Row, Row, Row Your Canoe

Down the St. John Bayou

by
Joan Fontaine & Ann Smart
Cabrini High School

Summary|Introduction|Physical Education Lesson|Physics/Physical Science Lesson|Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science Lessons|Teacher Guide

Summary
This lesson incorporates field activities, inquiry labs and technology for high school students, including canoeing in Physical Education, vector diagrams and force calculations in Physics/Physical Science, analysis of water in Chemistry, and water quality testing in Biology and Environmental Science.

Grade level/Subjects: High School Physical Education, Physics/Physical Science, Chemistry, Biology, Environmental Science

Introduction
Mrs. Fontaine's Physical Education classes have been canoeing on Bayou St. John. The students want to know how fast they are moving and how much work they have actually done. Two students tipped over into the bayou water during the last class period and are afraid the water is polluted and that they will become sick. The science department volunteers to answer all these questions in just a brief time to put their minds at ease.

Physical Education Lesson

Objectives
Students will develop an understanding and/or purpose of: safety rules, life jackets, canoe parts, paddle parts, paddling positions, paddler's responsibilities, launching and landing a canoe, canoeing strokes, and local resources for canoeing.

Students will be able to: demonstrate safety rules, select a life jacket that fits properly, identify the parts of the canoe and their purpose, identify parts of a paddle, select paddle that fits their needs, identify paddling positions, identify paddler responsibilities, launch and land a canoe, execute various strokes correctly.

Materials
Study sheets, life jackets, canoes, tennis shoes, paddles, body of water for canoeing, collection bottles for water samples (Optional: hat and sunscreen)

Student Activity
1. Teacher will demonstrate how to measure for the correct paddle length, proper way to fit a life jacket, entering and exiting canoe correctly, various paddle strokes, and how to carry canoe.

2. Lecture/demonstrations of canoe terms.

3. Students practice in class: determining paddle length, fitting life jackets, entering and exiting canoe, correct paddle strokes, carrying canoe.

4. Oral quiz on canoe terms.

5. On-water instructor/student demonstration.

6. First canoe trip: practice basic strokes during one class period.

7. Second canoe trip: safely maneuver under low bridge, paddle in tandem, perform figure S, following other canoes, and maneuver 360 degree turns right and left.

8. Third canoe trip: Repeat performances of past two trips, weave through obstacle course. On-water assessments (self and teacher) performed. During this trip, water samples can be collected from various locations: sunny area, shadowed area, near shore, and mid-stream for use in Chemistry, Biology and Environmental Science class activities.

Assessment

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT RUBRIC

Student's Name:

Assessment Title: Canoeing Skills

Extension

Students will be offered an opportunity to practice their canoeing skills by participating in local canoe trips, such as Bayou Manchac and LaBranche wetlands, sponsored by the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and Canoe and Trail Adventures.

Physics/Physical Science Lesson

Objectives
Students will be able to calculate the component velocities of a canoe trip, determine the force needed to accelerate the canoe, and draw vector diagrams to scale

Materials
Flow rate monitors
CBR/motion sensors
Graphing calculators
or
Stopwatches and tape measures
Any object that floats (to determine stream velocity)

Student Activities
1. Determine stream flow velocity of the bayou water by using a flow rate sensor or any floating object, tape measure and stopwatch.
2. Determine the total (resultant) velocity of the canoe in the stream using CBR/motion sensor and graphing calculator or stopwatch and tape measure.
3. Calculate the canoe's component of the velocity using vector addition.
4. Draw a vector diagram to scale, labeling the canoe's component, water component, and resultant.
5. Repeat the activity as the canoe returns to its starting point.
6. Using the velocity determined in step 3, determine the total force required to accelerate the canoe from rest to this final velocity. If each of the canoers exerted the same amount of force, how much force would be required by each canoer.

Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science Lessons

For water testing activities, go to "Chemistry and Biology of Water"

Teacher Guide
Physical Education

Time required: Three to four weeks, approximately ten class periods (85 minutes per class)

Grade level: 11/Physical Ed. III

Pre-assessment: Class survey of previous canoeing experiences.

Background information:
Safety tasks:
a. Wear light soft soled shoes.
b. Correctly put on life jacket.
c. Wear life jacket at all times.
d. Keep body weight low.
e. Avoid changing positions in canoe while on water.
f. Avoid standing in canoe.
g. Avoid quick movements.
h. Avoid risks and practical jokes.
i. Stay with canoe if capsized.

Name and identify parts of canoe:
a. Bow
b. Deck
c. Seat
d. Gunwale
e. Thwart
f. Stern
g. Port
h. Starboard

Name and identify parts of paddle:
a. Grip
b. Shaft
c. Throat
d. Blade

Canoe Strokes:
a. Bow strokes: forward, draw, sweep, back, cross draw
b. Stern strokes: forward rudder, sweep, back, draw, J stroke

Follow-up
Review canoe skills on land.
Oral review
Re-assess canoeing situations.

Physics/Physical Science

Time Required: One class period

Grade Level: 11th/12th Physics classes

Pre-assessment: Sketch a vector diagram showing how you would determine the canoe's velocity on a moving stream as the canoe moves upstream then downstream.

Background
Weight of canoe = 60 pounds
Length of canoe = 16 feet

Students should have prior knowledge of vector addition, vector diagrams, and calculation of forces.

Post-Assessment
Students will be graded on accuracy of vector diagrams and calculations of velocities and forces.

Follow-up
Students can design their own boats (canoes, sailboats, etc.) for racing in a small indoor or outdoor pool. Awards can be given for best design and/or fastest boat.

Standards Covered:
LA State Department of Education Science Standards
SI-H-A1, A2, A3, A4, A7
PS-H-A1, E2, E3

LA State Department of Education Technology Standards
Problem-solving and Decision-making
Productivity
Basic Operations and Concepts

National Content Standards in Physical Education
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

References:
Texas Instruments
Vernier (Science Hardware and Software for the Classroom)
Other lesson plans using technology are available at the "Tech in ED" website.
Information/tutorials about vectors can be found at the following sites:
Physics Classroom: Describing Motion with Diagrams
Physics Classroom: A High School Physics Tutorial
Finding the Components of a Vector
Physics for Beginners
Information about and scheduling of moonlight canoe trips, river skills workshops, and wilderness skills workshops can be found at Canoe and Trail Adventures
Monitor's Guide toAquatic Macroinvertebrates can be ordered from Izaak Walton League of America