Thursday, April 21, 2011
Thorp Science Night!
Mechelle LaLanne, CWU Science Education students, and Tabitha helped facilitate the first ever Thorp Science Night on February 24th, an event which we hope will continue annually. Here are few photos for you to enjoy!
Tackling Technology - Selah Junior High
Tiffany and her 8th grade math students prepared for their second visit to their field site in mid February by reviewing how to set up, calibrate, and collect data using the various probes.
Mrs. Quincy and Tiffany worked diligently to ensure that everyone was ready for data collection!
Students spent a class period reviewing any issues that arose on the last fieldtrip, how they could improve the quality of their data collection, and how they might avoid some of the difficulties of data analysis that arose after the first fieldtrip. In particular, students reviewed the concept of conductivity and determined just "what" was in the water which caused different conductivity readings. Tiffany set up a great example using "poweraid", helping to illustrate how electric current is transferred through solution by ions or electrolytes.
Students also reviewed how to measure the stream. Two days later the students put their skills to work completing their winter data collection at their field site!
Mrs. Quincy and Tiffany worked diligently to ensure that everyone was ready for data collection!
Students spent a class period reviewing any issues that arose on the last fieldtrip, how they could improve the quality of their data collection, and how they might avoid some of the difficulties of data analysis that arose after the first fieldtrip. In particular, students reviewed the concept of conductivity and determined just "what" was in the water which caused different conductivity readings. Tiffany set up a great example using "poweraid", helping to illustrate how electric current is transferred through solution by ions or electrolytes.
Students also reviewed how to measure the stream. Two days later the students put their skills to work completing their winter data collection at their field site!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Morgan Middle School Geography Field Trip
Morgan Middle School 6th grade science students participated in a Geography Fieldtrip in November. WATERS fellow, Jamie, organized a fantastic half day fieldtrip. Students walked to CWU campus where they participated in several interactive geography activities hosted by a enormous number of enthusiastic volunteers!
Students created their own watershed and watched it in action with Bob Tuck and the YBEEP Mobile Watershed.
WATERS fellow, Tiffany, helped students calculate the slowest stream velocity ever using an orange, stopwatch, and meter tape. As one student said, "I learned that sometimes when things look like they aren't moving, they actually are." An important water flow concept!
Jamie helped students explore the Yakima basin watershed using GIS (geographic information system). Students looked at land use categories along the Yakima River and marked their home on the map, checking to see if they lived in a floodplain. Several other GIS experts, including 2008-2009 WATERS fellow Chris Hilferty, as well as, were able to help out.
Students also had a chance to participate in "The Amazing GeoRace". Teams, guided by a knowledgeable leader, used handheld GPS units to find three waypoints. Each waypoint was at a unique location on campus and was linked to a science question. Students received stickers at each location after puzzling out the answer to the question in their Geography Fieldtrip handbook.
Jamie managed to round up an impressive number of volunteers to help out on Geography Day! Special thanks to everyone for making the day a real success!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Harrah Elementary Science Exploration Day
Harrah Elementary 5th graders visited the Central Wasthington University campus for a chance to see and experience different science careers.
Students were able to participate in a variety of science activities including Chemistry, Anthropology, Archeology, Herpetology, Botany, and each group even had a chance to visit CWU's Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI).
Thanks to an army of volunteers who lead stations and chaperoned students the day was a big success!
Students were able to participate in a variety of science activities including Chemistry, Anthropology, Archeology, Herpetology, Botany, and each group even had a chance to visit CWU's Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI).
Thanks to an army of volunteers who lead stations and chaperoned students the day was a big success!
Cowiche Canyon Watershed Monitoring
AC Davis Highschool biology students embarked on an exciting partnership with the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy (CCC).
Fellow, Melissa Reitz, in partnership with CCC, organized and designed a fieldtrip to the nearby Cowiche canyon. Students collected water quality data in Cowiche Creek and using thise data and water samples collected by Mel from several areas along Cowiche Creek students provided CCC with written reports of their findings.
During their field day, students collected data at 4 sites along a small section of Cowiche Creek.
WATERS fellow Jamie helped students sample for macroinvertebrates along a faster moving section of stream, known as a run. At first we didn't find anything and then....
Crayfish!
Melissa helped students sample for macroinvertebrates along a riffle portion of the stream, where water is shallow and slower moving.
WATERS fellow Sara helped students conduct and interpret the phosphate test using a small streamside test kit.
WATERS fellow Tiffany helped students measure stream flow. Students also collected the water temperature at each sampling location.
We hope that this will become an opportunity for long standing partnership! For more information about the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy visit http://www.cowichecanyon.org.
Fellow, Melissa Reitz, in partnership with CCC, organized and designed a fieldtrip to the nearby Cowiche canyon. Students collected water quality data in Cowiche Creek and using thise data and water samples collected by Mel from several areas along Cowiche Creek students provided CCC with written reports of their findings.
During their field day, students collected data at 4 sites along a small section of Cowiche Creek.
WATERS fellow Jamie helped students sample for macroinvertebrates along a faster moving section of stream, known as a run. At first we didn't find anything and then....
Crayfish!
Melissa helped students sample for macroinvertebrates along a riffle portion of the stream, where water is shallow and slower moving.
WATERS fellow Sara helped students conduct and interpret the phosphate test using a small streamside test kit.
WATERS fellow Tiffany helped students measure stream flow. Students also collected the water temperature at each sampling location.
We hope that this will become an opportunity for long standing partnership! For more information about the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy visit http://www.cowichecanyon.org.
Mathematics and Seasonal Water Monitoring
Selah Junior High math students, under the guidance of Tiffany and their teacher, Mrs. Quincy, are going to put their math skills to use analyzing data collected during a fieldtrip this fall. This hands-on collection of "numbers" allows students to understand how mathematics is applied in watershed research, similar to what Tiffany studies. Students collected data for several water quality parameters: temperature, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen.
Students will repeat this fieldtrip throughout the academic year, collecting slightly different data for continued data analysis in class and interpreting any interesting seasonal comparisons.
At this unique site, students were able to collect water samples from groundwater, stormwater, and ditch water. As an added bonus, students also searched for aquatic macroinvertebrates, tallying them for an assessment of water quality and sketched plants and insects they found at their field site. After the fieldtrip, students spent time organizing, analyzing, and interpreting data.
We headed out for the fall data collection trip on a hot, sunny September day. Students walked to the nearby fieldsite, where smaller groups rotated through the 4 stations.
Tiffany instructed students on groundwater and helped them safely collect their water samples for field testing.
2009-2010 WATERS fellow, Erin Dilworth, helped out with the groundwater station.
Jamie facilitated the Selah ditch station and also helped students explore the local flora.
Dale and Melissa helped students find and sort aquatic macroinvertebrates.
Students will repeat this fieldtrip throughout the academic year, collecting slightly different data for continued data analysis in class and interpreting any interesting seasonal comparisons.
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