Student Scientists Contribute to Environmental Research
Real-world experiences. Real-world research. Real-world results. For upper school students in Sage Holmes’ AP Environmental Science class, learning about ecosystems doesn’t stop at the classroom door.
In mid-September, students traded their desks and textbooks for hiking trails and running streams as they explored two local ecosystems: the remnant tallgrass prairie at Jerry Smith Park and Indian Creek at Watts Mill. Through hands-on observation, field research and data collection, students had the opportunity to apply concepts from their AP Environmental Science coursework to the world around them.
And their work won’t end when they return to school. The observations and data collected by students will be submitted to public scientific resources, where they can contribute to future research and help scientists better understand local ecosystems.
Exploring a Rare Kansas City Ecosystem
At Jerry Smith Park, students hiked through one of Kansas City’s last remaining remnant prairies, observing the plants, animals and insects that inhabit the tallgrass prairie ecosystem.
Tallgrass prairie once covered vast areas of the central United States, but today it is considered the most endangered ecosystem in North America. Remaining prairie habitats provide important homes for a wide variety of plants and wildlife, making them valuable places for students to study biodiversity close to home.
Students carefully documented the species and other observations they encountered during their hike. Their findings will be submitted to iNaturalist, a nonprofit online community that helps people document biodiversity while providing valuable information to scientists and conservationists studying species around the world.
For students, the experience provided a chance to practice the same kinds of observation and documentation used by researchers, while contributing information that can be used beyond their own classroom.
Wading Into Indian Creek’s Ecosystem
The learning continued at Indian Creek in Watts Mill Park, where students literally stepped into their research.
Working with the Missouri Stream Team program, students waded into the creek to investigate indicators of water health. They measured the movement of the stream, water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels — factors that can provide important information about the health of an aquatic ecosystem and its ability to support life.
Collecting data in a stream is very different from simply reading about water quality in a textbook. Students had to make observations in real time, use scientific equipment and methods, record their findings and consider what those measurements could reveal about the ecosystem.
The data collected through the Missouri Stream Team program can have a lasting purpose. It can help establish baseline water-quality information, track trends over time, identify emerging issues and contribute to the development of watershed plans.
In other words, students weren't simply completing an assignment. They were collecting information that can become part of a larger body of environmental data.
Connecting Classroom Learning to the Real World
Experiences like these give students an opportunity to see the relevance of what they learn in AP Environmental Science.
Concepts such as biodiversity, ecosystem health, water quality and environmental monitoring can seem abstract when they are confined to a textbook or classroom discussion. In the field, those concepts become tangible.
Students can see the diversity of life within a prairie. They can observe the conditions of a local stream. They can measure environmental factors for themselves and ask questions about what the data means.
Most importantly, they can begin to see themselves as participants in scientific research rather than simply students learning about science. That connection can be powerful, and it is one frequently made inside — and outside — Barstow classrooms.
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And their work won’t end when they return to school. The observations and data collected by students will be submitted to public scientific resources, where they can contribute to future research and help scientists better understand local ecosystems.
Exploring a Rare Kansas City Ecosystem
At Jerry Smith Park, students hiked through one of Kansas City’s last remaining remnant prairies, observing the plants, animals and insects that inhabit the tallgrass prairie ecosystem.
Tallgrass prairie once covered vast areas of the central United States, but today it is considered the most endangered ecosystem in North America. Remaining prairie habitats provide important homes for a wide variety of plants and wildlife, making them valuable places for students to study biodiversity close to home.
Students carefully documented the species and other observations they encountered during their hike. Their findings will be submitted to iNaturalist, a nonprofit online community that helps people document biodiversity while providing valuable information to scientists and conservationists studying species around the world.
For students, the experience provided a chance to practice the same kinds of observation and documentation used by researchers, while contributing information that can be used beyond their own classroom.
Wading Into Indian Creek’s Ecosystem
The learning continued at Indian Creek in Watts Mill Park, where students literally stepped into their research.
Working with the Missouri Stream Team program, students waded into the creek to investigate indicators of water health. They measured the movement of the stream, water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels — factors that can provide important information about the health of an aquatic ecosystem and its ability to support life.
Collecting data in a stream is very different from simply reading about water quality in a textbook. Students had to make observations in real time, use scientific equipment and methods, record their findings and consider what those measurements could reveal about the ecosystem.
The data collected through the Missouri Stream Team program can have a lasting purpose. It can help establish baseline water-quality information, track trends over time, identify emerging issues and contribute to the development of watershed plans.
In other words, students weren't simply completing an assignment. They were collecting information that can become part of a larger body of environmental data.
Connecting Classroom Learning to the Real World
Experiences like these give students an opportunity to see the relevance of what they learn in AP Environmental Science.
Concepts such as biodiversity, ecosystem health, water quality and environmental monitoring can seem abstract when they are confined to a textbook or classroom discussion. In the field, those concepts become tangible.
Students can see the diversity of life within a prairie. They can observe the conditions of a local stream. They can measure environmental factors for themselves and ask questions about what the data means.
Most importantly, they can begin to see themselves as participants in scientific research rather than simply students learning about science. That connection can be powerful, and it is one frequently made inside — and outside — Barstow classrooms.
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Scientific observation in the field is a meaningful way to connect information from a textbook to the real world.
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Students become familiar with the methods and equipment scientists use to conduct field research.
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They were collecting data about Indian Creek's water movement, temperature and dissolved oxygen levels.
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The learned that those factors significantly contribute to the ecosystem's health and biodiversity.
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They recorded their findings at Jerry Smith Park and Indian Creek to submit to Missouri Stream Team and iNaturalist, public sources for scientific observation and action.
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Students found the water moving swiftly at Indian Creek, a good sign for aquatic life.
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