Loveland Living Planet Aquarium offers professional development workshops and lesson plans to engage teachers in the latest research and best practices in science education. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions!
Professional Development Workshops
Teacher resource 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).
While many of our workshops are hosted here at the Aquarium, we also offer workshops throughout the state of Utah. Please reach out to [email protected] if you’re interested in having us bring our workshop to you and the teachers in your district!
Discover three-dimensional science lessons in a free, three-hour, in-person workshop. Teachers will learn and practice lesson plans following SEEd standards and learn how to apply three-dimensional science instruction in their classrooms. Workshops offered:
Nature Inventions
2nd Grade
Did you enjoy the Aquarium’s second grade Rainforest Van program? Would you like FREE admission to the Aquarium? Come join us at Loveland Living Planet Aquarium for a morning of fun, science-based learning. Workshop participants will learn and practice a lesson plan that is designed to help 2nd graders better understand how plants and animals use their external parts to survive, grow, and meet their needs (following Utah SEEd Standard 2.2.4). Digital and physical materials will be provided to help you use this lesson plan in your classrooms. Participants will also receive complimentary breakfast and admission to the Aquarium.
Participants will receive three relicensure points and access to the complete Nature Inventions lesson plans.
Check back this fall for more workshops!
You can view a recording of a similar past workshop below under Lesson Plans.
Structure and Function
4th Grade
Please join us for a fun, learning-focused workshop designed to help your students become more proficient and have fun while doing it! This course, Structure and Function, is designed to help second graders better understand Utah SEEd Standard 4.1.1. Over the morning, teachers will learn and work through a three-part, multi-sensory lesson plan based on 3D science. Workshop participants will be provided digital and physical materials to help them use this lesson plan in their classrooms. Workshop participants will also have the opportunity to work through the lesson plan’s activities and discuss the plan with their fellow educators. Successful completion of this event will result in participants earning three relicensure hours. If the workshop takes place at the Aquarium, participants also will receive complimentary breakfast and admission to the Aquarium.
Participants will receive three relicensure points and access to the complete Structure and Function lesson plans.
Date & Time
Saturday, May 2, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location
Loveland Living Planet Aquarium (12033 S Lone Peak Pkwy, Draper, UT 84020)
You can view a recording of a similar past workshop below under Lesson Plans.
Stability of Populations
6th Grade
Did you enjoy the Aquarium’s sixth grade Ecosystems Van program? Would you like FREE admission to the Aquarium? Come join us at Loveland Living Planet Aquarium for a morning of fun, science-based learning. Over the morning, workshop participants will learn and work through a three-part, multi-sensory lesson plan based on 3D science, following Utah SEEd Standard 6.4.4. Workshop participants will be provided digital materials to help them use this lesson plan in their classrooms. Workshop participants will also have the opportunity to work through the lesson plan’s activities and discuss the plan with their fellow educators. Additionally, participants will receive complimentary breakfast and admission to the Aquarium.
Participants will receive three relicensure points and access to the complete Stability of Populations lesson plans.
Check back this fall for more workshops!
You can view a recording of a similar past workshop below under Lesson Plans.
NOAA Ocean Exploration
Grades 6-12
This full day workshop will introduce participants to the geologic and physical processes associated with seamounts and the rich biological communities that inhabit them, demonstrate a variety of student investigations and hands-on activities designed to guide students’ sensemaking of deep-sea phenomena, and explore additional free, online ocean exploration education resources.
Educators of grades 6-12 are invited to join a NOAA Ocean Exploration facilitator and our Education Alliance Partners for a full-day, in-person professional development workshop. Together we will explore the geologic and physical processes associated with seamounts and the rich biological communities that inhabit them.
Registration is required and space is limited. Registered educators will receive a collection of classroom-ready resources to continue exploring these topics in their classrooms, including student investigations, videos, fact sheets, and more. Additionally, educators that attend the full day, in-person workshop will receive a Certificate of Participation and a $100 stipend.
The next NOAA Ocean Exploration workshop will likely take place spring 2027. Check back this winter for more information.
Lesson Plans
Nature Inventions
In this three-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 three-part unit, students will design and create an animal adapted to survive in a given habitat. They will then observe other students’ animal creations and make an argument about which habitat it is adapted to using the claim, evidence, reasoning format. This lesson is adaptable for in-class or at-home learning and aligned with SEEd standard 4.1.1.
While many of our workshops are hosted here at the aquarium, we also offer workshops throughout the state of Utah. Please reach out to [email protected] if you’re interested in having us bring our workshop to you and the teachers in your district!
Discover three-dimensional science lessons in a free, three-hour, in-person workshop. Teachers will learn and practice lesson plans following SEEd standards and learn how to apply three-dimensional science instruction in their classrooms. Workshops offered:
Stability of Populations
In this three-part unit, students will investigate how changes in an ecosystem affect the stability of populations. The specific change they’ll explore is the introduction of invasive common carp to Utah Lake and the subsequent decline of June sucker populations.
Interactions with Organisms and the Environment
In this three-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 five 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.