In this session, participants will experience part of an NGSS-aligned unit
on wastewater testing and COVID-19. This six-lesson unit utilizing the 5E
learning approach was developed through the collaboration of educators,
engineers, scientists, medical doctors, and public health experts within an
NIH-funded project. Attendees will participate in the fourth lesson of the
sequence, entitled “H-Two-Poo.” Participants will first test the quality of
different water samples to answer the driving question “how do you know if water
is safe to use?” Participants will then learn about sources of wastewater,
methods of wastewater management, and the development of a wastewater testing
protocol to detect the presence of COVID-19. The experiences of high school
students and teachers who have participated in the implementation of this
phenomenon-based unit will be shared, including data from student surveys and
handouts, along with photos of field trips to the community wastewater treatment
facility.
TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will utilize science and engineering practices to collect and analyze water quality data. They will further learn how science and engineering have been used to develop wastewater testing techniques that inform public health decisions in our communities.
SPEAKERS:
Sahar Alameh (University of Kentucky: Lexington, KY), Jeff Chalfant (Missouri University of Science and Technology: Rolla, MO), Sagan Goodpaster (University of Kentucky: Lexington, KY)