Living Classrooms

Academic Programs –> Living Classrooms Foundation Boat Trip –> Ms. Clark's class, Burrville Elementary School

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 tested water quality and learned about buoyancy by building small boats.


	Students enjoy visiting the Captain in the wheelhouse. (top left) Using a diagram for reference, students dissect clams and identify parts of their anatomy. (top right) Students discuss and measure the river's pH level. (left) Students design and build miniature boats and then use fishing weights to test their buoyancy. (below right) Students use a small net to catch plankton which they later examine using a microscope. (below left)