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Presentations
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On their last night onboard the Half Moon, our student crews culminated their educational experience by delivering reports on various scientific topics they've studied while on the river.
The educational crew of the Half Moon designs these studies to enable students to observe, measure, and analyze natural patterns in the world around them. We stick to basic methods of gathering data, using devices that help the student gain insight about the workings of the world (as opposed to just reading an LED from a digital probe). Students also use primary source documents from the 17th Century as well as generating their own primary source documents with their data source collection.
This Voyage of Discovery served as an experiment for our program. In previous years, students have delivered individual presentations. On this voyage, however, our students worked in teams, organized according to their duty watches (Port Watch and Starboard Watch). Port Watch focused on the water while Starboard Watch studied the weather. Each team member focused on an individual field of study while assisting each other in gathering data. They then combined their specialized areas of knowledge in collaborative research and presentation. Not only is this method reflective of how Hudson's crew would have worked in 1609, it also mirrors how modern scientific study is typically conducted today.
Each team would have one hour to give their reports and field questions from the rest of the crew. Their presentations were delivered as the sun set on the evening of May 20th, while we sat at anchor just off Henry Hudson Park.
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Port Watch: River Science
After the crew had gathered on the weather deck and the students determined which team would go first, the Port Watch took the "stage" to deliver their group presentation on river phenomena and how it might affect the Half Moon on its voyages.
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Emily was the first member of Port Watch to step forward and deliver her part of the group's report. She spoke about oxygen levels in the open river, demonstrating the titration kit she had used to take findings.
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Next came Veronica, who interpreted her charts and wood chips while delivering her findings on the changes in current speed she had noted in Athens Channel over the course of a 12-hour period. You can see her chart showing a distinct tidal pattern, as is to be expected.
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Jamar next took center stage to discuss water clarity. He also demonstrated the principles of using a Secchi disk to take turbidity readings.
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Next came Daymien, who presented a report on tidal shifts in Athens Channel as measured by changes in the water's depth over the course of the day.
He also demonstrated his knowledge of how to take soundings with a lead line.
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Bryan presented a report on salinity, measuring the gradient as marked by both our location on the river and tidal changes.
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Kiera wrapped up the Port Watch's individual presentations with a report on water temperatures, taking special note of diurnal changes as well as temperature changes measured at different depths using the Van Dorn sampler.
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After each memeber of Port Watch had delivered their individual reports, they joined together to show how the individual phenomena they had discussed related to each other and to the ship.
They then threw the floor open to vigorous round of questions from the student and adult crew members, concluding their report.
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Starboard Watch: Weather Science
After a quick discussion of whether or not to take a quick break, the crew decided to carry on, so Starboard Watch immediately gathered to deliver their report on weather phenomena.
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Dylan was the first member of Starboard Watch to deliver a personal report on precipitation, measuring average and total rainfall.
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Second, Andi stepped forward to discuss diurnal changes in air temperature.
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Next came Jamal. He demonstrated the use of an anemometer and delivered a report on wind speed, graphing its rise and fall over the course of 12 hours in Athens Channel.
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Ginny then stepped forward to deliver her presentation on relative humidity levels, showing how she had used an instrument called a sling psychrometer (also known as a wet & dry bulb thermometer) to take her readings and interpreting the results.
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Last but not least, Samantha took the fore to discuss her findings on barometric pressure, presenting the readings she she had graphed over the course of a long day in Athens Channel.
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As Samantha concluded her findings, Starboard Watch came together again to discuss their combined findings as a group, just as Port Watch had done.
Having then concluded their presentation, they too fielded many probing questions from an eager audience.
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