Distance Learning Program: Marine Mammal Health
Length of Time:
30-45 Min
National Standards met:
- Content Standard C – Organisms and Their Environment
- Content Standard C – Regulation and Behavior
- Content Standard F – Populations, Resources, and Environments
- Content Standard F – Science and Technology in Society
FL. Next Generation Standards met:
- (interdependence) SC.912.L.15.5, SC.912.L.17.2, SC.912.L.17.3, SC.912.L.17.6, SC.912.L.17.8, SC.912.L.17.15, SC.912.L.17.16
- (literary analysis) LA.910.2.2.3, LA.910.2.2.5
- (Communication) LA.1112.5.2.1
(Other state standards upon request)
Ocean Literacy Principles met:
- OLP 1.a, c, d, e, f, g, h
- OLP 5.a, b, c, d, e, f
- OLP 6.a, c, e, f, g
- OLP 7.a, b, c, d, e, f, g
Other state standards can be met upon request
Content:
An experienced marine mammal trainer/educator will lead students through a fun and informative demonstration and discussion of the following with the help of some of DRC’s amazing dolphins
- Discover how we learn about our dolphins and their unique personality
- Observe and understand the importance of building strong, trusting relationships with the dolphins
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Discover basic principles behind Operant Conditioning and how we use it with our dolphins
- Conditioned vs. unconditioned reinforcers and how we use them
- How we use successive approximation (small steps) to train husbandry behaviors
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Observe and hear how our dolphins voluntarily participate in their own medical care:
- Body Inspections & weighing
- Giving various samples allowing us to assess their internal health (ex. blood, bile, blowhole/nasal, fecal, urine, etc.)
- Assisted hydration
- Ultrasound
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Learn About Ocean Conservation
- Why understanding a dolphin’s physiology helps their wild cousins
- Threats facing the health of wild dolphins and their environment
- How you can help them and their environment
- Participate in a question and answer session at the end to get at those “always wanted to know” questions.