How Does the Development and Implementation of a Stream Monitoring Program at Pulaski Community Middle School Affect Environmental Values, Knowledge, Behaviors, and Citizen Action Skills

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to explore how the implementation of a stream monitoring program affected the Environmental Knowledge, Behavior, Values, and Citizen Action Skills of selected 7th grade students at Pulaski Community Middle School. In this project students from the authors piloted science class explored a progression of topics and activities involving water and water monitoring. Students examined how water is used, how it moves through the hydrologic cycle, watershed mapping and basic aquatic biology. After instruction of the above topic students were introduced to the Water Action Volunteer (WA VS) monitoring protocols and utilized this program to gather data from the Glenbrook stream. Appendix A identifies Glenbrook stream and the land around the stream. Students worked in groups collecting and analyzing habitat, turbidity, stream flow, dissolved oxygen, and biotic index. Students used this data to determine the overall health of the stream. The data will be submitted to the Water Action Volunteers data base. Numerous students were involved in stenciling storm drains to educate the surrounding school community about storm drain run-off The primary goal of the researcher was to see how the implementation of this program affected student's environmental knowledge, behavior, values, and citizen action skills. Environmental Literacy was assessed using a pencil and paper survey adapted from a survey developed by Tracy Swedlund (2001) which was adapted from a survey by Brian Henriksen (1998). The results from the pre-survey were compared to the post-survey results. Funding was made possible by a grant from the Citizen Based Monitoring Partnership Program, a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources funded program. The overall conclusion was that the program did increase student's environmental knowledge, behavior, values, and citizen action skills. There was an increase in student scores from the pre-survey to the post-survey in the categories of knowledge, behavior, citizen action skills, and values categories. Based on this data this stream monitoring program will be continued, reevaluated, and submitted to administration for expansion to other 7th grade classes.