Online Experiential Learning

The NESS Team is thrilled to offer a new platform to our school partners and students that leverages the experiential learning they have come to expect from NESS. All Online Experiential Learning (OEL) classes are done live and are instructor-led courses. Lessons are based on NESS’s accredited on-campus learning and meet Next Generation Science Standards and Ocean Literacy Principles. Featuring the unique experiential learning that sets NESS apart, these dynamic courses are designed to support the continued education of students, minimizing learning losses, and keep students engaged and hands-on in their education.

Courses are available for schools and groups. For more information on how you can schedule and/or attend a live NESS STEM class, please contact us.

NESS received its first “Silver” sponsorship for its Online Experiential Learning programs, in memory of Mr. Steve Stillerman. Steve’s friends Mark Bates and Roy Flikoff made the donation in his honor. NESS is grateful for the support of our growing Online Experiential Learning programs.

Please enjoy this video preview of our Online Experiential Learning courses:

Course Catalog:

Biomimicry — Inventions Inspired by Nature

In this course, students explore how mimicking nature can lead to the development of amazing inventions.  Students become engineers, get a close look at nature, and design their own biomimicry invention.

Grade: Middle School

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Biomimicry program, please click here.

Buoyancy & Balance — The Science Behind the Magic!

Jump into the world of sailing – learning all about how boats float, what they need to stay balanced, and how some sail boats can literally fly! This course investigates what forces move boats, while learning the science of sailing from some of the most high-tech boats in the world and experimenting with these forces in our own homes! Put on your engineering hat and gear up for a ride with American Magic!

Grade: Middle School

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Buoyancy & Balance program, please click here.

Camouflage — Now You See Me, Now You Don’t

Certain species in the animal kingdom evolved over time to display some type of camouflage. In this course students discover specific adaptations that allow animals to blend into their environment for them to survive. Some use camouflage to hide from predators, while others use it to hunt for prey. Join us for an immersive look at camouflage and try to “see” what we mean.

Grade: Elementary, Middle, High School

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Marine Camouflage program, please click here.

Deep Sea — Underwater Exploration

Just how deep does the ocean go? In this course, students discover the hidden world below us and the vast habitats that exist within it. Students learn why we want to visit the sea floor and use the engineering design process to construct their own submersible. 

Grade: Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, High School

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Underwater Exploration program, please click here.

Fishing — Get Hooked

Students discover how to identify common species of trout, learn to tie basic fishing knots, and practice fly casting in the safety and comfort of their home.

Grade: Middle School

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Fishing program, please click here.

Living vs. Nonliving — Rock, Daisy, Shark, Go!

In this course students use their observational skills to compare living and nonliving things. Students learn though movement, dancing, and game playing while constantly addressing the question “What is alive and what is not?”.

Grade: Kindergarten

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Living vs. Non-Living program, please click here.

Marine Debris — It’s All Around Us

It’s important to keep our ocean clean and healthy, no matter where you live. Students experiment with buoyancy, design a model ocean, and dive into how different types of marine debris decompose. At the high school level students take it a step further and design a solution to combating marine debris harmful environmental impacts. All students leave this course understanding how to be better stewards of their environment.

Grade: Elementary, Middle, High School

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Marine Debris program, please click here.

Navigation — Where Are We, Where Are We Going, & When Will We Get There?

This course will allow students become masters of navigating the sea. Students explore how technology, tools, and mathematics influence navigation. They build their own compass rose, create and examine nautical charts, and utilize online mapping to determine distance. Students walk away from this lesson with the basic navigational techniques to chart their own course.

Grade: Elementary, Middle, High School

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Navigation program, please click here.

Oil Spills — Slippery Shorelines

Students create a model ocean to study oil pollution, explore how oil spills occur, and discover what it takes to clean up a spill and save our seas! Students uncover the negative impacts oil spills can have on our environment, how to prevent future spills, and become better stewards of our environment.

Grade: Elementary

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Oil Spills program, please click here.

Plankton — Drifters of the Sea

Plankton play a vital role in life on earth. Students discover the importance of plankton, use technology in real-time to observe plankton features, and use the engineering design process to build their own species and put it to the test.

Grade: Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Drifters of the Sea program, please click here.

Plants & Seaweeds — Green is Go

Green is the most prominent color in the land plant world, but did you know green is an important color for seaweeds as well? In this course, students explore the world of photo-synthesizers and compare the structures of plants to seaweeds.

Grade: Elementary, Middle, High School

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Green is Go program, please click here.

Sailing — Sailing at Home

This course is an investigation into what forces move boats, how humans capture wind to build sea-worthy sailboats, and how this has evolved over time. Students engineer their own wind-powered vehicle and put it to the test.

Grade: Elementary, Middle School

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Sailing at Home program, please click here.

Turn Wind into Thrust — The Science Behind the Magic!

Hitch a ride into the world of sailing! This course investigates how pressure relates to the force of wind and how sailboats use that ‘push’ to drive downwind. Focusing on the science of sailing, students explore the relationship with how sail design relates to potential power. Compete with your team for a chance at your own “America’s Cup”, where the engineering process and teamwork is everything.

Grade: Middle School

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Turn Wind into Thrust program, please click here.

Water Cycle — Rainy Day Exploring

Put on your rain boots and get ready for rainy day exploring from your computer! Explore the water cycle and learn about the journey a raindrop takes. Discover what pollution is and how rain can impact the environment. Sing, dance, and color while you learn what is good and bad for the earth.

Grade:Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten (with adult supervision)

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Watersheds program, please click here.

Watersheds — Where the Water Flows

In this course students identify what a watershed is, study the water cycle, and create a model landscape to explore how water moves.  Through the process of “making it rain” students discover how structures and topography interrupt or change the flow of water, where water ends up flowing to, and what water might carry with it as it washes over parking lots, farms, and construction sites.

Grade: Elementary, Middle, High School

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Watersheds program, please click here.

Wave Science — Get~Wavy~With Good Vibrations

Students create a model to visualize the invisible waves moving all around us. In this wave of fun activity, students discover how energy waves move in the ocean and how animals utilize them to communicate under the sea.

Grade: Elementary

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Wave Science program, please click here.

Weather & Climate

Just like the weather we all experience climate. However, weather is often something we think about and include in our day-to-day conversations. Climate discussion on the other hand, tends to take a back seat. In this course, students discover the differences between weather and climate through data observation, collection, and analysis.

Grade: High School

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Weather & Climate program, please click here.

Weather & Erosion — Weather or Not, the Earth Changes

In this course, students explore the concepts of weathering and erosion through hands-on experimentation. Students answer the question “How does the Earth change without human interaction?” through observing major forces that move rivers, break apart roads, and create a constantly changing landscape.

At the elementary level, students sort the forces of the Earth, experiment with dunes of sugar, and create a story of how rocks have changed from boulders to pebbles. At the middle school level, students shake thing up to visualize weathering, erode candy, and explore what makes some of the Earth’s biggest changes. At the high school level, students explore why boulders are found in the most interesting places, while experimenting with different forces’ ability to change geology at a major level.

Grade: Elementary, Middle, High School

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Weather or Not, the Earth Changes program, please click here.

Wind Power — Green Technologies

Are you a big FAN of renewable energy? Then come explore the world of wind turbines! In this interactive program students breeze through an introduction of wind, engineer a pinwheel to harness mechanical energy, and explore wind turbine dynamics. This program will blow you away!

Grade: Elementary, Middle, High School

To download the outline, supported NGSS Standards, and ocean literacy principles of this Wind Power program, please click here.