Sample Schedule

This is a sample schedule that lays out a full research Project. We can do shorter programs that only includes some parts of the project such as: scientific question asking, scientific literacy, and in introduction to field methods.

Day 1: Question Asking

First, students are split into collaborative groups and are guided through writing a testable research question and hypothesis. Next, students use peer-reviewed scientific papers as evidence to support their claims. All groups will leave the session with a refined version of their research question and hypothesis. 

SEPs: Asking questions and defining problems. Planning and carrying out investigations. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. 

Day 2: Methods Development

Students develop a research proposal. The proposal guides students through method development. Afterward, students will construct a well thought out investigation for utilization in the field. 

SEPs: Developing and using models. Planning and carrying out investigations. Constructing explanations and designing solutions. 

Day 3: Field Day

This is an all day or ½ day activity. Students collect data at a field site near your school or on location in the Tahoe area. During this session, students are guided through field techniques and data collection. Then they will implement their research proposals to collect and analyze unique data sets. 

*Students bring their own lunch, snacks, and water.*

SEPs: Planning and carrying out investigations. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. Analyzing and interpreting data. 

Day 4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data

In this session, students analyze and graph their data. Afterward, a facilitated student discussion reviews the implications of their findings and construction of their scientific presentations begins. In addition, a digital office hour is provided after school hours as additional support for this process.

SEPs: Analyzing and interpreting data. Using mathematics and computational thinking. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. 

Day 5: Student Presentation Day

During student presentation day, we livestream and record the presentations to be posted on YouTube (public or private) to share with the school and parents. Each presentation will be followed by a short Q&A session from their classmates. Finally, students take the Headwaters post-program survey (about 10 minutes).

SEPs: Engaging in argument from evidence. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.

Parent Night

We encourage you to host the optional capstone for this project at your school: a parent night where students can present their research. This evening is essential in bridging the gap between student learning and parent involvement. 

The Parent Night Structure:

The parent night takes place at your school in the evening sometime after the final class period. Students and parents gather in a school classroom, cafeteria, or auditorium. Following a short introduction by the school and a Headwaters instructor, the students present individually to their parents kiosk-style, as they mingle around the room, like a science fair. (If you have small numbers you can have them give their talk to the whole audience).

In addition, we create question cards to hand out to the parents, so they have some ideas of what to ask the students about their projects as they watch the presentations.

If an in person parent night doesn’t work, we can live steam and record the students presentations during class so parents can login and the recording can be distributed to parents and students/school.

Biodiversity and Bioassessment

NGSS Corresponding Content: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystem

APES Corresponding Content: Unit 1: The Living World: Ecosystems, Unit 2: The Living World: Biodiversity

• What biotic and abiotic factors affect the plant, insect, and bird biodiversity around the field site?
• How can benthic macroinvertebrate and riparian bioassessments be used to monitor and design solutions to promote healthy waterways?

Environmental Chemistry

NGSS Corresponding Content: Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

APES Corresponding Content: Unit 1: The Living World: Ecosystems, Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution. 

• What factors drive changes in total dissolved solids, pH, nitrogen and phosphorus species in the waterways and wetlands?
• Recommended only for overnight programs – What factors affect nutrient cycling of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels in soil?

Human Impacts 

NGSS Corresponding Content: Human Sustainability and/or Earth and Human Activity

APES Corresponding Content: Unit 2: The Living World: Biodiversity, Unit 9: Global Change

• How does human activity affect water quality in waterways? What impact does this nonpoint-source pollution have on the ecosystem?
• How have human-driven abiotic (development) and biotic (invasive species) changes shaped habitats in urban areas?

Snow Science

NGSS Corresponding Content: Earth and Human Activity

APES Corresponding Content: Unit 5: Land and Water Use, Unit 9: Global Change

• Snow and Water Availability – How does the structure (temperature, crystal shape, and density) of the Sierra snowpack affect water availability in the state?
• Snow Melt Mechanics – How do albedo, aspect, and forest density affect rates of snowmelt?
• How does human activity affect snowmelt rates and runoff water quality in the Sierra?

Chemistry

• Water Chemistry – What factors drive changes in total dissolved solids, pH, hardness, and nitrogen species in the waterways and wetlands?
• Aquatic Nutrient Cycling – How do human, plant, and animal activities impact phosphate and different nitrogen species concentrations in waterways?
• Soil nutrient cycling – Recommended only for overnight programs – What factors affect nutrient cycling and availability of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels in soil?
• Rates of reactions – PS1.B: Chemical Reactions – How does temperature and/or anaerobic conditions affect rates of reactions in natural systems?

Weather

NGSS corresponding content: MS Weather and Climate and/or MS Earth’s Systems

• Differential heating and circulation patterns: ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes and ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
• Uneven heating of earth surfaces – How do different surfaces absorb heat differently causing changes to local air temperature? 
• Ocean Current Circulation – What factors cause ocean currents to move and what impact does this have on global weather patterns? 
• Air circulation patterns – How do differences in atmospheric pressure affect local weather?

Earth Science

NGSS corresponding content: Earth’s Systems

• Erosion and Sedimentation:
•  What factors affect rates of erosion and sedimentation around the field site?