Creating Student Researchers A NH High School Water Quality Monitoring Program

ii Summary: Creating Student Researchers will engage five high school teachers and their classrooms in a research project monitoring water quality in their local communities through wate

“Creating Student Researchers: A NH High School Water Quality Monitoring Program”

Project Summary

(i) Organization and Partnerships: Plymouth State University (PSU) is a regional comprehensive university located in Plymouth, New Hampshire, with a long history in teacher preparation and professional

development Creating Student Researchers will be managed by two PSU research faculty in the Center for

the Environment – Kimberly Duncan and Doug Earick, each bringing a wealth of experience in the

creation, delivery and evaluation of teacher professional development (PD) programs PSU faculty, Brigid O’Donnell and Aaron Johnson, will provide biological and chemical technical support and content

expertise in training sessions for project teachers and students Specific school partners, in line with scientific and programmatic goals, will be recruited after award notification

(ii) Summary: Creating Student Researchers will engage five high school teachers and their classrooms in a

research project monitoring water quality in their local communities through water chemistry and

biomonitoring The study’s results will be an integral component in a preliminary assessment of Hexagenia

mayfly nymph populations (a macroinvertebrate being explored for use as a bioindicator) and the health of aquatic ecosystems in New Hampshire

The project will address EPA’s “EE Teaching Skills” priority by providing high quality PD experiences for

NH educators, and closely aligns with EPA’s definition of environmental education Participation will lead

to increased awareness and content knowledge of water quality Participants will gain necessary lab and field skills necessary to scientifically, and objectively, assess the health of a local water body Using the collected data, teachers will have the opportunity to discuss different routes of action to maintain or

improve the health of the selected watershed Methodologies for leading this discussion in a non-biased way will be discussed during the PD workshops and mentored field experiences Additionally, this project will address EPA’s “Protecting America’s Waters” environmental priority Educators and students will be trained in two approaches to water quality assessment: use of biomonitors (i.e., mayfly nymphs) and water chemistry analysis

(iii) Delivery Method: Creating Student Researchers will achieve its educational and environmental goals

through curriculum development and dissemination, teacher PD workshops, field research experiences, a student research conference, on-site support visits, and a summer student research internship experience (iv) Audience: The project will recruit and work with five high school classroom teachers and their

students Recruitment efforts will focus on schools that closely alighn with the scientific goals of the research program and guarantee diversity of participants The target schools range from large urban to small remote rural, from schools that are predominately white populations to schools with significant numbers of refugee students from Africa and the Middle East, from schools with high poverty rates as reflected by free and reduce lunch programs to more economically advantaged Likely classes to participate will be those in biology or environmental science and will have students in the 9-12 grade levels

(v) Costs: EPA–supported expenses for the project will include partial salary support for project staff (administrative, evaluative, and content/research support personnel), teacher costs (stipends and workshop room & board), classroom support (technological equipment and data collection), and travel costs (field site visits, project staff classroom visits, and student final congress)

Project Description

(i) The “What”:

This project will address EPA's “EE Teaching skills” priority in three ways: (1) delivering high quality teacher PD experiences, (2) training and providing teachers and students with cutting edge technology and materials used in field and laboratory research and (3) active inclusion in a research project examining the

Hexagenia nymphs as a biomonitor of aquatic ecosystem health PD workshops and mentored field

experiences aim to improve content knowledge in the areas of water quality and biomonitoring, allow teachers to master new field and laboratory techniques and reinforce best pedagogical practices in

environmental education By providing standards-based curriculum modules and training teachers in field collection methodologies, the project activities will enable teachers and their students to conduct genuine environmental/biological research in their selected community-based locales In-depth training using relevant technology will enable educators to train HS students in 21st century skills

