School Programs
Julie Larsen Maher ©WCSPrograms for Elementary School
In The Sea (Pre-K)
Pre-schoolers will investigate one of three possible themes in this station-based program. Whether they explore animal families, camouflage, or symbiosis (themes are assigned according to availability), they will be engaged in learning about sea animals through role-play, sequencing or sorting activities, and art. Adults will be asked to assist.
Time: 45 minutes
Fee: $185/class
Fanny Fish (Grades K-1)
Through a participatory story, children are introduced to sea animals by matching, identifying, and describing animal groups. Fish characteristics are reinforced as children search for Fanny Fish's family. The seahorse is highlighted via song, and children make a fishy craft to take back to the classroom.
Time: 1 hour
Fee: $200/class; includes admission
The Happy Hermit Crab (Grades K-1)
Join us for a fun filled hour and discover the crab that carries his home on his back. Children will examine live hermit crabs and learn about them through an engaging story and song. They will then make their own “hermit crab” to take home.
Time: 1 hour
Fee: $200/class; includes admission
The Shark Who Couldn't Bite (Grades K-2)
"Am I a shark? How can I tell?" worries Sydney the whale shark at the beginning of this interactive program. Through storytelling, biofact handling, video, and song, children will help Sydney find the answers and will discover what makes sharks unique. Students will leave with specially designed headbands to extend and enhance their learning experience.
Time: 1 hour
Fee: $200/class; includes admission
Fins & Feathers (Grades K-2)
Can you imagine what fish and penguins have in common? Children compare and contrast the characteristics of these fascinating animals via story, biofact investigation, and a penguin/fish puppet art activity.
Time: 1 hour
Fee:$200/class; includes admission
Designed For The Deep (Grades 1-5)
Could you survive in the ocean? What helps other animals live in water? Children learn about adaptations for an aquatic environment through discussion, role-playing, examining biofacts, and handling live invertebrate animals.
Time: 1 hour
Fee: $200/class; includes admission
The Edge of The Sea (Grades 1-5)
An exploratory walk on the Coney Island beach introduces your class to a sandy shore habitat. Children will learn about this environment by examining sand, collecting and classifying "signs of life", and discussing the adaptations of animals that survive in this ecosystem (offered spring and fall only).
Time: 1 ½ hours
Fee:$225/class; includes admission
Deep, Dark and Glowing (Grades 2-5)
Take your students on an imaginary tour of the deep, dark sea to meet eerie looking creatures and glowing fish. Learn all about the strange lifestyles of bioluminescent animals via interactive puppets, video, and an exciting deep-sea "glow" game.
Time: 1 hour
$200/class; includes admission
Sneak Peek Tour (Grades 2-5)
Your students will get inside information on sharks, penguins, and more as they view the exhibits and select behind-the scenes areas in the company of our expert instructors. This shorter version of our Behind-the-Scenes Tour is designed for the knowledge level and interests of younger students.
Time: 1 hour
Fee: $200/class; includes admission
A Salute to Sharks (Grades 3-5)
The very word "shark" strikes fear into many hearts. Are sharks just misunderstood? Students have an opportunity to find out as they explore the biology of these majestic creatures. Shark jaws and skin are among the biofacts to touch, and a video enables children to see how varied sharks are. A fish/shark comparison activity enhances and extends the experience.
Time: 1 hour
Fee: $200/class; includes admission
Marine Mammals (Grades 3-5)
Could you survive the ocean? Discover the adaptations for moving, feeding, and breeding that allow marine mammals such as walruses and seals to thrive in this harsh environment.
Time: 1 hour
Fee:$200/class; includes admission
The Ins and Outs of Invertebrates (Grades 3-5)
Discover the amazing world of marine invertebrates through an exploration of five important taxonomic groups. This program includes cooperative learning, squid dissection, animal handling, and microscope work.
Time: 1 ½ hours
Fee: $235/class; includes admission
Middle School
Behind The Scenes Tour
Your students can take a peek behind the scenes at the Aquarium! We will show you selected tanks from a keeper's eye view, and explain the mechanics of caring for both the exhibits and the animals. Additional exhibits will be visited to discuss animal adaptations and habitats.
Time: 1 ½ hours
Fee: $225/class; includes admission
Beach Ecology and Collecting Techniques
Dress for the field for a hands on exploration of a sandy shore, emphasizing adaptations and techniques of specimen collecting with seine and plankton nets. Please dress appropriately or bring a change of clothes.
Time: 2 hours
Fee: $255/class; includes admission
Fish: Diversity and Adaptations
A slide lecture, biofact handling, and fish dissection will introduce the survival strategies of one of the most successful vertebrates on earth. Afterward, students will view Aquarium exhibits with new appreciation for the diversity and design of these animals.
Time: 1 ½ hours
Fee: $235/class; includes admission
Invertebrate Design
This program introduces students to five major marine taxonomic groups: porifera, arthropods, echinoderms, mollusks, and cnidarians. Discover the adaptations of invertebrates via cooperative learning, dissection, animal handling, and microscope work.
Time:1 ½ hours
Fee: $235/class; includes admissions
Exploring The Microcosmos
There exists an entire world on our planet that is too small to see with the naked eye. More than 250,000 different types of organisms inhabit this sub-visible world, including the oldest and most dominant forms of life on earth. Lecture, microscope work, and inquiry-based activities will introduce you to many forms of micro life.
Time: 1 ½ hours
Fee: $225/class; includes admission
Sustainable Seas
Although humans live on the land, they are affected by the health of the ocean in many ways. The changes wrought by over-fishing, habitat destruction, and other human activities could affect the climate as well as the balance of life in the sea. How can we utilize the bounty of the ocean and yet sustain its life? In this program, students will examine the problems and explore possible solutions to this question.
Time: 1 ½ hours
Fee: $225/class; includes admission
High School
Behind The Scenes Tour
This lecture tour of selected Aquarium exhibits introduces you to animal behavior, biology, husbandry, and life support systems.
Time: 1 ½ hours
Fee: $225/class; includes admission
Aquavets – Introduction to Marine Veterinary Science
WCS has been a leader in wildlife care for over 100 years, and is recognized for advanced research in disease, reproductive science, and studies in animal behavioral. This program will introduce students to the science of aquatic animal husbandry, water chemistry, and nutrition.
Time: 1 ½ hours
Fee: $235/class; includes admission
Beach Ecology and Collecting Techniques
Dress for the field for a hands on exploration of a sandy shore, emphasizing adaptations and techniques of specimen collecting with seine and plankton nets. Please dress appropriately or bring a change of clothes.
Time: 2 hours
Fee: $255/class; includes admission
Coral Reef Ecology (Grades9-12)
Some of the world's most diverse and dazzling animals inhabit the coral reef ecosystem. Through lecture, biofact handling, and viewing coral reef tanks, students will discover why the balance between coral reefs and their inhabitants is so fragile. This is a good preparation for visiting our exciting Glover’s Reef coral tank.
Time: 1 ½ hours
Fee: $225/class; includes admission
The Shark!
The mysteries of sharks are explored via slide lecture and biofacts. Shark populations are increasingly fragile and merit our protection. Find out if these "living fossils" can continue to survive in our lifetime.
Time: 1 hour
Fee: $200/class; includes admission
To reserve a program, call 718-265-3457. The maximum class size is 35 including adults. To register for a self-guided visit, call 718-741-1818 .You must make a reservation in order to be admitted at the group rate.