Adopt-A-Boat Classrooms

PROJECT SUMMARY -- 2003-2004 ADOPT A BOAT CLASSROOMS

Canaan Elementary School. Canaan VT. Jeannine Brady. 3rd grade
Capt. Mattie Thompson. F/V Shearwater. Monhegan Island, ME

FJune 2004

Below are pictures from a coastal trip with Captain Mattie. Cliff Goudey from MIT Sea Grant was also on hand demonstrating an autonomous underwater vehicle.

At the end of our stay on Monhegan Island

Captain Mattie generously distributes buoys to both boys and girls (ha ha)

Captain Mattie drives the Shearwater towards landfall

Captain Mattie shows the class the belly of a live lobster

Each student has the opportunity to explore the ship's equipment

The F/V Shearwater is safely docked off the coast

Mrs. Tilling and Philip enjoy the view

Rachael at the boat railing

A group of students at the water's edge

Enthusiastic Ocean Adventure participants

Herring is used as bait

Mrs. Tillinghast and two students take a moment to pose

Anchors Away!

The first stop on our Ocean Adventure trip was the aquarium

Our Ocean Adventure wouldn't be complete without some hands-on ocean exploration!

FMay 2004

We created a book of watercolor paintings paying tribute to Captain Mattie:

C is for courageous captain...as he sets out to sea

A is for adventurous, catching fish for you and me

P is for patient, waiting for fish to come

T is for talented, trapping lobsters...yum! Yum! Yum!

A is for anxious to bring home a humungous haul

I is for intelligent, navigating waves so tall

N is for nautical know-how for using radar on your boat

M is for majestic effort by keeping the Shearwater afloat

A is for able-bodied fisherman, never making too much fuss

T is for tenderhearted, sharing your seafaring life with us

T is for thankful, getting home safely each night

I is for incredible awe, loving the ocean's beautiful sights

E is for experience, eagerly shared with Canaan School

Knowing Captain Mattie...is knowing Captain Cool!

FApril 2004

The Canaan Third Graders celebrated three months of learning about the ocean with their Ocean Fair. Captain Mattie and Jessica arrived just in time for the big event. Parents, relatives and friends first enjoyed watching the video the students made with Captain Mattie on Gillnetting. The children then presented Captain Mattie with a Canaan Eagle sweatshirt and Jessica with a quart of Vermont made maple syrup before they, themselves, received certificates of achievement.

With the help of Ms. Keafer, art teacher, the children made a beautiful backdrop for their tidal pool. The painting of a Maine lighthouse made the tidal pool seems so real.

Captain Mattie and Jessica took time to speak with each third grader about his/her ocean project. The students had plenty of time to explain their experiments, home projects, backdrops and share their knowledge about their ocean animals. Captain Mattie and Jessica also shared their knowledge of the ocean with the children. Many were amazed to learn that Mattie had seen many of the animals that they studied.

Captain Mattie and Jessica returned the following day to visit once again with the students. The present fourth and fifth graders were delighted to see Captain Mattie and Jessica again when they visited the Ocean Fair. Mattie stayed until the fair was over. As the children were eating their snacks of Shark Bites, Mattie and Jessica answered many questions and prepared the third graders for their upcoming visit to Monhegan Island in May.

FMarch 2004 top of page

Our tidal pool animals arrived yesterday afternoon...just in time for the third graders to add them to their tank before the school day ended. The students have been working very hard to keep the water temperature in their tank below 50 degrees. They've been adding plastic ice bottles to the tank itself and keeping the pump cooler filled with ice and packed snow. So far their efforts are paying off and the animals seem happy...or so we think. Throughout their stay in their Vermont habitat, the children will learn to identify them and learn how each behaves.

Casey and seaweed

Mrs. Brady unpacking an animal.

Tidal pool tank.

The class peers into the tank.

Dominic holding a sea urchin.

Chelsea and Natasha looking in.

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