Students will examine first-hand the human impacts on biological systems, how humans affect water chemistry (thus impacting biological systems), and the importance of habitat to the systems' survival.
Students will measure the number of organisms, analyze water chemistry using standard test kits, and evaluate habitats in and around a clean river. They will then compare their data to publicly available data, such as research data from the U.S. EPA. Each project requires the "scientists" (students) to understand the problem, analyze the data, and visualize the results.
Individual projects introduce fundamental computer skills and provide the students with an understanding of a variety of computer applications. During the program, they will become familiar with spreadsheet and presentation software.