This past Monday, our first graders went on an exciting field trip to the Marine Science Institute in Redwood City. The children had an opportunity to learn hands-on about sea creatures and their habitat. They have been learning about the San Francisco Bay ecosystem in their first-grade science curriculum.

Students touched different types of fish. Some commented that the flat fish felt slimy! Other fish felt soft, while some had scales that felt hard.  Students identified the different parts of the fish: scales, fins, gills, eyes, mouth, and tail.

Students took turns capturing plankton in specialized netting. They later looked at the plankton under a lighted camera microscope to identify if they were seeing phytoplankton (plant plankton) or zooplankton (animal plankton). Students learned the importance of keeping our bay water clean and free of polluting elements that could harm the plankton and other sea life. Plankton are at the bottom of the food chain. If plankton become extinct, the food chain becomes interrupted. It affects everything. Students learned that everyone is responsible for keeping our environment clean.

Students also gathered a sample of sediment from the bottom of the bay using a Peterson Mud Grab. They explored their sample by touching the mud and discovering live invertebrates.  It was fascinating to see what was found in the mud layers!

Near the end of our field trip, all students lined up and together pulled in a heavy net from the bay: heave-ho! It took a lot of teamwork to pull in the net! The Marine Science Institute docents gathered fish from the net. They gave one fish to each student. Students cupped their hands to form a nest to safely transport their fish to a pan filled with sea water. The fish were squiggly as students transferred them to the rescuing pan.  The docents later released the fish caught in the net back into the bay.

Afterwards, all students had fun eating their lunch in an outdoor amphitheater overlooking the bay.  We packed out all of our trash, leaving the environment as clean as it was before we arrived.

Students had a fantastic time learning about the San Francisco Bay ecosystem and how important it is to keep it in balance and free of pollution.

Explore K-6 Academics at Pinewood | Explore More Pinewood Excursions

Jeanne Bates earned a B.A. in Music Performance from Bob Jones University, and her Multi-Subject California Teachers Credential and M.S. in Philosophy from San Jose State University. Jeanne’s past teaching experience is with Los Altos School District. She is actively involved in singing with the music group, Schola Cantorum, in Mountain View. In her free time, Jeanne loves to spend time with her husband, Allen, whose three children attended Pinewood School. Together, Jeanne and Allen have five children and three grandchildren. Jeanne further enjoys music, jogging, hiking, whitewater rafting, going on adventures with her family and friends, and traveling.

Jeanne Bates, Language Arts (1) | jeannebates@pinewood.edu