RiverQuest Armstrong

School Programs

Program Descriptions:

Option 1

Environmental Science: Allegheny River Ecosystem (1 program spot per day)

Duration: 5 hours, half on board and half on land. Students bring bag lunches.

Grades: 5-6, 7-9, 10-12, 12+. Content and activities adapted to grade level.

Capacity: 40 students, 4 chaperones

Fee: $800/da. Includes teacher workshop and use of classroom resource kit.

Students spend 2 1/4 hours underway on the Allegheny exploring:

Freshwater ecosystems and aquatic habitat
Elements of the river food web such as plankton, aquatic insects, birds, waterfowl and fish
Local geology and geography
Water quality indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, nitrates, phosphates, and iron,
The relationship between chemical and biological water indicators; and,
The cause and effect of point and non-point source water pollution.

Another 2 1/4 hours are spent landside and students explore the nearby riverscape and its environs and participate in:

A stream study and comparison of terrestrial aquatic habitats,
A biodiversity study of a nearby green space; or,
An examination of the watershed and human impacts on its health.

Click here for a list of PA Academic Standards addressed by the program.

Option 2

Environmental Science: Analyzing freshwater quality

(2 program spots per day)

Duration: 2.5 hours on board.

Grades: 7-9, 10-12, 12+. Content and activities adapted to grade levels.

Capacity: 20 students, 2 chaperones.

Fee: $30/student

Students board a vessel and get underway on the Allegheny to explore:

Freshwater ecosystems and aquatic habitat
Elements of the river food web such as plankton, aquatic insects, birds, waterfowl and fish
Local geology, geography and land use
Water quality indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, nitrates, phosphates, and iron,
The relationship between chemical and biological water indicators; and,
The cause and effect of point and non-point source water pollution.

Click here for a list of PA Academic Standards addressed by the program.

Option 3 (School and Community Education Program)

It’s Alive! Ecoadventure (multiple programs per day)

Duration: 1.5 hours on board.

Grades: Grade 4-adult. Content and activities adapted to grade levels.

Capacity: 20 students plus 2 chaperones.

Fee: $15/student. Available late afternoons, evenings, and weekends except May 19.

Sail into adventure looking for signs of life in the watery world that runs through our city. Search for microscopic plankton in a river water sample. Get up close and personal with local waterfowl, be puzzled by strange native fish, and hunt for unbelievable creatures from the Allegheny.

SCHOOL PROGRAM FEES

The cost of delivery of RiverQuest Community education programs are underwritten by contributions and donations received from community foundations, organizations, businesses and private individuals and from grants received from local, regional and national government agencies. The fees charged to schools represent approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of the total cost of program development, administration, and delivery.

HOW TO REGISTER CLASSES and GROUPS for programs

Contact RiverQuest at 412-231-2712, extension 13, to speak with Christine Statzer. Dates are available on a first come-first served basis.