DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) - Students at a Davenport elementary school are taking their classroom out to a nearby creek to learn about water quality.
The fourth- and fifth-graders at Fillmore Elementary School adopted the nearby creek four years ago and meet once a week at the waterway, where they study water quality and the surrounding water quality, teacher Lori Kimmel said.
The Quad-City Times (https://bit.ly/1mRqlgQ ) reports they step into rubber waders and tromp through creek’s gently swirling water, taking water samples and conducting other experiments.
They use small, white tester strips to determine how acidic the water is and try to determine what’s behind changes in the levels.
After dipping a strip into the water, fourth-graders Courtney Burns and Braden White count to 15 and then examine color changes on the tester before determining the water’s acid level is between five and six.
“Five’s pretty acid for our water,” Kimmel tells the students. “Maybe the rain is changing it.”
Data collected by the students is included in a statewide water quality program.
The students, dubbed the Kids in the Creek, hold an annual cleanup of the creek. Last year, volunteers pulled out traffic cones, grills and the front end of a motorcycle.
Lonnie Brewer, whose 10-year-old daughter Samantha is among the creek kids, said he appreciates the lessons children are learning about the stream and the need to rid it of debris.
“They’re cleaning up the neighborhood,” Brewer said. “I’m really pleased about what they do because the school goes out of their way to do this. If we can get more people to help, it would be great.”
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Information from: Quad-City Times, https://www.qctimes.com
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