“GROWING UP AT THE AQUARIUM” PROJECT

Kids learn about ocean-related and Aquarium jobs, as well as about the animals that call the Primorsky Aquarium home.

One-year-long curriculum; 90-minute classes twice a week (on Wednesdays and Saturdays).

The classes at the Belyok club can be of two types:

• sessions (meetings, workshops and tours) at the Aquarium: learning about the exhibits and ocean-related jobs;
• field-trips for children and their parents to the research and culture institutions of Vladivostok.

Руководители:

Рошколаева Елизавета Владимировна, ведущий специалист отдела просвещения, эколог и идейный вдохновитель, +79146981314  roshkolaeva_ev@primocean.ru

Kids explore the interactions between living organisms and the environment. They become aware of how various environmental factors affect living organisms.

One-year-long curriculum; 90-minute classes once a week (on Saturdays).

The curriculum includes:

• meetings with the Primorsky Aquarium experts;
• exploration of the exhibits in order to dive deeper into specific topics;
• work with microscopes and preparation of microscopy samples;
• outings, treasure hunts, quiz trails, and environmental celebrations;

social charity events, as well as cleanups and other conservation efforts.

Руководители:

Тихонова Ирина Сергеевна, главный специалист отдела просвещения, педагог-психолог и творческий наставник tikhonova_is@primocean.ru

Алёшина Александра Владимировна, ведущий специалист отдела просвещения, микробиолог, художник aleshina_av@primocean.ru

This program expands kids’ knowledge about the natural world. It features an integrated approach combining theory with practice and linking isolated facts into a cohesive whole. The core of the program is local natural history exploring natural treasures, geological formations, wildlife habitats, biodiversity and conservation in Primorsky Krai. The students both gain academic knowledge and use it in hands-on activities.

The curriculum includes:

• interactive lectures and quizzes
• art and research projects
• data collection and analysis, making and delivering presentations
• role plays and treasure hunts

The curriculum provides new academic information and reviews the facts learnt during school classes in nature studies, biology, ecology and geography.

Children enhance their knowledge of natural sciences, as well as develop critical thinking, teamwork skills and creativity in addressing current and future environmental challenges.

Kids learn to create self-sustaining aquarium and terrarium ecosystems, to choose wisely the parameters of the environment for different organisms and to take good care of the animals.

One-year-long curriculum; 90-minute classes, once a week (on Thursdays).

The curriculum covers the ins and outs of fish and reptile keeping and includes the fundamentals of ichthyology and herpetology.

Children are taught about various aquatic and terrestrial species and master their skills in animal husbandry. They learn about different types of fish tanks and terrariums and about the equipment needed to ensure the well-being animals. The final project for the club members is to create their own aquarium or terrarium ecosystem.

One of the most exciting features of this course is an opportunity to meet the Primorsky Aquarium team, observe their work and discuss with them the tips of fish and reptile keeping.

Руководители:

Алескеров Наиг Рафиг оглы, аспирант лаборатории физиологии ННЦМБ ДВО РАН  aleskerov_nro@primocean.ru

Раевская Екатерина Германовна, начальник отдела консультирования по экспозициям, орнитолог, специалист по альгологии raevskaia_eg@primocean.ru

SeaLs, or Sea of Life, is a program focusing on the cellular level of organization of living things. The classes are mostly conducted in the research laboratories.

One-year-long curriculum; 90-minute classes, once a week (on Tuesdays).

Young participants of the Growing up at the Aquarium project learn about sea life using laboratory equipment and research methods. Why do some organisms produce organic matter and others consume this matter? How did food chains evolve? How did organisms take on their specific roles in ecosystems? Why are there so many biological species on the planet? How did they appear? How are all these facts and processes related to the cellular structure of organisms?

Children learn about the differences between the kingdoms of life at the cellular level and about the cellular structure of animal and plant cells. They discover the levels of organization of living things, the relationships between these levels and explore the effect of the environment on the diversity of flora and fauna.

Руководитель:

Раевская Екатерина Германовна, начальник отдела консультирования по экспозициям, орнитолог, специалист по альгологии raevskaia_eg@primocean.ru

During the first year of the AQUAlaboratory, students learn cytology, embryology, paleontology and zoology.

120-minute classes, once a week (on Tuesdays).

Teenagers uncover the vast array of life forms in the microscopic world and study the complicated organization of microscopic organisms. They gain a better understanding of how long the evolution of life on the Earth has been going on for and how many groups of organisms have appeared. They explore how humans became so powerful and what are the results of this process and the ways to decrease the effect of human activities on the environment.

The students:

• learn to collect and analyze the samples of marine plankton;
• work with research microscopes and prepare samples for microscopy;
• learn about vertebrate and invertebrate zoology and biological evolution by use of the paleontological collection and the living organisms in the exhibits of the Primorsky Aquarium;
• complete individual or group research projects, following all the stages of scientific research, from specifying the goals and objectives to presenting and defending it;
• take part in paleontological expeditions over Russky Island, field trips, treasure hunts and educational events conducted at the Primorsky Aquarium.

Руководитель:

Глизнуца Любовь Александровна, главный специалист отдела просвещения, кандидат биологических наук и идейный вдохновитель. +79024842575, gliznutsa_la@primocean.ru

120-minute classes, once a week (on Thursdays).

Students learn about the origin and structure of eukaryotic cells and the anatomy of the main types of tissues (epithelial tissue, connective tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue) in multicellular organisms. They discover how an individual organism develops and grows; what affects the differentiation of cells and the embryonic development of organs; and how genetic information is processed throughout the development of organisms.

• Through lectures and hands-on microscope activities, students learn about different types of cells and tissues, about the embryology and developmental biology of animals.
• Students experiment with the embryos of sea urchins, ciliates and other organisms in vitro.
• They study genetics, genetic research methods, and solve genetic problems.
• Each of the students completes an experimental research project and defends it at local and all-Russian science conferences for school students.

They take part in the field trips to the institutes of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and in environmental celebrations at the Primorsky Aquarium.

Students choose research topics and complete individual science projects or research. This program has been developed for 6–17-year-old children eager to do their project or research in marine biology.

The schedule is agreed upon with the project advisor personally for each student.

The curriculum includes group classes that help students to understand the project structure and to choose the object of research and the topic for the project, as well as sessions with the project supervisor.

• How to set up a new aquarium properly?
• Can I dig out a pond in my garden, add fish and provide comfortable environment for them to ensure they are happy and healthy? How can I encourage fish to breed?
• I want to build an environmental trail. Where should I start?
• Who are the copepods? How to interpret the changes in the copepod species composition?

Aquarium experts help students to solve these problems and more. They explain to them how to do research or create a school project, really meaningful research or project.

Real labs, serious experts, lots of ideas and great potential for creating amazing projects!

Here are some projects our students done:

• A paleontology-themed board game “The Timeline” based on the content of the Evolution of Life in the Ocean exhibit.
• The behavior and lifestyle of the green iguana at the Primorsky Aquarium.
• The conservation and re-introduction of the endangered species of wine Aristolochia manshuriensis in the south of the Russian Far East.
• The effect of surfactants on regeneration in planarians.
• The habitats of aquatic organisms in the middle Russkaya River.
• Sea urchins and their role in marine ecosystems.
• Adventure game about piranhas, debunking the myth that they are vicious man-eaters.
• How to set up the best environment for archerfish in a home aquarium.
• The personalities of the Humboldt penguins born at the Primorsky Aquarium. 

Руководитель:

Рошколаева Елизавета Владимировна, ведущий специалист отдела просвещения, эколог и идейный вдохновитель, +79146981314  roshkolaeva_ev@primocean.ru