Experiential Learning on Cayuga Lake
The Floating Classroom
First Hand Experience
The Floating Classroom
The Floating Classroom is where science on the water and lake appreciation happens! Our boat, the MV Teal, is the perfect platform for students of all ages to learn about both the natural and human history of the Finger Lakes. Every year, we engage 1000’s of students in citizen science and scientific observation activities that reveal the nature of Cayuga Lake, and water bodies across the world.
If you are an educator or group leader interested in any of these programs, don’t hesitate to contact us with questions education@discovercayugalake.org.
DISCOVER CAYUGA LAKE
PLANNING YOUR CRUISE ON THE FLOATING CLASSROOM
Floating Classroom cruises are available for classes, community groups and camps, May through October. While our primary vessel is based on Cayuga Lake, our instructors are also available to visit neighboring Finger Lakes. We offer programs designed for audiences ranging from 5th grade to adult, and we are happy to customize our presentation to suit your needs.
Our goal is to ensure that students and community members around Cayuga Lake, and throughout the Finger Lakes Region, have access to meaningful, educationally enriching experiences on the water. In facilitating these experiences, we focus on hands-on, experiential learning. Our focal points include environmental science, watershed systems and NYS history, but ELA, art and local geography can be incorporated into your program.
Complete the form at the bottom of this page, or contact us with questions at any point in your planning process!
Scheduling
- A typical program can include a field trip and a class visit, or just the field trip.
- Cruises vary from one to three hours. Two-hour cruises are most popular.
- Floating Classroom cruises are limited to 24 students. For larger groups, landside activities can be planned in combination with cruises.
- Floating Classroom trips are scheduled 1 to 6 months in advance. Contact us for available dates.
Locations
- We are based in Ithaca, NY, and cruise from points around the south end of Cayuga lake.
- Further north, we can also arrange cruise programs at Myers Point, Taughannock Falls State Park, Wells College in Aurora, Sheldrake Point and Cayuga, NY. Location fees apply.
COSTS
Our goal is to ensure that everyone can afford the Floating Classroom. We use the support of funders and donors and our Cayuga Lake Community Fund as a source of financial assistance. Please talk to us about your budget. Discover Cayuga Lake is a regional BOCES Consultant/Contractor.
Some of the
On Board ACTIVITIES WE DO
Our Floating Classroom cruise programs are planned individually to address the objectives of each client. A typical cruise includes several stations designed to guide small groups of students through “mini-lab” processes. Stops at shallow and deep water locations facilitate activities such as recording field/weather conditions, GPS sampling location, Secchi clarity observations, water temperature and pH profile, and plankton surveys.
PLANKTON SAMPLING
Students use a plankton net to gather teeming hordes of tiny but diverse living organisms from the lake.
PLANKTON MICROSCOPY
With scopes, available on-board, students can learn to observe and identify the plankton they’ve collected.
WATER CLARITY ANALYSIS
How far does sunlight travel down into the lake? This is an essential measurement when we’re monitoring the the environment under the water’s surface.
PROFILING THE LAKE AT DIFFERENT DEPTHS
What changes happen when you start moving from the surface of the water down into the depths of the lake? Depth profiles help us understand how the structure of the lake is changing from one day to the next!
SAMPLing AND INVESTIGATing AQUATIC PLANTS
There are so many different aquatic plants. Students can dredge up samples from the bottom of the lake and record data on what plant species they find.
COLLECTing AND ANALYZing SEDIMENT SAMPLES
The lake’s ecosystem is more than just the water column. Keep going down below the sediment, and there is so much more to discover!
Great Experiences with Discover Cayuga Lake
Our Mission
At Discover Cayuga Lake, our mission is to cultivate informed and equitable relationships between people and the watersheds upon which they depend and we do all this while providing memorable, breathtaking family, friend, and community experiences on the beautiful Cayuga Lake.
We’d Love to hear from you!
Connect
with Us
For Cruises & Charters:
booking@discovercayugalake.org
For Educational Programs:
education@discovercayugalake.org
HOME DOCK:
1000 Allan H. Treman Marina Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850
OUR OFFICE:
110 N. Tioga St., Suite 303
Center for History & Culture
Ithaca, NY 14850