What is under the boat? What is under the microscope?
Students are going to study the effects of water of an estuary on the bottom of a boat. The water in an estuary is moving all the time. First it is moving because of the tides. Then, it is also moving because of the river flow coming from the interior of the land. This water has a mixture of salt water and soft water. This creates a very special environment for opportunities for growth of plants and animals—flora and fauna.
Generally, the water of an estuary is murky. There are many life forms thriving in it. We want to know what would happen to the bottom of the canoe if we leave the canoe in the water for a few weeks.
Materials
Canoe
Microscope
Paper and pen
Procedure
Leave the canoe in the water for a few weeks. Every week go and check the bottom of the canoe to see what happens. If you find any change at the bottom of the canoe draw it and write about it. After this first exploration and observation, scrape off some of the matter, if any, and place it under the microscope. What do you see? Draw it and write about your findings. Make comparisons between the data obtained in the very first observations and data that you got under the microscope.
What do you think happened here?
Research more information about what you have found during this experiment by the shoreline.
