– Explore students’ prior knowledge about tubing. Review any scientific terms relating to the physics of tubing. Also, review the plant life and animal life that are native to the area you’ll be visiting. Provide students with visual representations to help them identify these native plants and animals while on their trip.
– Review relevant vocabulary and key terms: buoyancy, gravity, acceleration, environment.
– Call ahead to the tubing company and inquire about maps and information about the river or lake the students will be exploring.
Questions to ask staff: What living organisms can be seen in the water? What animals can be seen in the trees or along the bank of the river?
Describe your surroundings. What do you see? What do you hear?
Observe the current of the river or the waves (if any) of the lake. Notice what changes the current or waves.
Opinion: Which form of tubing do you prefer? Why?
Compare the control a tuber has while free-floating and the control a tuber has while being towed.
Challenge: Predict whether the size and shape or the tube would affect its buoyancy. What about the size and shape of the tuber?