Distance Learning

Visit Alaska…  virtually! Using interactive video conferencing equipment or just a laptop & webcam, your students can expand their scientific experience via live, multi-media presentations. Using inquiry-based learning, these 55-minute conferences incorporate live animals (whenever possible) and current research programs happening right here at the Alaska SeaLife Center! The materials for each program include a teacher's guide with specific background information and activity ideas, as well as supplies for the session's hands-on activities.

Video Sample:  Marine Mammal Adaptations

Registration

To register for a Distance Learning program, Download the Distance Learning registration form and return it via e-mail or fax. To accommodate shipping materials, reservations must be made at least 30 days in advance. See below for prices and time zone recommendations. Please email distancelearning@alaskasealife.org or call (907) 224-7900 for more information.

Program Descriptions

PROGRAM NAME

GRADES

DESCRIPTION

Who Lives Where?

Pre-K

Meet Alaska’s wettest residents! Find out where Alaska’s marine animals live, what they eat, and how they move.
Beaks, Bubbles, & Burrows

K-3

Observe the diving seabirds in our avian habitat as we discuss the behaviors and adaptations of these intriguing animals.
Marine Mammal Adaptations

K-5

Discover how these mammals are able to thrive in Alaska's frigid waters by observing our own resident harbor seals and sea lions.
Terrific Alaskan Tidepool Travels

1-5

Take a walk through the Alaskan intertidal zone and meet our tough and mysterious local invertebrates.
Eat or Be Eaten in Alaska

4-6

Discuss the complexity of food chains by exploring some of Alaska's most interesting animals and ecosystems.
Living in the Ring of Fire

5-8

Verify plate tectonic theories by investigating geologic activities around the Pacific plate, specifically here in Alaska.
Cephalopods: Squid Dissection
5-9
Get your hands into a "head-footed" animal as we learn more about cephalopods through dissection and discussion! (Please contact us about squid availability. Observation-only sessions are also an option.)
Sea Lion Monitoring

6-12

Learn how scientists at the center study a wild population of endangered Steller sea lions hauled out on the Chiswell Islands. Practice remote video monitoring yourself!
The Scoop on Poop

6-12

Roll up your sleeves and analyze sea lion scat as we learn more about the hands-on way some of our scientists study these animals' diets.

 

Prices

Program costs include teacher guides, materials* for up to 30 students (additional students are $1 each) and postage. An additional $20.00 may be added to reservations made less than 30 days in advance.
 
PROGRAM NAME COST
Beaks, Bubbles, & Burrows
Marine Mammal Adaptations
Terrific Alaskan Tidepool Travels
Eat or Be Eaten in Alaska
Living in the Ring of Fire
Sea Lion Monitoring
$190.00
The Scoop on Poop $220.00
Cephalopods: Squid Dissection (including squid)
$240.00 (squid shipping within U.S. only; if you provide your own squid the program is $190.00) 

* International programs: Shipping to countries outside the United States will require an additional fee.  Also, customs procedures may prevent the shipping of physical materials to countries outside of the U.S. - in these cases, we will send materials electronically.

Time Zone Recommendations

Our distance learning sessions are taught from the exhibits, which rely on natural light. As Alaska's sunrise/sunset times vary dramatically from season to season, the following table lists optimal time recommendations for booking your reservations. There can still be large fluctuations within a calendar month, so these times are only a guide. Additional times may be available - please contact us for more information.

  NORTH AMERICAN TIME ZONES (includes daylight savings time)
ALASKA PACIFIC MOUNTAIN CENTRAL EASTERN
September 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM 9:30 AM - 7:00 PM 10:30 AM - 8:00 PM 11:30 AM - 9:00 PM
October 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM 10:30 AM - 7:00 PM 11:30 AM - 8:00 PM 12:30 PM - 9:00 PM
November 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM 11:00 AM - 6:30 PM 12:00 PM - 7:30 PM 1:00 PM - 8:30 PM
December 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM 2:00 PM - 8:00 PM
January 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM 2:00 PM - 8:00 PM
February 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM 10:30 AM - 7:00 PM 11:30 AM -8:00 PM 12:30 PM - 9:00 PM
March 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM 12:00 PM - 9:00 PM
April 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
May 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
June 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
July 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
August 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Technical Requirements

You can connect to us with a PC/Mac computer with a webcam/microphone and high-speed internet connection, or you can connect directly using H.323 videoconference equipment (e.g. Polycom, Cisco, Tandberg, Lifesize). Check with your school’s technology coordinator for more information.

Customized Programs

Do your students show exceptional enthusiasm for a particular lesson plan or subject?  With advance notice we can modify existing programs or create specialized programs to accommodate specific lesson goals, ages, or comprehension levels. Sessions are designed to be 55 minutes in length but can be adapted to fit your class period.

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