Monitoring surface water quality is an important long-term effort to understand the health of our

environment Changes in land cover, atmospheric deposition, storm water runoff, recreational use, and development patterns can cause rapid changes in the quality of our surface waters, which can affect human use of these waters In recent years, several issues related to water quality have come to the public

attention, including bacteria (E coli) contamination at beaches, algal toxins from blue-green algae, and loss

of property value due to water quality declines Water quality monitoring has proven to be an effective and relatively low cost means of detecting environmental degradation early, reducing costly mitigation

measures Creating Student Researchers charges participating classrooms with community water bodies,

monitoring water quality over the course of the academic year

Teachers and students will employ two tactics when monitoring water quality and ecosystem health: chemical analysis and the use of a biomonitoring species (specifically Hexagenia mayfly nymphs)

Through chemical analysis, students will monitor conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, phosphorus, and nitrate to assess water quality Conductivity provides a general measure of water quality since it tends to increase with increased runoff from developed land and road salt use Dissolved oxygen and pH are used

to measure the overall productivity in a lake Phosphorus and nitrate concentrations are used to measure the potential for algal growth in a lake, since they are considered limiting nutrients for algae Together, these parameters will give the students an overall view of water quality of their local lake

Students and teachers will also be introduced to the concept of biomonitors Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) are one of the classic insect groups used in biomonitoring of aquatic systems by state and federal agencies (Rosenberg et al., 1986), and have a long history of use as an indicator of the integrity and health of

watersheds (Resh and Jackson, 1993) Several aspects of the biology of the mayfly Hexagenia sp., in

particular, have been linked to habitat quality in large rivers and in the Great Lakes of the U.S subjected to pollution and fouling by industry and urban development (e.g Fremling and Johnson, 1990; Corkum et al., 1997) Today, new and more powerful techniques of biomonitoring focus on specific “biomarkers” as a signal of individual health or stress level and are becoming more widely used in assessing habitat quality

(Gupta et al., 2010) In particular, evidence from the monitoring of the heat shock protein (hsp) based stress response and its modulation under varying conditions of environmental stresses suggests that hsps

may be reliable molecular biomarkers in aquatic organisms (e.g Micovic et al., 2009), with the added advantage of being detectable before the mayfly nymph population crashes To date, only a single study

has employed mayfly nymphs (Cloeon dipterum) to investigate hsp expression under environmental perturbation (i.e annual shifts in conductivity, see De Jong et al, 2006) As such, an investigation of hsp expression in Hexagenia mayfly nymphs across a number of watersheds in NH may allow for the

development and implementation of new genetic and molecular approaches to biomonitoring

The goals of the project can be divided into three categories: content knowledge, pedagogical skills and

attitudes about science These goals are enumerated below.

In the area of content knowledge and related skills, teachers and students will:

 Have a greater understanding of concepts relating to water quality, assessment of watershed health, life cycles biological responses and impacts of environmental stresses on macro-invertebrates, and the use of biomonitors to assess environmental health;

 Master chemical analysis techniques used to assess water quality 9-12 educators and students will master techniques used to harvest and characterize macro-invertebrates

In the area of pedagogical skills, teachers will:

 Gain confidence in integrating current environmental science topics (e.g water quality assessment and biomonitoring) into their curricula;

 Be able to effectively use authentic scientific data to teach relevant concepts;

 Improve their ability to use active learning techniques (e.g field-based research, guided inquiry and student-led research) in the classroom

In the area of self-efficacy and attitudes towards environmental science, teachers and students will:

 Have an increased perception of their science self-efficacy;

 Be more interested in pursuing careers in environmental science because of the research experience and interaction with practicing scientists

In addition to the goals listed above, this project also aims to increase environmental stewardship The environmental education continuum that leads to environmental stewardship relies on building a strong foundation in the awareness of environmental issues and content knowledge Participation in this project will increase the environmental literacy of the educators and the students in their classrooms This project will also strengthen students’ critical thinking skills through data analysis and presentation Increasing educators' and students' abilities at these three foundational points along the continuum will propel

participants towards a future of environmental stewardship

(ii) The “Why”:

