Virtual Lessons
ON DEMAND / EASY-CONNECT / STEM EXPERTS
Talk to STEM experts in 3 easy steps
- Availability: Check our calendar for available date/times.
- Choose: Lessons in 25 and 50 minute lengths for grades PreK-12 + Lifelong Learning.
- 📆 Book it! Request your lesson through our booking partners, CILC. Click the 📎Extras button for supplemental media, lesson plans, and standards.
☎️ HELPLINE: (941) 388-2904
Easy Connect
If you have a computer, internet connection and a webcam, you can connect to us.
- Learn how easy it is to connect and request your free Tech Check today.
1. Availability
Check the calendar below for available dates. Times and dates marked BOOKED or CLOSED are not available.
2. Choose Your STEM Lesson
SEA ME READ: SMILEY SHARK
Join us on an ocean adventure and meet a lonely shark who loves to smile. Read along as we help him save the day and find some friends.
We read this fictional story aloud with your students and then engage in a learning segment to help build critical thinking skills, promote oral language skills, fluency, pronunciation, STEM engagement, and reading comprehension.
Our thanks to Tiger Tales Publishing for making this lesson possible.
- Recommended for Ages (Grades): 5–8 (K–2nd)
- Format: Zoom/Skype Video Lesson. 🖥 It's easy to connect.
Research Connection: Sharks and Rays Conservation Research Program
Objectives: Students will learn about shark diversity and the characteristics of sharks. Students will also use literacy and reading comprehension skills. Finally, students will learn why sharks are threatened and what they can do to help conserve them.
Outline:
- 3 min - Prior Knowledge
- 7 min - The Story of Smiley Shark
- 4 min - Fishy Thoughts quiz (reading comprehension)
- 3 min - Smiley's shark photo album (shark diversity)
- 3 min - What you can do to help (conservation)
- ~5 min - Open Questions and Answers
- Total time: 🕔 25 mins
SEA ME READ: CLUMSY CRAB
Snip, snap, clip, clap! Nipper the Crab hates his huge clumsy claws. Read along with us as we find out how useful Clumsy’s claws can be. In this videoconference.
We read this fictional story aloud with your students and then engage in a learning segment to help build critical thinking skills, promote oral language skills, fluency, pronunciation, STEM engagement, and reading comprehension.
Our thanks to Tiger Tales Publishing for making this lesson possible. Made possible by a generous grant from the Kates Foundation.
- Recommended for Ages (Grades): 5–8 (K–2nd)
- Format: Zoom/Skype Video Lesson. 🖥 It's easy to connect.
- Duration: 🕔 25 mins
Objectives: Students will learn about crab diversity and the characteristics of invertebrates. Students will also use literacy and reading comprehension skills.
Outline:
- 3 min - Prior Knowledge
- 8 min - The Story of Clumsy Crab
- 6 min - Crabby Questions quiz (reading comprehension)
- 3 min - What you can do to help (conservation)
- ~5 min - Open Questions and Answers
- Total time: 🕔 25 mins
SEA ME READ: SHARK BABY
🆕 Spring into virtual learning and go on an ocean egg hunt with us. When Shark Baby’s egg case is torn loose in a storm, he goes on a journey across kelp forests, coral reefs, and seagrass meadows. He needs to find the “mermaid” to find out where he belongs. Will he find his way back? Read along with us to find out.
We read this fictional story aloud with your students and then engage in a learning segment to help build critical thinking skills, promote oral language skills, fluency, pronunciation, STEM engagement, and reading comprehension.
A special thanks to Arbordale Publishing for making this lesson possible.
- Recommended for Ages (Grades): 5–9 (K–3rd)
- Format: Interactive Video Lesson 🖥( It's easy to connect )
- Duration: 🕔 25 mins
Research Connection: Sharks and Rays Conservation Research Program
Objectives: Students will learn about ocean habitats and the diversity of animals in them. Students will learn about shark characteristics and the difference between egg-laying sharks and sharks that give birth to live young. Students will also use literacy and reading comprehension skills.
Outline:
- 4 min - Shark Emoji (shark diversity guessing game)
- 8 min - The story of Shark Baby
- 7 min - Sharky quiz (reading comprehension and STEM engagement)
- ~6 min - Open Questions and Answers
- Total time: 🕔 25 mins
SEA ME READ: IF A DOLPHIN WERE A FISH
Join Delfina the dolphin as she imagines that she becomes other animals. Readers will watch Delfina become a fish with gills, a sea turtle laying eggs, a pelican with feathers, an octopus without bones, a shark with a sense of smell and even a vegetarian manatee. The incredible “morphing” illustrations will have children laughing as they learn about the real differences between these animals! Join us on this ocean adventure as we discover what makes a mammal a mammal and how creatures have adapted to live in the sea.
