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Every lesson, field experience, and young scientist helps restore New York Harbor — one billion oysters at a time.

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A student in a life jacket looks across New York Harbor toward Lower Manhattan

Why Billion Oyster Project Is Reaching One Million Students by 2030

We're on a mission to restore one billion oysters by 2030 so that we can establish the foundation for a self-sustaining harbor ecosystem. Reaching that scale is essential if restoration is going to create lasting ecological change across New York Harbor.

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Curriculum

Free, standards-aligned units and single lessons built around New York Harbor. Filter to your grade band, then open the edition that matches your class.

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6-8

Human Impacts on NYC Water Systems

Designing improvements to our water system that benefit both people and the environment: Middle School NGSS-aligned unit.

6-8

Choose a grade band

The Harbor Ecosystem

A 12-lesson unit for grades 6-8 anchored on the question: Why restore oysters in New York Harbor?

19 periods

6-8

Unit · 4 chapters

Choose a grade band

Oyster Research Tank Investigation

A classroom-based investigation where students set up and monitor a brackish water tank with oysters, tracking changes in water chemistry over time.

20 periods

K-2

3-5

6-8

9-12

Unit · 2 chapters

Choose a grade band

Oyster Research Station Investigation

Students investigate the biology and ecology of oysters through hands-on research at their Oyster Research Station.

20 periods · 2+ field visits

K-2

3-5

6-8

9-12

Unit · 4 chapters

Choose a grade band

Where should future oyster restoration take place?

Students explore estuarine habitat restoration and use GIS spatial analysis to determine where future oyster restoration should take place in NY Harbor.

43 periods · 2 field visits

6-8

9-12

Unit · 5 chapters

Choose a grade band

Oysters are a Keystone Species

In this reading investigation, students figure out the many important roles that oysters have in their ecosystem.

1–2 periods

K-2

3-5

6-8

9-12

Standalone lesson

Choose a grade band

Oysters are Shoreline Protectors

In this hands-on lesson, students design and build a structure that can break wave energy before it hits land.

1–2 periods

K-2

3-5

6-8

9-12

Standalone lesson

Choose a grade band

Oyster History in New York Harbor

In this interactive history lesson, students review 400 years of NY Harbor history and discuss the decisions of people in the past.

1–2 periods

K-2

3-5

6-8

9-12

Standalone lesson

Choose a grade band

Oyster Food Webs

In this hands-on lesson, students build a model of how energy moves through the New York Harbor ecosystem.

1–2 periods

K-2

3-5

6-8

Standalone lesson

Choose a grade band

Oyster Anatomy and Life Cycle

In this hands-on lesson, students explore oysters' unique anatomy and life cycle.

1–2 periods

K-2

3-5

6-8

9-12

Standalone lesson

Choose a grade band

New York Aquarium

In this series of lessons, students learn about the New York Aquarium and build background knowledge about oysters.

3 periods · 1 field visit

K-2

3-5

6-8

9-12

Standalone lesson

Choose a grade band

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Field Resource

identify species in the harbor

Every organism you'll meet on an Oyster Research Station — sea squirts, skeleton shrimp, amphipods, the lot — with photographs and the details that tell lookalikes apart. Built for students to use with wet hands on a dock.

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Professional learning

Workshops and trainings that build your confidence teaching outdoors — most carry CTLE credit. Pick a type to filter the schedule.

Oyster Research Refreshers

Teaching Outdoors

Curriculum Workshops

Introducing Educators to Billion Oyster Project

ORS / ORT Training

0 sessions

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Nov

CTLE

Curriculum Workshops

Harbor Ecosystem & NYC Water Systems

Minimizing Impact on NYC Water Systems

Introducing Educators to Billion Oyster Project

Oyster Research Tank Program

Oyster Research Tank (ORT) Training

Oyster Research Station Program

Oyster Research Station (ORS) Training

all professional learning events & opportunities

There's a year of ways to get your students involved, including showcases, service days, and public programs across the harbor.

See the full calendar →

Teaching Outdoors

Teachers practice waterfront learning stations, learn field-teaching best practices, and explore Billion Oyster Project's outdoor lesson plans.

Curriculum Workshops

A la carte, in-person or virtual, participatory events for teachers to dive into curricular resources, gain new content, support pedagogical development, and build connections with other Billion Oyster Project teachers.

Oyster Research Station Program

Hands-on program that allows teachers and students to visit the harbor and pull up a small oyster cage for data collection and exploration.