The National Academy of Sciences report, National Science Education Standards (NSES), emphasizes a

new way of teaching and learning about science that reflects how science itself is done, stressing the use of inquiry in genuine or authentic ways as a method for helping students achieve knowledge and

understanding about the world This document, along with outlining changes in how science should be taught and assessed in our nation’s classrooms, presents guidelines for the professional development of teachers It states that all teachers of science must have a strong, broad base of scientific knowledge

extensive enough for them to: (a) understand the nature of scientific inquiry, its central role in science, and how to use the skills and processes of scientific inquiry; (b) understand the fundamental facts and concepts

in major science disciplines; (c) be able to make conceptual connections within and across science

disciplines, as well as to mathematics, technology, and other school subjects; and (d) use scientific

understanding and ability when dealing with personal and societal issues

The NSES report further states that PD for teachers of science requires integrating knowledge of science, learning, pedagogy, and students - along with requiring the application of that knowledge to science

teaching Learning experiences for teachers of science must

1 Connect and integrate all pertinent aspects of science and science education

2 Occur in a variety of places where effective science teaching can be illustrated and modeled, permitting teachers to struggle with real situations and expand their knowledge and skills in

appropriate contexts

3 Address teachers' needs as learners and build on their current knowledge of science content,

teaching, and learning

4 Use inquiry, reflection, interpretation of research, modeling, and guided practice to build

understanding and skill in science teaching

Using NSES recommendations, Creating Students Researchers will take place through “engaged” learning

opportunities utilizing a variety of locations (i.e classrooms, labs, field locations) Information will build

on teachers’ prior knowledge and help them develop instructional inquiry strategies that are closely aligned

to both national science standards and the New Hampshire Frameworks in Science, grades 9-12

Following additional recommendations promoted by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), our project will capitalize on key findings for quality teacher PD and student instruction in

environmental issues Of these recommendations, two will make up the core of the research experiences

for both project teachers and their students: 1) Teach with data and 2) Use active learning techniques

By having participants integrally involved in the collection, analysis of authentic research data and the

reporting of findings in a science conference format, both students and their teachers will gain true insight into the process of scientific work As SERC reports, “Students learn better when the can learn it for themselves Environmental issues lend themselves to teaching techniques like using local examples, gathering data from the field, using role-playing or debates, or participating in environmental projects.” Additionally, SERC has highlighted the importance that self-efficacy, or the belief in one's capabilities to achieve a goal or an outcome, as a measure of student success and learning in the study of environmental issues A particular focus will be made to monitor self-efficacy development in both teachers and students involved in the project, as will measures in content knowledge around the study of biomonitoring and water quality assessment (see Evaluation and Assessment Plan)

(iii) The “How”:

This project has two educational thrusts: (1) to provide PD for teachers to improve EE teaching skills and (2) to include high school teachers and students in a meaningful research experience that will significantly contribute to an academic research project

Thrust 1: Professional Development (PD) to Improve EE skills

To ensure successful implementation of the research experience into the classroom, two PD workshops for participating educators will occur The first, to take place during Summer 2012, will be a three-day

residential summer institute on the PSU campus Morning sessions will be dedicated to classroom learning and discussion Afternoon sessions will be spent in the field doing hands-on activities and data collections Evening sessions will be held in the laboratory to analyze collected samples and data The content areas of the summer institute are outlined below:

 Day 1: Site characterization, watershed management, water chemistry, and water quality assessment and monitoring techniques

 Day 2: Macro-invertebrate (specifically Hexagenia) morphology, life cycles, habitats and responses

to stresses, analysis of the production of heat shock proteins, and field methods used collect and characterize nymphs, as well as laboratory techniques used to detect and quantify the presence of heat shock proteins

 Day 3: Curriculum integration and planning

Teachers will reconvene for a second, one-day workshop in early spring 2013 to share their initial research, classroom activities, and best practices in implementing the project curricula Additionally, project staff will provide a “refresher” in content relating to the spring activities of biomonitoring, macroinvertebrate

habitats and responses to stresses, and the harvest and field characterization of Hexagenia

Teacher and classroom support will continue throughout the academic year with mentored field experiences and classroom visits Scientists and educators from PSU will visit classrooms twice in the fall and spring

semesters Visits will be scheduled to coincide with field trips to the local project research sites to allow scientists to reinforce proper sampling techniques and answer site-specific questions Visiting educators will address content and implementation questions that arise on an as needed basis, as well as collecting evaluative data on project participants

