Ron Witter’s
first exposure to Adventuress was during a day sail designed to
introduce teachers to the educational programming that takes place aboard the
ship. A fifth-grade teacher at Discovery Elementary in Gig Harbor, Ron was
quickly sold on the idea of bringing his class out on the water: “I
immediately thought, This is something that I need to share with my
students.”
Ron proved
to be a winning advocate; fifth graders from Discovery stepped aboard Adventuress
this September for the fourth straight year. For Ron, one of the great values
of Adventuress is the way in which shipboard learning clarifies and
connects with classroom curriculum. Says Ron, “Adventuress provides a
platform that helps students truly understand the concepts that we teach.”
 |
| Students learn about the pH scale in the deck house. |
As an
example, Ron mentions a lesson on Ocean Acidification in which students test
the pH of Puget Sound water and then add carbon dioxide by blowing into the
water with a straw. Following the addition of carbon dioxide, the test shows a
more acidic pH—a microcosm of what is happening to the world’s oceans as they
absorb an unprecedented amount of human-generated greenhouse gases. Not only
does this tie into the “Earth and Human Activity” aspect of Next Generation
Science Standards, but it also makes the base concept of pH visible and
relatable to students. Says Ron, “With the Ocean Acidification lesson, I think
they finally gain an understanding of what pH really means.”
Curriculum
at Discovery Elementary also centers around the concepts discussed in the
best-selling book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” The sixth
habit, “Synergize,” teaches that positive teamwork allows people to combine
their strengths, making goals achievable that would not have been possible
otherwise. Certainly this is true of Adventuress; no single person—no
matter their skill as a mariner—could sail Adventuress alone. Says Ron, “When
our students come aboard Adventuress, they look at the crew and they see
a representation of leadership and working together.”
When
students from Discovery step aboard Adventuress, they are also reading
about Theodore Roosevelt, who served as president around the time of Adventuress’
maiden voyage to the Arctic (Roosevelt was president from 1901-1909; Adventuress
made the journey shortly after her 1913 launch). As they read about
Roosevelt’s efforts in the early twentieth century to establish more National
Parks, they have an incredible opportunity: the chance to step aboard a vessel
that originated in the Roosevelt era while they learn about preservation from a
twenty-first century perspective. Ron explains that this type of synergy has a
powerful effect: “With the trip on Adventuress, and with the
curriculum in the classroom, students experience an awakening of consciousness
about the environment.”
 |
| An example of the visual map that the Program Coordinator created with students from Discovery Elementary. |
Reflecting
on this year’s trip, Ron describes a powerful moment in which students grasped
the interconnection of the curricula. Towards the end of the sail, the Program
Coordinator gathered students together in the main cabin and used a whiteboard
to draw a visual map of all the concepts that students had learned about during
their three hours on Adventuress: Marine Life, Life Aboard the Ship,
Ocean Acidification, Plankton, and Nautical Skills. Recalls Ron, “All of a
sudden, one of the students said, ‘Oh my gosh, these ideas make a great big
web.’ She finally understood how all of these pieces fit together and how
cooperation and teamwork enable us to help the environment and Puget Sound.”
Coming from
Gig Harbor, Ron is deeply aware that he lives in an exceptional place. Still,
he says, many students haven’t had the chance to build a connection with the
environment around them: “It’s unbelievable to me how many kids haven’t been
out on the water. A lot of times Adventuress is their first experience…
When kids come back to visit after they’ve left Discovery, they still ask if we
sail on Adventuress. It’s important to them to continue this tradition.”
Keeping the tradition alive is important to Ron, as well. Summing up the difference that Adventuress makes, he says, “Kids learn through experience. Some of the most vivid and meaningful learning happens outside of the classroom… There aren’t many places on Earth that have a resource as powerful as Adventuress. I am truly grateful that my students can have this opportunity.”
Keeping the tradition alive is important to Ron, as well. Summing up the difference that Adventuress makes, he says, “Kids learn through experience. Some of the most vivid and meaningful learning happens outside of the classroom… There aren’t many places on Earth that have a resource as powerful as Adventuress. I am truly grateful that my students can have this opportunity.”
