This lesson contains multiple taking informed action options. One is directly related to the Solution Plan Project; the other is not, though completing it would still help your students progress towards completing the project. If you are treating this lesson as a stand-alone entity (rather than teaching it along with other lessons in the Protecting Nebraska Waters curriculum), or if your students are not completing the Solution Plan Project, you should choose Option 2. In making your decision, you should also keep in mind how much time you want to dedicate to this assessment, as well as which option is the most natural “next step” in your students’ learning, regardless of whether or not they are completing the Solution Plan Project. 

In this activity, the students will visit a local body of water and collect data using one or multiple water testing methods. At the same time, they will use GPS technology to record the precise coordinates of where water samples are taken from. 

This activity is the same one featured in the geography lesson “How Can Maps Contribute to Our Understanding of Local Water Quality Issues?”, but with different discussion prompts.  We recommend that you complete the geography lesson as well, but if this is not possible, you should at least read through it to determine what knowledge and skills your students will need before completing this activity. For example, they will need to know how to use a mapping tool (such as ArcGIS or Google Earth) in order to create a map of their water testing waypoints. Similarly, they will need to complete activities from one or more of the science “phenomenon” lessons to learn about scientific water testing methods. 

1. Set-up: Before visiting the testing site as a class, spend some time creating a plan of action. Consider which water testing methods you want to use (aquatic macroinvertebrates, nitrate test strips, algal bloom test kit, E.coli tests, etc.). Also, decide which students will conduct which tests, and where. You may want to give them tools and techniques for recording their data beforehand (e.g. guiding handouts). Finally, impress upon the students the importance of following procedures closely. Since they may eventually share their data with others, they are obligated to do everything they can to ensure that it is reliable. 
2. Testing: Take the students to the body of water they want to study and give them time to test it using previously agreed-upon methods. Whenever they take/test a sample, they need to record the GPS coordinates of where the water came from using a GPS device or app. In addition, you may have your students take photos of and/or make observations about the site; they should record the GPS coordinates of these, as well. While the students are taking and testing samples, walk around and observe them to make sure that they are correctly following procedures. You may also take this opportunity to formally assess their ability to test water using different methods (as well as their ability to use a GPS device). 
3. Creating a map: Give the students access to the data they collected and ask them to make a map that tells the story of that data. They will need to know how to use a mapping tool, such as Google Earth or ArcGIS, that will allow them to create a map based on GPS coordinates. If your students performed multiple different tests at their local body of water, you could have them create separate maps for each one, or you could allow them to mix and match sets of data. Furthermore, you may assign different sets of data to different students, or you could allow them to choose for themselves which set(s) they want to use. In short, give the students as much creative freedom in this activity as you think they can handle. 
4. Peer review: Have the students pair up to review each other’s maps. They should take some time to explore each other’s maps, and then write down their comments. Their feedback should address whether the map is readable and reliable. In other words, did their partner tell a clear and accurate story using the available data? Consider repeating this part of the activity multiple times to give them more feedback to work with. Finally, give the students time to make changes to their maps based on the feedback they received from their partners. 
5. Quick write: Have your students write in response to the following prompts: 

Based on these maps, what does our data tell us?

•  Do you notice any patterns? What conclusions can we draw?

• Is the problem more concentrated in some areas than others, or is it pretty evenly spread out?

• Do the different sets of data tell the same story? 
• How well does our scientific data match up with our photos/observations? How might the surrounding structures and features be contributing to the problems we found?

6. Small group discussion: Organize the class into small groups. Instruct the students to share the maps they created with their group members and discuss the following prompts:

• Based on these maps, what does our data tell us?

•  Do you notice any patterns? What conclusions can we draw?

• Is the problem more concentrated in some areas than others, or is it pretty evenly spread out?

• Do the different sets of data tell the same story? 

• How well does our scientific data match up with our photos/observations? 

• How might the surrounding structures and features be contributing to the problems we found?

• Compare and contrast the maps you made. 

• How are they similar? How are they different?
•  If multiple group members used the same set(s) of data, which map do you think is the most effective and why?

7.  Class discussion: Bring the class back together to discuss the following prompts: 

• What if we returned to our body of water to do more testing? How can we improve our maps?

• How can we improve the formatting of our maps?

• How can we improve the data that forms the backbone of our maps? Consider how someone might challenge the validity of our data.