Thrust 2: Inclusion of HS Students in a Meaningful Research Experience

As a unique feature, project classrooms will be collecting and reporting on field data to be used in an academic research study by Dr Brigid O’Donnell at PSU The research will focus on exploring the links

between gill morphology and the expression of heat shock proteins in Hexagenia, in hopes of finding a new

biomonitoring technique for watershed health To further this project, students will be asked to collect baseline water quality data about a local water body, reassess water quality after the spring thaw, and

collect and characterize Hexagenia nymphs

In Fall 2012, students, in collaboration with project scientists (O’Donnell and Johnson), will identify a local pond, river or lake to monitor During an initial field visit to the site, students will develop an annotated map of water body, a biological survey of the sampling area, collect pictures of the site, and perform an initial water quality assessment utilizing the project water quality test kit to measure pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen levels, concentration of nitrate and phosphate ions In addition, students will collect water samples be sent to the Environmental Research Laboratory at PSU for extended analysis Students will be asked to upload their data to a web interface to facilitate sharing of data between the participating classrooms and the scientists at PSU

In Spring 2013, students will return to the sampling site to collect water quality data, for comparison to pre-winter data, and to harvest and characterize nymphs using the provided nymph characterization kit While

in the field, nymphs will be analyzed (gill morphology, size measurements, gender, etc.) Post

characterization, nymphs will be placed in a biological fixative and sent to PSU for additional analysis Students will upload their data to a web interface to facilitate sharing of data between the participating classrooms and the scientists at PSU

In late Spring 2013, students will participate in a capstone “Research Congress” held at the PSU campus to allow each classroom to share its data and report on results Other events around the Research Congress will include campus tours, laboratory tours, and panel discussions with PSU research faculty

A final component of the biomonitoring research will incorporate a weeklong residential summer student internship opportunity for three students from project schools This lab

experience will have the interns involved in the analysis and quantifying of

heat shock proteins in nymphs from project collection sites Internships will

be based on overall student academic performance, interest in environmental

science, and recommendations of teachers During the internship, the

students will work alongside project scientists O’Donnell and Johnson in

their campus laboratories, analyzing data collected from the project field

locations

(iv) The “Who”:

The recruitment of participating schools and classroom teachers will be done

following notification of award status, but a preliminary identification of

target schools has been done for this submission These schools were

identified with criteria that will ensure a diversity among schools and

students participating, and will also provide quality scientific data with

significance from a research perspective The criteria used for identification

of target schools were:

1 Geographic distribution across the state (see map): the five target high schools provide a wide variety of locations for the scientific biomonitoring data collection

2 School diversity (see table): target high schools provide very distinct student demographics for the project based on ethnic/racial, economic, and locale size diversity

3 Scientific interest: location to nearby bodies of water to be used for scientific data collection with anticipated nymph populations

To recruit participant schools and teachers to the project, the five target schools highlighted will be directly contacted by project PIs, with follow-up visits during March 2012 Each school be asked to provide one teacher participant, preferably one that teaches either a biology or environmental science course Teachers and school administration will be made aware on the benefits of participation, principally: a) teacher stipends, b) research toolkits with scientific equipment, c) curriculum materials designed to promote the research experience and inquiry approaches of the project, and d) web-based platform for the cataloging and dissemination of project data

(v) Unique Qualities of Project:

The unique quality of Creating Student Researchers is the process of engaging teachers and their students

in conducting quality and relevant ecological research that provides both active learning experiences and significant biological data collection, and will significantly contribute to the scientific body of knowledge

in the area of water quality biomonitoring Having university research faculty supporting and integrating student research data will provide authentic and meaningful scientific experiences to students and teachers who would unlikely have opportunities to engage in such processes otherwise These experiences will give project participants insight into the nature of scientific research, improve their understandings of

environmental problems relating to water quality, foster a greater appreciation for natural processes and how humans impact these processes through our actions, and lead to improved instruction and learning in the area of environmental education in the state of New Hampshire In addition, we anticipate that a number of students involved in this project may look into future studies and careers in the fields of ecology,

