Lower elementary (K-2)
3 class periods
My first job out of college was to collect river and lake samples to help determine how healthy the waters were. We measured the water temperature and dissolved oxygen, among other chemical parameters. The data we collected gave us an idea of the types of fish and other animals that could survive in the water. Some animals, like salmon, need access to cold water with lots of oxygen.
Lower elementary students can be young scientists and study the health of the water in their community, too!
Educators can incorporate the Natural Inquirer Reader (a publication for young learners) “Meet Dr. Flitcroft!” along with GLOBE Program resources into a lesson about the importance of salmon to the environment and human society.
In this Reader, students meet Dr. Flitcroft, who studies streams and rivers to see if they have the habitat features that are necessary for young salmon to grow and survive. They’ll also learn how salmon are important to Indigenous cultures and that some people catch salmon for food.
Next, read the GLOBE storybook “Discoveries at Willow Creek” (pdf) with your students. In this story, the GLOBE students visit Willow Creek in spring to measure the water. They had also visited the creek in the fall, and things look different during the spring season. The students measure the speed of the water with a stick, the water temperature with a thermometer, and look at the land around the creek. They then compare their data to the same measurements they took in the fall, and they learn about seasonal changes.
After these two readings, it’s time to get outside! Find a stream or river near your educational setting that is easily accessible with your group of students. You might look for a slow-moving stream with a sandy beach along the shore, or a stream or river with a bridge (like in “Discoveries at Willow Creek”) where you can collect water with a bucket on a rope.
Explore the land around the stream with your students using GLOBE’s Water Walk activity. Have students walk around the site to observe and ask questions. Your students can also draw pictures or take notes about what they see. This exploration will lead student to ask questions about the land around the stream and the health of the water.
While at the stream, you can use GLOBE protocols (see below about learning to use these protocols) to measure the water temperature and, if you have equipment available, the dissolved oxygen of the water. Or you can measure the water speed and look for insects in the water (“macroinvertebrates”) like the students in “Discoveries at Willow Creek.”
If you have more time, there are three learning activities associated with “Discoveries at Willow Creek” that you can incorporate into this lesson. They can all be found on the Elementary GLOBE water module webpage.
To wrap up this lesson, have your students read a news story about students at the Boys & Girls Club in Metlakatla, Alaska, who measured water temperature and dissolved oxygen in a local stream known for supporting salmon. The stream has less water in it than usual, and the water temperature has risen. The students are collecting data to see if the water can still provide habitat for the salmon. What types of animals use your local stream as habitat?
If you’re not familiar with these protocols, I recommend you take the eTrainings associated with the water temperature and dissolved oxygen protocols, as well as the Introduction to Hydrosphere training. All of these can be found on the Hydrosphere training page.
The GLOBE resources listed in this blog relate to the following Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Disciplinary Core Ideas:
Acknowledgement: This material is based upon work supported by USDA Forest Service Eastern Region (Agreement no. 20-PA-11090100-026). Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USDA Forest Service.
This blog post is part of the GLOBE and the Natural Inquirer Crosswalk Project . Other blog posts are available on the U.S. GLOBE Teacher Resources page .
Natural Inquirer issues can be downloaded and classroom sets of many issues can be ordered from their website. Find the complete list of issues available and instructions for ordering on the Natural Inquirer website .
