Clearwater pioneered the concept of using a big sailboat as a floating classroom. Other sailing vessels in the US and around the world have successfully replicated this model. By setting up stations, kids benefit from small group learning. There are a variety of stations offered during a Clearwater program and they can vary based on the needs of the school.
Clearwater sail programs are suitable for grades 4 through college. It is possible that we might sail with a class of fifth graders from Peekskill in the morning and a group of West Point cadets in the afternoon. We adjust the content of each learning station to your group.
Below are brief descriptions of learning stations offered on the Clearwater. For a three hour sail, your students will rotate through five of these stations as they are set up around the boat. The stations provided are dictated by the Program Theme you choose prior to your sail.
Life Station: Students get a close up, hands on experience with the fish and other live creatures they pull out of the river using nets. Students learn to identify a variety of aquatic species using dichotomous keys.
History Station: Down below decks in the main cabin, students gather around the dining table and learn about the rich history of the Hudson River and Clearwater. Timelines and props are used to engage students in exploring historical developments on the Hudson River.
Navigation Station: Everyone gets to stand at the helm of this 106-foot wooden ship and learn how his or her efforts at the tiller change the course of the entire vessel. They also examine nautical charts, compasses and other tools to understand how a captain navigates the waters of the Hudson River.
Water Quality Station: Students determine the health of the Hudson River’s water by doing a few simple water chemistry tests. After making observations and hypotheses about the water, they perform tests on salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and pH levels.
Sail Physics: Students learn about the physics of how wind can be harnessed to propel a vessel like Clearwater along the river. By observing a foil, such as the 3,000 square foot mainsail above their heads, and feeling the wind on their faces, they learn how the high and low pressures around them create lift and move the ship.
Simple Machines: Students identify the simple machines found all around the boat and learn how necessary they are to a sailor’s life. They test the advantages of levers and pulleys through interactive games and learn the mathematical relation between what is gained and sacrificed with the use of these tools.
Knot Tying: One of our professional sailors demonstrates a few important knots used onboard ships. Students learn the variety of uses for different knots and practice tying them with the help of our salty crew.
Art Station: Students learn about the Hudson River School Painters, their historical significance and study some of their paintings. They see how artist can inspire a sense of ownership for a place and help protect our beautiful natural resources. Students create their own works of art.
Climate Change Station: Students learn about the environmental challenges facing us today and in the future. They learn how their actions can positively or negatively affect the Hudson River and the greater global system.
Geology Station: Students observe their physical surroundings and understand how the river they are sailing on, the mountains within sight and the rocks in their hands were created. Connecting glacial actions thousands of years ago with the quarry onshore, or the loaded barge passing by, gives students an understanding of our connection with the natural environment.
For more detail on each station, see what we use to prepare for your students. Station Materials are provided to our crew and volunteers to give exentensive background on all these topics.
To ge a better idea of which stations are presented on each sail and what classroom materials are suggested in association with them, look at the brief OVERVIEW.