We read this fictional story aloud with your students and then engage in a learning segment to help build critical thinking skills, promote oral language skills, fluency, pronunciation, STEM engagement, and reading comprehension.
A special thanks to Arbordale Publishing for making this lesson possible.
- Recommended for Ages (Grades): 5–9 (K–3rd)
- Format: Interactive Video Lesson 🖥( It's easy to connect )
Research Connection: Sarasota Dolphin Research Program
Objectives: Students will learn about marine animal adaptations and animal classification (mammal, reptile, bird, etc). Students will also use literacy and reading comprehension skills.
Outline:
- 3 min - Prior Knowledge
- 8 min - The story of If a Dolphin Were a Fish
- 8 min - Story Thoughts (reading comprehension and STEM engagement))
- Am I a Mammal guessing game
- Kinds of dolphins
- Dolphin adaptations
- ~6 min - Open Questions and Answers
- Total time: 🕔 25 mins
SHARKS ALIVE
This lesson is focused on shark research at Mote Marine Laboratory. We begin with an overview of shark husbandry and training at our aquarium and the research technology we use. We end with a Question and Answer session with our Ocean Expert.
- Recommended for Ages (Grades): 11–18 (6th–12th) + Lifelong Learners
- Format: Interactive Video Lesson 🖥( It's easy to connect )
Research Connection: Sharks and Rays Conservation Research Program
Animals in this lesson: game fish, reef fish, sharks, rays
Keywords: adaptation, anatomy, behavior, biodiversity, buoyancy, cartilage, climate change, conservation, elasmobranch, endangered, extinction, gills, habitat, husbandry, positive reinforcement, predator, species, taxonomy, training, vertebrate
Outline:
- 3 min - Prior knowledge
- 8 min - Demonstration of shark husbandry (training and care) and overview of Mote's research history and current shark research projects
- 5 min - Role of sharks in their ecosystems
- 3 min - What you can do to help (conservation)
- ~6 min - Open Questions and Answers
- Total time: 🕔 25 mins
SHARK SCIENCE
How smart are you about sharks? Take our interactive quiz show to uncover the mysteries and discover the truths about these fascinating creatures. In this lesson we introduce the learners to the diversity and adaptations of sharks.
- Recommended for Ages (Grades): 11–14 (6th–8th)
- Format: Interactive Video Lesson 🖥( It's easy to connect )
Research Connection: Sharks and Rays Conservation Research Program
Animals in this lesson: game fish, reef fish, sharks, rays
Keywords: adaptation, anatomy, behavior, biodiversity, buoyancy, cartilage, climate change, conservation, elasmobranch, endangered, extinction, gills, habitat, husbandry, positive reinforcement, predator, species, taxonomy, training, vertebrate
Objectives: The students will learn about the behavior of sharks, types of sharks, and the anatomy and physiology of sharks (including the senses). Students will also learn about the popular misconceptions about sharks and why they are often misunderstood.
Outline:
- 5 min - Prior knowledge; shark fact versus myth
- 10 min - Shark diets and ecosystem roles
- 10 min - Shark anatomy and senses, adaptations and behaviors (feeding)
- 10 min - Shark classification and diversity; comparison of bony and cartilaginous fish
- 10 min - Research and conservation of sharks and rays
- ~5 min - Open Questions and Answers
- Total time: 🕙 50 mins
SEA TURTLE SCIENCE
- Recommended for Ages (Grades): 11–14 (6th–8th)
- Format: Interactive Video Lesson 🖥( It's easy to connect )
Research Connection:
Animals featured in this lesson:
- Sea turtles (Kemp's Ridley, Olive Ridley, Hawksbill, Green, Loggerhead, Leatherback, Flatback)
- barnacles, tiger shark, diamondback terrapin, box turtle, sea jellies
Keywords: adaptation, anatomy, arribada, biodiversity, carapace, classification, conservation, ectotherm, endangered, extinction, habitat, hatchling, husbandry, migration, nesting, plastron, predator, rehabilitation, reproduction, reptile, scute, stranding, vertebrate
Objectives: Differentiate reptile traits. List all seven species of sea turtle. Explain the conservation status of sea turtles. Compare three stewardship actions.
Outline:
- 5 min - Prior knowledge
- 15 min - Reptile traits; anatomy and adaptations
- 15 min - Sea turtle classification and species diversity
- 10 min - Research and conservation of reptiles
- ~5 min - Open Questions and Answers
- Total time: 🕙 50 mins
MANATEE SCIENCE
- Recommended for Ages (Grades): 8–11 (3rd–6th)
- Format: Interactive Video Lesson 🖥( It's easy to connect )
Research Connection:
Animals featured in this lesson: manatees
Keywords: adaptation, anatomy, biodiversity, classification, conservation, endangered, extinction, habitat, husbandry, migration, predator, rehabilitation, reproduction, sirenia, stranding, vertebrate
Objectives: Differentiate mammal traits. List all four extant species of sirenian. Explain the conservation status of manatees. Compare three stewardship actions.
