Schoolship students combine the adventure of sailing with the discovery of Great Lakes science. Working together, the whole class trawls for fish, collects plankton, samples the lake bottom and takes water samples for water chemistry tests. Students determine the pH and dissolved oxygen concentration of the water. Working in small groups with ISEA instructors, students collect data on weather and lake conditions.
Students assist the crew with halyards and sheets and soon the ship is sailing.
While the schooner is under sail, small groups rotate through a series of five learning stations. These stations feature hands-on activities built around the samples collected earlier in the trip. Students examine fish, bottom organisms, sediment, plants and view plankton through a micro-video system. Basic navigation skills are learned and each student has an opportunity to take a turn at the helm under the direction of the captain. At each learning station the ecology of the Great Lakes is stressed and related to the history and culture of the area.