Earthworks
Earth System Science for Secondary Teachers

Sarah DiGiacomo (Earthworks 2001)
digiacos@bvsd.k12.co.us

How Healthy (or not) is Viele Lake?

Who: 11^th & 12^th Global Science

What: Investigate the biodiversity, chemistry, & physical characteristics of the school's lake.

When: seasonally

Where: Lake north of school

Why:

1. To teach identification techniques & use ID key
2. To teach chemical data collection
3. To teach physical data collection
4. To show relationships and draw conclusions

Potential Barriers/Constraints:

• Need chemistry/water testing kit
• Need bug ID keys

Materials: Hach kit, ID keys, journals

Methods:

Warm-Up

• Have kids make a dichotomous key for their shoes
• Have known samples & let students ID w/ key to order
• Go to pond together - get bugs & ID in classroom
• Go to pond together & run through chem./phys tests

Project

1. Give groups a part of lake
2. Take samples & record data
3. Develop chart & try to make/draw conclusions
4. Repeat each season (or more, if they like it)

Connections: ~soil type, geology, trees, site impacts → geese, etc.

Extensions:

~ Look at other lakes/ponds

~ Compare with rivers

~ Field trip to Jamestown and repeat my study

Comparative Study of the Atmosphere
Sarah DiGiacomo (Earthworks 2000)

What: A comparative study of the atmospheric conditions between a pond environmental and a pristine field environment.

When: Fall quarter 2000

Why: To get students aware of various measuring devices, to have students make some devices, to have students take measurements, to have students think about variables that affect results, to have students develop theories about relationships between variables and environments.

Where: Near Fairview High School, South Boulder

Who: Global Science (10-12)

How: Talk about the things that can be measured, determine what is used to measure each, make sling psychrometers, possible barometers, observe the two locations, obtain maps of area, calibrate all measuring tools, determine plane of attack (1 per week, everyday), get data, graph, chart, and evaluate.

*I am leaving it vague to let the students drive the experience. Also, I need to investigate the equipment available at school.

Local Pond Water Testing
Sarah DiGiacomo (Earthworks 1999)

What: Develop a water testing program at a local pond.

Why: Kids will see the interrelationship between chemistry and water health and geology.

Who: Physical science classes.

When: Start when I get a Hach testing kit (Sept.?) then once a month.

What resources: As many Hach kits as I can get (probably 1 at first), probes (have)

How to nurture: We only have one pond: students will alternate through the sampling jobs

Physical: relative humidity, temp (air and water), cloud cover, sketch area, stream velocity, precipitation, ground cover.

Chemical: phosphates, nitrates, dissolved oxygen, pH, sulfur (?), iron (?), copper (?)

Biological: (perhaps work w/other teachers) macroinvertebrates, trees, moss, etc.

How to get it into the curriculum: No problem! Start in chemistry, learning proper sampling techniques. Move on to chemical interactions, then continue to gather the data in Excel, practice graphing and analyzing. After semester, focus on the physical part of the tests; velocity, energy, etc.