Field Studies

Field studies coupled with classroom activities are an integral part of Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences. Find a field study program that gets your students' feet wet and hands dirty.

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Begin by choosing the criteria for your search. Matching field study programs will be displayed as pin-points on the map below. Click on a pin-point for details about each program. Be sure to scroll through all your results using the "next" button at the bottom of the page.

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All Studies by Location
Records: 73

Theme

Level

Length

Organization

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Field Studies > History and Culture   > Middle School  
1 - 25 of 73

Oystering Tour

In this hands-on program, students explore the history of the ‘greatest oyster factory on Earth’, the Chesapeake Bay, and how the oyster shaped the culture, industry, and environment of the Bay and its people. Students will get to learn about an historical Bay where oysters lay ‘thick as stones’ through maps, activities, and giant oyster shells, hear the tales of the Oyster Wars and an ‘oyster gold rush’ in the cabin of a skipjack, and investigate close-up an oyster nurseries’ crabs, fish, and baby mollusks.

Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Location: 213 N. Talbot Street St. Michaels, MD 21663 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures, Restoration
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: oyster, culture and watermen, restoration
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Ecology Cruise

In this ecology-based program, students learn about the diverse animals, plants, and environment of the Chesapeake through hands-on activities onboard the Mister Jim, our replica buy boat. Students explore the Bay watershed from large to small, starting with maps of the Chesapeake’s waterways and populations, moving to water quality testing, dredging for oysters, and finishing by examining the animals and organisms that call an oyster reef home.

Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Location: 213 N. Talbot Street St. Michaels, MD 21663 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: oyster, blue crab, culture and watermen, habitat and niche, wildlife, fish
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Chesapeake Bay Bounty Tour

In this hands-on program discover what it means to follow the water to the many people who work the Bay year-round harvesting crabs, oysters, eels, and fish. At Waterman's Wharf, step inside a waterman's shanty and follow his seasonal rounds. Try hand-tonging for oysters, baiting eel pots, and setting a crab pot. Board an oyster dredgeboat and lend a hand raising sail.

Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Location: 213 N. Talbot Street St. Michaels, MD 21663 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, oyster, blue crab
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Chesapeake Bay Discovery Tour

Explore the rich heritage of the people who have made the shores of the Chesapeake Bay their home. Learn how this estuary has attracted a diverse population, shaping the lives of early Native Americans to current residents and find out why the Chesapeake Bay plays an important role in our nation's story. On this tour walk through a lighthouse that's over 125 years old, pick up a working decoy, encounter hunting skiffs, stand on a recreated tobacco wharf and much more.

Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Location: 213 N. Talbot Street St. Michaels, MD 21663 (Map It)
Theme(s): History and Culture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: land use, culture and watermen, John Smith and colonial times, Native American
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Stanley Norman Skipjack Program in St. Michaels

The Stanley Norman, one of the last of the Chesapeake's famous fleet of skipjacks, provides an authentic setting to study the Bay's resources. Originally built in 1902, the Stanley Norman is an unforgettable venue for participants to dredge for oysters, test water quality, and imagine what it was like to work on a 65 wooden sailing vessel. CBF instructors utilize activities to deepen participants’ understanding of local ecosystems and give relevance and depth to the classroom curriculum. Our goal is to actively engage students and promote higher order thinking skills by learning through active experience.

Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Location: 213 North Talbot St. St. Michaels, MD 21663 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, pollution, land use, oyster, blue crab, culture and watermen, habitat and niche, water quality, water testing
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Lighthouses on the Bay

Lighthouses are embedded in our nation’s history as being critical to both the security and the economy of our fledgling nation. The museum has two lighthouses – the Drum Point Lighthouse built in 1883, and the Cove Point Lighthouse built in 1828. Students will investigate the different types of lighthouses built around the bay, and why they were built in specific locations. They will also learn about the Fresnel lens and how it dramatically improved the lighthouse technology of the day. A visit into the fully furnished Drum Point Lighthouse allows them to see what a keeper’s life was like. Accessibility to the lighthouse interior is limited; a video tape discussing the lighthouse is available.

