Students visiting the Aquarium as part of a grades 3-5 Structured School Program participate in activities that reinforce the concepts introduced in the curriculum. Students meet in the classroom for an introduction and then divide into three smaller groups that rotate between three activities, all based on the theme of adaptations and food chains in communities.

Introduction
In the introduction to the 3-5 activities, students participate in a role-playing activity to learn how the adaptations of plants and animals determine how they are connected in a community through food chains.

Classroom
Students examine live animals, such as sea urchins and snakes, to determine the adaptations these animals have that help them to survive in a community as a part of a food chain.

Coastal Plain Gallery and Salt Marsh Aviary
Students explore the exhibits to find plants and animals to determine their roles in a food chain. Students then use pictures of these organisms to construct food chains found in these environments.

The Ocean Gallery
Students will examine the fish in the exhibits and discuss what adaptations a fish needs to survive underwater. Students will then build their own fish while comparing the parts to the gear used by a diver.