Day in the Life of the Hudson

October 24, 2025
Last Wednesday, students in our 3-4 and 8th grade classes spent the day on the Hudson River as a part of the annual A Day In The Life of the Hudson event. Our 8th graders led our 3-4s through various scientific data collecting stations focused on aquatic life, current speed, water clarity, and dissolved oxygen. Art teacher Claire Sherwood enriched our studies with a lesson in fish printing, and lower school science teacher Erin Hinshaw joined with DEC scientists to lead the children through hands-on, interactive fish identification. It is inherent to Parker’s mission that we nurture ethical awareness and social responsibility in order to cultivate purposeful action. Combining science and art in this interdisciplinary, place-based experience is exactly what a progressive education is all about. 
3-4 students rotated through various learning stations on the river bank while our 8th graders took on the role of science teachers. Leading up to the event science teacher, John Sherry worked with them to master the water testing stations. The younger students rotated through the stations and learned about aquatic life, current speed, water clarity (or turbidity) and dissolved oxygen.
The fish identification station always elicits shrieks from both enthusiastic and squeamish students alike. There are always a few students who simply cannot pass up the experience to get up close and personal with their learning. Meanwhile, at another station, 8th graders led younger students through a test to measure the dissolved oxygen in the water. Students have the opportunity to hone their skills of data collection and scientific observation by analyzing water samples collected from the Hudson.
The station measuring current speed and turbidity is always a perennial favorite. This year, Parker 8th graders named and decorated oranges with faces, much to the delight of our 3-4’s. Our younger students were encouraged to cheer as loudly as possible as an orange was thrown in the water. While the orange traveled downstream, the group pivoted to learn about turbidity. Using a large tube filled with water, Parker 8th graders invited each student to peer down into it and determine whether or not they could see a black and white discus at the bottom. At first, none of our 3-4s could see the disk. However, after slowly lowering the water level in the tube, the 3-4s were excited to see the disk eventually become visible. Our middle schoolers explained the importance of measuring turbidity as an indicator of water quality. The group then concluded by joyfully running downstream to check on their orange and measure its rate of travel to calculate current speed.
One outstanding feature of a Parker education is that our students’ learning connects across multiple disciplines in a way that mirrors real world experiences. This was exemplified at Day in the Life by art teacher Claire Sherwood, who partnered with Sarah Cadieux (a geology professor from RPI) to lead our students through a hands-on study of microplastic pollution. Sarah brought brand new, state-of-the art microscopes from RPI and showed Parker students how to collect water samples, make slides, and identify microplastics using these instruments. Students then worked with Sarah to collect microplastics from the banks of the Hudson, which they stored in jars for later use. Claire will incorporate these microplastics into her lessons back at Parker, where 3-4 students will use them to make their own recycled artwork.
Participating in A Day in the Life of the Hudson gives students the tools to act as knowledgeable stewards of our natural resources. The scientific work Parker students do here ignites a love for the environment. Students become advocates for clean water from an early age as they see the importance of their own contributions to the state-wide study. The data they collected will be entered on to a DEC website, and it will be possible for them to compare it to other locations data from the day. Place-based learning, active, interdisciplinary, applied to the real world, and fun! It was a wonderful morning.