Organization(s): Calvert Marine Museum
Location: 14200 Solomons Island Rd Solomons, MD 20688 (Map It)
Theme(s): History and Culture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, culture and watermen
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All About Boats

This hands-on workshop engages students in learning the basic components of how all boats work: hull/shape, paddle/control, and sail/propulsion. They will do experiments to understand these elements, try their hand at operating a radio controlled model boat in the basin, weather permitting, and figure out why some boats float better than others. To prepare for this test, the “old salts” (members of the museum’s Small Craft Guild) will explain the fundamentals of boatbuilding, what the various boats were used for, and the many trades involved in a thriving boat building community.

Organization(s): Calvert Marine Museum
Location: 14200 Solomons Island Rd Solomons, MD 20688 (Map It)
Theme(s): History and Culture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, culture and watermen
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Early Encounters: Native Americans & Colonists

The world that John Smith encountered was very different from the Chesapeake Bay we know today. On his 1607 voyages to map the Chesapeake Bay, he also mapped the Native American villages he saw along the way, and took careful notes about his encounters with the native people. It is from these notes, maps and journals, coupled with the drawings of John White, that we know as much as we do about the world at that time. Students will have the opportunity to explore these primary resources and draw their own conclusions about life 400 years ago. They will learn how to read and interpret John Smith’s map and play “Chesapeake Millions” to display their new skills.

Organization(s): Calvert Marine Museum
Location: 14200 Solomons Island Rd Solomons, MD 20688 (Map It)
Theme(s): History and Culture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: John Smith and colonial times, Native American
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Estuary: Life on the Edge

Measure water quality using scientific sampling equipment, identify adaptations in the estuary with the aid of an experienced educator, chart the movement of life along the Chesapeake “highway,” and experience how human activity in the watershed contributes to the health of the bay. Fourteen aquariums bring you face to face with some of the bay region’s most famous residents, making the preservation of this unique and fragile resource a real and immediate concern. Students also visit the otter habitat and the amazing skate and ray exhibit where they get a glimpse of our successful baby skate nursery.

Organization(s): Calvert Marine Museum
Location: 14200 Solomons Island Rd Solomons, MD 20688 (Map It)
Theme(s): History and Culture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: wildlife, fish
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Fossils of Calvert Cliffs

Ten million years ago southern Maryland was a watery world inhabited by whales, snails crocodiles and giant sharks. Discover how the famous Calvert Cliffs were formed, examine teeth, jaws, shells, skulls, and other specimens from the paleontology collections. Learn how scientists collect these specimens and how they use them as clues in their study of the past.

Organization(s): Calvert Marine Museum
Location: 14200 Solomons Island Rd Solomons, MD 20688 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: ecosystem and biomes, erosion, sediment, soil and rocks, fish
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Distance Learning Programs

If you can't come to the museum, we can come to you through our Distance Learning Programs. We are very excited to offer these programs to people in our region, across the country and around the globe.

Organization(s): Calvert Marine Museum
Location: 14200 Solomons Island Rd Solomons, MD 20688 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: pollution, wetland, land use, watershed, culture and watermen, ecosystem and biomes, erosion, forest, habitat and niche, John Smith and colonial times, Native American, sediment, soil and rocks, wildlife, fish, economics
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Maritime Explorations

The Maritime Explorations program is offered as a 1 1/2-hour, 2 1/2 hour, and a four-hour experience for a fee. In all of the Maritime Explorations programs private schools participate in activities focused on the maritime heritage and ecology of the Bay. During the 2 1/2 hour program, students also visit with a local waterman, who brings his workboat to the docks of the Museum. The four-hour course offers land-based activities, a boat ride on a Watermark Cruise vessel, and a visit with the waterman. Schools are provided with pre-programming materials and a pre- and post-test assessment.

