INCORPORATING A GROUNDWATER MONITORING PROJECT INTO AN INTRODUCTORY GEOLOGY LABORATORY CLASS

Getting students involved in relevant work is a challenge. Introductory geology laboratories, especially at the Community College level, are usually based on practical or hands on examples of the material covered during lecture sessions. Most students are non geology majors, taking the course as a science based elective. Field trips must be completed within the allowed laboratory class time. Groundwater contamination is a very serious problem in this country and Central New York in particular. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has listed 518 inactive hazardous waste sites throughout the state which pose a threat to human health or the environment, 64 in Region 7, which encompasses 8 counties in central New York. Having students participate in a groundwater investigation will enable them to gain a better understanding of the procedures that are involved in a hazardous waste site remediation project. The Cortland Salt Storage area is part of the Rosen Site, an Inactive Hazardous Waste Site on the National Priorities List, which provided a perfect example for exposing students to these procedures. Students did not realize that some monitoring wells were not in the best condition, that accessibility was sometimes limited and that some monitoring wells could not even be located. Students collected groundwater elevation, temperature, pH and conductivity measurements in the field. They then used the three-point problem to work out the groundwater flow direction and hydraulic gradient. Student interest in the class increased after being involved in a research based learning assignment project. Student comments about the exercise included “I feel like a scientist”, “I feel like I’m actually working”, “So this is what it’s really like”. Recent work has shown that students engaged in research based activities are more likely to continue their education by earning higher level degrees. Some students stated that they would take another geology/environmental class.