Middle School Virtual Programs
Virtual Programs for Middle School
Back to our Grade Level Programs & Websites Page| Provider Name | Resource Link | Provider Location | Abstract |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Academy of Sciences | Free livestreams for K-8 students nationwide | San Francisco | Each livestream is a lesson taught by professional educators, which is broadcast for free to YouTube. Events feature hands-on activities or kinesthetic movement that students can do while tuning in. Teachers or adult guardians must register in advance for their student(s) to participate. Check website for current topics and broadcast days |
| California Dept of Parks and Recreation | Virtual Field Trip: Redwood Ecology | Sacramento | PORTS is a free distance learning program that uses the power of interactive videoconferencing to help K-12 schools teach common core state standards in the context of California State Parks. PORTS Programs include: Fully developed units of study to prepare and assess learning. and Live, interactive videoconference presentations on science, history, language arts and other academic topics. The redwood forest ecosystem is one of the most ancient on planet Earth. The diversity and interrelationships of the living and non-living in this unique environment offers an opportunity to explore our interconnectedness. In this unit students explore the ancient giants, the science concepts of ecosystems, and the options for maintaining healthy resources in healthy, working forests. An adventure via videoconference to the towering redwoods in Humboldt Redwoods State Park or Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park offers a perspective into the past and a view into the future that we hold in our hands. |
| California Dept of Parks and Recreation | Virtual Field Trip: Salmon Life Cycle | Sacramento | PORTS is a free distance learning program that uses the power of interactive videoconferencing to help K-12 schools teach common core state standards in the context of California State Parks. PORTS Programs include: Fully developed units of study to prepare and assess learning. and Live, interactive videoconference presentations on science, history, language arts and other academic topics. The migratory life cycle of pacific salmon and steelhead offers students an opportunity to explore how adaptations help animals survive in different environments. During the course of this unit the life cycle of the salmon will take us from egg to adult, from freshwater streams in the redwoods to the salty Pacific Ocean, over obstacles and past predators. Students will explore the concept of watersheds in the context of the Mill Creek watershed in Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park in Humboldt county. This unit of study provides four, one hour, in-class lessons to familiarize your students with the story of salmon and key concepts concerning migration and watersheds. The fifth lesson is a live, interactive videoconference with Park Interpreters. The interpreter will talk directly with your students about the life cycle, habitats and adaptations of the amazing pacific salmon. |
| California Dept of Parks and Recreation | Virtual Field Trip: Redwood Ecology | Sacramento | PORTS is a free distance learning program that uses the power of interactive videoconferencing to help K-12 schools teach common core state standards in the context of California State Parks. PORTS Programs include: Fully developed units of study to prepare and assess learning. and Live, interactive videoconference presentations on science, history, language arts and other academic topics. This unit of study introduces students to the evolutionary history and adaptations of the northern elephant seals of Año Nuevo State Reserve. Lessons One and Two are each one hour, in-class lessons that explore the habitat, behaviors, and adaptations of the northern elephant seal. The third and fourth lessons are optional and involve student projects. The highlight of the unit is a video conference between students and a park ranger. The ranger acts as guide for a virtual tour of the rookery and discusses the evolutionary history and adaptations of elephant seals with students. |
| Coyote Hills Regional Park | Natural History of Plants & Animals | Fremont | Explore the wetlands of Coyote Hills and its inhabitants to learn ways to conserve natural resources. Students will learn the types of plants and animals in wetland habitats and how they have adapted to survive. Explore specimens, meet animal ambassadors, and discover animal adaptations. |
| Coyote Hills Regional Park | Cultural History of Ohlone Peoples | Fremont | This program introduces students to parts of Ohlone culture. Students will learn about Native People, their connection to the land and natural resources, and traditional skills. Virtually students will explore artifacts, specimens, and tools that Native People still use today. |
| Crab Cove Visitor Center and Aquarium | Chat with a Nat | Alameda | A Q&A session with a Crab Cove Naturalist, as a follow-up after engaging after watching an online Creature Feature video. Contact us for list of topics. V |
| East Bay Municipal Utility District | Water Treatment Plant Virtual tours | Orinda | Take a vitual tour of Orinda Water Treatment Plant is EBMUD's largest plant and produces drinking water for customers west of the Berkeley/Oakland Hills |
