Safety: Aquatic Environments

There is a great deal of safe exploration that can happen around water that other environments can not offer. hen working around water, it is good to take several preliminary precautions to ensure maximum learning and fun. 

1. Explore the study site before taking students out. This will allow you to establish boundaries and optimal study areas, and anticipate undesirable areas that students might find attractive. 

2. Having a large group near water requires clear boundaries and serious consequences for breaching those boundaries. An effective alternative for an overly enthusiastic explorer is focusing his or her attention at the analysis station away from water's edge. 

3. Use the buddy system. This makes students more focused and aware of their surroundings.

4. Each time you return to this site with students, there will be less need for additional support. In the beginning it helps to have extra hands. For groups larger than twenty, have someone help you conduct the activity. When doing an aquatic project from the formal classroom, a ratio of ten students to each adult is optimal. Older students can also serve as helpful support. Pairing a young group with a class of older students when possible can be very effective.