ONLINE LEARNING

RESOURCES

Dive into our online learning resources!

Explore virtual field trips, activities, worksheets, and citizen science projects for PreK-12 to bring the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary into your home.

virtual tidepool exploration and book reading

Grades: PreK - 5

Join Save Our Shores Program Manager, Emily Pomeroy, for an exploration of our rocky intertidal zones at Natural Bridges State Marine Reserve.

This activity begins with a reading of the book “In One Tidepool: Crabs, Snails, and Salty Tails” by Anthony D. Fredericks, followed by an exploration of the intertidal zones and some of the animals that call this dynamic ecosystem home. 

virtual beach cleanup field trip

Grades: 2-6

Join Save Our Shores Education Coordinator, Krista Rogers, for a fun and educational exploration of Manresa Beach.

Students will get an introduction on human impacts to the sandy beach habitat, and think of ways they can help prevent ocean pollution.

Watch the video while following along with this worksheet and student data card.

 

50 years of earth day

Grades: 6-12

Take a brief dive into the advances, gaps, and backslides of the environmental and climate justice movements since the first Earth Day was held 50 years ago on April 22, 1970. With vintage footage from the first Earth Day, this short video offers a glimpse of the many similarities and challenges we face in the conservation movement. 
 
Students can dive deeper with sample reflection questions and ways to engage in activism found here in this accompanying lesson plan. 
 

Going with the flow
Watershed activity

Grades: 2-6

No matter how far away from the ocean you live, what you do matters. 

This activity introduces students to a few common types of pollution that impact our oceans, explores how pollution travels through our watershed using the Enviroscape Watershed Model, and provides a few simple steps everyone can take to improve the health of our community and oceans.

Tip: Use headphones while watching this video as the audio may be low.

where do i live?

Grades: PreK-3

Explore three of the amazing ecosystems we have here in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and some of the animals that live in each!
 
Print these images of habitats and animals that are found right here in our ocean backyard, and have students match where each animal lives. Questions for students to consider: 
 
Why does it live there? 
What does it need to survive? 
How does it protect itself?

birds in your backyard

grades: 1-5

The great thing about studying birds is they can be found anywhere! Students can explore bird structures and functions with this worksheet, watch shore birds real time with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cam, and become a bird watcher in their own backyard!
 
Students can use these tips for bird watching at home and spend time making observations and drawings in a nature journal or science notebook.
Save Our Shores beach trash

4R bingo

grades: k-6

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle!

Take action to make change at home while playing SOS 4R BINGO! This game is bilingual and includes instructions to enhance play.

 

Giant Kelp structure & function

Grades: 3-5

Explore the structures of Giant Kelp, and their corresponding functions with this worksheet. Find out how this seaweed survives in our dynamic ocean and how it is the foundation of one of our amazing ecosystems: the kelp forest!

Enjoying Save Our Shores online learning resources? 

Consider making a donation to support the mission of Save Our Shores and our continued efforts to bring you marine science content featuring our beloved Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. 

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Photo Credit: Jon Anderson, Pacific Sea Nettles, Waves & Wildlife 2019