University of Kentucky College of Education
Middle-school students are often amazed to learn the little stream by their house eventually flows into the Kentucky River , then the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers , all the way down to the Gulf
University of Kentucky College of Education
STEM EDUCATION
Watershed Moment Project Designed to Educate Middle School Students
Middle-school students are often amazed to learn the little stream by their house eventually flows into the Kentucky River , then the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers , all the way down to the Gulf
It opens their eyes to how their actions here in Kentucky can impact water quality in the Gulf of Mexico , said Dr . Rebecca Krall , who leads a grant-funded professional development project for middle school teachers to implement investigations on local watersheds .
Krall grew up on a Pennsylvania farm that depended on well water – a finite source , heavily impacted by actions her family took to keep it clean and plentiful . During her middle school years , she recalls her bus regularly crossing a bridge spanning water that glowed orange because of runoff from defunct underground coal mines that dotted the region . And , later , as a middle school science teacher in Virginia , she recalls water quality as an important issue to the many people who depend on the Chesapeake Bay for their livelihood .
“ When I got to Kentucky , I thought we probably need to make the watershed more apparent to the residents around it ,” she said . “ Many students , and even adults , don ’ t think about where their drinking water comes from . When we do , it makes us think more carefully about what we put into it .”
Kentucky middle-school teachers in school districts within the Kentucky River Watershed are targeted for the training . During a five-day summer institute , teachers spend significant time in the field learning to collect water samples and do basic water quality testing . They analyze EPA and state data , and look for patterns of issues that might be happening to affect water quality of the Kentucky River Watershed . This begins the process of helping their students develop questions about their own sub-watersheds that they can explore .
The summer institute and presenting at the state science teachers conference is a bonding experience for the middle
8 | COE COMMUNICATOR | FEBRUARY 2017