Archive of Spotlight Feature Articles

By Bruce Munson

"Thank you for the wonderful data and project….This project puts symmetry on the year for us. They (the students) have to use the chemistry they know and some they don't know. They have to analyze data. They don't have obvious answers. I tell them I don't know. I tell them to tell me. They have to look at data and figure out how much is necessary. They really wanted to get to the data immediately. The focus and quiet as they delve into the data and resources is great." --Ilona Rouda, Chemistry Teacher, The Blake School, Minneapolis, MN.

"Water on the Web is amazing. It has so much to offer. When you are watching the dynamic nature of a lake using the WOW data visualization tools, it is like watching an organism breathe. . .the lessons and resource materials available through the Web site make limnology accessible to all science teachers and students." --Charles Goldman, Professor, University of California-Davis

These are the responses from teachers who use Water on the Web, an award-wining, internet-based, science curriculum project initiated by funding from the National Science Foundation and coordinated by University of Minnesota Sea Grant staff.

As teachers and scientists, the Water on the Web development team is committed to encouraging students to learn real science through inquiry and hands-on experiences. At the same time, we recognize it is difficult for teachers to get their classes outdoors for field studies as often as they would like. Recent advances in technology provide us with an opportunity to bring water quality studies into the classroom on a continuing, near real-time basis.

There is an ever-increasing number of Web sites providing science curriculum materials, but Water on the Web (WOW) is unique. Water on the Web is an expansive, integrated, and dynamic site that provides water quality data, advanced tools to analyze the data, curriculum materials for students and teachers, and a rich body of interpretive materials, web links, and other supporting materials.

A Data Hose
The focus for Water on the Web is a constant stream of near real-time water quality data provided through state-of-the-art environmental monitoring technologies. In fact, the scientists involved with the project refer to it not as a "data stream," but a "data hose." Through this data, students are immediately connected with the real world and real scientific problems.

Students and teachers use the Water on the Web in a variety of ways. Students can learn and apply basic science concepts through directed study and inquiry lessons. The WOW resources serve as a launching point for self-directed student inquiry into the messy and unexpected water quality relationships found in real, complex environmental systems. Real-time remote sensing technology, GIS, data visualizations, computer-supported data management and analysis, and the Internet make the WOW site a complex, diverse, yet easy-to-use resource.

The following sections expand on some of the unique resources available through Water on the Web.

Remote Underwater Sampling Stations

The technology supporting Water on the Web fascinates many students. The entire Water on the Web site is based on water quality measurements provided by Remote Underwater Sampling Stations (RUSS) units. This patented, advanced-technology remote sensing system was developed at the Natural Resources Research Institute of the University of Minnesota Duluth, in cooperation with a number of departmental and commercial partners. It is now produced commercially by Apprise Technologies, Inc.

The solar-powered RUSS gathers water quality measurements using a free-floating leveling device and sensor unit controlled by an on-board computer and communications package. The RUSS is programmed to sample at intervals in the water column, providing a water quality profile of the sampled lake. The data are then transmitted back through University of Minnesota computers and posted on the Water on the Web site.

The RUSS units currently sample five critical water quality parameters: pH, conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and temperature. The data is stored in a variety of ways. The data can be accessed with a variety of tools, from simple visual inspection of the raw data, to analysis by standard spreadsheet and statistical software, to advanced analytical and visualization tools.

RUSS units are currently deployed in four Minnesota lakes, representing a wide range in size, morphometry, depth, and seasonal dynamics. Ice Lake is a small (16 ha area, 16 m depth) lake in a residential district of Grand Rapids, MN. Grindstone Lake is located in a rural area and is, in contrast, nearly 50 m deep and supports both warm and cold-water fisheries. Three units are located in the suburban Minneapolis region, two in contrasting bays of Lake Minnetonka (thanks to a related grant from the US EPA EMPACT program), and one in the largely agricultural watershed of Lake Independence. The differences in size, morphometry, and surrounding land use among these lakes provide a unique opportunity to compare and contrast fine-scale temporal dynamics in water quality variables.

WOW Data and Tools
WOW is based on real scientific data. Quality control protocols are used to monitor and maintain the quality of the WOW data. Unlike canned data sets created to support a curriculum, WOW data reflect the realities and complexities of real ecosystems. This means the data often do not fit students' or teachers' preconceived ideas of how a lake behaves.

The WOW water quality data is provided in several different formats in the "Data" section of the Web site. Raw data for a lake can be viewed in an archived data set. Weekly data sets can also be downloaded and reviewed in Excel workbooks. The Excel workbooks also include graphing templates that can assist students in plotting and understanding selected data.

However, for many students it is difficult to see and interpret patterns in numerical data. For this reason, WOW offers interactive data visualization tools. Some teachers use these data visualization tools to motivate students through questions while illustrating trends or relationships among the data. Other teachers have students explore the data using the visualization tools.

