Thursday, October 7, 1999

It's another sunny day and I'm off on another exciting adventure - this time wearing my "scientist" hat.

The Columbus Center of Marine Biotechnology (Columbus Center for short) is easy to find - it's right behind the Power Plant. This building is a real live science/research center - with real live scientists doing research. It's part of the University of Maryland. You can visit the Columbus Center if you come with a school group. I joined the Westminster Montessori School for my visit.

The neat thing about coming here with your school is that you're going to be participating in experiments that are similar to those being conducted by the scientist's here.

Today's experiment is: "Biofilms and Biodiversity." Not sure what biofilms are? I wasn't either. Biofilms are living coatings, like: mold on cheese, plaque on teeth, or barnacles on a boat. Jeff, the teacher, explains this to us and tells us about the discs we'll be pulling from the waters of the Inner Harbor to observe.

Our first job is to pull the discs out of the water (just outside the Center) and make observations. The students have special scientific instruments which measure attributes of the water. These include salinity (amount of salt), temperature, turbidity (how cloudy the water is), and pH (acid level).

Back inside, we put on our lab coats and continue the scientific process. Using microscopes and our reference books, everyone records what they observe on their shallow or deep water disc. Check out this biofilms web site to see what they saw - just as awesome as creatures from a movie about aliens!

Did you know scientists are learning how to "grow" fish? In the basement of the Columbus Center there are giant fish tanks that hold different species of fish (you should have seen how big the filters were - taller than me!). Since fish are one of the best sources of protein, growing them for food is becoming important. You can see Dr. Jones standing by one of the fish tanks for striped bass, which grow to 3-4 feet when raised this way. You won't even need a fishing rod to catch them!

I was curious why Dr. Jones become a scientist. He told me that when he was your age, his room had three walls of aquariums with an assortment of animals: frogs, snakes, lizards, turtles, salamanders, fish, and even an iguana. His mom wasn't too crazy about the iguana, but she grew to like him so much that she nicknamed him "Iggy." Dr. Jones also thinks that having enthusiastic science teachers made him like science - way to go, science teachers! Does your room look like Dr. Jones' did when he was a kid?

To arrange school visits or to get more information, go to the Columbus Center of Marine Biotechnology web site. You can participate in experiments at the Center or on-line. Topics include oysters, water pollution, plankton, and more. Kids, be sure to tell your teachers that these experiments are aligned with the Maryland Learning Outcomes - they'll like that!

Today I got to take a day sail on Pride II. The crew's been busy cleaning and polishing the brass. The crew takes pride in their ship! They always like her to look her best for guests aboard and for the state she represents, Maryland. We motored out into the Bay and raised the sails about halfway to Fort McHenry. The guests helped pull up the sails (they're really heavy) and we were sailing! It's a beautiful day, with a beautiful sunset over the Inner Harbor when we return. The guests disembark (get off the boat) but the crew works another 2 hours, properly storing the sailing gear.

Friday, Oct 8, 1999

My last morning to awaken aboard Pride of Baltimore II. What an adventure it's been! I thought a week in Baltimore would be a long time, but the week's gone by very quickly.

Along my travels in Baltimore, I met a Flamenco dancer and instructor, a preservationist, a scientist, and lots of people who love to sail. It seems like many of them were interested in these things when they were your age. That makes me wonder - what will you become? Maybe someday you'll be a scientist, a ship captain, a Pride II crew member, or even the Teacher Aboard. You have plenty of time to make up your mind - but, it's never too early to dream!

Happy Sailing! Don't miss next week's adventure with Mary Kay Hirsh, your Teacher Aboard from Brooke Grove Elementary School in Olney. She'll tell you all about the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race (lucky sailor!).

Good-bye from your Teacher Aboard (and Oxford),
Carol Corwell-Martin
Salem Avenue Elementary School
Hagerstown, MD

YOUR THOUGHTS

1. When he was 50 years old, Frederick Douglas returned to Fell's Point and built five houses known as Douglas Terrace. Use resources to learn more about Douglas. Why did he return to Fell's Point?
2. A. During the 1960's, the citizens of Fell's Point organized and fought to "Stop the Road." One of the leaders of that effort is now a United States Senator. Name that person.
   B. What can citizens of a community do to change laws or decisions they do not agree with? What might the citizens of Fell's Point have done to "Stop the Road?"
3. Tell some of the organisms the students saw while using the microscopes to look at the discs (pulled from the Inner Harbor waters). Use the Maryland Sea Grant web site to find the answers.
4. What can you do to protect the waterways of Maryland and Chesapeake Bay? Use this Chesapeake Bay web site to offer solutions.
5. Based on your current interests and hobbies, what type of work do you think you might do as an adult?

Return to Part 1 of the Oct. 11, 1999 Log

Return to Part 2 of the Oct. 11, 1999 Log