On Monday, December 4, students in Biology 11 classes went to the Vancouver Aquarium to get a hands-on experience learning about marine biology and the kingdom Animalia unit.
Students participated in activities in the aquarium’s “WET Lab”, the laboratory where Vancouver scientists conduct research on marine organisms. For a short time, students were able to experience what being a marine biologist is like by learning how to study aquatic animals and even handling a few. They then made observations and asked questions regarding species belong in the phyla Mollusca, Porifera, Cnidaria, Annelida, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, and Chordata.
The field trip inspired a change of perspective for many students in regard to their own learning. “I feel like I have much more responsibility now,” said Alina Mashanlo, a student in Ms. Mireau’s Biology 11 class. “I know that there’s living things in the ocean, but now that I’ve seen them and touched them I definitely care about them more.”
“It was very helpful because we haven’t started the unit yet, so it was good to have an introduction to the things we’re going to learn and it was also very memorable because we got to touch things and see them in person instead of reading about them. We got to experience it,” said Teagan Ewart.
After the WETLab, students were able to roam the aquarium to their hearts desire, exploring the exhibits of the aquarium, attending various shows, watching the feeding of certain animals, and even watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in the “4D” theatre.
The aquarium field trip is a small taste of what students can experience at the Bamfield Research Facility on April 16 to 20. If you are interested, see Ms. Mireau or Mr. Ahmelich to save your spot!
Video created by a student, as part of the Eddy’s collaboration with the ICT 11/12 class.
