The centerpiece of Think Watershed is the Marine Science Floating Lab Program, which has been operating in Long Beach and Los Angeles Harbors since 1974 through the Los Angeles County Office of Education.
Currently,Think Watershed is funding field trips on the Floating Lab for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students in underserved schools in Los Angeles County. Funding for the field trips includes:
Floating Lab Boat Trip
On a 3-hour cruise through the Long Beach or Los Angeles Harbor, with either a morning or an afternoon departure, students participate in hands-on, marine-science learning activities including:
a plankton lab
water visibility testing
bottom sediment study
fish morphology
wildlife observation
Students see first-hand how human behavior affects the quality of water, air, habitat, animal life, plant life, and human life in the marine environment specifically as well as in the students’ communities.
Bus Transportation
For those classes that qualify for the field trip, reimbursement can be provided for bus transportation to the Floating Lab site.
Curriculum
Prior to the field trip, teachers will receive a ThinkWatershed Teacher Guide, which includes:
general cruise information
pre-trip preparation for you and your students
overview of on-board activities
data sheets and checklists
The classroom activites:
are aligned to California Content Standards and EEI Principles and Concepts
coordinate with the activities on board the Floating Lab
include website data reporting and service learning projects.
