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Earthworks
Earth System Science for Secondary Teachers
Chemical and Biological Change Study of Sunlight Deprived Streams
Who: 9th grade Biology students
What: Manipulate the amount of sunlight to a given section of a stream for 1-2 weeks to try and determine chemical and biological changes.
Where: A stream that runs behind the school.
When: fall of the year, possibly spring
Why:
- Give students another outdoor, down & dirty, hands on project
- Cover multiple standards in one project such as: Data collection and analysis Scientific method and literature protocol Taxonomy (of macroinvertebrates) Ecology (food web, chains, etc.) Water quality (DO, pH, temp, CO2, and more)
- Thinking skills
- Show relationship between ecosystem & chemistry
How: Select a stream location and take chemical and biota samples. Cover a stretch with approximately 20 feet of tarp to block out sunlight. Have students take daily chemical and physical data. Critters collected every 3-4 days. (Project to last 1-2 weeks). Covered section and non-covered section will be compared and contrasted after 2 weeks. Students will be broken into "specialist" groups to take and analyze physical and chemical data and will share findings with entire class.
What Is The Water Quality Of The Saugatuck Area's Waters?
Brad Smit (Earthworks 1999)
High school is on Mill Pond Creek, near Mill Pond and Turtle Pond, and near the Kalamazoo River, which flows into Lake Michigan.
Water to be sampled for both chemical and biotic data at multiple sites throughout the Saugatuck area.
Incorporate chemistry and bio classes into a combined research project, and hopefully combine efforts with the Kalamazoo River Protection Agency (KRPA).
Methods: Use macroinvertebrates (indicator species) and chemical analysis to compare water quality at various locations in the Saugatuck area.
Biotic factors tested: presence, variety, and number of macroinvertebrates
Abiotic factors tested: dissolved oxygen, pH, heavy metals, nitrates, fecal coliform bacteria
Biotic factors (samples) collected with waders, capture nets, mason jars, then keyed out to level of family.
Chemical factors (samples) collected via CBLs and with basic kits
Goals: Would hope that by working with KRPA, as well as other classes within the school, students will take on a sense of place and purpose, as well as have a more meaningful hands-on experience with science (create inquiring minds).
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