Onsite Educational Workshops and Activities
Check out our exciting educational workshops designed for KS1 and KS2 students! Our workshops are built around the core values of fostering a sense of connection and empathy for our oceans, allowing students to delve into topics such as habitat exploration, adaptation, and conservation. Also, don't miss our Ranger challenge activity pack!
Educational Workshops
KS1: HABITAT EXPLORERS
BOOK THIS WORKSHOP IF… YOUR STUDENTS ARE STUDYING HABITATS AND ADAPTATIONS
Invite students to become Habitat Explorers as they dive deep underwater into the ocean habitats of some of our SEA LIFE creatures! Together they will dive into a world of amazing discovery to learn about different underwater habitats and the creatures that live there.
Students will:
- Identify and describe different ocean habitats (e.g., rockpool, coral reef, deep sea) and the creatures that live in them.
- Understand how marine animals adapt to their habitats, exploring the challenges they face and how their characteristics help them survive.
- Develop creativity and scientific thinking by designing their own sea creature with adaptations suited to an underwater habitat.
KS2: HABITAT EXPLORERS
BOOK THIS WORKSHOP IF… YOUR STUDENTS ARE STUDYING HABITATS AND ADAPTATIONS
In this immersive workshop, students will become Habitat Explorers, diving into the different ocean zones and the creatures that live within them. They’ll investigate what makes a habitat and why animals adapt to survive. Through hands-on activities, they will represent the ocean layers to understand their structure and explore diverse marine environments, from mangrove forests to polar regions and coral reefs, discovering how species thrive in their surroundings.
Students will:
- Identify and describe the five layers of the ocean, understanding that each zone is a unique habitat for different sea creatures.
- Explain how marine animals and plants adapt to their environment, highlighting specific adaptations that help them survive.
- Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of certain characteristics in different ocean habitats.
- Explore the challenges creatures face in different ocean zones and consider how they adapt to overcome them
Workshop Lesson Plans
Layers of the Ocean (Pre-Visit)
The ocean is composed of various layers or zones, and it is incredibly deep. Students have the opportunity to develop sensory maps based on the amount of light each ocean zone receives. They can also conduct an experiment to create a layered "Ocean in a Jar" using liquid density.
Inheritance & Variation (Post-Visit)
This lesson is going to be super helpful in identifying inherited characteristics in living things. You'll learn that variation occurs within offspring as well as across a species, and you'll be able to easily tell the difference between inherited and environmental characteristics.
KS2: SEA DEFENDERS: PLASTIC POLLUTION
BOOK THIS WORKSHOP IF… YOU ARE LOOKING TO MAKE A PLEDGE FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE OCEAN
Invite students to become Sea Defenders! They will investigate it is important to protect our oceans, raising awareness of their own relationships with the ocean and how their daily actions can positively or negatively affect the marine environment. Students should be inspired to make changes in their lifestyle and actively contribute towards solutions.
- In this workshop we look at “How can you be an amazing sea defender? What do sea defenders do?”
- Activity 1 – Recycling game – the children will sort their rubbish into the correct bins
- Activity 2 – What creatures can be affected by plastic pollution? The children will discuss coral bleaching and touch upon global warming
Workshop Lesson Plans
What the Ocean Means (Pre-Visit)
Embark on a journey to explore the significance of our oceans. Students will create a persuasive poster campaign to preserve this invaluable natural resource.
Ocean Pollution (Post-Visit)
Let's reduce, reuse, and recycle waste to protect the oceans. By using less plastic, finding ways to reuse products and recycling, we can prevent pollution and harm to marine life
KS2: OUR SEA CREATURES
BOOK THIS WORKSHOP IF… YOUR STUDENTS HAVE NEVER VISITED A SEA LIFE CENTRE
Invite students to learn about some of our core SEA LIFE creatures! Together they will dive into a world of amazing discovery to learn about three core creatures: sharks, jellyfish, penguins and seahorses – understanding their different needs and completing exclusive SEA LIFE quizzes for each.
- In this workshop we ask “Can you be the next trainee aquarist?” Meet the team and learn about what they do.
- Activity 1 – The 5 freedoms! The children will learn how we take care of our animals
- Activity 2 – What would your day look like as an aquarist?
Workshop Lesson Plans
Incredible Sea Creatures (Pre-Visit)
In this lesson, students get to dive into the wonderful world of sea creatures and the ocean. They'll get to put their thinking caps on and come up with a list of cool questions to ask during their visit to SEA LIFE. Also, they can create Fact Cards for three amazing sea creatures.
Creative Writing (Post-Visit)
How about we get creative and have some fun with SEA LIFE? Students will have the chance to write about their SEA LIFE experience using cool and powerful words to describe their favourite sea creature. They'll also create a poem or short story based on the sea creature they choose, helping to improve their writing skills and have a blast while learning about the amazing world of marine life.
Onsite Self-led Activity
Save Our Seas: The Rangers Challenge Activity Pack
Not only does a school trip to SEA LIFE Birmingham promote connectivity and empathy, but it also challenges students to become ultimate ocean conservation champions. Our brand new 'Save our Seas: The Rangers Challenge' activity pack will aid your students as they explore 10 different zones within the aquarium. They will also meet some of our amazing marine friends like Ozzy and Ola, the Alaskan sea otters, and using the packs they will unlock 'Otterly' unbelievable knowledge about marine animals and their habitats.
Key Learning Outcomes (Age 5-11yrs)
Pupils will consider:
- The different sea creatures they’ll encounter and their habitats.
- How sea creatures are being negatively impacted by human behaviour.
- What can be done to help protect the sea creatures and their habitats
There are extension activities within the booklet for further challenges. We offer two versions of the pack, one tailored to ages 5-7yrs and the other 7-11yrs.
How it works...
- Before the trip, pupils will be set their challenge by a video message from Ranger Bethan.
- At SEA LIFE Birmingham, They’ll encounter our a-RAY-zing creatures and their habitats.
- They’ll record their learning using our activity pack filled with engaging tasks.
- Back at school, they’ll apply their learning by creating an informative campaign educating their community.
Our team are here to help facilitate the workshops and rely on the support from you, their FIN-tastic teachers, to ensure the children take part and learn as much as they can.
If you have already covered the topics above and still want to take part in a workshop please get in touch with the team on site and we will see if we can assist you!
