Page background

Extreme Ecosystems

Recommended for Grades 4-7  
Explore two very different environments as you and your class journey through the Amazon and Arctic galleries of the Aquarium. 

In this program, students learn that ecosystems are defined by both living and non-living components, and that the interactions between those components make ecosystems very dynamic places.  

Students start by discovering the amazing variety of life in the Amazon, one of the most diverse places on the planet, as they wander through our Amazon gallery to observe Amazon animals and their adaptations learning about the importance of abiotic connections affecting Amazon life (such as rain and flooding) along the way. Students are also invited to explore the Arctic gallery allowing them to make observations about these animals and their adaptations, which will enable them to compare them among other extreme ecosystems like the Amazon.

Students will make live animal observations, compare complex food webs, and engage in interactive and hands-on activities. This includes re-creating food webs, touching authentic props from the Amazon and Arctic, and conducting their own biodiversity survey. Students will gain an appreciation and understanding of the complexity and importance of healthy ecosystems. They’ll also learn how humans play an important role in the health of the diverse array of ecosystems on our planet.

Extreme Ecosystems

Program Details

Availability

TBA

Class Size And Duration

Classes require a minimum of 20 students to register. The maximum capacity of the class is limited to 30 students. The duration of the class is 1.5 hours. Register early to book your program.

Learning Outcomes

These programs support the Prescribed Learning Outcomes of the B.C. Ministry of Education's Integrated Resource Packages (IRPs) and the Aquarium's conservation mission.

Communication Skills

  • Explain obstacles unique to exploration of a specific extreme environment (Earth and Space Science: Exploration of Extreme Environments)
  • Describe potential impacts of using BCs living and non-living resources (Earth and Space Science: Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources)
  • Make predictions, supported by reasons and relevant to the content (Processes and Skills of Science)
  • Determine how personal choices and actions have environmental consequences (Life Science: Habitats and Communities)

Critical Thinking 

  • Compare the structures and behaviours of local animals and plants in different habitats and communities (Life Science: Habitats and Communities)
  • Analyze how different organisms adapt to their environments (Life Science: Diversity of Life)
  • Assess survival needs and interactions between organisms and the environment (Life Science: Ecosystems)
  • Analyze impacts of weather on living and non-living things (Earth and Space Science: Weather)
  • Analyze simple food chains (Life Science: Habitats and Communities)
  • Analyze the roles of organisms as part of interconnected food webs, populations, communities, and ecosystems (Life Science: Ecosystems)
  • Assess the requirements for sustaining healthy local ecosystems (Life Science: Ecosystems)
  • Evaluate human impacts on local ecosystems (Life Science: Ecosystems)
Jellyfish

Share Your Thoughts

How was your visit? Fill in our comment card and let us know.
Find it here

Whales Of The North

Whales Of The North

Our special new beluga show, on now until February 29.
Read more

Did You Know?

Did You Know?

Sea otters hold hands to rest in groups called “rafts”.
Read more