School Programs

The calendar below allows you to book our school programs, or register for a waitlist for one of our booked programs. If our calendar does not have a program on a date that works for you, feel free to reach out to education@brooklynbridgepark.org, as we may be able to accommodate program requests.

PLEASE READ THE PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS LISTED BELOW BEFORE BOOKING!

Students will get up close with the animals in the Environmental Education Center as they learn about the habitats in the park and the species that live in them. Students will make in-depth observations, touch and explore specimens, and design their own habitat diorama.  

DURATION: 60 minutes

LOCATION: Environmental Education Center. Fully indoor class.

Teacher Resources: Lesson Summary

This is a fully outdoor program available to book April–November .

Welcome to the epic story of the eastern oyster in the New York Harbor — one of the greatest NYC comeback stories of all time. Using our oyster gardens in Brooklyn Bridge Park, students will learn about this keystone species and the history of its East River habitat, take scientific measurements of live oysters, and discover the oyster’s ecological importance to the New York Harbor.  

DURATION: 90 minutes    

LOCATION: Pier 5. You should anticipate mixed sunlight and shade. Seating will be on picnic tables, and the ground is concrete.  

Teacher Resources: Lesson Summary

Students will learn about the Roebling family, which played a crucial role in the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, as well as the dramatic history and innovative design of the bridge that changed the Brooklyn and New York City landscape forever.  

DURATION: 90 minutes (60-minute lesson, 30 minutes to walk to bridge. Class ends on the bridge.) Students will explore bridge engineering concepts, do a group bridge-making activity, and, weather permitting, walk on the Brooklyn Bridge.

LOCATION: Environmental Education Center. Mixed indoor and outdoor class.  

The outdoor component has a class walk on city sidewalks, upstairs to the deck of the Brooklyn Bridge.  

Teacher Resources: Lesson Summary

Dig into the dynamic rock cycle, learn how rocks are formed, and discover the many types of rocks and fossils in the park during a hands-on investigative walk.  

DURATION: 60 minutes  

LOCATION: Environmental Education Center. Mixed indoor and outdoor class. Outdoor component could have mixed shade and sunlight, with walking on concrete paths and exploring rock formations. Outdoor ambient noise ranges from subtle to loud.  

Teacher Resources: Lesson Summary

Explore the intertidal zone habitat of the East River estuary and tidal strait. Students will learn how to use a quadrat to measure, make observations, and record data about the natural and non-natural materials that they find on the shore of the Park.

DURATION: 60 minutes  

LOCATION: Pier 4 Beach or Environmental Education Center, seasonally. If class is outside, you should anticipate the potential for full sunlight. Class will be on uneven ground of rocks and beach as they explore.  

Teacher Resources: Lesson Summary (Grades K-2), Lesson Summary (Grades 3-4)

What’s in the East River that we cannot see with our eyes? Students will learn about two tiny aquatic drifters: plankton and microplastics. Students collect water samples and use scientific equipment to examine them closely.

DURATION: 60–90 minutes

LOCATION: Pier 5 or Environmental Education Center, seasonally. Mixed indoor and outdoor class. Outdoor component could have mixed shade and sunlight, with walking on concrete paths.

Teacher Resources: Lesson Summary, Lesson Summary (Winter)

This is a fully outdoor program available to book May–October. Please email education@bbp.nyc to request this program.

Observe how instructors use a 20-foot net to humanely catch and release organisms from the East River using an ancient fishing technique employed by the Lenape on this very river. Learn how to identify local fish and crab species and use this knowledge to record data like a scientist. With prior permission and signed waivers, students over the age of 14 can seine, too.  

DURATION (GRADES 3–8): 60 minutes  

DURATION (GRADES 9–12): 90 minutes  

LOCATION: Pier 4 Beach. Fully outdoor class. There will be a mix of uneven ground of rocks and beach as they explore.  

Teacher Resources: Learning standards, Pre-Lesson Plan (K-3), Post-Lesson Plan (K-3), Pre-Lesson Plan (4-8), Post-Lesson Plan (4-8)

Students learn basic tree anatomy and use age-appropriate field guides to explore and identify the diverse tree species in the park. Class concludes with a leaf-rubbing activity that the students will be able to take home with them.

DURATION: 60 minutes

LOCATION: Pier 1 or Environmental Education Center, seasonally. Mixed indoor and outdoor class. Outdoor component could have mixed shade and sunlight, with walking on concrete paths, nature trails, and stairs. If class is fully outdoors, students will be sitting on the ground on mats.

Teacher Resources: Lesson Summary, Lesson Summary (Winter)

Inspired by their own observations of the engineered shorelines of Brooklyn Bridge Park, students will learn about the water-related issues affecting our city’s shorelines, how we design for the future, and then get hands on, making and testing their own climate-resilient model.

DURATION: 60 minutes

LOCATION: Mixed indoor and outdoor class. Outdoor component could have mixed shade and sunlight, with walking on concrete paths. Outdoor ambient noise ranges from subtle to loud.

Students will observe nature through the seasons, learn about the sustainable planting practices of Brooklyn Bridge Park, and participate in a seed cleaning activity to prepare for a changing climate.

DURATION: 60 minutes

LOCATION: Mixed indoor and outdoor class. Outdoor components could have mixed shade and sunlight, while walking on concrete paths. Outdoor ambient noise ranges from subtle to loud.