Fun & Learning: School Programs
Teachers Night Out
- The Downtown Aquarium wants to thank you for your work as a teacher. Join us after school for a special evening for educators. Learn about fieldtrips, classroom resources, professional development and network with other educators. Appetizers will be provided. Call our Education Department at 303-561-4444 for updated dates and times and to RSVP.
Bring Your School to the Aquarium
Hook your students with our fun programs at the Downtown Aquarium. We offer two options for schools visiting the Downtown Aquarium. You can choose between a Self-guided Tour or a Classroom Program. Book your school trip today! Registrations with payment are due 2 weeks in advance. Call (303) 561-4444 or email [email protected] for availability.
Self-Guided Tours
- Self Guided Tour entry times begin at 10am and times are staggered through the day
- Cost: $6.50 per student ($9.50 for college students).We require one adult chaperone for every 5 students; adults in this 1:5 ratio are free, teachers are considered chaperones and count in this ratio. Chaperones must remain with the group at all times. Additional adult tickets can be purchased by the school in advance for the group rate, using the reservation form. If you choose not to pre-purchase extra adult tickets, they can purchase their own on the day of the fieldtrip for the regular admission rate.
- Reservations with payment needs to be made 2 weeks in advance. Please call 303-561-4444 to inquire about last minute availability if there is less than two weeks to your preferred date.We will do our best to accommodate if there is space available.
- Reservations and payment MUST be received by us at least 2 weeks in advance of your fieldtrip.
Classroom Programs
Sit back, relax and leave the teaching to us! Put your students in the hands of our expert Aquarium educators for exciting classroom lessons on conservation, adaptation, food webs, habitats, locomotion and defense. Classroom programs are 40-45 minutes in length and are all correlated with the Colorado Model Content Standards. Classroom programs also include admission to the exhibits for a Self-Guided Tour at no extra fee.
- Cost: $9.50 per student ($12.50 for college students). We require one adult chaperone for every 5 students; adults in this 1:5 ratio are free, teachers are considered chaperones and count in this ratio. Chaperones must remain with the group at all times. Additional adult tickets can be purchased by the school in advance for the group rate, using the reservation form. If you choose not to pre-purchase tickets, they can purchase their own at the box office on that day for the regular admission rate. Additional adults and siblings are not admitted to the classroom programs due to space constraints.
- Reservations with payment is required 2 weeks in advance. Please call to inquire about last minute availability if there is less than two weeks to your preferred date.We will do our best to accommodate if there is space available.
- Days: Tuesdays - Fridays; 9:30am, 10:30am, 11:30am or 12:30pm
Splish! Splash! Water Bash!
Grades: PreK – 2nd (PreK students must be at least 3 years old)
Encourages our youngest learners to explore water through play! This hands-on program will have students discovering which animals live on land or in the sea, experiment with the properties of ice and water, and put your boat to the test- can it stay afloat? This early childhood program incorporates nature play, inquiry learning, gross motor and fine motor skills. Meets NGSS- K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-2, 1-PS4-1, 2-PS1-3, 2-PS1-4, 2-ESS2-2, 2-ESS2-3 and Colorado State Standards-SC.P.1.1, SC.P.1.2, SC.P.2.1, SC.P.3.1 , SC.P.3.2, SC.K.1.1, SC.K.2.1, SC.K.3.2 –SC.1.1.1
Sensational Sharks
Grades: PreK – 2nd (PreK students must be at least 3 years old)
Explore the ways sharks experience the world by testing out shark senses! Can you see like a shark? Help match a batch of sharks, find out their favorite foods, build a shark body, and see how you measure up to a shark. This early childhood program incorporates nature play, inquiry learning, gross motor and fine motor skills. Meets Colorado State Standards- SC.P.1, SC.K.2.1, SC.P.2.1, SC.K.3.2, SC.P.2.2, SC.P.3.1, SC.1.1.1, SC.2.1.1, SC.1.2.1, SC.2.2.2
Habitat Highlights
Grades: PreK – 2nd (PreK students must be at least 3 years old)
Explore a variety of habitats and the organisms that live in them. Habitats look very different from one to the next, but they all have food, water, shelter and space. Animals and plants are living organisms that need different things to survive. This early childhood program incorporates nature play, inquiry learning, gross and fine motor skills. Meets the Colorado State Standards - SC.P.1.1, SC.K.2.1, SC.P.2.1, SC.K.3.2, SC.P.2.2, SC.P.3.1, SC.1.2.1, SC.2.2.1, SC.1.2.2, SC.2.2.2
Coral Communities
Grades: 3rd – 5th
A coral reef is a colorful habitat that many animals call home. Discover what coral is and how important they are to the ocean habitat. Meets Colorado State Standards - SC.3.2.1, SC.3.2.2, SC.3.2.3, SC.3.2.5, SC.4.2.1, SC.4.3.4, SC.5.2.1, SC.5.2.2, SC.5.3.5.
