Nitrogen project kick-off!

We had a great kick-off meeting on Tuesday, November 6. Thanks to all of you who came and contributed to make this project a success.

What will success look like? Here's what some of you said:

  • When my students can talk coherently about testing a mechanism, when they understand that elements take different forms and that the change in formation takes and gives energy.
  • When I have guided my students through a scientific investigation--from beginning to end.
  • When they (students) can say something about nitrogen, that it moves through different phases.
  • When students think about cycling, and all the routes that nitrogen takes in its cycling.
  • When people outside the scientific community can 'see' the invisible (that being N, in this case).
  • When students understand how to ask questions and make statements about the questions.
  • When students can communicate beyond their community, explain a graph, understand that water is not just H2O.
  • When I can guide my students through the process and they present their posters.
  • When the project is thought-provoking for scientists and integrated into the teachers' curricula.
  • When students recognize the complexity of a chemical.
  • When people outside the (scientific) community recognize that bacteria are good and we depend on them.

 

Let's keep those things in mind going forward!

Here are some aspects of the project to keep in mind:

  • You will get at least 12 samples bottles. Collect your samples, store them in the freezer and at the end of the sampling season select and submit 6 water samples for analysis.
  • The analysis will take about 1 month. Plan the completion of your sampling season, as well as data analysis and presentation preparation accordingly.
  • Your site can be anywhere that there is runoff. This includes the drip edge of your school building. Characterize the sample location as best you can... using the field data sheet, photos, narratives, maps, etc.
  • If your site is not runoff from the building then please collect a soil sample from the O-horizon of the soil right next to where the runoff sample is collected. You will get a soil sampling kit when you get your sample bottles.
  • Although you can collect and submit snow samples I am going to caution against it. Here's why: My concern is that even the total nitrogen amounts will be so low that they will be below the detection limit of the machine. (so, there might be some there, but it'd be like us looking for bacteria with the naked eye. Sure, they are there, but the bacterial cells are below our visual detection limit) A series of results that say ND (for 'not detected') is a real bummer for scientists, especially young ones.
  • If you want to try it, perhaps collect pairs of samples... for each event collect a runoff (water) sample and a snow sample. You'd only be submitting samples from three events (right?... a water and a snow for each sampling event).

Send questions, answer each other's questions, if the scientists have questions about your sampling site be ready to answer them! I'd like to have at least one of the scientists go out sampling or doing the site recon with all of you. Let me know when you are headed out, and I'll make arrangements.

Great to see everyone, and I am looking forward to moving ahead on the project!

Cheers, Hannah

 

 

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