Estuary Chesapeake is a hands-on program in which 4th through 6th grade students can explore the living and non-living aspects of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.

| Stations | Content standards | Program is teacher-led |
| Typical day | Resources | Scheduling | Pre-trip workshops |
| Estuary data | Costs |

Stations

Estuary Chesapeake is SERC's most popular education program and involves a series of five stations at SERC's dock. The class is divided into 5 groups that each rotate through all stations. The five stations of Estuary Chesapeake are:

1. Oyster Bar Community
   Students learn about the habitat the oyster shells provide for small crabs, fish, and invertebrates.
2. Water Testing
   Using a variety of tests, students will measure the water quality parameters salinity, pH, turbidity and temperature and discuss the results.
3. About Crabs
   Using hand lines and a hand trap, students catch their own crabs and study them to learn about their anatomy and behavior. Crab habitat is also discussed.
4. Investigating Plankton
   After completing a plankton tow from the dock, students will use microscopes to identify the plankton community found in the Chesapeake Bay.
5. Going Fishing
   Donning chest waders, students wade into the water to catch fish and other organisms with a seine net. The students then identify the animals. Physiological aspects of fish anatomy are also discussed.

Content standards

Maryland Content Standards
1.0 Skills & Processes: 1.5.1, 1.5.2, 1.5.4, 1.5.5, 1.5.6,
1.5.7, 1.5.8, 1.5.9, 1.5.11, 1.5.14
2.0 Earth/Space Science: 2.5.12
3.0 Life Science: 3.5.2, 3.5.5, 3.5.6, 3.5.7, 3.5.8, 3.5.9,
3.5.12, 3.5.13
6.0 Environmental Science: 6.5.2, 6.5.3, 6.5.4, 6.5.5

Virginia Standards of Learning
Scientific Investigation, Reason & Logic: 4.1, 5.1, 5.6
Living Systems: 4.5
Interrelationships in Earth/Space systems: 4.6. 5.6, 5.7
Resources: 4.8

Estuary Chesapeake is teacher-led

Estuary Chesapeake is a teacher-led program. While SERC provides the equipment and support, it is the teacher's responsibility to lead the program. New teachers are required to attend a pre-visit to SERC to learn about the equipment and procedures for each station. The teacher is then responsible for providing a trained station leader for each of the five stations.

A typical day

The average start time for the Estuary Chesapeake program is 10:00 a.m., although we are flexible. If you have more than 45 students, you may choose to split your group in half, and have half of the students do another activity, for example the Java History Trail. After lunch, the two groups can switch.

Resources

• Estuary Chesapeake Teacher Guide
  The Estuary Chesapeake Teacher Guide provides the scientific background for the investigations and describes the procedures and equipment for each Estuary Chesapeake station. Before visiting SERC, teachers and station leaders need to learn about the activities at the stations they are responsible for. Experience has shown that the better prepared the teachers and station leaders are, the more rewarding the experience is for the students.
  
  Download the separate chapters:
  1.  Introduction and General Information (pdf).
  2.  Station 1: Oyster Bar Community (pdf)
  3.  Station 2: Water Testing (pdf)
  4.  Station 3: About Crabs (pdf)
  5.  Station 4: Investigating Plankton
  6.  Station 5: Going Fishing (pdf)
  7.  Glossary, References, and other information

  Download the complete guide:
   Estuary Chesapeake Teacher Guide (pdf) (59 pages).

• Exploring the Chesapeake
  Student Workbook for Estuary Chesapeake
  This 55-page Student Workbook can be used as a pre- and post-trip activity for Estuary Chesapeake. The workbook includes information, activities, and puzzles on subjects such as SERC environmental research, estuaries, the Chesapeake Bay, watersheds, fish, blue crabs, oyster-bar communities, plankton, food webs, weather, water quality, and salinity. The workbook costs $5. Please contact Jane Holly to purchase a copy.

Scheduling

To schedule a field trip you can use our "request for registration" form to let us know when you would like to come. After we receive the form, education staff will contact you to discuss dates and confirm your field trip. You can also contact Jane Holly at SERC's Education Department directly to discuss your plans for a field trip.

First-time teachers to SERC must make reservations after August 1 for the coming year; returning teachers may make reservations up to one year in advance.

Estuary Chesapeake pre-trip workshops for teachers and station leaders

Stations are led by teachers, parents, guardians, and other adults who accompany the field trip. A pre-visit workshop is required for new teachers at least four weeks before the trip. We strongly encourage station leaders to also attend these workshops. Estuary Chesapeake workshops are free and the more prepared the station leaders are, the better the field trip experience for the students.

WORKSHOP DATES -Fall 2008

Please contact Jane Holly for more information and to sign up for these workshops.

Estuary data

You can use the following Microsoft Excel files to compare your own group's data to data collected by other students participating in Estuary Chesapeake. Is your data in line with other findings? Can you see and explain any trends in the data?

Note: if you are using a PC, right-click on the file names to save them to your computer.

1.  Oyster Bar Community Data
2.  Water Testing Data
3.  About Crabs Data
4.  Investigating Plankton Data
5.  Going Fishing Data

Costs

Estuary Chesapeake field trips in 2007 are $10 per student. Please pay when you arrive. There is no charge for teachers and station leaders.

The Teacher's Corner has information on available grants that might help cover part of your field trip expenses.