Sky Ranch Science Camp-Limnology

By:

On March 6th- 8th, our 5th grade students attended Sky Ranch Science Camp. It is located in Van, Texas between Canton and Tyler. This educational camp gives students the opportunity to use nature as a classroom.

Through this outdoor education experience they would :

*develop knowledge and an awareness of their natural environment

*develop respect for and desire to preserve and protect their natural environment.

One of the classes they attended was a Limnology (Aquatics) class. In the class, students studied fresh water. They investigated water quality, the water web, learned and inherited traits of animals and life cycles.  Students were able to observe aquatic animals in aquariums such as plankton, lobsters and numerous turtles.  They were able to hold a live turtle from a touch tank that held baby turtles.

The students also conducted water quality measurements using genuine scientific equipment. Students were shown 3 plastic containers with different water samples. One sample was light orange. One was light brown, and one was clear. Students had to hypothesize which water was cleaner. Everyone picked the clear one because it looked like clean filtered water. Then each container was tested with a special tool that measured water quality. To their surprise, the orange water was the cleanest. The light brown came in second. The clear water came in 3rd because it was vinegar. The students learned that the appearance of water is not a clear indication of the quality or safety of water.

Students participated in an investigation to find out if Sky Pond was healthy. First, they made observations and notated in their journal a description of the color, temperature, surrounding sounds, smells and signs of life. Then, they made a hypothesis as to whether Sky Pond was healthy or not. Next, students collected data by finding aquatic animals that were in the water and mud. Students were given a chart that listed animals that would be found in a healthy and unhealthy environment. After observations were conducted, students concluded that the pond was healthy because they found numerous Mayfly nymphs that are sensitive to pollution.