Target High School Students

Enrolled Locale Free/Reduced % of

Lunch

Representation by Race/Ethnicity

White Mountains

Regional 480 Rural - Distant 25%

97% White 1% Hispanic 1% Black 1% Asian

94% White 1% Hispanic 2% Black 3% Asian Mascoma Valley

Regional 460 Rural - Fringe 22%

94% White 2% Hispanic 1% Black 1% Am Indian 2% Asian West Manchester 1,544 City - Midsize 30% 83% White 9% Hispanic

5% Black 1% Am Indian 2% Asian Salem 2,194 Suburb - Large 7% 93% White 4% Hispanic

>1% Black 3% Asian

biology, and environmental science based upon gains in science self-efficacy and subject matter

knowledge, but also because of experiences that have engaged them in active and relevant learning

Project Evaluation

The project’s evaluation and accountability plan will document results of the yearlong environmental education program for teachers and their students We will collect data on the five participating classroom high school teachers and their approximately 120 students during the grant cycle All measures will be administered pre- and post- intervention Comparisons and, when appropriate, correlations will be reported between teacher content knowledge, efficacy, teaching activities and student content knowledge

development, efficacy and understandings of environmental science In addition, impacts of experiential opportunities will be explored through qualitative measures grounded in guided interview and case studies The quantitative evaluation methodologies are explained below:

1 STEBI

Goal to be evaluated: Increase teacher self-efficacy in environmental science

Enochs and Riggs (1990) developed the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI) to measure efficacy beliefs and outcome expectancy in science teaching Bleicher (2004) evaluated the validity and provided modifications to STEBI in order to strengthen its reliability The STEBI-B consists of 23

statements that are divided into two sub-scales, namely student Outcome Expectancy (OE) and Personal Science Teaching Efficacy (PSTE) beliefs

2 Content Knowledge Pre/Post Assessments

Goal to be evaluated: Increase teacher and student content knowledge in science foci area

A set of comprehensive subject matter content assessments will be given pre-intervention/post-intervention and function as diagnostic tools to identify teachers' strength and weaknesses in the subject area of

environmental science The assessment items will measure the extent to which teachers have mastery of the K-12 NRC and NH Curricular Frameworks standards appropriate for the teaching of environmental studies For the purpose of this project, these assessments will be used to measure teacher content knowledge competencies A similar subject content assessment will be given to students as a pre/post instruction and research experience measure University science faculty will be used to review the assessment items to ensure validity and alignment with established state and national curricular content standards

In addition to quantitative evaluations, the project team will also administer qualitative evaluations,

primarily guided interviews and focus groups These efforts will document student and teacher progress towards improved science self-efficacy Qualitative interviews will allow project staff to access and gain insights into the participants’ perspectives and experiences (Patton, 1987) Applying an interview guide approach, asking subjects to situate their experiences in specific settings (Johnston & Christensen, 2000) will give us the ability to report progress to all participants in an equitable manner

Lastly, the project methodologies (e.g PD workshops, guided field experiences, science research congress) will be evaluated Post-activity survey instruments will be given to teacher and student participants Trends, modifications and future needs evidenced by participant feedback will be documented and included

in the final report to the funder Survey Monkey will be used to manage all surveys and analyze data

During workshops and field visits, notes will be taken by project team members to discuss in team

meetings Trends, modifications and future needs based on mentor-mentee interactions will be documented and included in the final report to the funder

Appendices

Appendix (a)

Timeline:

Spring

2012- Develop teacher / student / project evaluation tools

 Recruit participant schools/teachers targeting the five geographic areas of the state with intent of having geographical breadth, while also serving diverse populations Target regions/schools: White Mountains Regional High School (Coos County – North), Laconia High School (Belknap County – Central), Mascoma Regional High School (Grafton County – West), West Manchester High School (Hillsborough County – South), and Salem High School (Rockingham County – Seacoast)

 Development of school curriculum/lessons

 Development and organization of teacher training packets, curriculum guides, and school research toolkits

