Elementary School: Being Nemo
SIO-90039
See the world from the perspective of an ocean animal
Marine biology will come alive as aspiring oceanographers view the world from the perspective of sea creatures great and small and discover how these animals survive in their varied habitats. Students will take on the role of a series of ocean dwellers: a clownfish exploring a coral reef, a leopard shark in shallow waters, a sea star in a tide pool, a gray whale migrating the Pacific and a sea otter in a kelp forest. Class members will experience what these animals see and hear and explore how easy (or difficult) it is for them to live and thrive. To highlight what they have learned, students will create stop-motion videos to share on the last day of class. Being Nemo offers a great way to spark students’ interest in learning more about marine biology.
What you'll learn
- Get a broad overview of the fish and other animals that live in our oceans, rivers and streams.
- Trace the activity of leopard sharks in shallow waters off San Diego.
- Learn about coral and investigate the life of a clownfish on a coral reef.
- Learn about the fluctuations of tide pools and follow the activities of a sea star through changing tides.
- Gain an understanding of migration and follow a gray whale covering huge distances in the open ocean.
- Look at kelp forest ecosystems through the eyes of the sea otters that depend on them.
Course Information
Course sessions
Section ID:
Class type:
All class meetings held in-person according to published location, dates and times. Students may be expected to engage with course content online during the published course dates.
Textbooks:
All course materials are included unless otherwise stated.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 5/31/2025
- 1st meeting mandatory
- Early enrollment advised
- No UCSD parking permit required
- No visitors permitted
Schedule:
| Date | Day | Start | End | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/7/2025 | Mon | 9:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | Room 208, UCSD Division of Extended Studies University City Center, 6256 Greenwich Drive, San Diego |
| 7/8/2025 | Tue | 9:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | Room 208, UCSD Division of Extended Studies University City Center, 6256 Greenwich Drive, San Diego |
| 7/9/2025 | Wed | 9:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | Room 208, UCSD Division of Extended Studies University City Center, 6256 Greenwich Drive, San Diego |
| 7/10/2025 | Thu | 9:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | Room 208, UCSD Division of Extended Studies University City Center, 6256 Greenwich Drive, San Diego |
| 7/11/2025 | Fri | 9:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | Room 208, UCSD Division of Extended Studies University City Center, 6256 Greenwich Drive, San Diego |
Instructor:
Lorrie Friet
MFA Design - University Mississippi BFA - Oklahoma Statue University
Lorrie Blackard Friet is an educator specializing in STEAM content creation. She has developed programs for San Diego Unified and Los Angeles Unified school districts as well as the San Public Library NeXT program. Lorrie is a practicing artist featured at Tower 23 Hotel in San Diego 92109. Her paintings are in collections worldwide. Passionate about the Ocean, Lorrie is the senior instructor at the San Diego Floating Lab. This program explores the wonders of the Ocean with San Diego County students and visitors from Arizona, Colorado and Mexico.
