On-site School Programs
SERC School and Group Field Trip
Shorelines (10-120 students/day)
Our field trips are now what we call "Timed Entry," meaning that the stations are at set times from 10 am-2 pm. Our staff and volunteers still teach the stations, but due to staffing, we can not flex time to accommodate unique groups every day. The times for these stations, an introduction, and lunch, are listed below. If you arrive late, we can not guarantee that all of the students can do all of the stations provided that day.
Small group canoe trips, guided hikes, bird walks, virtual programs, and teacher PD are also available. Please ask for more information.
Shorelines Description
Our main field trip is called "Shorelines" and is a four-hour field trip (you can choose to do 1 hour or up to all 4) from 10 am - 2 pm. There will be 45-minute stations focused on Chesapeake Bay biodiversity and the science of the Smithsonian. Students will take on the role of scientists, using similar sampling techniques and methods to learn about life in the Bay and their connection to that life.
Grades Served
All of our stations are now designed to be adapted to serve grades 1st-12th. Our experienced educators can adapt materials and information, but the hands-on components are similar. For 1st-2nd grade students, we will adapt programs to be entirely on land, and not the docks.
"Shorelines" can be adapted for K-2nd, 3rd-8th, or 9th-12th. The stations offered will change based on season, group interest, availability, and weather. Please let us know if you have a particular focus you’re interested in.
K-2nd: Seining, Oysters, Bay Sharks, Terrapins (live terrapin), Blue Crabs (live blue crab), or Marsh Hike
3rd-12th: Seining, Oysters, Bay Sharks (3rd-7th only), Terrapins (3rd-5th only), Blue Crab Lab, or Marsh Hike
Mixed Grade Group
We ask that groups be composed of students within at least three grades or years of each other. For example, 5th, 6th, and 7th grade could be together, or 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. If you have a larger mix, then you must book two separate field trips. However, those trips could run on the same day. Our maximum number per age group is 42 per age range/group. This means we can go up to 48 students per day of mixed-age students.
Station Options
Rotations run for about 45 minutes
- Seining (all grades): Students grades 3+ will don waders and use nets to try and catch a diversity of fish and invertebrates in the nearshore zone. K-2nd grade students will help with handling creatures, while chaperones put on waders and seine for them.
- Oysters (all grades): Students sort through oyster baskets and learn about why oysters and vertical reef structure are important to benthic biodiversity.
- Microscope & Magnification Lab (5th grade and up): Set up with a wide variety of bay organisms, macroalgae, and plankton, students will use microscopes and make their own samples to study epibenthic biodiversity and plankton.
- Blue Crab Lab (all grades): Dive into the world of blue crabs by learning about their adaptations for living in the Bay. If the season allows, we’ll see a live blue crab up close!
- eDNA & River Herring (5th grade and up): Students learn about DNA and River Herring project and extract DNA from apple sauce.
- Marsh Hike (all grades): Students take a short walk to our Marsh Overlook to learn about why marshes are important. For older students, we’ll talk about ecology and our SERC research.
- Bay Sharks (1st-3rd grade): We’ll learn about how our scientists study sharks that visit the Bay, and why sharks are really our friends!
How many people can SERC accommodate on field trips at one time?
We are only allowed 60 program participants at a time at stations, but you may bring up to 120, and have ½ do self-directed activities and ½ do stations, then swap. This means instead of the usual 4 stations in a day, each set of students would be able to do two stations. Please also see the information on mixed-age groups.
Fees
To book a field trip, groups will fill out a form or contact Karen McDonald at McDonaldK@si.edu to purchase a pass with a fixed price based on vehicle type/capacity for up to 60 students a day. Entire payment is required at the time of booking, or least 3 weeks prior to your field trip if you are booking a season ahead.
| Bus/Vehicle Type | Number of passengers | Cost | Number of stations each student could complete from 10 am - 2 pm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus type CTL or van (multifunction smaller bus) |
10-15 | $300 | 4 |
| Bus Type A or B | 16-29 | $510 | 4 |
| Bus Type C | 30-50 | $850 | 4 |
| Bus Type D | 51-60 | $1,020 | 4 |
| Multiple buses | 61-80 | $1,200 | 2 |
| Multiple buses | 80-120 | $1,800 | 2 |
Cars and minivans are rated on the number of individuals (see the scale above) depending on the total number of students.
Chaperones
If the group has more than each number of students, they should round up. For example, if you have 12 students, round up to 2 chaperones instead of 1. For mixed age groups, you should use the ratio for the youngest grade you have for the entire trip. For example, if you have grades 2, 3, and 4, then you’d use the chaperone ratio for 2nd grade.
