SOURCE TO SOUND: CONNECTING WITH THE RIVER – A DATA RICH WEBSITE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL THROUGH COLLEGE EARTH SCIENCE EDUCATION

We have created a data-rich website (http://condor.wesleyan.edu/soconnell/ctriver) that displays information about the Connecticut River, with an emphasis on Connecticut. Users may select maps and aerial photographs, USGS hydrographic and water chemistry data, our own water quality, and historic photographs. Our water quality data has been collected by YSI probes attached to four bridges in the Hartford area. Every fifteen minutes the probes measure temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (mg/L and % saturation), turbidity, and conductivity. This data is available for late July through November 2002, and May through November 2003. Online graphs are available and the data can be downloaded.

We have worked with middle and high school teachers to develop exercises that will allow them to more easily incorporate information about the Connecticut River, especially our the water quality data, into their curriculum. There are at least two benefits to this. First, students in many classes make discrete measurements of the water quality parameters we are measuring. Our data allows them to put their discrete measurements into a larger context, both seasonal and diurnal. It also enables them to look at relationships between different measurements and observe the effect, if any, of flowing by a medium size city (1.2 million people). Second, many teachers are not aware of, or do not know how to access USGS hydrologic or water chemistry data. By providing this data at our site and in the context of student exercises developed with teachers, we increase the likelihood of the data being used to educate students, future taxpayers and voters.