Teacher Resources

Horseshoe crabs are a fascinating topic for students, especially those who live near coastal areas. Studying the horseshoe crab can be a great way to introduce students to anatomical concepts and open discussions about environmental interdependence, tidal flat environments, evolution, ecology, salinity, conservation and more. For schools near spawning habitats, field trips can provide an engaging and memorable lesson.

ERDG offers several programs for teachers and students:

Young Voices™ Horseshoe Crabs & the Arts Competition

Our annual juried arts competition invites students from around the world to submit poems, tales and images in appreciation and celebration of the remarkable horseshoe crab. Through the arts, our future environmental stewards have a voice which is heard globally. See Competition Rules and Winners.

Horseshoe Crab Model

Our life-size, museum grade model is a great tool for educators. Models are available for purchase in our Company Store.

Model Loan Program
Our loan program provides access to the horseshoe crab model for teachers and schools who may not have sufficient funds to purchase them. At present, this program is available to teachers in southern New Jersey. For more information, contact Erik Mollenhauer at the Educational Information and Resource Center, the Tuckerton Seaport or the Bayshore Discovery Project.

Horseshoe Crab Brochure and Poster

ERDG’s brochure and poster are filled with great information about the life cycle of the Atlantic Horseshoe Crab.  Brochures are free (less than 50) to individuals, educators, community groups and non-profit organizations.

To order for your classroom, contact Glenn at erdg@horseshoecrab.org.

Smithsonian Project

For Delaware teachers, there are presently 40 shorebird/horseshoe crab education kits available for 8th graders through the Science Resource Center. Included in the kits is ERDG's life-size, museum-grade horseshoe crab model, maps of shorebird migration and horseshoecrab spawning areas, and a poster featuring the lifecycle of the horseshoe crab.

For more information, teachers should contact their Science Coalition representative. Models are also available for sale in our Company Store.

Green Eggs and Sand Workshops

The Delaware Fish and Wildlife Service offers horseshoe crab/shorebird workshops for educators. These intensive weekend workshops — held during the peak full/new moon May/June spawning seasons on Delaware Bay — engage educators in field studies (including participation in a nighttime scientific spawning survey), presentations by noted experts on all aspects of the topic, and exposure to a wealth of resources for bringing the topic home to their students.

One-day "mini-GE&S" workshops are also available and are held at various times of the year. For details on upcoming GE&S workshops, contact Gary Kreamer at Gary.Kreamer@state.de.us

Books and Reading Material

A collection of great reading for kids and adults: take a look!