Learning Resources
Whether you're visiting the Aquarium yourself, with your family or are organizing a class trip, here are some handy resources to help you before you arrive.
For individuals, families or groups:
For educators:
Educator Workshops
Calling all Educators! Are you interested in learning more about the ocean? Looking for ways to encourage student engagement and excitement about marine science?
Join us throughout the school year at one (or all) of our Educator Workshops!
From local habitats and marine life to relevant environmental issues, our workshops provide both formal and informal educators with unique and innovative content, methods, resources, and experiences to develop and share in (and out of) the “classroom”.
- Educator Open House: Sat, Aug 24th, 10 -11:30am
Learn how Cabrillo, the aquarium by the beach, can be a resource for your teaching needs!
Find out about our many free and fee based programs and opportunities.
For tickets and more information, CLICK HERE.
- Ocean Discovery Kits: Sat, Sept 28th, 9am - 1pm
Attend to check out kits throughout the school year. For educators who want to promote knowledge of marine biology, create positive learning experiences and encourage an appreciation for the ocean!
Sign up for the Ocean Discovery Kit workshop by CLICKING HERE.
- Key to the Sea Workshop I & II: Sat, Oct 26th, 9am -1:30pm
How can you be the “Key to the Sea”? Learn about storm drain pollution, watershed stewardship and how we're all connected to the ocean. Upon completion, bring your K-6 class on a beach-based field trip!
Sign up for the Key to the Sea Workshop by CLICKING HERE.
- Whale of a Workshop: Multiple dates - please see below
A blue-whale-sized training all about the biology, behavior, and biodiversity of whales, dolphins and porpoises found in our local waters! Virtual, onsite, and on the water (attend a few portions or all!)
Virtual: Introduction to Marine Mammals Thurs, Oct 3rd, 4 - 6pm
Virtual: A Deep Dive into Whales (advanced) Thurs Oct 17th, 4 - 6pm
Onsite: Hands-on fun and lessons Sun, Oct 27th, 9am - 1pm
Whale Watch on Spirit Cruises Sat, Nov 2nd, 10am - 12noon
Sign up for the Whale of a Workshop by CLICKING HERE.
- Mysteries of the Kelp Forest: Sat, Nov 16th, 10am - 1pm
Discover the wonders of Southern California’s Kelp Forests. Get up close with local marine species and examine the role kelp plays in supporting nearby ecosystems and our global climate.
Sign up for the Mysteries of the Kelp Forest workshop by CLICKING HERE.
*LAUSD P.D. Hours are available for most workshops
All workshops are free to attend. Space is limited - Reservations are required
For more information and/or to be added to our mailing list please contact: teacher.workshop@cmaqua.org
Ocean Discovery Kits
Teachers bring students to the Aquarium all the time, but what is another way to help teachers incorporate CMA’s ocean expertise in the classroom? Our specimen loan program called Ocean Discovery Kits!
The Ocean Discovery Kits are designed to complement NGSS. Loan services are available to teachers and non-profit educators who complete the workshop held at the aquarium at the start of every school year (RSVP required). Educators can check-out up to two kits per year for two weeks each. This workshop is currently approved for 4 hours of professional development through LAUSD's Joint Salary Point Credit Committee.
The Ocean Discovery Kits consist of themed boxes. Each kit is packed with preserved specimens, bones, books, models and a resource guide that includes lesson plans and hands-on classroom activities.
There are eight Ocean Discovery Kits to choose from:
- Marine Fossils & Sand
- Plankton & Algae
- Marine Invertebrates
- Sharks, Skates & Rays
- Bony Fishes
- Marine Birds & Reptiles
- Marine Mammals
- Ocean Stewardship
RSVP for the 2024 workshop on September 28th by CLICKING HERE.
