogram is a useful scientific technique the Shedd recommends to engage students in the study of a given species aquatic behavior.  The ethogram involves recording aquatic fish/animal behavior at 30 second intervals.  This technique can be diversified for students in third grade and younger by creating different columns that identify a given aquatic animals usual behaviors, for example:  grooming, eating and sleeping.  The student then is responsible for recording the animal behavior at appropriate time intervals. "Field Trips Basics" is an education-based workshop that included the Shedd's hours (every day except Christmas!), availability for workshops, (workshops are available for students in grades K-12, but are not offered December 17-31 this year) and the fact that on-line registration for field trips is available for the first time.

When planning a field trip, it is important for educators to consider a focused concept, grade level and learning standards; all of which are conveniently located on the Shedd's new website that also includes fact sheets and lesson plans. There is a free educator e-newsletter called "Fish Tales" that comes out bi-monthly and keeps educators abreast of current exhibits at the Shedd and includes tips on how to make use of these dynamic exhibits in the classroom. The busiest times of the year for school field trips are late April, May and June.  The best times for school groups to attend are Mondays and Tuesdays in the winter, as the Shedd is most busy on Wednesday through Sunday. When bringing a class to the museum for a walk through the Shedd advises that school groups have a focus based on a central theme, such as "Camouflage."  The Shedd Aquarium is free to all Illinois Schools who attend the museum before 10:00 a.m. Monday through Friday. 

The Shedd Aquarium also has a Summer Camp program that is part of the "Summer World's Tour" and includes time spent at each of the venues on Chicago's Museum campus (other participants include the Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum).  Young teens are offered an education-based day camp known as "Shedd Explorers" that focuses on Climate Changes of last summer.  They made video newscasts based on this dynamic topic during the week-long camp.  Applications for day camp at the Shedd begin in early April.  It is offered through their Public Programs Pod.

The Shedd no longer offers field trips with a penguins focus.  The penguin field trips were so popular that everything else was being overlooked!  As a result of their incredible popularity, the penguin field trips are no more. Students can visit the penguin exhibit, although we were not afforded this luxury in our time at the Shedd.  Instead, we visited the sea otters, as well as the main floor galleries. The sea otters, we were informed, were Hodack focus for her Master's thesis, and her favorite animals.  They have no blubber, so spend a considerable amount of time grooming their fur, blowing air into it so that it fluffs up and retains heat for longer periods of time.  We viewed them shortly after feeding time, when they are at their most active, making photography difficult.

The Shedd Aquarium offers a rich educational experience that is balanced with solid science and a sense of humor.  To find out more about their programs please visit www.sheddacquarium.org.