Testing Alberta's Water

Published in The Alberta Science Teacher
The Official Publication of the Science Council of the Alberta Teachers' Association
Volume 18 Number 2
February 1998

By Rick Farrow

Rivers are incredible teaching resources linking us to all the activities in a watershed that may affect soil, air and water - including agriculture, industry, urbanization and forestry. By sampling the biotic and abiotic components of a river, we are in essence taking the pulse of our environment.

Since 1995, the not-for-profit education company Beyond Books Institute of Alberta has been helping science classes to sample rivers on on-day RiverWatch field trips. During a busy eight-hour day, students learn the reasons for river monitoring, chemical test procedures and river paddling skills.

Students monitor for a variety of environmental health indicators

Students measure pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, phosphates, nitrogen, bacteria and invertebrate populations. The data is collected at three study sites along a 10 km stretch of the nearest river for a comparison of water quality above and below a point source of effluent, such as a wastewater treatment plant.

Students are challenged to judge the health of their river based on the scientific data that they collect, rather than on media reports, hearsay or just the color of the water. In addition, a continuous float trip generates an emotional feel for the river that is not possible through land-based bus stops. Students from high-needs urban schools and low-income areas may see their local river for the first time during a RiverWatch trip.

Back at school, science classes have more impact because the course work is grounded in real places, real experiences and real data. A small 1:10 instructor-to-student-ratio ensures that everyone actively participates and contributes to data collection and discussions. Students thoroughly enjoy the hands-on nature of paddling a 15-person raft, chemistry testing and invertebrate collecting.

RiverWatch assists thousands of students annually, and for a user-pay fee, supplies a parent newsletter, classroom materials, raft equipment, water testing kits and guided instruction to assist teachers in offering a quality field trip experience. The program is particularly suited to the Grade 9 Science Environmental Quality Unit or the Biology 20 Ecosystem Unit.

The experience of rafting between science study sites is unique with RiverWatch and, in most cases, the program is brought right to the centre of town! On-line data presentation will soon allow teachers and students access to water quality results obtained by schools above and below their own location. This comparative analysis along the length of a river will open the door to engage in authentic, real science with a "Science, Technology, Society and Environment" (STSE) emphasis.

For more information about the ATA Science council, contact the Alberta Teachers' Association Science Specialist Council!