The color mapper is an example of one of the WOW visualization tools. The color mapper allows students to view a sequence of lake water quality profiles while exploring the possible relationships between two water quality variables. With this tool, students can see how a graph superimposes on a color-coded profile. For example, look at the color profile and plot below. Notice how the color-coding reinforces the changes in temperature in the same region that the dissolved oxygen level is changing rapidly. If students understand that gas solubility increases as the temperature of water decreases, the color mapper raises questions for further inquiry.

Real Understanding
Students need background information and a context for understanding scientific data. WOW provides an extensive set of resources to aid student in this area. These resources can be found under the heading "Understanding" at the Web site.

In "The Lakes" section of the Web site students find background information about the lake, its watershed, and its behavior during the period of sampling. This type of information is essential as students make predictions about lake behavior as they explore WOW data.

A "Lake Ecology Primer" is also included in this section of the site. The primer provides a context for understanding water quality parameters and how they relate to each other. Lake ecology information is provided from physical, chemical, and biological perspectives. This important resource offers illustrations and links to other sites that help students grasp the science concepts that provide a basic understanding of lake ecology.

A complementary section describes the fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), a computerized mapping technology that allows students to make relationships between activities which occur within a watershed (e.g. agricultural land use, commercial development) and water quality. The GIS resource section uses ESRI's Internet Map Server@ (IMS) technology to allow students to work interactively with maps through their internet browser.

In a section on "The RUSS" units, students are provided with an introduction to the WOW water quality measurements, reporting limits, and instrument accuracy. For students who are unfamiliar with water quality, a synopsis is presented for each RUSS measurement. The summary explains why the parameter is important, describes why there may be natural variations in the measurements of this parameter, and suggests how measurements of this parameter may be affected by human activities.

A glossary provides definitions of complex scientific terms. All glossary terms are linked to definitions throughout the Web site. In addition, some terms are linked to pop-up explanations so students do not have to navigate to the glossary and then back to the text.

WOW Curriculum
The WOW lesson plans continue to grow as a collection of individual, yet integrated, lessons designed to enrich and enhance student learning in general science courses. At this time, twenty-six lessons and three tutorials are presented on thirteen primary topics. The lessons for students and lesson plans for teachers unify the use of the resources available on the Web site. Teachers are almost certain to find a WOW lesson they can infuse into their curriculum that illustrates or applies a basic science concept.

The WOW lessons are organized according to a sequence of six components that are critical to improving scientific and technological literacy: knowledge base, experimental design, data collection, data management and analysis, interpretation of results, and reporting results. Using this format for scientific inquiry, teachers guide students through directed study or inquiry lessons depending on the students' abilities and the curriculum.

How are the lessons being used? Emailed notes and phone calls suggest that the WOW lessons and Web site are being used in a variety of ways. One teacher used a WOW tutorial and lessons so students learn and practice working with spreadsheets. Another teacher adapted a lesson on fish stocking to illustrate that organisms (fish) are limited by environmental factors. Three other teachers used a WOW lesson on data interpretation as a focus for students to carry out an inquiry project, resulting in scientific poster presentations. Other teachers pick ideas from the lessons and Web site, then create their own lessons based on the WOW data and resources.

WOW is Real
If you can't take your students to a lake every day, but you want them to do real science with real data, Water on the Web may be the answer to your needs. Teachers are recognizing many benefits for their students by using Water on the Web. Students enhance their knowledge of basic science concepts and their knowledge of the biological, chemical, and physical systems of lakes. Through WOW lessons students also develop and improve their skills in data analysis and interpretation, using computer technologies, and summarizing and presenting scientific information. Through Water on the Web, science moves out of the classroom and becomes real. WOW facilitates students learning to apply reasoning skills to real-world issues as they work with the complexities of real scientific data.

Suggested Readings
Barrie, J.M. and Presti, D.E. (1996). The World Wide Web as an instructional tool. Science 274(5286): 371.

Franseth, S. and Poppe, B. (1996). Internet Activities Using Scientific Data (2nd ed.). Space Environmental Center Publication: ISBN-O-16-045541-3. Washington, DC: Department of Commerce/NOAA.

Lockard, J., Abrams, P.D., and Many, W.A. (1994). Microcomputers for Twenty-First Century Educators (3rd ed.). New York: Harper Collins.

Peterson, A. (1996). Research, education, and America's future. Science 274(5285): 159.

Riley, R.W. (1995-96, Winter). Connecting classrooms, computers, and communities. Issues in Science and Technology, 49-52.

Rohwedder, W.J. and Alm, A. (1994). Using Computer in Environmental Education: Interactive Multimedia and On-line Learning. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan School of Natural Resources.

Wolf, K. (1996). Real time monitoring makes progress on Web. U.S. Water News 13(5): 16.

A similar version of this article appeared in ENC Focus, 7(3): 30-32.

Water on the Web is supported in part through the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technology Education Program under grant # NSF/DUE 9752017. We also acknowledge support in part from the Environmental Protection Agency's EMPACT program, through our Lake Access project, an effort to bring RUSS data and interpretive information to the public. Lake Access a partnership with the Suburban Hennepin Regional Park District.

[11/20/00]

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