Living Classrooms

Academic Programs –> Living Classrooms Foundation Boat Trip –> Higher Achievement Program

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 take turns steering their class along the Anacostia and Potomac rivers. (top left)

Students use a little elbow grease to haul in the trawl net from the bed of the river. (top right)

"Ready on the float!" A student prepares to toss in the float which will track the net's location. (left)

"Clam strips anyone?" Students dissect clams and identify their parts and functions. (below left)

After building boats from foil and other materials, students compete to see whose boat floats the best. (below right)