ACTIVITY 7- SHARE THE DATA
PART A: LOCAL ISSUES
Activity Objective: Students will learn that the data
they have gathered is limited, but may indicate potential problems. They
will learn that they need assistance from the community in order to begin
to address this problem.
Estuary-Net Outcome Connections:
High schools will form a partnership with their local officials,
state Coastal Zone Management programs, and National Estuarine Research
Reserves to work collaboratively in problems with problems in estuaries
and watersheds.
Students will learn how to play a meaningful role in solving
local water quality problems.
Students will be able to use the scientific process to test
a hypothesis and will understand how science and the process of science
contributes to decision-making.
Assessment: This entire activity is an assessment of
all of the information learned through the previous activities. Students
are assessed in a number of ways: they brainstorm; they work collaboratively
to report about an upland influence on the estuary; telecommunicate their
findings; and they create a presentation of their findings for an audience
of local officials and other invited guests. Judgements about the reports
and presentations should be made using the criteria set at the beginning
of the project and any adjustments that have been made to that criteria
since that time.
Time Needed: 1-2 class periods.
Materials: Data and reports from previous activities.
Procedure:
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Students will be divided into teams of three or four to create a report
on the influences that affect the abiotic factors that in turn are influencing
the fish identified in Activity 2B.
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Ask each team to select a different abiotic factor (ex. pH, DO, salinity,
turbidity, temperature, depth) on which to report.
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Each team report should include:
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how the abiotic factor affects the fish;
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how upland influences affect the abiotic factor and in turn the fish;
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what further information is needed to determine what influences exist in
the watershed;
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what potential watershed problem they would like to study;
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what parameters must be monitored to find a potential solution to this
problem.
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Reports from each team should be merged into one report and posted to the
listserve.
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Review other reports when they become available. Discuss and compare reports.Students
should then come to a regional consensus on the potential watershed problem
to be studied and the parameters to be monitored.
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Not all communities or regions may have a water quality problem present.
Identify reasons for monitoring the watershed anyway. Discuss who would
benefit from the data collected in this effort. (Data collection contributes
to understanding the ecosystem and data collection contributes to the analysis
of long term trends.)
PART B: CONCLUSIONS AND QUESTIONS
Activity Objective: Students will learn that through
a carefully thought out educational activity they can receive the community
support needed to continue working on their watershed problem.
Estuary-Net Outcome Connections:
High schools will form a partnership with their local officials,
state Coastal Zone Management programs and National Estuarine Research
Reserves to work collaboratively in solving non-point source pollution
problems in estuaries and watersheds.
Students will understand their connection to and the importance
of estuaries and the impact upland activities have on these systems.
Assessment: Students' understanding of water quality
variables, their impact on estuaries and the importance they place on building
partnerships can be assessed by observing the presentation they create
for the community.
Time Needed: 1 class period, plus homework and presentation.
Materials: All unit materials.
Procedure:
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Students and teacher will discuss ways that they might share what they
have learned with the community and/or a team teacher's classroom. Discuss
which community organizations and/or individuals should be contracted.
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Suggestions:
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Display
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Presentation- poster, video or slide show
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Skit
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Song
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Report
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Students may work in groups or as a class. More than one method of sharing
information may be used.
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Each creation should include an analysis of the data collected, procedures
used, and research done. Data from the "Hello" activity may be used and
any other data collected in Activity Two or Three. Include, if possible,
the research reports completed and any demonstrations the students developed.
There should be an emphasis on conclusions reached and questions raised.
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If continuing on to Level II, it will be very important to form a close
relationship with a community organization for support in your efforts.
Discuss this with your students prior to their presentation so they can
strategize a way to work with the community.
Continue on to the sample of LEVEL II Activity
1 - Understand Your Watershed
Return to LEVEL I Activity 3.1 - What's
In The Water or Curriculum Activities.
Please return to the Estuary-Net Home Page if
you wish to request more information about the Estuary-Net Project.
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