Established in 2003, Big River Educational Workshops are FREE educational programs covering a variety of themes related to Big River Systems in the United States. These workshops take place directly on the river, aboard Living Lands & Waters floating classroom and garbage barges. Excursions in smaller boats will also be featured, providing participants an authentic, up-close river experience.

WE’RE BUILDING A NEW FLOATING CLASSROOM WINTER-SPRING 2011!!!!

Why a New Floating Classroom?
At nearly every Big River Educational Event LL&W has held over the last 7 years, the question “Can we bring our students aboard for a workshop?” has been asked by the teachers we have hosted at our workshops.  Unfortunately, LL&W has not been able to host students because our current floating classroom is not suitable for young people and was in need of some major repairs.  The cost of fixing the repairs and retrofitting our current barge to meet our needs made building a new one exactly to our specifications much more cost effective.  

To determine if the need was there, LL&W conducted a feasibility study among 50 teachers and principals within Iowa, Missouri and Illinois in 2006.  Over 90% declared that educational programs for students aboard the barge was something they would take advantage of, indicating that the need for such a project is genuine and measurable.

Classroom Facility
LL&W is working with partners to design a floating classroom that will demonstrate several sustainable energy technologies and should be completed by summer 2011.  LL&W will use a steel structure for the frame that was salvaged in Davenport, Iowa, after the flood of 1993.  The walls of the building will be sided with reclaimed lumber from Hurricane Katrina and will be fitted on 2 sides with glass garage doors to create an open-aired environment on days when the weather is suitable.  Large, energy efficient picture windows will be installed all around and an upper deck will give the participants an opportunity to experience a 360 degree view of the river.  Window awnings, railings and more will be built out of recycled materials and the classroom’s energy will be derived from a 4-panel photovoltaic system and wind turbine.  

The floating classroom barge will also house the LL&W crew living quarters and, therefore, participants will have utilization of a full kitchen and male and female lavatories.  The dimensions of the entire barge will be 35 ft. x 150 ft. and the classroom will have a minimum dimension of 25 ft. x 60 ft., accommodating up to 50 participants at a time.

CLICK HERE TO SEE AN ARTIST RENDERING OF THE NEW BARGE AND FLOATING CLASSROOM!!!!

Once the barge is built and classroom construction is ready to begin, it will be placed on the riverfront near St. Louis, Missouri, so the local community can witness the progress.  Local unions have volunteered to build the structure, wire the building for electricity and install the piping and venting for the sewer, heating and cooling.  LL&W staff will also solicit donations of building materials from surrounding communities and businesses.

The inside of the classroom will be equipped with tables, chairs, audio-visual equipment, and laboratory equipment such as microscopes and water quality testing materials.  A variety of displays will also be created to showcase aquatic, avian and terrestrial wildlife.

As a supplemental use of the facility, LL&W also wishes to make the facility available for use to state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, local clubs, etc. for meetings, workshops, and conferences.

Curriculum
Teacher trainings will occur mostly throughout the summer, and the student workshops will be held throughout the school year in September, October, November, March, April, and May.  Teacher workshops will follow the already successful model used by LL&W, and student events will be designed with the teacher to ensure relevance to previously studied material and classroom activities.  Below is a sample list of subjects and specific topics that could be covered during a session:

• SCIENCE:  Biology, Chemistry, Ecology, Geology, Geography, Forestry, Hydrology, Agriculture

Sample Topics:  indigenous plant, animal, bird species, invasive and endangered species, water quality, pollution, watersheds, wetlands, sustainability, and fossils

• ECONOMICS:  Commerce, Transportation, Job Creation

Sample Topics:  the marine industry, lock and dam system, cargo capacities

• SOCIAL SCIENCE:  Anthropology, Sociology, History, Archaeology, Civics

Sample Topics:  Native Americans, early explorers, the fur trade, the steamboat era, the Clean Water Act, river stewardship, management

• LANGUAGE ARTS:  Classic Literature, Poetry

Sample Topics:  Mark Twain, Aldo Leopold, James John Audubon

• FINE ARTS:  Fine Arts, Music, Culinary Arts

Sample Topics:  Music’s connection to the river (blues, jazz, roots, etc.), nature inspired art, art from recycled/salvaged items, food from the river

Specific activities could include:  fishing, water quality testing, sampling for macro invertebrates, participating in a river cleanup, identifying different plants and trees, visiting a wetland or floodplain forest, listening to a storyteller reenact an early explorer, creating pieces of art from debris found in the river, examining parts of a fish and mussel, bird watching, learning how a lock and dam works, cooking a dish of wild edibles, touring a commercial towboat and interviewing the Captain and crew, etc. 

Fee
All workshops are offered FREE OF CHARGE. However, some fees may be incurred if you are a teacher taking the course for graduate or re-licensure credit.

Interested in Booking a Workshop in Your Area?
If you belong to a group or organization (4-H, Sierra Club, etc.) and are interested in planning a river related workshop specific to your group’s mission, please contact Tammy Becker via the contact information listed below. LL&W facilities and boats can accommodate groups with 15-50 participants. Please note that the classroom travels to several states annually and that our calendar fills up quickly.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tammy Becker, Programs Manager, Living Lands & Waters
Email: tammy@livinglandsandwaters.org
Phone: 309.236.0725