Floating
Classroom - Introductory Cruise
This introductory level program is great for general science,
natural history or social studies classes. No specific in-class preparation
is required, and the program is essentially a self-contained event.
Recommended cruise length is 1.5 to 2.0 hours.
Objectives:
We hope that students will gain important personal experience from which to draw as they begin to explore biology, earth science, environmental and local history topics in class. More specifically, our NYS curriculum-based presentations should provide students with opportunities to:
- Use scientific equipment to collect and observe water and biological samples
- Use scientific technique to record data and work in a lab environment
- Understand that there is variation in lake water quality and biology, and that it depends on a variety of factors.
- Conceptualize a watershed as a system with interdependent components.
- Identify ways in which they personally depend upon our watershed and Cayuga Lake.
Introductory Cruise At A Glance:
Boarding the Boat (10 minutes): Students will receive safety information and will be divided into lab teams of 3-5 for monitoring exercises. Each team will receive a clipboard and datasheet(s).
Cruise onto Lake (10-20 minutes): Students will receive a narrative overview of the natural and human history of Cayuga Lake. Time will be available for questions.
Lake Monitoring (30-40 minutes): Monitoring groups will rotate between stations on the boat. Typically, three monitoring stations are
set up to focus on water chemistry, physical water quality, and biological factors, respectively. A fourth station may be selected.
(Click here to see a list of activities!)
Return Cruise: (Up to 30 minutes): Data and observations from each monitoring team are discussed collectively, and monitoring groups may keep their data for later use. There will be time to visit the captain, take depth soundings and simply enjoy the ride!
Cruise Follow-up: Your class will have an opportunity compile the data they collected and submit it to the Projectís on-line water quality monitoring database.
For More Advanced Cruise Options, See Cayuga WaterLab Cruise Overview
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