Ocean Explorers
3rd and 4th Grade Science Enrichment

The Ocean Explorers program offers hands on science enrichment to all of Gloucester's 585 3rd and 4th grade students. During this program, each class of students makes 2 full day site visits to GMHC and receives 4 in school presentations conducted by GMHC staff. On site at GMHC, students participate in three learning units. One learning unit is presented during each in-class visit. At the Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center, students benefit from the opportunity to engage in hands on explorations in both life and physical science that would not be possible to replicate in the classroom. Through these explorations, students are introduced to science process skills that are developmentally appropriate for their age level, expand their science vocabulary and explore content areas that are directly linked to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Learning units have been developed and refined with input from Science Team Lead Teachers for each grade and complement the work that the students are doing in the classroom. GMHC also provides pre- and post- visit materials that teachers incorporate as a part of their classroom lessons.

Watershed Investigations is a partnership program between the Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center, Massachusetts Audubon Society and Rockport Middle School. Each year 90 Rockport Middle School 7th grade students participate in participatory citizen science projects that monitor invasive species and water quality in both a salt marsh and industrial harbor habitat in the North Coastal Watershed of Massachusetts. Students conduct 3 days of field studies in these habitats, one in the salt marsh, and two in the industrial harbor. Field studies are complemented by a series of preparatory and follow up classroom programs led by GMHC and Mass Audubon Educators. Data collected by the students is contributed to data sets compiled by Mass Audubon and MIT Sea Grant.

The Compass Science Instruction Initiative serves the approximately twenty students (ages 17-19) enrolled in the Compass Youth Program, an alternative high school program conducted under the umbrella of Action, Inc. GMHC provides instruction in life and physical sciences to the students enrolled in the Compass program 4 hours a week throughout the school year.