Aquarium of the Pacific: Predators! Tour - Heartland Charter School

Registration window November 10, 10:00 a.m. -November 16, 7:00 p.m.

🌊 Family Guide: Field Trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific

Join us on an interactive, hands-on science adventure to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach! Designed specifically for upper elementary learners (Grades 3–5), this field trip brings marine science to life as students explore how ocean predators adapt, hunt, and maintain balance in underwater ecosystems.

Featured Guided Class: "Predator!"

Ocean predators come in all shapes and sizes! During this instructor-led program, students will investigate the specialized physical and behavioral adaptations that ocean predators use to survive and discover the critical roles they play within marine food webs.

Program Highlights

● Jaw & Biofact Investigation: Hands-on examination of real shark jaws and teeth to analyze how structure relates to function and specific diets.

● Hunting Strategy Analysis: Exploration of physical adaptations—such as camouflage, speed, lures, and specialized senses—used to locate and catch prey.

● Live Animal Observations: Guided walkthrough of key habitats like Shark Lagoon to observe active apex predators and prey interactions firsthand.

🧬 Curriculum Alignment (NGSS)

This program directly connects classroom learning to real-world science concepts through the Next Generation Science Standards:

Performance Expectations Supported

● 3-LS4-3: Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat, some organisms survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

● 4-LS1-1: Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

● MS-LS2-2 / MS-LS2-4: Construct explanations predicting patterns of interactions across ecosystems and how physical or biological changes affect populations.

Quick Reference for Families

• Location Aquarium of the Pacific (100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA)
• Target Audience Grades 3–5
• Core Theme Marine Food Webs, Adaptation & Ecosystem Balance
• What to Wear: Comfortable walking shoes and outdoor layers
• Lunch Plan: Please bring packed lunches. We can eat them after our tour in the outdoor harbor picnic area. The aquarium will not be responsible for keeping our lunch supplies, so be mindful of how

Ticket cost:

• Students in grades 3+ $18.00
• Chaperones $14.00

*The price for tickets paid with a credit card will be slightly higher due to the Ticketbud processing fee.

May I pay using my student's planning amount? Yes! You can pay for your student's ticket and one chaperone ticket with your student's planning amount. Reminder: Only one chaperone ticket per family may be purchased using planning amounts. 

What are the check-in procedures? Please meet at the “Check In” desk area. I will have name tags (per the aquarium) for chaperones. Additionally, I will need to split the group in two for the demonstration, so I will assign people to the blue group or the green group.

Who may attend? This field trip is aimed at students in 3rd-5th grade; however, older siblings may attende as well. Younger siblings may not attend. Only one chaperone per family is allowed.

Is there on-site parking available? The parking structure for the Aquarium is steps away on the waterside of Shoreline Drive, between Chestnut Place and Aquarium Way.

Park at the structure all day, and visit The Pike and Shoreline Village for food and shopping before or after your visit to the Aquarium. It’s an easy, convenient place to park and spend your day enjoying the Aquarium and surrounding attractions.

The fee is $8.00 for the day with Aquarium validation.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is located at 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802. Parking can be paid for as you exit the lot with a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or Discover) or at one of the parking kiosks near the elevators. Please note that all elevators are currently out of order at the City-owned parking structure. If needed, the drop-off area in front of the Aquarium is available. For guests with accessibility needs, please call (562) 590-3100. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Can we pack snacks or lunch for this event or field trip?

How do I contact the event organizer?

Name: Daisy Nugent

Phone number: (661) 910-4675

Email address: [email protected]

You must have a student enrolled at Heartland Charter School to attend this event. We verify enrollment for all attendees.

How to Reserve Your Spot

To officially join us on this field trip, you must complete both steps of our registration process. Please follow these directions carefully:

Step 1: Check out on Ticketbud

Complete the checkout process here on Ticketbud. This initiates your reservation. *If you want to pay with your student funds, please reserve tickets labeled "Paid with student funds through Procurify". You will need to place an order in Procurify for all tickets paid with your students' planning amounts.

• It is important that you provide the name of the person who will be using each ticket when registering. Don't reserve all of your tickets using your name. (We do not recommend using the option that allows you to copy data from another attendee.)
• Confirmation: You will receive an email confirmation from Ticketbud once your order is complete.
• Tip: If you do not see the email within a few minutes, please check your Spam/Junk folder. If you cannot find a confirmation email from Ticketbud, you did not successfully reserve tickets.
• Action: Once you have your confirmation, move immediately to Step 2 for any tickets paid with your students' planning amounts.

Step 2: Place your Order in Procurify for tickets paid with your students' planning amounts.

Your spot is not confirmed until an order is placed in the Procurify system for any tickets paid with your students' planning amount. You do NOT need to place an order in Procurify for tickets paid out of pocket or for free tickets.

• Search: Log in to Procurify, search the name of this field trip in the catalog, and complete your order as you would for any other educational resource.
• Deadline: You must place your Procurify order within 3 days of your Ticketbud registration.
• IMPORTANT! Registration Requirement: To avoid losing your spot, both steps must be completed. Failure to place an order in Procurify within the three-day window will result in removal from the attendee list and a manual deduction from your account.

Heartland events are designed for families to attend together. Students need to be accompanied by an adult chaperone. If your student will be attending with another family, please email the field trip host to let them know once you complete your registration. Chaperones must be the legal parent or 25 years and older. All chaperones must be healthy, ethical people with the skills to be responsible adult chaperones.

Please review our Field Trip Refund & Attendance Policy!

To ensure we can provide these experiences to as many students as possible, please review our commitment and refund guidelines before registering.

All Sales are Final

• No Refunds: Once a ticket is reserved or purchased, we cannot offer a refund for any reason, including illness, scheduling conflicts, or a change of plans.
• Non-Transferable: Tickets are tied specifically to the student account used at registration. They cannot be sold, gifted, or transferred to another family.

The "No-Show" Policy

Because Heartland pre-pays many venues based on Ticketbud headcounts, an unused ticket is a direct loss of school resources.

• Fund Deduction: If a family reserves a spot and does not place an order in Procurify, the student's planning amount will still be manually deducted from their Procurify account, and the student will be removed from the attendee list.
• Loss of Access: Families who are frequent "no-shows" may lose access to future field trip registrations. We track attendance to ensure that limited spots go to families who are committed to attending.

Professional Courtesy: If an emergency arises, and you truly cannot make it:

• Notify the Lead Teacher: Please email the organizing teacher as soon as possible.
• Why it matters: This prevents the entire group from waiting at the venue entrance for your arrival, keeping the educational program on schedule for everyone else.

Our Goal: By only registering for events you are fully committed to, you help us keep our field trip program sustainable and open to all students.