Living Classrooms

Academic Programs –> Living Classrooms Foundation Boat Trip –> Ms. Franklin's class, Truesdell 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.

Slimy! Students gently touch fish they pulled from the Potomac River. (top left)

Students carefully examine the clam they are dissecting. (top right)

Before using a microscope to aid their search, students try to spot plankton in the water sample they pulled from the river. (right)

After boarding the boat, students prepare to start the day's activities. (below right)

"Ready on the net!" Students stand ready to throw the fishing net into the river. (below left)