| East Bay Municipal Utility District | Wastewater treatment plant Virtual tour | Orinda | Take a vitual tour of The Main Wastewater Treatment Plant is located in Oakland near the Bay Bridge. EBMUD’s 88-square-mile wastewater service area is home to 740,000 people who live in Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Kensington, Oakland, Piedmont, and the Richmond Annex. |
| East Bay Municipal Utility District | Mastodons Among Us Virtual Tour | Orinda | An EBMUD Ranger discovers a trove of prehistoric fossils on the Mokelumne River Watershed. Also available in Spanish and Chinese. |
| Greater Farallones Association | Student Monitoring Programs (LiMPETS) | San Francisco | Through research-based monitoring, students develop their problem solving skills, gain experience using tools and methods employed by field scientists, and learn to analyze data. Teachers are provided with a Monitoring Handbook, equipment, an in-class introduction to the project, and a training session at the monitoring site to ensure that teachers and students are familiar with the protocols. Pick from the Sandy Beach Monitoring Project or the Rocky Intertidal Monitoring Project. Sandy Beach and Rocky Intertidal Monitoring Program options available |
| Happy Hollow Park & Zoo | Animal Attraction | San Jose | When it comes to a mate, animals also look for the best-dressed dancer. Plants & animals use reproductive success strategies to continue their “family tree” Attractive appearances & beneficial behaviors Vocabulary: Reproductive success/Resource availability |
| Happy Hollow Park & Zoo | Hand Me Down Genes | San Jose | Nature and nurture – parents and the environment determine how life grows. Environmental & genetic factors influence species growth Vocabulary: Genetic factors/Environmental factors/Climate change/Hybrid |
| Hiller Aviation Museum | Flight Planning | San Carlos | Use the tools of a pilot to complete a flight plan! Participants use an aviation chart, plotter and flight plan to measure distances, calculate flight times and determine fuel consumption in an interactive at-home activity. Students need not be in a single location to participate in this program. The Hiller Aviation Museum will provide three printable.pdf files that must be printed for each participating student. Students must have access to scissors and pencils to complete the activity, |
| Math Science Nucleus | Tule Ponds - Earthquake Walk from Tule to Stivers Lagoon | Fremont | Tule Ponds is a jewel in the middle of Fremont. It was created by the Hayward Fault and the underground aquifers that provide water for Tyson Lagoon. This tours looks at how the Hayward fault goes through the east bay and leaves clues. We will visit the building being ripped apart by a slow moving fault. We will look at evidence at Tule Ponds to trace the fault. |
| Monterey Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center | Recorded and Live Programs Available. | Santa Cruz | Explore Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary through distance learning! Want to connect your students to marine science, exploration, and engineering? Experience our new virtual programs for grades 2nd-12th: Dive into Kelp Forests!: 2nd-4th grade From Land to Sea: Watersheds: 3rd-5th grade Deep Sea Discovery: 3rd-5th grade Sounds in the Sanctuary: 3rd-5th grade Plankton Exploration: 4th-6th grade |
| Natural Bridges State Park | Monarch Butterfly - Virtual | Santa Cruz | Discover the life cycle, migration, adaptations and conservation of monarch butterflies here at Natural Bridges and all across the state. This one-hour program is facilitated by California State Park Interpreters live from the park. |
| Natural Bridges State Park | Tidepool Tours - Virtual | Santa Cruz | Discover tidepool adaptations and zonation at Natural Bridges State Beach. This hour-long program will guide the class through the intertidal zone and the unique species that call this place home. Please let us know if there are any specific topics to discuss. |
| Save The Bay | Virtual Expedition | Oakland | Join Save The Bay staff on the shoreline from home or from the classroom. We offer virtual field trips by grade bands. Each session includes a short presentation, a live virtual tour of our nursery and the shoreline, and finishes with an activity encouraging students to share what they’ve learned. Programs are available for customization to support classroom curriculum |
| SaveNature.org | Squid Science Dissection | San Francisco | Explore what makes a squid so amazing! How they swim, navigate, defend themselves and hunt. Learn about their anatomy and how an animal’s body is designed for success in the ocean. |
| SaveNature.org | Owl Pellet Discovery | San Francisco | Learn how to be a bone detective while examining how a barn owl digests their prey, or don’t digest their prey. Discover what’s for dinner. |