CITs and Jr. Counselors: Please note that minors, CITs, and Jr. Counselors DO NOT count as adults and chaperones. You must have one adult, age 18 or older, with each sub-group.
We allow up to 5 CITs and Jr. Counselors per group. After that, they are included in the student numbers.
| Students | Number of Chaperones Needed Ratio of adults to children |
|---|---|
| K-2nd | 1:5 |
| 3rd-12th | 1:10 |
| Special Needs Students | 1:5 |
Daily Schedule
Please pre-divide students into color groups Red, Blue, Green, and Purple with colored dots on name tags. All students with medical issues should be put into the Blue Group (allergies, medications, etc.).
The maximum sub-group size is 15 students (unless you have a mixed-age group). We recommend pre-dividing students so that you can make the most of your time at SERC.
| Start Time | End Time | Seining | Oysters | Microscopes | 4th station varies based on availability: Marsh, eDNA, Blue Crabs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:40am | 9:50am | Daily welcome/introduction | |||
| 10:00am | 10:45am | Red | Green | Purple | Blue |
| 10:50am | 11:30am | Green | Red | Blue | Purple |
| 11:30am | 12:00pm | Lunch | |||
| 12:10pm | 12:55pm | Purple | Blue | Red | Green |
| 1:05pm | 1:50pm | Blue | Purple | Green | Red |
| 1:50pm | 2:00pm | Restrooms / Load bus | |||
Please note:
With small groups of 10-19 students, we reserve the right to consolidate stations and offer them only once or twice during the day. We will let the group know when they arrive.
If you arrive late, we can not guarantee that all students will be able to do all the stations. You will only be able to do the number of stations possible in the amount of time remaining for your visit.
Students Needing Special Accommodations
Please let us know BEFORE YOU ARRIVE if you have any students with special needs, behavioral plans/needs, or those that need physical accommodations. This trip is not recommended for those with severe allergies to touching or inhaling fish or shellfish.
Please pre-divide students into color groups Red, Blue, Green, and Purple with colored dots on name tags. All students with medical issues should be put into the Blue Group (allergies, medications, etc.).
The maximum sub-group size is 15 students (unless you have a mixed-age group). We recommend pre-dividing students so that you can make the most of your time at SERC.
| Start Time | End Time | Seining | Oysters | 3rd Station varies based on availability: Terrapins, Bay Sharks, or Blue Crabs (let us know if you have a preference) |
4th station varies based on availability: Marsh, eDNA, Blue Crabs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:40am | 9:50am | Daily welcome/introduction | |||
| 10:00am | 10:45am | Red | Green | Purple | Blue |
| 10:50am | 11:30am | Green | Red | Blue | Purple |
| 11:30am | 12:00pm | Lunch | |||
| 12:10pm | 12:55pm | Purple | Blue | Red | Green |
| 1:05pm | 1:50pm | Blue | Purple | Green | Red |
| 1:50pm | 2:00pm | Restrooms / Load bus | |||
Please note:
With small groups of 10-19 students, we reserve the right to consolidate stations and offer them only once or twice during the day. We will let the group know when they arrive.
If you arrive late, we can not guarantee that all students will be able to do all the stations. You will only be able to do the number of stations possible in the amount of time remaining for your visit.
Students Needing Special Accommodations
Please let us know BEFORE YOU ARRIVE if you have any students with special needs, behavioral plans/needs, or those that need physical accommodations. This trip is not recommended for those with severe allergies to touching or inhaling fish or shellfish.
In case of weather:
- If there is thunder and lightening, activities are cancelled.
- If there is light rain, activities will still run.
- If wind is over “small craft advisory” or unsafe on the docks, then we will move activities accordingly.
- All cancellations are at the discretion of SERC. We will reschedule if needed.
- If weather is inclement, we reserve the right to change station locations or change station topics.
Other Information
- Lunch: We have a picnic pavilion and tables behind the Reed Center. SERC has the right to reserve either of these areas depending on need or weather.
- Food: Please note that there are no food or beverages available onsite or nearby. You should bring lunches in bags (we suggest lunch containers, boxes, or backpacks, as our squirrels and birds like student lunches too, so you need to protect them!)
- Suggested list of things to bring: Once you register, we will send you a confirmation and a list of suggested things to bring to make your stay more enjoyable.
- Student medications and first aid: You are responsible for carrying and managing student medications, and for handling first aid needs.
To book a field trip, or for more information: Email Karen McDonald (McDonaldK@si.edu), or call 443-482-2216.
