Hans Doderer – 2016-2017

Paintsville Independent

Hans Doderer – 2016-2017

Paintsville Independent

Snapshot

Trout in the Classroom

October 2016 Presentation:

The Trout in the Classroom Project provides students the unique opportunity to examine the life cycle of brown trout by growing their eggs into fingerlings within a classroom setting. Brown Trout are hatched and grown in an aquarium where students monitor both water quality and the developing eggs. Student’s monitor the water quality and record their observations in journals paying special attention to fish’s progress (growth and development) as well as the pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, conductivity, and water temperatures. In addition, students ascertain the water quality of the stream in which the trout are to be released. Little Paint Creel WMA at the Paintsville Lake will serve as the potential release site for the young fingerlings in the spring of 2017.

Logistics of using chemical analysis along with macroinvertebrate studies (indicator organisms) to determine the health of a freshwater ecosystem will be discussed. Students will use the data they collect along with information gather from their research in order to produce a video documentary of the TIC project. Oral histories obtained from community members as well as water quality experts will be featured in a video documentary produced by students using an iPad. The documentary will focus on the water quality issues affecting the Big Sandy River Watershed, the various developmental stages of brown trout as well as information on how members of our community can improve the health of their watershed. Plans are to air the documentary on local hometown TV as well as the PHS school news. Student success will be measured with a pre-test and post- test aimed to measure student growth in their understanding of the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, and water quality issues that affect their community respectively. The nutrient cycles will be examined in great detail as students monitor water quality throughout this project. Along with their research many guest speakers, who are experts in the field of water quality, will be invited to speak with the students to share their knowledge.

The experience culminates with a field trip to Little Paint Creek WMA to release the young trout. A post-test will be given to measure student growth. The research, logistics, and problems students will encounter throughout this project mirror many real-life problems associated with water quality in our state. Students will learn how to recognize the components of a healthy natural ecosystem verses that which is man-made. Thus, through their participation in Trout in the Classroom, students will become more environmentally literate. More importantly students will learn how their actions directly impact water quality and what they can do to help maintain and even restore a sustainable healthy aquatic ecosystem.

April 2017 – FIREsummit Presentation:

 

Rose Summary

PHS Biology and 7th grade integrated science students will examine the effects that different levels of growth regulator hormone (Indole-3 acetic acid) have on rose plant establishment when rooting cuttings. During the month of October rose stem cuttings selected from local Knock Out roses (Rosa radrazz) will be treated with various dosages of the root hormone containing Indole-3 acetic acid. The purpose of using the rooting hormone is to induce stem cells with undifferentiated cells in order to “trick” these cells to develop into root cells instead of the stem cells they would otherwise have formed.

Students will design experiments to determine the effects that growth hormone has on the developing rose cuttings over a period of 6 months. Students will observe and determine from sampling which dosage produced the best results as they compare both the experimental group and control group. (The cuttings that do not receive the treatment will serve as the control group for this study). In addition students will design and construct a 32’x 5’x 10.5” raised flower bed utilizing the materials listed within the budget detail. The hormone will be used for treating the cuttings as prescribed the experimental design.

The garden soil, timbers, and hardware are needed to construct the raised bed in which the cuttings will be placed in mid-October. The 1 gallon plastic pots, wheelbarrow, and tools will aid in transplanting the cuttings into pots during the spring and moving soil if necessary. The protective water case is to keep the school’s iPad from getting wet or damaged while outdoors. Students will make observations periodically and record their findings in science their journals. In April the root development of the cuttings will again be examined and the data will be collected for final analysis. All results will be published in the form of data tables, graphs, conclusions, and summary on a poster board presentation. Plans are to produce a video documentary of the entire project as well. The culminating activity is to have students transplant the young rose plants into pots and take the rose plants home to their mothers for Mother’s Day. This project addresses a multitude of the NGSS. Focus will be placed upon several biological topics including: photosynthesis, asexual reproduction, sexual reproduction, genetic variation, plant anatomy/physiology, and cell differentiation.

The economic implications of this technology will be discussed via experts in horticulture, Representatives from the Johnson-Co-Cooperative-Extension-Agriculture, and greenhouse owners who will be invited to serve as guest speakers. In order to measure student growth and project success a pre-test will be administered late September and a post- test will be administered during late April.

 

April 2017 – FIREsummit Presentation:

Powerpoint