Imagine being an English Language Arts teacher surrounded by experienced science teachers across the United States, and Master Degree candidates and a Doctor to study water contamination, and the soon-to-be extinct salamander, Axolotl, in the canals outside of Mexico City! Quite an experience, but one I am fortunate to have to integrate my ELA curriculum with my school's science teacher. Sadly, I had not had any science classes since my high school days, so going out into the field to observe, take samples and analyze them right there in the field is teaching me so much. Our days start out with a bumpy ride out to the fields or chinampas (land) surrounded by canals. Armed with buckets, strainers, and different types of scientific equipment that I'm just learning about (!) we lower buckets in to the canals to get 10 liters of water that is poured into a long strainer with a collection cylinder. Sound easy? No! We have to be very careful not to slide off the slippery bank into the canal. (Not everyone was so lucky!) A quick swim in stagnant canal water is not a great way to spend a sunny day. First lesson of science: Be safe and watch each other's backs when conducting experiments.
Luckily, the experts are great at explaining each step to me. We rotate tasks, so we get a wonderful range of experiments. Several test spots are selected, and under a beautiful sky, we gathered samples. Many samples! If I thought revising an essay was tough for my students, I soon realized that the amount of samples needed for reliable results is massive! Next step, analyzing our results right there out in the field. I can't think of a better lab than the great outdoors to learn about our planet and what we need to be good stewards. I can hardly wait to see what results will reveal. Brenda
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