Earlier this year, AP science students at Chicago’s Lane Tech College Prep traded in their textbooks for field equipment to study water quality in the North Branch of the Chicago River. The Hydrolab allows students to monitor water characteristics like dissolved oxygen, pH, and conductivity with sensors similar to those used by scientists at the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office. The teacher, Dianne Lebryk, borrowed the equipment through the Limno Loan program to help students better understand the connection between water quality and man-made landscapes. 
 

Several students wrote in to share their experiences working with the Hydrolab. We wrap things up today with Gayin Au. 

Under the circumstances of an extremely frosty cold weather, our environmental classmates were still very eager to head out and experience the Hydrolab. As soon as we reached the river by our school, we saw a lot of trash in the river. The water looked very dense and had a very dark green color. 

Two people were responsible for holding the Hydrolab since it was quite heavy. The others stood back to watch. I was surprised that we were able to get results really quick; at first I thought it would take a lot of time to process the information.

Goose poop, which is high in nitrate, dissolves and mixes into the water and plants use this nitrogen to keep them nice and fertilized. However, the river is also greatly harming the living things in it. The water lacked oxygen, meaning it will be more difficult for living things in there to survive. It also might mean there aren’t enough plants underwater to keep the normal level of oxygen up. It was greatly contaminated, and fish and other organisms will be affected, making them act unusually.  

The lab was really quick and useful. It showed us the oxygen level, how much algae is in there, how polluted the river is in general, and more. The river goes by so many things that can affect it. Human trash, fertilizer, and goose poop (common near our school thanks to large fields of grass) all affect the quality of water. 

 

 

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Exciting news! Our new aquaponics curriculum is here! Designed for 9-12th grade classrooms with operating aquaponics systems, this curriculum, created by educators for educators, teaches STEM concepts through the lens of aquaponics, aligning with NGSS and Great Lakes Literacy Principles. Learn more via the link in bio. @seagrant_noaa@ilextension@purduefnr@noaaeducation@environmental_ed_of_il@eeaindiana
🚨🚨 New episode alert! 🚨🚨 Teach Me About the Great Lakes episode 106 is out!Growing up with multiple newspapers delivered to her home and spending a lot of time outside in Michigan, maybe it was inevitable that Kelly House would become an environmental journalist extraordinaire. She joins TMATGL to talk about her work, why journalism matters, and what gives her hope for the future of her profession and the natural world.Tune in via the link in bio.
We are here at the Hoosier Association for Science Teachers Inc (HASTI) annual conference in Noblesville, Indiana today and tomorrow, as we share resources for educators looking to implement some hands-on learning opportunities about Lake Michigan, natural resources, and aquaponics into their classrooms. Don't miss Megan Gunn's presentation “Empowering Future Environmental Stewards: Resources and Strategies for Educators" during Monday's afternoon breakout session at 2 pm in Room 2074. Stop by the booth to say hi and learn more!
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