I started out our third week together by giving the BCE research team each their own field notebooks. They reminded me the week before that they wanted journals for sit-spot time, and although I want to make sure we work together to keep the official BCW field notebook up to date with all our data and observations, there are some basic skills that make sense for everyone to practice at the same time.
I suggested they all leave the first page blank to keep as an index as this allows them to put whatever warrants writing or drawing- from poetic inspirations to botanical drawings to temperature data all in the same book. Next, we practiced creating data tables for the water quality measurements we planned to make that day.
We had a pretty good idea about what data we planned to collect, but I wanted us to discuss what it means to ask a research question. Also: what is the difference between a research question and a hypothesis?
Fundamentally they aren’t that different, but after attending several science education workshops in recent years I have come to appreciate the value of phrasing your hypothesis in the form of a question. One of the tenets of science is furthering our knowledge of the world using unbiased, objective data. When we state a hypothesis, it’s easier to get caught up in the desire to prove our theory right than if we are simply trying to answer a question.
Understanding confirmation bias is a key critical thinking skill and one we can all fall victim to even when we know better! It’s human nature to look for evidence that supports what we already believe, but a good scientist is just as interested in mysterious or contradictory data as they are in results that support what they assume to be true.
I love fishing for the elements of an effective research question by asking some truly ridiculous ones. Are these good research questions?
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- How many pine needles are there at the Bear Creek Wilderness?
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- What is the age of every tree in the BCW, as determined by cutting each tree down and counting its rings?
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- Is this fern a beautiful shade of green?
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- How does the air temperature vary across three feet in the shaded woods?
Each of these questions fails one or more key aspects of a good research question: Is it: interesting, ethical, doable, and measurable? Can you figure out where these questions fall short?
Our question, however, passed the test. How does water quality vary between five locations: BC under the bridge, BC at the toilet bowl (see last week), the pond, the main camp stream, and the rain gauge as measured by: dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, nitrates and phosphorus?
After creating labels for all nine test tubes, we got to work collecting samples and recording data.
Once we had filled all nine test tubes and recorded dissolved oxygen, temperature and GPS coordinates, it was time for lunch. After hours of focus the kids had some fun eating and playing on the roof. I wish I could post video here- they choreographed a pretty impressive performance!
After lunch, it was time to add tablets to the test tubes, set a timer, and then shake shake shake!
It turns out you can dissolve water-quality tablets on a roof, in a tree…
… and in synchronized dance with your team!
Interpreting the results was a useful exercise in estimation and error bars. We did not all see the same thing, especially with the phosphates.
Once we’d recorded the last bit of data, we had limited time left- so I called science done for the day. Data analysis will happen next week.
We headed to the village for skill time: today it was blade sharpening.
I gave some pointers, suggestions, and important key concepts- but I believe everyone needs to find their own best method of putting metal to stone, and there’s no better way to do that than just doing it.
They stayed so focused on the sharpening task that once again there were only a few minutes left for free time and fort building. But even in that short time dead trees came down and walls continued to go up.
On the way out we stopped to investigate a tree in the meadow with cherry-like fruits hanging from it. I’m just recently becoming familiar with these crab apple trees and it’s amazing how similar the leaves look to the hawthorns that grow nearby. For many years I thought they were all hawthorns.
But thanks to these young researchers and their curious questions, I’m getting a better understanding of which trees grow where at the BCW. Can’t wait to examine our water quality results next week!
Any guesses as to what they will be?