Science Streams is a new video series from the Tennessee Aquarium developed specifically for teachers and students. The series has two sets of videos, and we think you will love them both.
The eight Outreach Videos are aligned with Tennessee Science and NGSS standards and include topics such as animal needs, water, and ecological relationships. Each has a detailed Educator Guide to support you in teaching with the video.
The ten Behind the Scenes videos give students of all ages a closer look at some of our most popular animals along with the work of several different departments at the Aquarium.
Science Streams was produced in collaboration with filmmakers at Chattanooga-based Atomic Films and was funded by grants from Tennessee American Water and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.
The videos are freely available for teachers. Questions? Email us at education@tnaqua.org.
Outreach Videos
Animals and Their Needs (12m 19s) – Animals have certain needs that must be met in order to live and grow. The habitats where they live meet those needs. In this video, students examine the habitats for three different animals at the Tennessee Aquarium to see how these needs are met. Students then use a model to reason about in which habitat a lizard or a sea turtle might live. (Early elementary focus)
Educator Guide
Investigating Plant Needs (8m 22s) – Plants need air, water, and sunlight to live. This video focuses students on collecting data from plants in and around the Aquarium to figure out what plants need to live and grow. Then students analyze their data and launch an investigation to decide if plants really do need these certain resources to live. (Early elementary focus)
Educator Guide
Just Add Water (9m 26s) – Water is all around us. Water can change the land around it, and the land can even change the way water flows. Join Tennessee Aquarium educators as they develop a model to help students reason about the effects water and land have on each other. (Early elementary focus)
Educator Guide
Secrets of Survival (11m 36s) – All animals have adaptations to help them survive. In this video, students have a chance to learn about different types of adaptations. Students then make observations of animals in an Aquarium exhibit to find additional adaptation possibilities. (Late elementary focus)
Educator Guide
Wild Return (9m 38s) – Invasive species can be a problem for ecosystems. But species that have been lost from an area can be reintroduced with careful work. The Tennessee Aquarium has been reintroducing Lake Sturgeon to the Tennessee River for over 20 years. This video shares the work that it takes to bring a species back to restore an ecosystem. (Late elementary focus)
Educator Guide
Animal Instinct (7m 53s) – How does a fish know how to swim right away? Do animals learn from each other? This video helps students explore the difference between animals and their instincts and their learned behaviors and challenges them to watch for different behaviors in nature. (Late elementary focus)
Educator Guide
Unlikely Friends and Foes (7m 18s) – Many students know about predator-prey relationships. This video helps them learn about other types of relationships, particularly the different forms of symbiosis. Students may not realize these relationships can be found in their own backyards, and the video encourages them to look around to find these relationships in nature.(Middle school focus)
Educator Guide
Eye Spy (8m 14s) – Ethology is the study of animal behavior. In this video, students learn about why scientists might study animal behavior then have a chance to make an ethogram as they observe penguins at the Tennessee Aquarium. They have an opportunity to develop their own ethograms for an animal in nature or an animal seen using one of the Aquarium’s live webcams. (High school focus)
Educator Guide
Behind the Scenes
Alligators (12m 0s) – Have you ever wondered what it is like to train an alligator? Join us behind the scenes to learn more about the alligators at the Tennessee Aquarium, what it is really like to work with them, and what their colored nails mean.
Arapaima Training (10m 36s) – Take a behind the scenes look at the Tennessee Aquarium’s River Giants exhibit. Arapaima are native to the Amazon and can reach lengths of more than 6 feet. Take a look to learn more about how we care for and train these river giants!
Conservation (11m 32s) – Did you know that the Aquarium does a lot of conservation science work? In this video, we take a behind the scenes look at the great work that the scientists at the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute do around the southeast and beyond.
Diving at the Aquarium (9m 29s) – If you have ever been to the Tennessee Aquarium, you might have seen a dive show where our divers share information about some of the amazing animals that live here. But did you know that there are SCUBA divers in our exhibits every day? Get an underwater look at what they do in this Behind the Scenes video.
Enrichment (13m 57s) – Animals have natural behaviors that we see when they play, explore, or forage for food. Keeping paws, noses, and tails busy is important work for our animal care experts! This process is called “enrichment,” and you can take a closer look at how we do it in Behind the Scenes: Enrichment.
Flying Squirrel (18m 16s) – Chances are good that flying squirrels share your neighborhood with you. At the Tennessee Aquarium, our flying squirrels are some of the most popular animal ambassadors for our guests. Take a look behind the scenes to learn more about how we care for and train the flying squirrels that live at the Aquarium.
Larval Fish (12m 36s) – People often ask where we get the animals for our exhibits. For some animals, the answer to this question is simple: right here at the Tennessee Aquarium! Our larval fish program lets us collect eggs from our exhibits to grow the fish until they are big enough for our guests to see. Learn more about how we started this project and what it takes to care for fish the size of a hair in this Behind the Scenes video.
Penguins (16m 59s) – Guests love our penguins at the Tennessee Aquarium. What do you think it takes to care for these birds that normally live in temperatures much colder than Tennessee? Look behind the scenes to find out more about how cold it really is in the exhibit and see what it is like to be up close to the penguins.
Octopus (12m 2s) – There are many stories about what octopuses can do and how smart they are. Do you think they are true? Find out the answers, along with how to care for an octopus, in this behind the scenes look.
Veterinary Care (16m 19s) – Do you have what it takes to be an aquarium vet? Maybe you are curious about what happens when an aquarium animal needs a check-up? Take a behind the scenes look with the Tennessee Aquarium’s veterinarian to learn more.
Questions? Contact us at education@tnaqua.org!