Lecture topic: Climate Change and Weather
Warming oceans, melting ice, and rising seas, Dr. Ian Fenty, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Arctic climate as Documented by Algal Rocks, Dr. Branwen Williams, Claremont McKenna College
California Drought - Are We In or Out?, Dr. Bill Patzert, Climatologist, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Teacher resources:
Lesson Plan - Climate
Worksheet - Climate
Library Pathfinder - Climate
Lecture topic: Marine Mammals
Beautiful Minds: Dolphins, Apes and the origins of Human Intelligence, Dr. Craig Stanford, USC
The amazing underwater world of blue and humpback whales: new tags provide insights into their lives and the threats they face, John Calambokidis, Cascadia Research
An urgent message from Mexico’s vaquita porpoise: protect me, protect life (yours included), Dr. Barbara Taylor, Southwest Fisheries Science Center
Teacher resources
Lesson Plan - Marine Mammals
Worksheet - Marine Mammals
Library Pathfinder - Marine Mammals
Lecture topic: Sharks
Return of Big Predators to California Waters, Dr. Chris Lowe, CSU Long Beach
Teacher resources
Lesson Plan - Sharks
Worksheets_Sharks
Lecture topic: Marine Fishes
Surf, Sand, and Silversides: Research and Outreach with California Grunion, Dr. Karen Martin, Pepperdine University
Ovaries, Testes, and Copulatory Structures – Oh My! The Importance of Understanding
Reproduction of Fishes, Dr. Kristy L. Forsgren, California State University, Fullerton
The Return of the Kelp Forest King, Dr. Larry G. Allen, California State University, Northridge
Beyond Big Fish, Restoring the Southern California Rocky Reef Ecosystem, Dr. Dan Pondella, Occidental College and Southern California Marine Institute (SCMI)
Teacher resources
Library Pathfinder - Fish Reproduction
Lecture topic: Marine Invertebrates
Parasites and food webs, Dr. Kevin Lafferty, US Geological Survey and UC Santa Barbara
Hugs and Drugs from Sea Slugs, Dr. Patrick J. Krug, California State University Los Angeles
If We Make Their Bed, They Will Lie In It: Restoration of Native Olympia Oysters in Southern California, Dr. Danielle Zacherl, California State University, Fullerton
Teacher resources
Library Pathfinder - Marine Invertebrates
Lecture topic: Plankton and Deep Sea
Do Swimming Animals Mix the Ocean?, Dr. John O. Dabiri, Stanford
The Vast Frontier: Tales From the Darkside, Mike Schaadt, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
Harmful Algal Blooms Along the California Coast, Dr. David Caron, USC
The Universe Below: Explorations of Life in the Deep Sea, Dr. Shana Goffredi, Occidental College
Teacher resources
Lesson Plan - Plankton and Deep Sea
Worksheets - Plankton
Library Pathfinder - Plankton and Deep Sea
Graphic - Currents
Graphic - Diatom Art
Graphic - Plankton ID
Lecture topic: Human Impacts and Aquaculture
There is a great future in plastics: So what’s the big (and little) deal?, Shelly Moore, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP)
Teaming with Nature in Managing Urban Runoff: More Bang for the Buck!, Dr. John Dorsey, Loyola Marymount University
Advances in beach water quality monitoring, Dr. Stephen Weisberg, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
Sewers to Sanddabs: Profiling Orange County Sanitation District’s Ocean Monitoring Program, Dr. Jeff Armstrong, Environmental Supervisor, Orange County Sanitation District-Ocean Monitoring Program
Outlook on the Outer Continental Shelf for Offshore Energy, Dr. Ann Bull, Chief of Environmental Sciences Section Pacific Region, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
The Future of Food from the Sea, Dr. Steve Gaines, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, UC Santa Barbara
Aquaculture - The Fight for our Local Seafood, Kelly Stromberg, Catalina Sea Ranch
"The Golden Shore - California's Love Affair with the Sea", David Helvarg, Executive Director of Blue Frontier
Teacher resources
Lesson Plan - Human Impacts
Worksheet - Human Impacts
Library Pathfinder - Human Impacts
Lecture topic: Rocky Intertidal
Ecological Consequences of Thermal Stress on Wave-Swept Shores: Insights from a Model Ecosystem, Dr. Bengt J. Allen, California State University, Long Beach
Tides of change: Trends in Rocky Intertidal Communities, Dr. Richard F. Ambrose, UCLA
Teacher resources
Lesson Plan - Rocky Intertidal
Worksheet- Rocky Intertidal
Lecture topic: Salt Marshes and Wetlands
Designing solutions to restore wetlands in a time of change, Dr. Christine Whitcraft, California State University, Long Beach
Unearthing the Historical Wetlands of Southern California, Dr. Shawna Dark, CSU Northridge
Teacher resources
Lesson Plan - Wetlands
Worksheet - Bird Skeleton and Beak
Library Pathfinder - Wetlands