Grade 7 Students Take to the Water for Experiential Learning

The Grade 7 Science classes begin their year by studying one of the most important building blocks of life: water. They learn about all the different properties of water, its molecular structure, and how it doesn't follow the rules of many other chemical compounds, because its solid form is less dense than its liquid form (which is the reason ice floats in water). As they begin studying the water cycle, they are introduced to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This estuary is the source of most of the area's drinking water, so the students begin to see that anything that happens in the Bay can directly affect them.

As the unit progresses, each student begins researching a different problem or issue that affects the Chesapeake Bay. The topics include agricultural runoff, water and air pollution, natural gas drilling, climate change, habitat loss, and more. By the end of their research, the students have become mini-experts on their topics. They create displays for their research, and then each class goes on a gallery walk to see what their peers have produced, and to discover how all of these topics are interconnected.

For the last several years, each of the Grade 7 Science classes spends an autumn day on the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers with staff from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. This trip comes near the end of the unit, when they are almost finished with their projects. These trips bring their learning to life, and help to demonstrate the impact that humans can have on these vital waterways. 

This year's trips began as they typically do. After being greeted by the boat captain and another CBF educator, the students and their chaperones boarded their floating classroom. The boat departed from the Washington Channel (near The Wharf) and moved toward the intersection of the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers. As the captain steered the ship toward the first of the day's destinations, the students grabbed binoculars to document the many species of birds that live along the banks of the rivers.

Throughout the day, the students learned how the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers have changed over the last 50 years — how the water quality has drastically improved, and how stricter environmental regulations have helped to protect the water and the species that live in it. They also learned that the water flowing into the rivers is processed at the Blue Plains water treatment facility so it can be consumed by local residents. The students tested the water for themselves and judged whether the facility is doing a good job by evaluating the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, measuring how clear the water is, and determining the salinity of the water.

At the end of the trip, the boat captain threw a large fishing net off the back of the boat so the students could see first-hand how many different species live in the rivers. Some groups counted up to twelve different species of fish; one group caught a carp that was at least two feet long! They discussed whether each species was native to the area or an invasive species, and the effects that the invasive species had on the native ones.

Overall, this trip helps reinforce everything the students have learned about the Chesapeake Bay, while providing them an opportunity to be outside for an entire day and see Washington, DC from a different perspective.