Living Classrooms

Academic Programs –> Living Classrooms Foundation Boat Trip –> Asian American LEAD

Living Classrooms Boat Trip

This program introduces students to an aquatic food web. The highlight is a boat trip on the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers conducted by Living Classrooms. During this trip students catch and identify fish, dissect clams, and use a microscope to examine plankton - all while enjoying stunning views of their city! Students prepare for the trip with classroom activities that teach them to distinguish carnivores from herbivores, describe the characteristics and role of plankton, and explore the interconnected nature of an aquatic food web. While on the boat, students also learned about buoyancy by building small boats.

After fishing with a trawl net, students examine and identify their catch. (top left)

With help from a Living Classrooms educator, students prepare to catch plankton, which they will then study using a microscope. (top right)

"Ready on the net!" Students prepare to toss the trawl net into the river. (left)

Whose boat floats best? Students test their creations to see which boat holds the most weight. (below left)

Students dissect clams and identify their parts. (below right)