🌿💧 Eighth graders at Cane Creek Middle School strapped on their water shoes as they stepped into the school’s namesake to study water quality through hands-on science investigations.
Students tested pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, phosphates, conductivity, turbidity, and flow rate while also searching for aquatic insects that can indicate whether a stream ecosystem is healthy. Like true scientists, they went beyond the literature and the lab to study the natural world themselves.
Campbell, an eighth grader, said the experience helped bring classroom learning to life.
“It’s a hands-on experience, which makes you learn more,” Campbell said. “Instead of an example in class, you actually get to go outside and have fun, but also learn things.”
Eighth grade science teacher John Bell said the outdoor investigations help students retain what they learn by allowing them to think and work like scientists.
“If you act like a scientist, you’re going to remember it,” Bell said. “This is why we go outside of the classroom for these real-world applications.”
Bell also noted that students could see visible signs of recovery in the creek compared to last year, when the area was still heavily impacted by storm-related sediment deposits.
“The bank was just a big scar back then, but now you can see the grasses and flowers are growing again,” he said.