 Planning/organization of summer teacher professional development training

 Development of project website

Summer

2012- 3-day professional development training workshop for teacher participants at PSU

 Distribution of research toolkits

 Implementation of assessment plan with teacher self-efficacy measure and content knowledge pre-assessment

 Updates of project website including professional development workshop

Fall

2012- Collection of student pre-assessment data (content knowledge and self-efficacy measures)

 Implementation of project curriculum at participating schools

 Early fall on-site school visits by project personnel to support implementation of research study and curriculum implementation

 Development of a site profiles for research study, to include annotated map of water body,

biological survey of sampling area, pictures, and initial water quality assessment Initial water chemistry samples analyzed by the Environmental Research Laboratory at PSU

 Updates of project website including on-site school visits

Spring

2013- One-day teacher professional development mid-project workshop at PSU

 Late spring on-site school visits by project personnel to support intensive field research work and analysis of data

 Participant schools develop presentations for Research Congress

 PSU host one-day Student Research Congress where each participant school presents data and conclusions of their site projects Students also participate in on-campus tours and talks by faculty researchers on scientific careers/research activities and opportunities, specifically in environmental fields of study

 Post-experience content knowledge and self-efficacy assessments of project teachers and students

 Updates of project website with on-site school visits and Research Congress

Summer

2013- Summer internship for select students from project high schools via a 1-week research experience

at PSU campus

 Final analysis of nymph and water quality data by project research team (faculty mentor,

undergraduate lab technician, and summer high school interns)

 Completion of project evaluation, including in-depth experiential surveys of high school interns

 Completion of project website with final curricular materials and results of student research

projects for dissemination

 Final reporting to EPA on project results

Appendix (b):

Performance Measures – Logic Model

Key Terms: Outputs – Activities, efforts, and/or work products that support an environmental goal Outputs

must occur and be reported to EPA during the project period

Outcomes – Results, effects, or consequences that will occur from carrying out the activities

(outputs) Short-term outcomes must also occur and be reported during the project period Progress should at least begin on medium-term or long-term outcomes during the project period

Short-term Short-term Medium-term Long-term

Recruitment of teachers

Improved awareness of environmental science expertise at PSU Increased interest in environmental science topics as related to HS curriculum

Increased interest in establishing relationships between PSU scientists and NH K12 educators Expanded interest in environmental science topics as related to HS curriculum

Established partnerships between PSU and HS classrooms

Wide spread interest in environmental science topics as related to HS curriculum

Assessment tools for

participants in the project

(educators and students)

Increased awareness of K12 students and educators environmental literacy and self efficacy

Improved environmental literacy and self efficacy

of K12 students and educators

Achievement of environmental literacy amongst K12 students and educators and improved self efficacy

Curriculum materials on

water quality and

biomonitoring aligned

with NH and national

standards

Increased awareness of how current

environmental science issues can be integrated into existing HS biology and environmental science classes

Improved student understanding of environmental issues

Successful integration of environmental science issues into existing HS biology and environmental science classes in

participating schools

Increased integration of current environmental science issues into existing

HS biology and environmental science classes

Environmental literacy for

HS students

Professional development

workshops and seminars

for HS teachers on water

quality and biomonitoring

Improved content knowledge, laboratory and field based pedagogical skills in the area of water quality and biomonitoring

Mastery of content knowledge, laboratory and field based pedagogical skills in the area of water quality and biomonitoring Awareness of the need for environmental

stewardship with respect

to local water bodies

Dissemination content knowledge, laboratory and field based pedagogical skills in the area of water quality and biomonitoring

to non-participating educators

Action towards environmental stewardship with respect to local water bodies

Kit to assess water quality

Increased access to technology and awareness

of techniques used to assess water quality

Mastery of techniques used to assess water quality

Use of technology and techniques in other projects

Kit for harvest and

characterization of

hexegenia nymphs

Increased awareness of field methodologies used

to harvest and characterize Hexagenia

Mastery of field methodologies used to harvest and characterize Hexegenia

Use of field methodologies

to harvest and characterize other macroinvertabrates.

Mentored trips to local Increased interaction Established partnerships Use of field work as a