Distance Learning Programs
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Virtual Project Crystal
Grade Level: 5
Duration: Six flexible week-long modules, including four synchronous videoconferencing sessions
Website: Click hereDuring Project Crystal, students are invited to take part in ecological research in Moro Canyon! As you help Crystal Cove Conservancy, Crystal Cove State Park, and UC Irvine study the best way to help native seedlings grow, you’ll learn about concepts like plant ecology, the water cycle, and how we can use science ideas to protect our wild places.
This program is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards for fifth grade. The curriculum includes six week-long modules, each with about 2 hours of flexible activities to incorporate into your online classroom. The program also includes four optional videoconferencing sessions so that your students can connect with Crystal Cove Conservancy staff from the field in Moro Canyon.
If you are a teacher and would like to incorporate Virtual Project Crystal into your classroom, please fill out our survey here to let us know!
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Explore at Home Investigations
Grade Level: 4-6
Duration: 30-45 minutes each
Website: Click hereAs part of our expansion into distance learning, Crystal Cove Conservancy’s education team has developed short, 30-minute investigations that invite learners to explore the outdoors from home, whether by making observations out a window, sketching in a nature journal in their backyard, or taking a family walk through their neighborhood. Although these standalone activities were developed as part of Project Crystal, they can also be integrated separately into your online classroom.
If you plan to use the Explore at Home curriculum, please fill out our survey here to let us know!
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PORTS Videoconferencing
Grade Level: 4-6
Duration: 30-45 minutes
Website: PORTS.PARKS.CA.GOVCrystal Cove Conservancy is a proud supporter of the PORTS (Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students) Distance Learning Program. State Park PORTS interpreters deliver live 45-minute videoconferencing sessions from California State Parks directly to students via Skype. Participants can learn about tidepool ecology, Marine Protected Areas, the redwoods, and more through engaging and interactive presentations. Both scheduled classroom programs and home learning programs are available.
PORTS programs are aligned with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards, and are made available free of charge.
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Virtual Marine Science Programs with Newport Whales (Coming soon!)
Grade Level: 4-6
Duration: 45 minutes
Website: newportwhales.comCrystal Cove Conservancy’s partners at Davey’s Locker Whale Watching offer distance learning programs! Their virtual classroom visits are only $50 per session, which lasts approximately 45 mins. These presentations are NGSS-aligned and tailored to your grade level, with videos and pictures all about whales, fish, and other local sea life. To wrap up, they’ll even host a Q&A session so your eager students can ask specific questions to their educators. This can be offered to student groups in a public, private or homeschool setting!
More information coming soon. Contact Jessica Roame, Newport Whales Education Manager, by emailing JESSICA@NEWPORTWHALES.COM.
In-Person Field Trips
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Enhanced Whale Watching Cruise
Grade Level: 3-6
Class Size: Up to 25 students (normally up to 72 students)
Duration: 10 AM – 12 PM
Price: $900
Website: newportwhales.com/enhancedwhalewatchingfieldtripTake to the seas under the guidance of a trained Newport Landing marine educator, who will facilitate as students help collect data for five different at-sea studies. Monitor bird populations, examine tiny plankton, and keep your eyes peeled for any sign of fascinating marine mammals.
Limited capacity Enhanced Whale Watch Cruises are available to book through our partner, Newport Whales! Participation is limited to 25 students and all guests will be required to wear a properly-fitted facemask while on board the vessel.
For more information, visit the NEWPORT WHALES WEBSITE or contact Jessica Roame, Newport Whales Education Coordinator, by emailing jessica@newportwhales.com.
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Project Crystal Community Science (Currently on hold)
Grade Level: 5
Class Size: Up to 60 studentsThere is much that we don’t know about restoration, but your students are about to help us tackle this land management challenge first-hand at Crystal Cove State Park. This multi-week program, consisting of an integrated in-class curriculum that is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and two field excursions to Crystal Cove State Park, immerses fifth grade students in exploring restoration ecology. Students work with scientists to ask questions, collect data, and analyze their findings in order to identify the best strategies to use in restoring Crystal Cove State Park’s Moro Canyon.
Although the program curriculum is available for free online, we hope to be able to offer “data collection” field trips in Spring 2021. If you would like to be added to the waiting list, please contact Kaitlin Magliano, Education Coordinator, by emailing kaitlin@crystalcove.org.
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Crystal Cove State Park Interpretive School Program (Currently on hold)
Grade Level: 2-5
Class Size: Up to 60 students
Duration: Varies
Price: $2.50/studentCrystal Cove State Park invites students to participate in a variety of interpretive educational programs. These programs are available for school and other organized groups throughout the year in the park. All programs are curriculum-based, fun, and interactive and can be adapted to any grade level by Ranger Winter, one of Crystal Cove’s most beloved interpreters. Possible areas of focus cover everything from tidepools and ecology to unhuggables and birding.
In-person interpretive programming at Crystal Cove State Park is currently paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information on how to schedule a program once they resume, please visit the Crystal Cove State Park website.