Falmouth High School Freshman Science School Grounds Survey Project Kimberly Blenk Gary Glick Chris Moore Summer 2011

Project Goals Students will collect valid and reliable data from five sites on school grounds. Students will design, construct, test, and redesign instruments that they will use to collect meaningful data. Students will describe how chemical, physical, and biological systems on school grounds change over time.

Project Goals (continued) Students will hypothesize why various chemical, physical, and biological systems change over time. Students will use sound scientific evidence to support their conclusions. Students will improve their technical writing skills and learn how to write a formal lab report.

Project Site #1

Project Site #2

Project Site #3

Project Site #4

Project Slide #5

Data to be Collected Current Weather Conditions Air Temperature Water Temperature Water Depth Stream Width Stream Flow Rate pH Dissolved Oxygen Organism Count and Classification

Data Collection Data will be collected over the course of one week each month of the school year. During the week of collection, data will be collected at least 10 different times at each site (varying time of day from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM).

Data Recorded and Analyzed Each data set will be recorded on the class website. Throughout the year, students will be asked to analyze data and pick out any patterns of change. Students will then be asked to hypothesize why the observed changes are occurring.

Next Steps Technology: Use GIS to map sampling sites and use remote sensing (HOBO) to gather more continuous data on stream temperature and light input. Curriculum: Continue data collection and analysis with biology students (in their sophomore year) and expand sampling sites.

Next Steps (continued) Reporting: have students report information and data to the community, have students design websites to share analysis of data, and have upper-level elective classes use collected data to draw plans for pollution mitigation and soil conservation.