Organization(s): Annapolis Maritime Museum
Location: 723 2nd St Annapolis, MD 21403 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, culture and watermen, ecosystem and biomes
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Bay Bound, an Annapolis Community Outreach program

The Museum offers a one-to-two hour outreach educational opportunity to community groups from the Annapolis area. Groups visit the Museum, take a guided tour of the exhibit “Oyster On The Half Shell,” and participate in land-based activities focused on the maritime heritage and ecology of the Bay. The Museum staff are also available to visit schools and community groups to provide one-to-two hours of programming.

Organization(s): Annapolis Maritime Museum
Location: 723 2nd St Annapolis, MD 21403 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture
Level(s): Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: oyster, culture and watermen
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The Chesapeake Trades

Chesapeake Trades includes one day of pre-programming in the school where Museum staff lead the students through NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Build A Buoy (BAB) Activity using the scientific method. Then the 8th graders spend a full day outside the school on a field trip during which they visit the Annapolis Maritime Museum to learn about Maryland’s oyster industry and business through hands-on activities at the McNasby Oyster Company, visit with a waterman and participate in an oyster dissection. The students also tour Port Annapolis Marina (a Green Business and Green Marina) to meet professionals whose careers are directly influenced by the Chesapeake Bay, take a one-hour boat ride and participate in a stormwater run-off model demonstration and an environmentally focused community service project at the Back Creek Nature Park. The 8th grade students are assessed on the level of their knowledge about maritime heritage and ecology of the Chesapeake Bay through pre- and post-tests. The 8th grade teachers are provided with curriculum to support pre- and post-teaching in the classrooms. The teachers and students receive evaluations to assess their experience with the program.

Organization(s): Annapolis Maritime Museum
Location: 723 2nd St Annapolis, MD 21403 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture
Level(s): Middle School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: watershed, oyster, culture and watermen, ecosystem and biomes
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Hunter-Gatherers

People have lived at this site in Accokeek for at least 10,000 years, finding food, clothing and shelter in this woodland-riverine environment. Students will step back in time and use recreated artifacts to explore how ancient people used the natural resources found here to live, work and play. Pairs well with Corn.

Organization(s): Alice Ferguson Foundation
Location: 2001 Bryant Point Rd Accokeek, MD 20607 (Map It)
Theme(s): History and Culture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: John Smith and colonial times, Native American
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Antique Tools

Students will learn how technology has changed over time and have the opportunity to use hand tools that would have been used on a farm before machinery was available.

Organization(s): Alice Ferguson Foundation
Location: 2001 Bryant Point Rd Accokeek, MD 20607 (Map It)
Theme(s): History and Culture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: John Smith and colonial times, Native American
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Farm Life Exploration

Students experience a small 1950’s era working family farm to discover where their food comes from, help with farm chores, and learn how technology has changed over time. They will explore the barnyard and pastures, meet goats, geese, chickens, cows and sheep, and relate food and fiber to their plant and animal sources.

Organization(s): Alice Ferguson Foundation
Location: 2001 Bryant Point Rd Accokeek, MD 20607 (Map It)
Theme(s): History and Culture
Level(s): Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: agriculture
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The Pumpkin Ash Trail Tour

This tour is designed to introduce students to the environment, agriculture, and the rich human culture and history of the Chesapeake Bay region. Students will walk a quarter-mile nature trail through a forest and a wetland ecosystem before arriving on an eight-acre organic farm. The tour will address forest, wetland, and farm ecosystem dynamics; natural resource conservation; sustainable agriculture; and the interdependence of humans and nature, with a special focus on the unique relationship between Piscataway Indians and the natural environment of their homeland. Students will be provided with a field guide as they explore this eclectic piece of Piscataway Park.

