Water C.O.P.S

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WATER C.O.P.S. “ Clean Out Pollution” Stewards, is a a hands on, project based approach to learning about the water cycle, our water shed, and its impact on our lives. We are fortunate that our school grounds are just a small hike away from Walnut Creek. Our classroom takes weekly hikes observing and learning about the biodiversity in our area.This project expands upon this by providing our student’s the opportunity to analyze the water quality of our river and other Austin creeks.

The overarching purpose of this project is to provide a fun, hands-on approach to learning science and math, specifically as it relates to water, by empowering students to implement instruction learned in the classroom. More importantly, it provide our students a connection with a vital element that has historically been taken for granted and which is becoming exceedingly scarce, especially in drought ridden areas such as Texas.

After learning about our specific water shed and to build upon the student’s initial analysis, our class took a field trip to local water shed, Barton and Eliza Springs, which is conserved by the City of Austin. Students assessed the location, possible pollutants, and tested the water quality. They plotted their results and contrasted the observations between both watersheds. This gave them a comparison of the varying pollutants and watershed conditions across the city of Austin and surrounding area.

Ultimately, the goal was to increase awareness and become active stewards of our precious water resources by getting immersed in understanding the watershed in our neighborhoods. By visiting ground water sites, testing and recording the water quality of our school creek and local springs, and by actively involving students, families and our community in the cleaning, protection and restoration of our creeks we can become WATER C.O.P.S!