Night Activities
Note: All of the Science Standards can be found on each activities specific page.
| Astronomy Hike The clear skies of Catalina Island provide a perfect location for stargazing! As lead by their instructor, students hike above Toyon, far above the lights of camp, to get a better view of the heavens above. Sitting in a rustic outdoor amphitheater, students may watch a video or slideshow introducing astronomical concepts and showing images of spectacular stellar objects like nebulae and galaxies. Students will then turn their gaze skyward as the instructor points out the visible planets of our solar system and many constellations. Instructors often use a storytelling approach to focus on various mythologies of the stars, planets, sun and moon as they highlight people's personal and cultural relationships with the night sky. | | | | Squid Dissection As led by an instructor, students begin this lab by learning basic biology and behavior of Loligo opalescens, the California Market Squid. Students then participate in a simple dissection, discovering the anatomy of the squid. Instructors make this messy and sometime gross activity fun by having students use the squid's ink sack to make art pictures they can take home. This simple dissection is sure to be a hit your students. | Creatures of the Night Thousands of feet beneath the surface of the ocean exists an amazing diversity of life, much of which is still a mystery - or completely unknown - to humans! This very deep water presents many challenges to the survival of both animals and plants. Organisms have had to evolve, adapt and develop behaviors to deal with the almost complete lack of light, extraordinarily cold water and intense pressure. In this lab, instructors use games, activities - including a completely dark maze - demonstrations, and slides of Deep-Sea Creatures to help students discover how these amazing organisms communicate, navigate, feed, breathe and survive in these extreme conditions. Preserved specimens of actual bioluminescent deep-sea animals are also used - they're a fantastic aide in helping students understand the wonders and the difficulty of coping with the deep! | |
| | Night Snorkel Snorkeling Toyon Bay at night is a completely different experience than during the day! The nocturnal undersea world comes alive as a wide range of animals that were asleep in the daylight, become active. Using underwater flashlights and glow sticks, students plunge right in, keeping their eyes open for stingrays, horn sharks, lobster and octopus, all of which are commonly seen at night. When the flashlights are turned off, bioluminescence - glowing fluorescent green plankton - dance through the water. Students usually finish the night snorkel both excited about what they've seen and with a sense of accomplishment after successfully taking on the challenge of the cold water, night air and darkness! | | Marine Mammals Marine Mammals are among the most awe-inspiring animals on earth! From the colossal Blue Whale, at 110 feet long the largest animal known to have ever existed, to the bottlenose dolphin, with its high intelligence and complex social structures, to the playful California Sea Lion. These animals have always captured the imagination, probably in part because they are so similar to humans in so many ways, yet live in such a drastically different environment. In the Marine Mammal Hall, students and teachers view an impressive collection of fully articulated Marine Mammal skeletons, including a Gray Whale, Dolphins, Porpoises, Seals, Sea Lions and Sea Otters. Students will also touch and examine a variety of bones, skulls and fur pelts and explore exhibits and displays as the instructor guides them through discussions of Marine Mammal classification, anatomy and unique adaptive features as well as the many intriguing behaviors that Marine Mammals display. | | | | |
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