Organization(s): Accokeek Foundation
Location: 3400 Bryan Point Road Accokeek, MD 20607 (Map It)
Theme(s): History and Culture, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: land use, agriculture, John Smith and colonial times, Native American
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Eve of the Revolution

Students take on the role of colonial reporters doing research for an article on how the rising conflict with England is affecting the life of an ordinary tobacco planter and his family in 1775. With press passes in hand, the “reporters” ask questions (pre-determined and their own) as they walk from the Potomac River with its view of Mount Vernon through the property of middling tobacco planter Benjamin Bolton. They also interview costumed interpreter “Mrs. Bolton” about how her life is being affected by the threat of war.

Organization(s): Accokeek Foundation
Location: 3400 Bryan Point Road Accokeek, MD 20607 (Map It)
Theme(s): History and Culture, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: land use, agriculture, John Smith and colonial times
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Maple Sugaring

Maximum Group Size: 50 Cost: $3 per student Trip Length: 1 hour (age 4 – K) 1.5 hours (1st – college) Month: February only Sugar making has been an early spring activity for centuries. This program focuses on teaching students how to recognize maple trees, how sap moves within trees, and how the sap is collected and made into syrup and candy. This program complements many Baltimore County units such as Animals and Plants (K),Exploring Animals (2nd), and Origins(4th). Note: Program length varies with age (see above).

Organization(s): Irvine Nature Center
Location: 11201 Garrison Forest Road Owings Mills, MD 21117 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: ecosystem and biomes, forest, habitat and niche, identification
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Native Americans of Delmarva

Explore the culture and customs of the early inhabitants of Delaware. Take an interpretive walk to discover pre-colonial Delaware history. Learn how Native Americans used nature for their everyday needs and visit a replica longhouse for a hands-on experience with tools, animal skins, clothing and musical instruments. Program meets at the Lindale Tract Preserve.

Organization(s): Abbott's Mill Nature Center
Location: 15411 Abbott's Pond Road Milford, DE 19963 (Map It)
Theme(s): History and Culture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: Native American
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Overnight and Extended-Day Programs

Overnights and Extended Days are a special adventure for everyone! One to three day programs are developed collaboratively with school leaders, assuring that educational standards and objectives are integrated into program design. The nature preserve supports a variety of forested, field and wetland habitats along Johnson and Tantrough Branch. Hiking trails, boardwalks and teaching stations provide unique education opportunities discovering the natural wonders of Southern Delaware.

Organization(s): Abbott's Mill Nature Center
Location: 15411 Abbott's Pond Road Milford, DE 19963 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips Multi-Day Trips
Keywords: pollution, wetland, land use, food web, adaptation, watershed, biodiversity, ecosystem and biomes, forest, habitat and niche, predator prey relationships, water quality, wildlife
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Life in the Chesapeake Bay - A "Meaningful Watershed Experience" Program

Compare marine vertebrate and invertebrate phyla to discover the amazing diversity of life in the Bay. Identify and classify live and preserved specimens such as sea stars, anemones, whelks and crabs, as well as bony and cartilaginous fish. Animal adaptations and survival strategies are emphasized.

Organization(s): Virginia Living Museum
Location: 524 J Clyde Morris Boulevard Newport News, VA 23601 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: adaptation, watershed, blue crab, ecosystem and biomes, habitat and niche, predator prey relationships, stream study, water quality, water testing, wildlife, fish
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A Maritime Nation Program

The United States has always been a maritime nation. This 90-minute, hands-on program explores the ongoing relationship between our citizens and our waterways. Students explore historic maritime trades and cultures, the life of sailors, and traditional methods of working the water.

Organization(s): The Watermen's Museum
Location: 309 Water Street Yorktown, VA 23690 (Map It)
Theme(s): History and Culture
Level(s): Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: culture and watermen
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Historical Program

Take your students on a journey through ideas and events of the past. Students will discover the fascinating world of the Gilded Age, both the lives of the new millionaire class in America and the lives of the working class in a period of dramatic economic, social and technological change.

Organization(s): Maymont
Location: 1700 Hampton Street Richmond, VA 23220 (Map It)
Theme(s): History and Culture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: culture and watermen, John Smith and colonial times
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