Interactive Stations & Opportunities

We know hands-on learning is the best way to engage students. Therefore, we have worked hard on developing interactive stations for your students to rotate through during their cruise. The stations use a variety of teaching techniques, employing sight, touch, hearing, and listening skills so that we can address different forms of intelligences and have something of interest for all students!

During the cruise, students will receive a field trip worksheet and rotate through five stations.  Answers to the questions on the worksheet can be found at the stations or by asking crew members that are stationed throughout the vessel. Once the worksheet is complete, students will "bury" it in our treasure chest and they will be entered in a raffle that is drawn at the end of the cruise.

On Board Station & Narration Topics

History: One Harbor 's History, Lore & Legend Listen and learn as live narrative unfolds a chronology of historical events, sighting evidence of the past along the New Hampshire coast. At the history station, students will learn about historical events by perusing our Steamship Log newspapers and interacting with the crew.
Shipboard Observation and Skills Students will observe the environment around them while listing to our maritime experts share their life experience of working on the water and participating in demonstrations. Students will get to pretend to be a crew member as they learn to tie off a cleat and throw a heaving line!
Commerce: A Working Port Our commerce station includes representative import and export products from Portsmouth Harbor, along with information on shipping on the Piscataqua throughout history.  Students will explore the impact of fishing and trade on local economy and culture and learn about types of vessels that use the river.
Navigation Know-How Students will experience maritime communication with call signs and signal flags. They will learn how to use vessel terminology, tie nautical knots, and locate points of navigation using real charts like our captains use!
Marine Environment Our interactive marine environment station conducted by the Blue Ocean Society allows students to observe and touch native animals and plants from the rocky shore.  They will learn about the cause and effects of pollution and how environmental factors affect all living systems.

LEARNING PARTNERS

Professor Rob Robertson, Associate Professor of Applied Social Science and Coordinator of the Tourism Planning and Development Program of the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire. Blue Ocean Society For Marine Conservation , Cooperative Institute of New England Mariculture and Fisheries (CINEMAR) A partnership between University of New Hampshire and NOAA, Piscataqua River Cooperative, Members of the Portsmouth Fishing Cooperative, Northeast Consortium, New Hampshire Sea Grant, Joint Hydrographic Center and the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, University of New Hampshire Marine Program, The Gundalow Project, The Lighthouse Association.