Teacher's Corner
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Elementary School Level
"Tina Tern"
Learn about the perils facing beach-nesting birds such as least terns and black skimmers by following little Tina Tern,
who was born on the rooftop of a building near Tampa Bay. Created by the St. Petersburg Audubon Society with a grant from the Tampa Bay Estuary s many activities for children in grades 3-5 and is designed to meet Florida's Sunshine State curriculum standards.
Teachers, download "Tina Tern" and make copies for your entire class! (PDF Format)
"A New Home for an Old Friend" (Pre-K through 2nd Grade)
This children's book tells a story, in rhyme and illustrations, about a family's search for a new home
for their pet lionfish when a move requires them to empty their aquarium. The book explains why aquarium fish
shouldn't be released into the wild and presents eco-friendly alternatives. Lesson plans included on CD in pocket
of cover.
Teachers, download "A New Home For An Old Friend" (PDF Format)
"Fish Invaders at Gypsy Point" (3rd through 5nd Grade)
This children's book tells the story of two friends, Katie and George, who discover a strange and unusual
fish while snorkeling at Gypsy Point and learn that it is an invasive lionfish that has been released from
someone's home aquarium. Conversations with a marine scientist named Dr. Linda help them understand why some
non-native plants and animals are harmful to our environment, and what all of us can do to
stop these marine invaders.
Teachers, download "Fish Invaders at Gypsy Point" Book (PDF Format)
Teachers, download "Fish Invaders at Gypsy Point" Lesson Plans (PDF Format)
Middle School Level
"Exploring Tampa Bay, A Teachers Guide to Florida's Largest Estuary"
Designed for students at the middle-school level, this guide assists teachers and parents in educating pupils about the bay's outstanding
natural resources, and its most pressing problems. Contains six teaching units that feature handouts, fast facts about the bay and classroom
activities utilizing science, social studies, writing, and mathematics skills. The guide will be sent on CD unless a hard copy is specifically requested, or
you can download it off our website.
Teachers, download "Exploring Tampa Bay: A Teachers Guide to Florida's Largest Estuary" for your class! (PDF Format)
"Invasive Species Teaching Guide"
The first teaching guide to marine invasive species in Florida is now available from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program.
Designed for middle-school students, "Intruders in Paradise" contains 12 classroom activities, website references, a master vocabulary list, 29 Fact Sheets about individual invasive plants and animals, and additional resources - all as downloadable web-based files. Activities are aligned with both FCAT learning benchmarks and Sunshine State curriculum standards for grades 6-8.
The "Intruders in Paradise" guide was developed by The Florida Aquarium with assistance and funding from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Florida Sea Grant and the UF/IFAS Cooperative Extension Service.
Teachers, download the Invasive Species Teaching Guide and make copies for your entire class! (PDF Format)
Gopher Tortoise Activity Book
Illustrated guide by Anna Maria Island teen Zander Srodes.Covers the biology and ecology of the gopher tortoise,
a protected species in Florida. Chapters explore various aspects of tortoise ecology and conservation with associated
learning activities, such as word scrambles and crossword puzzles.
Teachers, download the Gopher Tortoise Activity Book for your class! (PDF Format)
Freshwater Turtle Activity Book
Illustrated guide by teen Montana Sewell, patterned after the gopher tortoise book. a student for students.
Covers the biology and ecology of turtles that live in Floridas' lakes, rivers and ponds.Chapters explore various
aspects of tortoise ecology and conservation with associated learning activities, such as word scrambles and
crossword puzzles.
Teachers, download the Freshwater Turtle Activity Book for your class! (PDF Format)
Salt Marsh Teacher's Guide
Intended for grades 6-8, this guide will help educators explore the inner workings of a wetland with their students.
Guide presents a series of lesson plans with background information, classroom and field activities, vocabulary,
supplementary web resources, and more. FCAT benchmarks provided.
Teachers, download the Salt Marsh Teacher's Guide for your class! (PDF Format)
High School Level
"Living Legacy Teaching Guide"
A companion teaching guide to TBEP's award-winning documentary film, "Tampa Bay: Living Legacy" is now available to high school teachers in the Tampa Bay watershed.
The CD-based guide was created by a team of teachers in Hillsborough County. Although intended primarily for 9th grade biology, marine biology or integrated science classes, it is suitable for other high school grades as well. The film and teaching guide are both divided into six chapters; the teaching CD features six complete lesson plans, classroom activities, supplemental Power Point presentations, and vocabulary lists.
All lesson plans adhere to Florida's High School Curriculum Standards. Lesson plans cover such topics as seagrasses, threats to the bay and key events in the natural and cultural history of Tampa Bay. The topics mirror those addressed in the 60-minute "Living Legacy" documentary film, that chronicles Tampa Bay's transformation from a relatively unspoiled paradise in the 1950s, to a waterway battered by pollution in the 1970s, to its amazing rebirth and recovery beginning some 25 years ago and continuing today.
"Tampa Bay: Living Legacy" features interviews with scientists, elected officials and citizens, including well-known Floridians such as former Governor of Florida Bob Martinez, the Mayors of both Tampa and St. Petersburg, and former State Education Commissioner Betty Castor. Compelling archival images help tell the bay's story, along with extensive new footage showcasing the extraordinary beauty of the bay's habitats and inhabitants.
TBEP Public Outreach Coordinator Nanette O'Hara said she is pleased to be able to extend the reach of the film into classrooms through the companion teaching guide.
"So many kids in our area really have no idea how far the bay has come in its recovery, or how citizens contributed to that recovery through persistence and determination," she said. "We hope the teaching guide will inspire the next generation of bay champions - our young people. The continued restoration of the bay is truly in their hands."
To obtain your copy of the "Tampa Bay: Living Legacy" teaching guide, call Nanette at (727) 893-2765 or
use our online contact form. CDs can only be provided to public or private school teachers, or informal environmental educators, within the Tampa Bay watershed.
