Grant Type 1: Water Quality Field Study

1. Summary

This grant is being written on behalf of three overlapping groups of students: AP Environmental Science (APES) students, AP Biology students, and members of our Keep Our School Beautiful Club (KOSB), which focuses on environmental stewardship. As part of a collaborative learning unit, students will investigate water quality throughout the Hillsborough River Watershed by developing a data profile of water quality as it moves through natural ecosystems, heavily urbanized areas, human use and reclaimation, and into Tampa Bay. Students will travel to multiple locations to analyze water samples representing groundwater (Floridan Aquifer, Crystal Springs Preserve), Hillsborough River riparian ecosystems (Crystal Springs Preserve), urbanized areas of the Hillsborough River (Curtis Hixon Park) and effluent (Howard Curren Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant) at the point of release back into the environment. To examine changes is water quality resulting from human use, students will test, analyze and treat simulated waste water in the classroom, using biological nutrient removal for nitrates and nitrites. Parameters for analysis across all locations/sampling activities include dissolved oxygen, nitrates, nitrites, pH, phosphates and temperature.

Upon completion of data collection, students will develop a comprehensive data profile, representing water quality prior to, throughout, and after human impact. This, combined with their field experiences, classroom activities and discussions throughout the unit, students will develop a detailed knowledge base regarding the ecosystems supported by the Hillsborough River Watershed, how the river and its ecosystems are affected by human influence, and the implications for wildlife and human populations thereof.

2. Activities

(1) Pre-Test: Students are given a pre-test to assess their baseline knowledge regarding local drinking water sources, treatment and regulation; physical, chemical and ecological standards by which water quality is measured; common water pollutants, associated impacts and removal techniques; waste water treatment methods, standards and re-use; and water conservation and pollution prevention measures. Tests are scored based on specificity. Pre-tests are compared with post-tests, wherein students receive extra points for increased detail and specificity of answers.

(2) Paper Watershed: In this classroom activity, students create a simple 3D watershed using a piece of paper, a marker and a spray bottle. Students crumple paper, mark high areas with the marker and spray with water. As the marker ink runs to low regions of the ‘watershed,’ kinesthetic and visual learners capitalize on seeing how geography and elevation create watershed systems. The effects of springs or point-source pollution can be added to this activity by using different colored markers to represent these sources. The alternative assignment for students that miss this in-class activity is “Seeing Watersheds” as provided by Project Wet Curriculum and Activity Guide 2.0.

(3) Color Me a Watershed: In this classroom activity, students create a series of maps that show changes in population growth and settlement cause changes in land use. Students use the maps to analyze how land use variations in a watershed can affect runoff of water. This activity will be conducted as provided by Project Wet Curriculum and Activity Guide 2.0.

(4) A Snapshot in Time: In this classroom activity, students will identify significant water quality parameters, as well as graph, analyze and summarize both spatial and chronological trends in water quality data. 

(5) Field Trip to Crystal Springs/Curtis Hixon Park: 
(5A) Crystal Springs Water Quality Study: Students will collect and analyze water quality at the spring and down river representing water quality in the Floridan Aquifer and riparian ecosystems, prior to human impact. Parameters include dissolved oxygen, nitrates, pH, phosphates and temperature. Special attention will be directed toward potential differences in nitrate levels between the spring water and the river water, highlighting the role plants play in maintaining water quality. Students document their activities and record all findings in field notebooks.
(5B) Crystal Springs Benthic Biodiversity Study: Students will collect invertebrates via river netting. After netting and exploring the river habitat, students will quantify species richness and diversity. Qualitative data regarding species numbers and notable finds are recorded in field notebooks. Students then discuss relative species abundances compared with their expectations, and analyze how these measurements relate to water quality and ecosystem health. Students should come away from this activity with a deeper understanding of how water quality affects not only human needs but our local ecosystems and the services they provide. 
(5C) After leaving Crystal Springs Preserve, students will travel to Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa. There, students will collect and analyze a sample from the Hillsborough River, representing urbanized areas of the Hillsborough River. Students document their activities and record all findings in field notebooks.

(6) Howard Curren Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant Field Trip: Students will tour the plant and take notes on how the plant collects and treats wastewater from residential, commercial and industrial users using biological methods. Special attention will be given to DO, nitrates and phosphate levels of influent and how these contaminants are removed from wastewater. At the end of the tour, students will collect effluent and analyze levels of dissolved oxygen, nitrates, pH, phosphates and temperature for comparison to all other results. All information and activities will be recorded in field notebooks.

(7) Wastewater Treatment Lab: Students will put their knowledge to work in a laboratory experiment where they build and operate a model biological nitrogen removal system. Synthetic wastewater will be tested for initial levels of dissolved oxygen, nitrates, pH and phosphates. Students may choose to utilize segregated or simultaneous nitrification-denitrification methodologies to treat the synthetic wastewater. Experimental samples will be analyzed and compared to untreated synthetic waste water samples and those taken at Crystal Springs.

(8) Data Profile: As a class, students compile their data to develop a profile of water quality as it moves through natural ecosystems, heavily urbanized areas, human use and reclamation and into Tampa Bay. Using the profile, and information from Watershed Excursion of the Hillsborough River students will compare and contrast the effects of water quality parameters on one another, especially the relationships between temperature and dissolved oxygen, and the relationships between contaminant levels, impermeable surfaces and biotic ecosystem components. 

(9) Reflection Log: Throughout the unit, students will keep a reflection log of their experiences. Students may also supplement their log with information from the SWFWMD's Virtual Watershed Excursion of the Hillsborough River. Data collection, analysis and reflection occur within the log, which can be used as an intermittent formative (day-by-day) or summative assessment. To conclude the log, students will write a reflection that summarizes discussion of the data profile, including causes of contaminant levels throughout the watershed and their implications to our natural ecosystems and human populations. As part of the final reflection, students must discuss their reflections with a parent, sibling, family member or mentor. Students must ask their discussion partner how their perspective on local water issues may have changed as a result to of the discussion. Notes on the discussion should must be included in the final reflection. Signature of the discussion partner must be included as part of the reflection, though students may add to the reflection after the signature.

(10) Post Test: Students will use their field notebook, in-class activities and reflection log to answer the post test questions.

3. Project Message

As part of student’s final reflection (activity 9), students must discuss their reflections of each activity with a parent, sibling, family member or mentor. Students must ask their discussion partner how their perspective on local water issues may have changed as a result to of the discussion. Students are encouraged to share any new information they’ve received and any misconceptions they may have had at the beginning of the unit. Notes on the discussion should must be included in the final reflection. Signature of the discussion partner must be included as part of the reflection, though students may add to the reflection after the signature. In addition, parents are encouraged to attend all field trips. 

Additionally, journalism students will be invited on all field trips, and select classroom activities to document and produce a series of water-awareness articles regarding our student’s experiences throughout the unit. These articles may be distributed to the entire student body via morning show video clips or textually through the school newspaper.

4. Stem Connection

This unit provides students with experiences pertaining to measurement, data collection and analysis. Practical field and lab activities include use of common sample collection and analytical equipment including sample vials, portable DO probes and water quality analysis kits. Students will be able to make a claim about water quality prior to, and subsequently to human impact, including remediation. Students must also show evidence and explain their reasoning behind their claims. Most importantly, this unit demonstrates real-world water quality issues that can be tackled by our students today, and tomorrow.

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