Outline:
- 5 min - Prior knowledge
- 15 min - Mammal traits; anatomy and adaptations
- 15 min - Manatee classification and species diversity
- 10 min - Research and training of our resident manatees
- ~5 min - Open Questions and Answers
- Total time: 🕙 50 mins
CORAL REEF SCIENCE
- Recommended for Ages (Grades): 11–14 (6th–8th)
- Format: Interactive Video Lesson 🖥( It's easy to connect )
Research Connections:
Organisms featured in this lesson:
Keywords: acidification, anatomy, apex predator, asexual reproduction, atoll, barrier reef, biodiversity, biogeography, budding, calcium carbonate, classification, carnivore, cleaning station, climate change, clone, cnidarian, community, conservation, consumer, endangered, extinction, fragmentation, fringing reef, gamete, habitat, herbivore, invasive species, lagoon, medusa, nematocysts, pH, photosynthesis, planula, polyp, primary producer, reef, salinity, spawn, symbiosis: mutualism, symbiosis: commensalism; symbiosis: parasitism, tropics, zooxanthellae
Objectives: Understand basic coral reef ecology. Compare symbiotic relationships of reef organisms. Identify coral anatomy and reproduction strategies. Recognize the value of coral reefs to humans. Identify threats to coral reefs like disease, climate change, and ocean acidification. Compare three stewardship actions.
Outline:
- 5 min - Prior knowledge
- 40 min - Guided Reef Quest game
- Coral classification
- Coral anatomy
- Life cycles
- Reef formation
- Biogeography
- Biodiversity
- Reef relationships (symbiosis)
- Food webs
- Research and conservation
- ~5 min - Open Questions and Answers
- Total time: 🕙 50 mins
SEA SCIENCE AT WORK
Marine Careers
Beginning in 1955 with Dr. Eugenie Clark’s foundation of shark research, Mote is now more than 200 employees strong, including more than 30 Ph.D. scientists. We conduct groundbreaking research with more than 20 diverse research programs focusing on today’s challenges as well as identifying and addressing future impacts. The advancement of this kind of research is vital to unlocking potential solutions to some of today’s most daunting global challenges.
- Recommended for Ages (Grades): 11–18 (6th–12th) + Lifelong Learners
- Format: Interactive Video Lesson 🖥( It's easy to connect )
Research Connection: Internships
Animals in this lesson: dolphin, corals, manatee, sea turtle, shark, stingray, squid
Keywords: ecology, ecosystem, education, environment, college, conservation, marine biologist, shark, manatee, sea turtle, research, careers, coral reefs
Objectives: Students will learn about marine science and aquarium careers and what it takes to work in these fascinating fields.
Overview: Mote Marine Laboratory presents a media-rich program on the research conducted at Mote Marine Laboratory. It includes behind-the-scenes looks at the research and facilities at Mote; examples of scientists working in the field and laboratories; conservation messages; and an open questions and answer session with our science careers expert.
Featured topics can include: shark research, animal husbandry, sea turtle nest monitoring, manatee training and research, coral reef research and restoration, behind the scenes at our cephalopod lab.
Sea Science at Work - Links
Browse these links for more information about marine careers.
- Employment Opportunities - Mote Marine Laboratory
- Internship Opportunities - Mote Marine Laboratory
- Job Opportunities - Association of Zoos and Aquariums
- MarineCareers.net
- OceanCareers.com
- Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists - Occupational Outlook Handbook
- A scientist's advise to teachers and students about contacting scientist
EDUCATOR PREVIEW
A great way to introduce interactive videoconferencing to teachers and professionals. Go behind-the-scenes with Mote SEAtrek and learn how to bring Mote's research, animals, and exhibits to your learners. Discover the many affordable, easy-to-use technology options available for making Virtual Field Trips.
- Recommended for: Adult (College), Adult (School Teachers/Admins; etc), Adult (Public; Library; Senior Center; Lifelong Learning, etc)
- Format: Interactive Video Lesson 🖥( It's easy to connect )
Research Connection: Education
Keywords: professional development, virtual learning, distance learning
Objectives: After an overview of Mote SEAtrek.TV programs and technology, teachers will be able to identify the best lessons and connection options for their needs. Teachers will also learn about trends in digital literacy and determine which strategies are most appropriate for their learners. We can adjust the length of this program as well as the content. Please contact us to customize your connection.
Outline:
- 10 min - Mote SEAtrek lesson overview
- 5 min - Review of virtual learning best practices
- 5 min - Review of virtual learning technologies
- 5 min - Questions and Answers