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One of our long-term projects involved the creation and maintenance of a geospatial database of water quality indicators across the New York City area. Students taking high school chemistry (at STAR) were exposed to the scientific research process within the context of a practical and unique endeavor. Our group has also examined various environmental issues related to water and climate change. These projects included, for example, assessing the efficacy of many popular water treatment methods in addition to investigating the variables influencing water’s carbon dioxide absorption abilities. Examples of other projects included analysis of the effects of utilizing natural resources (e.g., water) in sustainable as opposed to customary fashions (e.g., drip vs. surface irrigation) on the viability of the ecosystems that provide these resources. We worked to connect our general project with the efforts of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
Posters presented at the Brooklyn College Science Research Day were:
Sustainable Development: A Comparison of Irrigation Techniques, download poster (PDF) Global Warming: Effect of Sand on Water C02 Absorption, download poster (PDF)
Project Theme: Prospect Park-as-Lab
Project Question: Throughout the course of the school year, earth science students at the Science, Technology and Research (STAR) Early College High School at Erasmus used Prospect Park as a lab for hands-on investigations centered around the earth science curriculum. Students learned process and procedure in the classroom and carry out inquiry-based research in nearby Prospect Park. Two yearlong studies of water quality and tree health provided students an opportunity to investigate more in-depth questions of change within the park over time; supplementing these studies were smaller experimental modules that compliment the core curriculum. Students developed skills in geospatial analysis using global positioning systems and geographic information systems. An anthropological focus was also introduced, encouraging students to examine not only their place in the community but the role of Prospect Park within the borough of Brooklyn as well as changes in the environment over time.
Posters presented at the Brooklyn College Science Research Day: download 2010 poster (PDF), download 2011 poster (PDF)
