Back Bay Science Center
Teaching Tools

Links and lessons to use in
your virtual classrooms!

Brought to you by the
California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Oppia's lessons, also known as explorations, provide more immersive experiences than static videos or text, helping users learn by doing.

Visit the Oppia website in the links below to browse the following lessons created by California Department of Fish and Wildlife & Classroom Aquarium Education Program (CAEP):

Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve Exploration (ages 15+) https://www.oppia.org/explore/PGWzeIEYjHxZ

California's Biodiversity: Learn what makes our state a biological hotspot. (ages 15+)
https://www.oppia.org/explore/5VoAbVGFKOIX

Biomagnification & Marine Birds (college)
https://www.oppia.org/explore/qI1VDM1Aeal7

For the younger ages:
(Elementary)

Steelhead Survival: Take a journey along the river to help steelhead eggs grow into adult steelhead!
https://www.oppia.org/explore/UtI0cQfPmOqJ

Are You Me?: Recognize various young stages of aquatic animals and match them with the adults. https://www.oppia.org/explore/W9eXR9vRqbq2

Fashion a Fish: A look at the different adaptations that fish have.
https://www.oppia.org/explore/j2ztL7a7VMsC

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Aquatic Invasive Species- Lesson Overview: A fouling organism is an animal or plant species that exists in water and attaches itself to the surface of a material immersed in the water. Fouling communities are composed of many living organisms including invertebrates, algae, and microbes.
By better understanding where and what kinds of fouling organisms live, we can better identify when species are introduced to a new area, and help coastal communities effectively respond.

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Aquatic Invasive Species Lesson:
Citizen Science project: Invader ID Connecting Citizen Science and Research on Fouling Organisms and Invasive Species in our Bays.

(grade 8-college)

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Link to lesson plan

https://9bbbb50d-0c2d-4652-842c-82c14e786443.filesusr.com/ugd/e55383_fc6862284fc2425fa53a65d1a2e8d874.pdf

Harmful Algal Bloom (HABs) -Lesson Overview: As a whole, phytoplankton are ecologically important but potentially dangerous. They produce most of the oxygen we breathe and serve as an important carbon sink trapping dangerous carbon emissions. They are also the base of the food chain, which means that disruptions at that trophic level have far reaching implications further up the chain. Some species of phytoplankton can be hazardous if conditions allow for algal blooms. During these times of population explosions, they not only can cause the oxygen in the water to drop, but some species release toxins into the water that effect the entire food chain.

Harmful Algal Blooms Lesson: Through scenario situations, students will learn how harmful algal blooms can effect human health, when certain sea foods are consumed. They will identify how different symptoms can be linked to various species of toxic phytoplankton. (grades 8-12)

Link to activity resources: Student Worksheets and Teacher Answer Keys.
https://www.backbaysciencecenter.org/habs

Food Chain Fortune Teller (For grades 3+) : Who eats what?! Students will learn who is predator and who is prey, in an estuarine ecosystem, while getting to be creative!

Link to activity:
https://9bbbb50d-0c2d-4652-842c-82c14e786443.filesusr.com/ugd/e55383_305aaa3d30d04f5c97fd8d8f05dcc91b.pdf

Link to instructions on folding a cootie catcher!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAZKv_PVcn0

Wildlife Biologists can determine the health of waterways such as rivers, streams, and creeks by looking at the types of aquatic animals that live in them. Some species are quite sensitive to pollution and cannot survive in an unhealthy waterway. Some are moderately resistant to poor water quality, while others are highly unaffected. If the presence of an animal that is sensitive to poor water quality is found thriving in a stream, it is a good sign that the stream is healthy! We call these organisms “indicator species”. 

In this game, players will play bingo while learning about indicator species of our local stream systems!

CLEAN STREAM BINGO (2).pdf

Watersheds, Wetlands, & Wildlife

Take a virtual tour of the Back Bay Science Center! Learn about watersheds, the importance of our wetlands, and meet some of the wildlife that live along our coast and in the Bay. (For all ages)

Virtual Tour Video: https://youtu.be/acfwxzuKIvU

Digital Worksheet included for the lesson (best for grades 5-7): https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JLK_MHSaAErtL6AXXc6-jI49JeB-pLkXpzRuc8msjOc/edit?usp=sharing