We offer extensive and comprehensive environmental education programs.

These curriculum-related programs, endorsed by the province’s Department of Education, provide a vital component of contemporary education. Our environmental educators work hand-in-hand with educators to develop programs meeting the Specific Curriculum Outcomes of the Newfoundland and Labrador Science Curriculum.

Our school programs take students on a field trip to the natural world. Students will participate in a journey of discovery in and around The Fluvarium to gain a firsthand understanding of plants, animals and the ecosystem they live in.

Grades K-3

Kindergarten

First Steps … Into Nature

This program takes students on their first field trip to the natural world. The program is designed to create curiosity and interest in the outdoors. The students will participate in a journey of discovery in and around The Fluvarium. During their exploration the students will gain an understanding of the needs of plants and animals.

Exploring Living Things!

This program takes Kindergartens on their first field trip to the natural world. Join our environmental educators on an investigation of the living and non-living components of the areas in and around The Fluvarium. What makes a plant a plant? How are animals different? What do all living things need to live? These and other questions are raised as your class begins “Exploring Living Things!”

Freshwater Babies!

Students will explore The Fluvarium and the surrounding grounds, searching for baby animals, learning their respective names and where they live through a song and a “bug sweep”. Enjoying the spring air, they will hike to the outside homes of songbirds, ducks and foxes, and see alevin (baby trout) through The Fluvarium windows!

Jack Frost and His Freshwater Friends!

Students help ‘Jack Frost’ search for the freshwater plants and animals that seem to ‘hide away’ whenever he comes to play. Through this program, your Kindergarten students are introduced to native flora and fauna in their winter state and discover how these plants and animals are able to survive the coldest of seasons.

Pre – Post Activity

Jack Frost’s Bird Friends: When the coldest months arrive, birds could sure use a little extra help. In this activity, students will help birds find enough food to survive the winter months ahead.

Grade One

Alive and Living

As the seasons change and the natural world awakens from its wintry sleep, children in Grade One will take part in an inquiry of living things around and inside The Suncor Energy Fluvarium. Interactive, group based activities focused on characteristics and basic needs of organisms, with a special focus on the life cycle of a common freshwater invertebrate.

Pre – Post Activity

Move Like an Animal: Animals can fly, crawl, swim and more! In this activity students will act out how animals move to meet their needs.

Seasons of Change

Students experience the outdoor environment first hand, becoming aware of the daily and seasonal changes that occur. Hands-on, station-based activities and guided discussions promote discovery as the Grade One students relate to their environment and the relationships that exist in nature’s cycles.

Pre-Post Activity

Seasonal Snapshots: Animals and people act differently depending on the seasons. In this activity, students will make a collage of human and animal activities during each season

Grade Two

Cycles of Life!

SPRING! A time of change. As this season of renewal begins, Cycles of Life focuses on growth and development of some common freshwater animals. Outdoors, students will explore the area surrounding The Suncor Energy Fluvarium and make observations about the animals that are naturally present. Inside, students observe and describe the changes in freshwater invertebrates, fish and amphibians.

Pre-Post Activity

Frog Life Cycle: Frogs’ basic needs for food and shelter change as they go from tadpole to adult. In this activity, students will compare their needs through drawings and descriptions.

Springing Out – Where is my baby? Babies of different animals often have special names. An insect baby may be called a larva or a nymph. In this activity, students will match the names of baby animals to their parent.

Springing Out – Who is Missing? Different animals go through different life stages to grow into adults. Students can check their understanding of life cycles of insects, amphibians and fish by matching life stage cards to the various life cycles.

Water, Air, Everywhere!

Students will examine two of the most important elements that sustain life: Water and Air. Hands-on, station-based activities examine the elements of water and air and how humans and other organisms use these resources. They will investigate the pollution of water through misuse and our attempts to clean it.

Pre-Post Activity

Water Conservation Poster: Water directly affects the health of plants, animals and humans. Students will track and graph their water use and discuss and depict ways to conserve water.

Water States and Wonders

Students build on their understanding of the three states of water: solid, liquid, and gas, and investigate other interesting properties of this wondrous substance, such as water surface tension. Outdoors, the students gain hands-on experience in the use of thermometers in a practical measurement of air and water.

Pre-Post Activity

States of Water Characteristics: Water is a great way to explore the three physical states of solid, liquid and gas. In this activity, students brainstorm words to describe water and group words linked with each state.

Grade Three

Nature’s Structures

Humans are not the only living organisms that build things: animals in the natural world are the original engineers. This program focuses on the structures built and used by the animals in and around The Fluvarium. Students will investigate the ways in which these structures are built and the materials which are required to do so.

Pre-Post Activity

Nature’s Building Materials: Animals use lots of natural materials (rocks, branches, bark, leaves, and grass) to build their homes, nests and cases. In this activity, students will investigate the properties various natural materials and how animals join them together.

Spring Into Plants!
What makes plants grow? Through hands-on, station-based activities students will investigate different plant parts and their functions. Students will also be introduced to aquatic vegetation and their role and importance in the freshwater world.

