Virtual Learning Resources

• Nautical Flag Decoding: Use this signal flag alphabet to decode the secret messages

• DIY Pirate Hat
• Make a Cork boat
• Visit stormcodes.com to download a color-by-number signal flag alphabet

• Oyster Wars Video – The Oyster Wars was a true event that took place on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac river from 1865-1959.  This is a story about piracy, treasure, violence, and the greed of man. The frequent clashes between Oyster Pirates, the authorities, and the legal watermen from Maryland and Virginia.
• Signal Flags Video – Learn about some of the unique and interesting ways ships can communicate to each other, or signal to shore without saying a word. Today we will let the flags do most of the talking!

Use these resources to learn more about some of the Bay’s animals, then use what you learn to complete the worksheets below.

• • Reef Critters Background Info
  • How to Use a Dichotomous Key
  • The Chesapeake Bay Program has a great field guide of many Bay animals
  • Bay Backpack also has some great information
  • MD Sea Grant has a guided oyster dissection for older students

• Oyster Cut and Paste Life Cycle
• Human vs. Fish vs. Oyster Venn Diagram
• American Eel Cut and Paste Life Cycle
• Meroplankton Matching Game
• Blue Crab Cut and Paste Life Cycle
• Horseshoe Crab vs Blue Crab Venn Diagram – Horseshoe Crab vs Blue Crab Venn Diagram Answer Key
• Critter Investigation– pick an animal you’ve learned about (or one that you find outside!) and fill out the observation sheet. Once you’ve done one, find another animal!
• Comparing Body Parts– use the resources above to help you decide which body parts belong to each oyster reef critter. Comparing Body Parts Answer Key
• Eyes on the Bay creature conditions – Eyes on the Bay Creature Conditions Answer Key
• Use the dichotomous key to identify these reef animals.

• Clownfish Paper Plate Craft
• Oyster Reef Community
• Blank Oyster Reef Community: Draw your own oysters and other Bay animals or cut and paste the oyster reef animals from below into your scene.
• Cut and Paste Oyster Reef Animals
• Paper Plate Horseshoe Crab

• Oyster Dissection
• Horseshoe Crab
• Blue Crab
• Build a Plankton
• Oyster Cage Pull and Filtering Demonstration
• The Oyster Recovery Partnership has a cool timelapse video of oysters filtering: Oysters Filtering Video
• Feed Chesapeake Bay Animals

• While our museum is closed (and undergoing exhibit renovations), explore our virtual exhibits and research portal to view photographs, listen to oral histories, and discover the history of the McNasby Oyster Company
• Check out this simple summary of some of the many types of Chesapeake Bay workboats, featured in the Washingtonian

• Anatomy of a sailboat – Anatomy of a sailboat Answer Key
• Nautical Flag Decoding: Use this signal flag alphabet to decode the secret messages
• Use this Herbie Sadler narrative based on an interview with Captain Sadler’s wife and daughter from one of the oral histories in our collection to learn more about this early waterman, then answer the Herbie Sadler reading questions

• DIY Pirate Hat
• Make a Cork boat
• Create Your Own Oyster Can – Did you know the museum campus used to be an oyster packing plant? Color McNasby’s Famous Pearl Brand oyster can, then create your own!
• Visit stormcodes.com to download a color-by-number signal flag alphabet
• Build an origami sailboat

• Egg experiment/buoyancy
• Oyster Wars
• Signal Flags

• Chesapeake Bay Program – Discover the Chesapeake Bay
• Latest Chesapeake Bay Report Card
• Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System – real time water quality and meteorological data

• Watershed Modeling app, plus virtual lessons for Middle-High School students
• NOAA Marine Debris workbook of games and activities
• National Geographic virtual lesson on marine debris and ocean gyres
• Who Polluted the Bay lesson plan and Who Polluted the Bay Story

• When Rain Hits Land Investigation Worksheets (by CBF)
• Trash Scavenger Hunt Worksheet

• Chesapeake Bay salinity color by numbers

• Erosion Scavenger Hunt
• Trash Scavenger Hunt

• Build Your Own Watershed Lesson Plan
• Trash Scavenger Hunt Printable

• Build your own Watershed Video
• Watershed Model Video
• Trash Scavenger Hunt Video