Fintastic Sharks
Grades: 3rd – 5th
Discover how different species of sharks have adapted to become apex predators. Uncover unique anatomy and behaviors to see how sharks spend their time. With dynamic demos and interactive exploration, find out why sharks are necessary to keep the ocean ecosystem in balance. Meets Colorado State Standards – SC.3.1.1, SC3.2.1, SC3.2.1, SC3.2.3, SC3.3.1, SC 4.2.1, SC5.1.3, SC5.2.2 and NGSS 4-LS1-1, 4-LS1-2
Fabulous Fish
Grades 3rd – 5th
Fish are equipped with amazing adaptations. Students will learn about both behavioral and physical adaptations that allow fish to survive in a diverse amount of conditions. Meets Colorado State Standards - SC3.2.1, SC3.2.2, SC3.2.3, SC3.2.5, SC4.2.1
Jawesome Sharks
Grades 9th - 12th
Play the hunger games to see how your shark survives. Put shark adaptations to the test to find out how competition for resources and environmental change can drive natural selection. Learners will participate in hands on activities that demonstrate why sharks are the ultimate survivor! Meets Colorado State Standards - SC.MS.2.2, SC.MS.2.5, SC.MS.2.8, SC.MS.2.10, SC.MS.2.11
Invertebrate Investigations
Grades 6th- 12th
Did you know that invertebrates account for 97% of the animal species on earth? Take a closer look at some of these amazing creatures in our hands-on lab, designed to introduce students to the practice and complexity of classification. Meets Colorado State Standards SC.MS.2.1, SC.MS.2.2, Sc.MS.2.5, SC.MS.2.11, SC.MS. 2.12, SC.HS.2.3, SC.HS.2.4, SC.HS.2.7, SC.HS.2.9, SC.HS.2.10, SC.HS.2.13
Squid: Inside & Out
Grades 6th – 12th
Join us for an in-depth look at the world’s largest, fastest and most specialized invertebrate – the squid! Students will learn about the squid’s interesting body parts both inside and out as the dissect one in partner teams. Meets Colorado state standards - SC.MS.2.2, SC.MS.2.5, SC.MS.2.4, SC.MS.2.11, SC.HS.2.3, SC.HS.2.7, SC.HS.2.4, SC.HS.2.12
Aquarium: The Inside Story
Grades 6th – 12th
Look behind the scenes at the chemistry, biology and technology of keeping thousands of aquatic animals healthy and a million gallons of water inhabitable. Learn about the nitrogen cycle and three types of filtration used in the aquarium’s water cycle. Meets Colorado State Standards – SC.MS.2.5, SC.MS.2.7, SC.MS.2.12, SC.MS.3.4, SC.HS.2.3, SC.HS.2.4, SC.HS.3.6
This class is also available for College Classes at $12.50 per student.
Note: This program is also available to college students at the cost of $12.50/student
Virtual Classes - Distance Learning
Too far away for a fieldtrip? Bring Downtown Aquarium into your classroom via an IP network using Zoom or an H.323 teleconference system. We can broadcast a program to your class anywhere! Call us at 303-561-4444 for topics and availability.
Outreach Programs
Downtown Aquarium Educators hit the road to bring aquatic education to your classroom. We will bring fun and interactive topics to you!
We will travel up to 60 miles radius from the Downtown Aquarium. Travel fee is priced per mile and is added to the program fee.
Questions? Call us at 303-561-4444. Click here to book a program.
Loaner Boxes
Are you looking for some new and unusual information to supplement your traditional classroom programming? Try one of our Loaner Boxes!
Each Downtown Aquarium Loaner Box has a wide selection of biofacts, books, posters, videos, music, and other props as well as grade appropriate and state standard-correlated activities ... all designed to help you take a piece of Downtown Aquarium into your classroom. Make your Loaner Box reservation today call 303-561-4444.
- Currently available Loaner Box topics are Coral Reefs, Fish, and Marine Mammals, all developed for grades K-5; and Ocean for grades 6-12.
- Cost: $20 each (payable at the time of reservation) and can be reserved for a maximum of 16 days, beginning on a Saturday (pick-up and drop-off at Downtown Aquarium). An additional $50 credit or check deposit is required to reserve your Loaner Box.
- Your deposit will be held until the Loaner Box is returned. Your deposit will not be processed as long as the box and its contents are returned complete and in good condition.
Student Projects
We are glad to help students answer questions for a research project. If your class has a project on ocean or aquatic animals, habitats or careers, please have your students compile questions into one email and email us at [email protected]. Please allow 5 business days for us to research and respond to your students. Due to time constraints of our staff, we are not able to accommodate live or phone interview requests.