• How can we use our maps to prove various points by mixing and matching different sets of data? 

• Is there any information missing from the story we are telling? Is there some other aspect of the situation that you’d like to be able to share along with this data to strengthen its validity? 

• How could we share our maps?

• Who would we want to share them with, and for what purpose? 
• How would we share them? 

Help the students recognize ways that they could improve their maps. Whenever scientists want to prove the validity of their data, they replicate their study; perhaps your students could conduct the same tests multiple times at the same locations (using GPS coordinates for accuracy). Perhaps your students could collect more information the next time they visit their local body of water to give their maps another dimension (such as a weather report or site photos). Perhaps they could do a better job recording their data or improve their testing techniques.  At the end of the discussion, make a plan for how you will do things differently during the next round of water quality testing. In addition, start talking about how you might want to share your maps. 

8. Collecting more data: If time allows, take your students back to their chosen body of water (or even a different body of water) to replicate their testing and/or collect more data.  Beforehand, make sure that your students have a clear idea of what they want to do differently this time. Afterwards, give your students time to revise their water quality data maps based on the new or improved data they collected during their second round of testing. They should also revise the structure/formatting of their maps to make them more accurate and effective.  

In this activity, the students will use GPS technology to complete a citizen science project that benefits their own community. 

1. Class discussion: Have a class discussion about the following prompts: 

• In what ways could we improve our community? What problems need to be solved? 

• What could we do, as a class, to address these problems? 

• How could we use GPS technology to improve our citizen science project?

During the course of this discussion, your students should come up with a plan for a citizen science project. What problem do they want to solve, and how? And how will they incorporate GPS technology? Be sure to take notes on the students’ ideas on the board.

SAMPLE PROJECT IDEAS

• Your students could go birdwatching at multiple locations throughout your community and record the GPS coordinates of where they spot certain birds. Their goal, for example, might be to investigate the presence of predatory birds like hawks in their community. 
• Your students could use GPS technology to plant trees. They could, for example, use a GPS device to mark waypoints where they think new trees should be planted. Then, they could use the devices to navigate back to those spots and plant the trees. They could create a map of where those trees were located, allowing them to showcase their efforts and encourage others to build upon the project. 
• Your students could organize a clean-up at a local park, body of water, or hiking trail. As they picked up pieces of trash, they could record the GPS locations of where they found them. Then, they could create a map of the trash and use it to spread awareness about littering. 

2. Taking informed action: Complete the project. You and your students may need to leave the classroom – or the school – to make observations, conduct experiments, and/or enact a solution. You may want to give different tasks to different students. 

3. Creating a map:  Give the students access to the data they collected and ask them to make a map that tells the story of that data. They will need to know how to use a mapping tool, such as Google Earth or ArcGIS, that will allow them to create a map based on GPS coordinates. If your students collected  multiple sets of data, you could have them create separate maps for each one, or you could allow them to mix and match. Furthermore, you may assign different sets of data to different students, or you could allow them to choose for themselves which set(s) they want to use. In short, give the students as much creative freedom in this activity as you think they can handle. 

4. Quick write: Have your students write in response to the following prompts: 

Based on these maps, what does our data tell us?

•  Do you notice any patterns? What conclusions can we draw?
• Do the different sets of data tell the same story? 
• How well does our scientific data match up with our photos/observations? 

5. Class discussion: Organize the class into small groups. Instruct the students to share the maps they created with their group members and discuss the following prompts:

• Based on these maps, what does our data tell us?

•  Do you notice any patterns? What conclusions can we draw?

• Do the different sets of data tell the same story? 

• How well does our scientific data match up with our photos/observations? 

• Compare and contrast the maps you made. 

• How are they similar? How are they different?

•  If multiple group members used the same set(s) of data, which map do you think is the most effective and why?

• How could we share our maps?

• Who would we want to share them with, and for what purpose? 
• How would we share them? 

Help the students recognize ways that they could improve their maps. Whenever scientists want to prove the validity of their data, they replicate their study; perhaps your students could conduct the same tests multiple times at the same locations (using GPS coordinates for accuracy). Perhaps your students could collect more information to give their maps another dimension (such as a weather report or site photos). Perhaps they could do a better job recording their data or improve their testing techniques.  At the end of the discussion, make a plan for how you will share your maps with an audience. In addition, if you plan on continuing the project, decide what you will do differently next time.