Living Classrooms

Academic Programs –> Living Classrooms Foundation Boat Trip –> National Organization of Concerned Black Men

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 use anatomical diagrams to identify different organs while dissecting a clam. (top left) A student enjoys playing captain as he takes the helm for a moment. (top right) Students test the pH level of the water in the Potomac River. (left) Students enjoy visiting with the captain and doing a scavenger hunt in the wheelhouse. (below left) With guidance from a Living Classrooms educator, students identify plankton from a water sample they had pulled from the Potomac River. (below right)