Living Classrooms

Academic Programs –> Living Classrooms Foundation Boat Trip –> Ms. McCoy's class, Burrville E.S.

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.

Students look for signs of plankton in a water sample they took from the Potomac River. (top left)

A student enjoys playing captain as he takes the helm for a moment. (top right)

Using binoculars, students spot birds and other wildlife along the Potomac River. (right)

Near the end of their journey, students test the buoyancy of boats they built. (below left)

With guidance from a Living Classrooms educator, students identify different characteristics of a fish they pulled from the Potomac River. (below right)