The Leahy Center for Lake Champlain Presents LAKE CHAMPLAIN LIVE!

A unique science opportunity aboard a floating laboratory,
UVM's research vessel Melosira

Take your students out on Lake Champlain! Work with scientists and educators at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain to conduct scientific research aboard the University of Vermont's Research Vessel Melosira. This state-of-the-art boat is staffed by university researchers and professional educators and is fully equipped to enable your students to conduct real lake studies.

Students learn about current research and then apply scientific tools and techniques to collect their own data. Throughout this hands on experience, students will be challenged as they follow the scientific method, raise questions, and apply critical thinking skills in comparing data they collect to historic data.

Essential Question:

How do scientists study Lake Champlain's complex ecosystem and environmental problems?

Focusing Questions:

• What can we learn from studying aquatic plants and animals?
• Why is it important to keep track of long term trends in lake characteristics (for example, in water clarity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, plankton communities and zebra mussel populations)?
• How do scientists measure and track these characteristics?
• How do human activities affect the lake?

Vermont Standards:

• 7.13 Organisms, Evolution and Interdependence; S9-12:36: Students demonstrate their understanding of equilibrium in an ecosystem.
• 7.16 Natural Resources and Agriculture; S9-12:49: Students demonstrate their understanding of processes and change within natural resources.

Key Program Activities:

• Lake ecology: overview of Lake Champlain natural history and ecology; collect and analyze a plankton sample; discuss issues impacting different regions of the lake.
• Measure physical and chemical characteristics: lake water clarity; dissolved oxygen, conductivity, PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation), fluorescence, and temperature from the water's surface to the bottom.
• The zebra mussel story: learn zebra mussel life history, collect zebra mussels to estimate the population density, discuss impacts to Lake Champlain.

Details:

Trips will be scheduled on a first come, first serve basis from May through October, weather permitting (trips may be rescheduled if openings exist). The Melosira can accomodate 22 participants including all chaperones and teachers.

Grade Level: High School (10:1 student to adult ratio), Junior High (8:1 student to adult ratio). Other interested groups may be accommodated. Please contact Erin DeVries to inquire.

To register: contact Erin at (802) 859-3086 ex 305 or erin.devries@uvm.edu.

What to Bring: Wear comfortable, stable shoes, and dress warmly as conditions on the lake can be much different than those on land on any given day. Please remember motion sickness medicine if you require it. A camera and/or binoculars are nice to have. Other suggested items depending on the weather: sunglasses, sun hat, sunscreen, rain coat and hat.

Other options at the Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory: Rubenstein Laboratory Class: Keeping the Balance in Lake Champlain. Students will explore lake ecology and human activities along with problems related to excess phosphorus and exotic species.

Consider combining your experience with a visit to ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center. View ECHO education programs at www.echovermont.org/educators/programs.html.

The Patrick and Marcelle Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is a 2.2 acre campus at One College Street on the Burlington Waterfront recognizing Senator Patrick Leahy's lifelong dedication to the stewardship of the Lake Champlain Basin. The Leahy Center is home to ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, the University of Vermont's Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory, the Lake Champlain Basin Program Resource Room, Lake Champlain Sea Grant and Watershed Alliance, and the Lake Champlain Navy Memorial.

Last modified February 07 2012 07:35 AM