| SaveNature.org | Insect Discovery Lab | San Francisco | Each presentation includes hands-on experience with live animals and observation time with live and preserved materials. Children will learn how to identify insects and their arthropod relatives, touch amazing arthropod ambassadors, see how insects defend themselves, and discovery their incredible diversity. Students explore the fantastic lives of beetles, millipedes, grasshoppers, walking sticks, whip scorpions, and more. The Insect Discovery Lab immerses students in the extraordinarily diverse world of insects and other arthropods and teaches about their key role in the web of life. Scientific observation, insect identification, and the natural history of bugs' lives are just some of the areas of focus of this program. Classes will receive pre and post visit materials including fact sheets, activity sheets, resource sheets and conservation action guides. Programs are 45-50 minutes long. |
| The Gardens at Heather Farms | Geology Rocks Virtual | Walnut Creek | Explore different types of rocks and minerals, classify them based on their observable properties and investigate how they are used in our daily lives. Identify and date various fossil types and learn how this record of life is preserved over time. Secondary grade levels will find solutions for reducing human impact on natural landscapes. |
| The Tech Interactive | Virtual Program: STEMbassador | San Jose | What is a STEMbassador? STEMbassadors are volunteer professionals, students, and subject experts who are interested in engaging with learners about real-world STEM experiences and career pathways.There are two types of STEMbassador sessions (all are virtual): ** Meet a STEMbassador: This session is informal and conversational. The STEMbassador will give a 5-10 minute presentation about who they are, including a bit about their personal history, path into STEM, current studies or work and career goals. The rest of the session will be an open Q&A with STEMbassadors. ** STEM Project Talk: In this type of session, the STEMbassador will give a 20-minute presentation about their current work or studies, giving students a sneak peek into a sample STEM project or cutting-edge research. The rest of the session will be an open Q&A from students. |
| Tilden Nature Area-Tilden Regional Park | Virtual Wildlife | Berkeley | Enjoy a video about one of the animal groups below, then join the Naturalist for a live discussion! • Insects • Reptiles and Amphibians • Spiders |
| Tilden Nature Area-Tilden Regional Park | Virtual Nature Ramble | Berkeley | An exploration of the Nature Area’s flora and fauna. After viewing a video of a Naturalist guided walk, enjoy a live discussion with a Naturalist! |
| Tilden Nature Area-Tilden Regional Park | Virtual Pond Study | Berkeley | Explore life beneath the surface of the pond! Meet aquatic insects, amphibians, and hear a story about pond creatures with these videos and curriculum package. Grades: K-2nd (and up) |
| UC Botanical Garden | Discovering Flowers and Plants | Berkeley | Develop your powers of observation as you learn about roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, and the life cycles of plants. See examples of these plant parts from six plant communities around the world. |
| UC Botanical Garden | Botany on Your Plate | Berkeley | Investigate a collection of nutritious roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, and seeds and see how they grow in the Garden’s Crops of the World Garden. Students will learn about healthy eating, the function of each plant part, and see what plants look like before they reach the grocery store. |
| UC Botanical Garden | CA Natives Plants & People | Berkeley | Get an introduction to California native plants from different plant communities, and see how they grow in the the Garden’s extensive California Collection! Learn about how California Indians use these plants in their everyday lives for food, shelter, clothing, tools, medicine, fiber, music, toys and games. |
| Wildcare | Califonria Wetlands | San Rafael | Which shark is born in the salt marsh? How is a wetland like a restaurant? Wade into the unique lives of the animals that pass through these watery worlds. Explore this vanishing habitat to learn exactly why it is worth preserving and how you can help. Students will examine the benefits of wetlands and find out why animals rely on them for survival. Students will gain an understanding of how restoring and protecting California’s wetlands has a big positive impact on our local wildlife. |
| Wildcare | Eco Heroes | San Rafael | Find out how you can be an Eco-Hero! Learn about our rescued non-releasable Wildlife Ambassadors during this interactive presentation. By sharing their rescue stories, these animals act as representatives for their species in order to increase awareness of their plight in the wild. Investigate the issues affecting wildlife, interdependence in ecosystems, and how we can make choices in our everyday lives to have a positive impact on our environment. |
| Wildcare | Wonders of Oak Woodlands | San Rafael | How do squirrels plant trees? Who lives inside of a tree trunk? Find out what other wonders await by transporting your classroom to the oak woodland! Listen for the drumming of the acorn woodpecker, catch a glimpse of the fluffy tail of the grey fox, and watch raptors soar in the sky above. Hear the stories of our Wildlife Ambassadors and Wildlife Hospital patients to understand how their species are connected in the food web. Learn how oak trees sustain life for wildlife and humans alike in this important ecosystem. NGSS Alignment |