TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Loveland Living Planet Aquarium offers a variety of professional development workshops to engage teachers in the latest research and best practices in science education. In 2020, we launched a new series of recorded workshops to assist teachers with the transition to online and hybrid learning. Recordings can be accessed under Curriculum Resources.
These workshops are free for Utah public and charter school educators, and relicensure credit is awarded for each workshop attended. These programs are supported by funding from Utah State Legislature’s Informal Science Education Enhancement (iSEE) grant and the Education Alliance Partnership in association with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF).
Occasionally, we have enough resources to offer additional workshops. You may request a workshop below.
For more information about teacher professional development workshops please contact our Education team at specialprograms@livingplanetaquarium.org
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
The Aquarium is excited to invite you to join your peer educators for 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade teacher workshop programs! Find details for our classes below:
Educators from 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade classes will join the Aquarium’s Teacher Resource staff at Loveland Living Planet Aquarium for a morning of professional development. Participants will explore and participate in lessons and activities based on Utah’s SEEd standards that involve ecosystems found across the world.
This engaging three-hour in-person workshop will include:
- An introduction to lesson content and how to apply it in your classroom
- Demonstrations of activities and how to lead them for your students
- Reflection and discussion with peer educators
- Complimentary breakfast buffet
Registration via MIDAs is REQUIRED and space is LIMITED. Educators who complete the workshop will be eligible for three hours of relicensure points. Sign-up surveys can be found below under the appropriate grade. We hope to see you there!
2024 Teacher Workshops
Discover science lessons for blending learning in this free, three-hour, in-person workshop. Teachers will experience three-dimensional science instruction and see how they can apply this exciting instructional model to their science lessons – both in class and online! In this workshop, we will share lesson plans explicitly designed to help you meet Utah’s SEEd standards, as well as tried and true tips and tricks for making ecology and biology exciting for students.
Nature
Inventions
2nd Grade
During the workshop, Aquarium instructors will demo a lesson from our “Nature Inventions” lessons correlating to SEEd standard 2.2.4. These lesson plans can be adapted for in-class or online learning and complement our 2nd grade Rainforest Van curriculum. Whether virtual or in-person, these lessons are a perfect extension of your Aquarium outreach visit.
Participants will receive 3 relicensure point and access to the complete “Nature Inventions” lesson plans.
Date & Time
Tuesday, August 13th from 9AM to 12PM. Click here to sign up!
You can view a recording of a similar past workshop below under Curriculum Resources.
Structure and Function
4th Grade
During the workshop, Aquarium instructors will demo a lesson from our “Structure and Function” lessons correlating to SEEd standard 4.1.1. These lesson plans can be adapted for in-class or online learning and compliment our 4th grade Adaptions Van curriculum. Whether virtual or in-person, these lessons are a perfect extension of your Aquarium outreach visit.
Participants will receive 3 relicensure point and access to the complete Structure and Function lesson plans.
Date & Time
Wednesday, August 14th from 9AM to 12PM. Click here to sign up!
You can view a recording of a similar past workshop below under Curriculum Resources.
Stability of Populations
6th Grade
During the workshop, Aquarium instructors will demo our new Stability of Populations curriculum, correlating to SEEd standard 6.4.4. These lesson plans can be adapted for in-class or at-home learning and compliment our 6th grade Ecosystems Van curriculum. Whether virtual or in-person, these lessons are a perfect extension of your Aquarium outreach visit.
Participants will receive 3 relicensure point and access to the complete Stability of Populations lesson plans.
Date & Time
Thursday, August 15th from 9AM to 12PM. Click here to sign up!
You can view a recording of a similar past workshop below under Curriculum Resources
Stability of Populations
High School
During the workshop, Aquarium instructors will demo our new Stability of Populations curriculum, correlating to SEEd standard BIO.1.1. These lesson plans can be adapted for in-class or at-home learning.
Please note that this curriculum uses a water-rich ecosystem as a model to explore the complexities of dams and does not specifically focus on drought or desert conditions.
Participants will receive 1 relicensure point and access to the complete Stability of Populations lesson plans and resources.
Date & Time
There are no upcoming dates for this workshop.
You can view a recording of a past workshop below in the Downloadable Curriculum Resources.
DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES
Loveland Living Planet Aquarium also offers free lesson plans and resources for teachers to help their students explore, discover, and learn about our living planet.
For more information about these resources please contact our Special Programs Coordinator at (801) 355-FISH (3474) ext. 256 or email peter.e@livingplanetaquarium.org
Curriculum Resources
Nature Inventions
In this 3-part unit, students investigate structures and functions of rainforest animals. Using this knowledge, they will then design and create an invention inspired by nature. This lesson is adaptable for in-class or at-home learning and aligned with SEEd standard 2.2.4.
Structure and Function
In this 3-part unit, students will investigate the structures and functions of animals living in Utah’s forests, deserts, and wetlands. Using this knowledge, they will create their own new species of animal that is adapted to one of these environments. This lesson is adaptable for in-class or at-home learning and aligned with SEEd standard 4.1.1.
Stability of Populations
In this 3-part series of lessons, students will investigate the natural history of Utah Lake and the impact of invasive species on the environment. Students will use textual evidence to create a representation of historical Utah Lake, then run a card-based model that explores the impact of invasive Asian carp on aquatic plants and the June sucker. Students will further this knowledge as they explore the myriad positive and negative ways humanity can impact an eco\system. These lessons are adaptable for in-class or at-home learning and are aligned to SEEd standards 6.4.4, Reading: Literature Standard 1 and Writing Standard 1.
Interactions with Organisms and the Environment
In this 3-part series of lessons, students will investigate dams and their effects on the environment by studying the fictional Westwater River system. After completing a virtual river survey to study native fish populations before and after dam construction, their knowledge will be put to the test as they step into the role of water manager and create an improvement plan for the Westwater River’s 5 dams. These lessons are adaptable for in-class or at-home learning and are aligned to SEEd standards BIO.1.1 and BIO.1.5.
Please note that this curriculum uses a water-rich ecosystem as a model to explore the complexities of dams and does not specifically focus on drought or desert conditions.