Pre-Post Activity

Seed Collage Art: Seeds come in various shapes, sizes, and colours. In this activity, students will classify seeds and use them to colour a picture.

The Real Dirt on Water!

Through hands-on, station-based activities, students will examine the relationship between soil and water as they investigate the effects of absorption, drainage and erosion. In doing so, your Grade Three students will discover that soil and water do not always mix!

Pre-Post Activity

Soil Critters: Animals have an impact on our soils. In this activity students will discuss what these impacts are and display where these animals are in relation to the soil.

Grades 4-6

Grade Fours

A Time to Change

Students will explore the changes that have occurred to the landscape in Newfoundland and Labrador, specifically the processes of erosion, movement and deposition of rock. They will determine how wind and especially water reshape the landscape.

Pre-Post Activity

A Time for Change: Soil erosion can be a very serious problem. In this activity, students will learn some of the causes, consequences and solutions to soil erosion.

A Time For Change Word Search: This word search is a great way to introduce changing landscapes vocabulary!

Changement Climatique (French Word Search): This word search is a great way to introduce changing landscapes vocabulary to your French immersion class!

Habitat… Habitat… Gotta Have a Habitat

Students explore plant and animal life in our freshwater ponds and their physical adaptations and habitats and especially the life cycle of frogs and toads. This program makes a real ‘splash’ with the Grade Fours when they examine freshwater invertebrates up close through a ‘pond sweep’.

Pre-Post Activity

Habitat Advertisement: Each animal has individual requirements for food, water, shelter and a place to have babies. In this activity, students will research animals and poster to advertise their habitats for animals to move in.

Water Vision and Movements: Who am I?*: This is a fun activity because students do research (detective work), write and act. In pairs, students will research an animal, write a short adventure story and get classmates to guess what animal it is.

The Nature of Light and Sound

Students will become familiar with the properties of light by investigating how it interacts with various objects in the natural environment. Students will learn the importance of sound through the investigation of the sounds that animals make and how they are detected.

Pre-Post Activity

Shadow Puppets: Each animal has individual requirements for food, water, shelter and a place to have babies. In this activity, students will research animals and poster to advertise their habitats for animals to move in.

Grade Five

The Science of Weather

Students will engage in the basic concepts of ‘weather watching’ while outside, using simple but effective home-made instruments. Inside, the Grade Fives will explore through visual media, class instruction and activities the formation of clouds and how to ‘make’ a cloud in a bottle. They will also investigate weather’s influence on the animal world; particularly our freshwater friends.

Pre-Post Activity

Rain Gauge: The constant circulation of water on earth can be broken down as evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. In this activity, students will construct a rain gauge to measure precipitation as an introduction to the water cycle. The final page is a word search to familiarize students with terminology.

La meteo: A word search to familiarize french immersion students with terminology.

What’s the Matter with Water?

Water! One of the simplest, most common types of matter on earth, yet often taken for granted and misunderstood. What’s the Matter with Water? takes Grade 5 students on a journey of discovery to investigate this so-called ordinary material. Outside we consider water’s volume and mass, and the affect temperature has on these properties. Indoors, having viewed up close our giant water molecule, students enter our Aqua lab and examine the ‘solution’ to water’s solubility. Down at the Fluvarium level, the class takes a water sample and tests it for dissolved oxygen, a water quality parameter necessary for a trout’s survival. Hands on and curriculum relevant, this program is sure to ‘matter’ to all who partake!

Pre-Post Activity

Surface Tension: Cohesion and surface tension are two major properties of liquids. Using water your student will explore the phenomena of these properties, the strength of surface tension, surface tension between liquids and how to reduce surface tension.

Life cycle of the Atlantic salmon!

This program focuses on the life cycle of the mighty Atlantic salmon: its stages of development, its habitat, and the hazards and obstacles in its life. With this majestic fish making news headlines, what a time to introduce your class to an important environmental issue! A must for classes involved in the “Fish Friends” program!

Pre-Post activity

Salmon Siblings: With the fish friends program, students will care for Atlantic salmon eggs and raise them to become fry. In this activity students take on the role of being big brothers and sisters to prepare for the salmon eggs’ to arrive.

Green School Proposals: Suggest ways make your school greener by making a formal proposal to the school. Students will research ways to make their school greener and submit a proposal to the principal.

Grade Six

Biodiversity!

Students discover the concept of ‘biodiversity’ …the variety of life found in nature. Classifying things as “LIVING”, “NON-LIVING”, or “DEAD” are key elements investigated. Specific freshwater organisms, i.e. arthropods such as dragonflies, and aquatic creatures such as frogs and Brown trout, are examined closely.

Pre-Post Activity

Biodiversity around the World: Animals may look very different from related species because they are adapted to their specific environment. In this activity, students research pairs of animals, make a poster comparing the two and make a matching game.

Diversity of Life (Cross Word): This crossword can be a great tool for introducing and reviewing definitions!

