Abstract
In partnership with the Virginia Council of Trout Unlimited, the trout in the classroom project stands as one of the longest running initiatives at Meridian High School, originating in 2009 and operating nearly every year since. This annual fall-through-spring project offers students the chance to raise brook trout from eggs to fingerlings. They monitor water quality, manage food intake, and track aquarium data. The project culminates in a field trip where students release the trout into a Shenandoah River tributary stream and conduct water sampling and biotic indices. The impact of this project on student learning has been significant, with students developing the ability to explain concepts, principles, and processes in their own words and then teach these to others. This cycle of peer teaching ensures the continuation of successful learning experiences in environmental education and marine science. The riparium project, a sister project to the trout in the classroom project, originated in 2022 and operates year-round. A riparium is a type of vivarium that typically depicts an environment where water meets land (riverbanks, streambanks, the shoreline of marshes and swamps or lakes), has minimal to no land parts, and replicates the shallow parts of natural bodies of water. The Meridian High School riparium attempts to replicate the ecosystems found in Tripps/Holmes Run, a first-order tributary of the Potomac River. The project has enhanced student attitudes and motivations. Students see themselves as part of something larger, develop a positive outlook on learning new things, and experience a sense of empowerment.
Presenters
Ray Wu RorrerEducator, Falls Church City Public Schools, Meridian High School / Mary Ellen H, Virginia, United States Peter Mecca
Adjunct Professor, Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, and Laboratory Management, School of Integrative and Professional Studies, University of Maryland Global Campus, Virginia, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Science, Mathematics and Technology Learning
KEYWORDS
STEM EDUCATION, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, SUSTAINABILITY, INTERDISCIPLINARY ECOLOGICAL PRACTICES, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