Oyster Research Tank Program

Hands-on program that allows teachers and students to care for and monitor live oysters right in their own classroom.

Introducing Educators to Billion Oyster Project

An informative session highlighting a variety of ways for teachers and students to get involved with Billion Oyster Project’s work.

Educator newsletter

Dates, deadlines & new curriculum.

One email a month from BOP's education team: trainings to register for, programs opening up, and new units as they publish.

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Your first issue lands at the start of next month.

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Oyster research programs

Put a research station in the harbor or a tank in your classroom. Both include a full day of training, all equipment, live oysters, and a matching curriculum unit — free for Title 1 schools.

In the harbor

Oyster Research Station

A small underwater laboratory secured to a dock or bulkhead, holding 50–200 oysters. Students pull the cage, collect data on growth and biodiversity, and their numbers feed BOP's restoration research.

Full-day training

Permitted site

Monitoring supplies

Upcoming trainings

Mar

Oyster Research Station (ORS) Training

Oyster Research Station (ORS) Training

Learn more & access resources →

A hand lowers a model reef of colorful stones into a small demonstration tank

In your classroom

Oyster Research tank

Two 6-gallon tanks holding 10–20 live oysters, set up and monitored by your students. They control the conditions, track water chemistry against growth, and design their own experiments — no boat required.

Resources

Curriculum

Live oysters

Upcoming trainings

Feb

Oyster Research Tank (ORT) Training

Learn more & access resources →

Want to join the Oyster Teacher Collective?

Join a free three-year learning journey and a lifetime community of practice for NYC teachers.

School group experiences

Learn more about the various experiences we offer to educators and their students — all free, all requested through our team.

more about experiences

Classroom Workshop

BOP educators visit your school with hands-on, NGSS-aligned lessons about oyster biology, harbor ecology, and shoreline engineering.

1 hour

We travel to you

Free

learn more & Inquire →

In the Classroom

Billion Oyster Project educators visit your school with hands-on, NGSS-aligned lessons about oyster biology, harbor ecology, & shoreline engineering.

We travel to you

Ask us for pricing

learn more & Inquire →

New York Harbor School Tour

Visit Governors Island to explore the eight Career Technical Education programs at New York Harbor School.

1.5 hours

Governors Island

Middle school

learn more & Inquire →

Day of Service

Students visit the shell pile on Governors Island for hands-on restoration work — washing shells, picking up trash, and building reef structures.

2.5 hours

Governors Island

Free

learn more & Inquire →

Field Expedition

An individualized outdoor field program co-designed with teachers, often including a visit to an Oyster Research Station.

2 hours

Co-planned with you

Free

learn more & Inquire →

coming soon | 2027

annual Student Symposium

NYC Students Present Their Harbor Research

Each year, NYC students present projects inspired by New York Harbor — spanning research, engineering, art, advocacy, and environmental justice.

Free for all Billion Oyster Project partner schools
Students present research to expert reviewers
Spans science, engineering, art, and advocacy
Schools from all five boroughs participate
Held annually on Governors Island

Free

Teachers & Students

Governors Island

learn more

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Held on Governors Island

Forms & data

ORS Station Map

interactive map

Open resource →

ORS Visit Sign-up Form

Smartsheet form

Heading out to your station? Let us know before you go.

Open resource →

ORT Data Submission Form

Smartsheet form · 2× per year

Submit your tank data here. Twice a year, every trained teacher.

Open resource →

Printable Data Sheet

PDF · print & bring

Print it and bring it — somewhere to write while you're on the dock.

Open resource →

ORT Google Classroom

Updates for trained teachers

Already ORT trained? Updates and announcements land here. We recommend using a personal email account.

Open resource →

ORS Data Submission Form

Smartsheet form

Log what you found. Your numbers join the harbor-wide dataset.

Open resource →

ORS Data Report

Live data report

Live status for every station in the city, updated as data comes in.

Open resource →

ORS Oyster Stock Request Form

Request new oysters

Station empty? Request a fresh batch — never top up oysters already in there.

Open resource →

Protocols & guides

Water quality, feeding, setup, maintenance — every tank question, answered.

Open resource →

ORS Setup & Cleanup Protocol

Protocol · PDF

Opening and closing your station, step by step.

Open resource →

Oyster Measurement Protocol

Protocol · PDF

How to measure, so everyone's numbers mean the same thing.

Open resource →

Biodiversity Survey Protocol

Protocol · PDF

Counting everything else that moved in — the same way, every time.

Open resource →