Diversity of Life (Answer Key): The answer key for the crossword above.

Grades 7-12

Grade Seven

This program introduces intermediate students to the various relationships between organisms and their habitat. Students will examine various relationships within natural communities and investigate the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors found there. The role of producers, consumers and decomposers within food chains and webs will also be examined.

Pre-Post Activity

Environmental Organization Conference: There are many environmental organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador helping to protect our environment. Students will interview local environmental groups and present a short commercial. The class will set up an environmental organization conference to highlight what is being done in the province.

Food Web Game: This is a class activity that should be done following a discussion on food webs. Students act out a food web demonstrating how everything is linked together.

Grade Eight

Who Killed Fred the Fish?

In this CSI scenario program, abiotic factors that influence the health of life within our freshwater world will be analyzed by our Grade 8 environmental detectives. Hands-on, station-based investigations of non-living factors such as Dissolved Oxygen, Phosphates and Turbidity, as well as an up-close encounter with biological indicators provide clues in solving the mystery around the demise of ‘Fred the fish.’ Students will be introduced to the diversity of animal life within our freshwater environment, review the concept of the water cycle and the role of our freshwater systems within this.

Pre-Post Activity

Algal Bloom Experiments: Algal blooms can negatively impact the plants and animals in our watersheds. In this activity students will investigate the abiotic and biotic factors that lead to harmful algal blooms.

Grade Nine

Reproductive Systems of Aquatic Organisms

Reproductive Systems of Aquatic Organisms, as the title implies, examines reproduction in various freshwater organisms found in and around the Suncor Energy Fluvarium. In the classroom, complete and incomplete metamorphosis are compared and contrasted when the lifecycle of the dragonfly and caddisfly are considered. At the Fluvarium level, the reproductive habits of the brown trout are examined, where students are able to view ‘up close’ female trout digging their ‘reds.’ Outside, reproduction in plants is examined, when students investigate the types of asexual reproduction in various plants found around our center.

Level One – Level Three

For Science 3205 students – “Focus on Freshwater”. This program reviews the structure of water, defines watersheds, examines various wetlands, and provides an understanding the importance of the riparian zone- using the new interactive exhibits within the Suncor Energy Fluvarium. Outside, students undertake a Water Quality Analysis of Nagles Hill Brook, and determine the physical, chemical and biological parameters that affect ambient water.

Teacher Resources

Primary

Water Works: Water States and Wonders
Water States and Wonders is designed to make these major points:

  1. Water is amazing and wonderful. It can change into different states – liquid, solid and gas – depending on the air temperature.
  2. Clean freshwater is valuable – we need to save it! Most of the water in the world is saltwater.

Freshwater Communities: Community Classifications
Community Classifications is designed to make these major points:

  1. Freshwater communities live in ponds, bogs, barrens, rivers, brooks marshes and streams.
  2. Each freshwater community has its own particular plants and animals.
  3. Identification and classification of some of these freshwater plants and animals.

Online Activities and Worksheets:

Spring Fever: Springing Out
Springing Out is designed to make these major points:

  1. Most freshwater “babies” arrive in the spring and summer.
  2. Some insects develop through 3 life stages – egg, nymph, and adult.
  3. Other insects develop through 4 life stages – egg, larva, pupa and adult.
  4. Different habitat may be required at the various life stages of animals.

Online Activities and Worksheets:

Elementary

Water Works: Water Vision and Movement
Water vision and Movements is designed to make these major points:

  1. Aquatic creatures move in the water environment in diverse, amazing ways.
  2. Animals have many different types of eyes
  3. Adult aquatic insects see the world in a different way than we do. Their eyes are made up of thousands of different facets. They are called compound eyes.

Online Activities and Worksheets:

Freshwater Communities: Community Relationships
Community Relationships is designed to make these major points:

  1. Different species interact with one another in the freshwater environment. Most interactions are through the food web.
  2. The terms predator, carnivore, herbivore, omnivore are introduced.
  3. There are very few carnivores, more herbivores, and many, many more producers (plants).
  4. All animals, even top predators depend on the primary producers.

Online Activities and Worksheets:

Spring Fever: Spring Rituals
Spring Rituals is designed to make these major points:

  1. A watershed is the entire area that drains into a river system.
  2. Many developments and changes take place in freshwater plants and animals in spring.
  3. The habitat required for these changes may be very different at each stage of development.
  4. Different habitat may be required at the various life stages of animals.

Online Activities and Worksheets:

Worksheets

Teacher Resources

Teacher Resources

Worksheets

Download our worksheets for your classroom. Click on the titles to access the worksheets (in PDF document format).
*Worksheets are available with an activity kit that can be borrowed from the Suncor Energy Fluvarium.

General

Math
Grade 3: Patterning

Grade 3: Geometry

Grade 7: Multiplication

English Language Arts
Grade 4: Speaking, Reading and Listening Comprehension

Science
Grade 2: Plant Growth and Changes

Grade 5: Weather