The current LabVenture! puts students in the driver's seat to unravel the science mysteries surrounding Maine's most iconic species. Students examine a live lobster's adaptations for defense and migration, take videos of lobsters in a live tank to learn about habitat and behavior, view possible prey under a digital microscope to determine about the diet of a larval lobster, and take a virtual lobstering trip to learn about natural resource issues.
GMRI's LabVenture! science education program provides universal access to marine science education programming for the 5th or 6th grade classes from every county in Maine. LabVenture! welcomes students to the Cohen Center for Interactive Learning, a technology-rich learning environment in our lab. Students investigate a mystery about the Gulf of Maine ecosystem, assuming the role of scientists to conduct their own hands-on research. Since the program's launch in 2006, we have served 10,000 students each year on average. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, we offer LabVenture! at no charge and provide schools from across the state with free transportation.
Each visit opens with a large-screen, Google Earth fly-in that zooms in from space to take students on a virtual trip from their own school yard down the watershed to the Gulf of Maine. This introduction is particularly compelling in a large state where a significant percentage of students from inland communities have never seen the ocean. Students learn what makes the Gulf of Maine bioregion unique and the work that scientists are doing to better understand it.
Students then conduct four scientific investigations at a series of hands-on research stations. Working in small teams, they make observations, develop hypotheses, collect data, and form conclusions. As they work, they collect digital artifacts using a dissecting microscope and various cameras and video recorders, including a special underwater camera in our live exhibit tank.
Students present their findings from each station in a science colloquium and work together to solve the science mystery. It is common for GMRI's research staff to drop in and make a short presentation about their own research, connecting it to the current mystery or techniques students have used in their own investigations.
Throughout the LabVenture! experience, students are exposed to the scientific method, the significance of the Gulf of Maine watershed, and marine careers in a fun and engaging manner.
After the program, students and teachers can access personalized student websites to review and annotate the digital artifacts saved by students during their visit. Students can also learn more about the Gulf of Maine, and interact with GMRI staff through our blog. Additionally, GMRI offers professional development institutes and works with 5th and 6th grade teachers to develop a library of standards-aligned, pre- and post-visit activities designed to extend the LabVenture! experience.
To learn more about the LabVenture! program, or to schedule a visit, email the Visit Administrator.
