Swan Boats:

1. Explore the following Web site—Swan Boats of the Boston Public Garden:
   
   www.swanboats.com/new/public_garden.shtml
   
   The site includes a history of the swan boats, illustrations and descriptions of the construction of the boats, as well as photos and artists’ renderings.
   
2. Create an organized chart of the characteristics of the swan boat depicted in the scene. List the characteristics under three headings: visual (what does it look like?), physical (what is it made of?), and mechanical.
3. With students, discuss those characteristics.
4. Students can make a drawing and/or a written description of a pedal-powered animal boat of their own design.
5. Additional photos of the Public Gardens, including swan boats and ducklings from the classic Make Way for Ducklings, can be found at:
   
   www.freefoto.com/browse/1211-06-0?ffid=1211-06-0