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MCS Instructional Technology is seeking partner schools for our Water Quality: A Global Issue project. Lesson plans and activities have been developed and all we need are a few willing teachers and students to gather and test samples and compare data. How did the project get started? The Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge Project is a collaborative endeavor between Monroe City Schools Instructional Technology and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service/Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The purpose of the project is to provide high-quality, authentic, project-based lesson plans and activities correlated to both the Louisiana Content Standards and the Louisiana K-12 Educational Technology Standards; incorporate the wildlife and natural resources located within Black Bayou Lake NWR into the lesson plans and activities; share with area educators what we have learned about the educational activities, services, and resources offered by Black Bayou Lake NWR; and assist educators and community members to form partnerships with other National Wildlife Refuges that promote conservation education. Since the Black Bayou Lake NWR project was already in place and the quality of primary and secondary water sources is of vital concern regardless of locale, we decided to focus the project on the topic, Water Quality: A Global Issue. The students at each school will gather data, classify water samples, and synthesize the data. The students will make predictions concerning the water sample prior to the sampling of water and made postulations as to why they differ if, in fact, they do. |
The students will test the water samples for nitrates, pH, and to identify what, if any, organisms are present in the water. Students will record observations using methods that complement the investigation (journals, tables, charts, spreadsheets) and analyze results for the impact of either natural or human activities. Students will collaborate with partner schools and share predictions, concerns, thoughts, etc. Students will collect and sample water during various stages of the year. The students will also collect and test a water sample at least once a month beginning with the month of October and concluding with a sampling in March. Throughout the project, students will keep a scientific journal which describe the date, time, temperature and conditions of the day of sampling. The students will include digital pictures and/or video of the sampling. Students will meet regularly via e-mail, web cam, to facilitate collaboration. Each month the students will prepare a multi-media presentation of findings that will be shared on the project website. Special thanks to Angela Neal, 8th grade student at Carroll Junior High School, Monroe, LA, for allowing us to use her beautiful bayou photograph as the back drop for the project banner. To join our project, contact:
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