During their latest hands on, project-based science unit, our middle school students tackled the problem of local water quality, learning how we can all make small changes that make a big difference.
The unit started with talking about the properties of water and testing local sources of water to check for levels of contamination.
- Students chose popular local beaches to test water quality- Green Lake, Meadowbrook Pond, and Matthews Beach were popular choices. They got to take field trips to gather the samples and prepared their hypotheses.
Next, the students tested for water quality.
- Students used chemical testing kits to determine what matter was affecting water quality. The results included red algae, microphytes, E.Coli, run off chemicals, human and pet waste, and other unknown contaminants.
- All the water samples came back with above average levels of pollutants, essentially making them unhealthy for human interaction.
The research did not stop there. They then identified:
- for which groups the water was unhealthy- humans, pets, or wildlife
- at what levels they were unhealthy- swimming, drinking, skin exposure, etc.
When it comes to local conservation, we can all play a part. Identifying the problem, finding a solution, and giving helpful ways to take action led to the students’ final projects, helping to educate the local community how to help.
Here’s what one 5th grade student, Paige, had to say about helping keep Green Lake clean:
“ The water in Green Lake, Seattle Washington has harmful algae in it that often blooms during the summer. Algae is a type of matter that looks like an aquatic plant-like substance. Red and blue algae specifically are toxic species of algae that can pollute water and make it unsafe to drink and swim in. Scientists will test for these materials often during the summer, and if the water doesn’t fit healthy water criteria they will close all swimming at Green Lake until the water is safe again. One property of red algae that makes it dangerous is that it attacks your respiratory system. One thing that makes blue algae so dangerous is that it can give humans nerve damage. Some ways you can help stop blue and red algae from blooming in Green Lake is by picking up your pet’s poop, not feeding ducks and geese and trying not to use products like pesticides and fertilizer. If everyone can try their best to help Green Lake by doing these things we can stop any red or blue algae from blooming again and we can keep Green Lake healthy.”
Another popular freshwater spot is Silver Lake in Everett. Here is what one of our 5th grade students, Jayden, found in his research:
“The harmful matter in Silver Lake hurts humans and animals. You can help us! The matter mixes and creates a mixture. Sometimes it becomes a substance that is not known. The particles of the substance or the mixture is very harmful. You do NOT want to touch it. The water contains coil, cyanobacteria, materials, etc. Stay safe!”
World Water Day is on Sunday, March 22nd. This is a day to advocate for the sustainable management of the fresh water that sustains us across the globe, and help bring awareness that all might have access to clean water.
Curiosity, advocacy, and action are key components of what we hope a Concordia student takes away from their time in our middle school.
- Our small class sizes allow for each child to be known and seen, and encouraged in their strengths. This builds confidence to use their voice, alongside the academic training to be confident in and out of the classroom as life-long learners.
- Our Gradient learning curriculum encourages them to follow their curiosity and build working theories that turn into action, accepting and learning from failure. This builds resilience and confidence.
We celebrate and share the culminating student projects to educate and celebrate World Water Day. Thank you, 5th and 6th grade students of Concordia Lutheran School for your research and advocacy!