4-H Science Experiment in the Classroom

On October 19 and 26 Angela McClure’s, 5th Grade Science students at Murphy Elementary School, participated in the 4-H National Youth Science Day experiment, 4-H2O.
In the 2010 4-H National Youth Science Day experiment, 4-H2O, youth will learn about carbon dioxide and discover how we as a nation can reduce our environmental impact. This experiment is designed to demonstrate the powerful effects of CO2 on animals, plants, and other living organisms whose habitats are our natural water sources.
Water quality is a term used to describe the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water. Today, as our population evolves, we face a growing concern that our sources of clean water are becoming contaminated by warming temperatures, carbon dioxide emissions and dangerous run off. These changes in the water quality affect not only our drinking water supply, but also the natural habitats of aquatic plants, animals and organisms.
Youth began the experiment through conducting a simple activity to understand how people increase the amount of CO2 building up in the atmosphere. Using a bromothymol blue indicator solution (BMB), youth blew into a BMB/water mixture to demonstrate the concept of CO2 gas; the students could visually see how CO2 levels can build-up in water by seeing how the indicator changed colors.
They continue the activity by introducing effervescent tablets into plastic sandwich bags in varying quantities to show how that CO2 expands in the earth’s atmosphere. The bags represent the earth’s ability to capture greenhouse gases. Youth then add the tablets to water to connect back how the BMB shows higher levels of CO2 in the tablet/water mix.
Lastly, youth took the above concepts and expand into a longer experiment that conceptualizes how algae use sun and the process of photosynthesis to grow. However, youth watch how higher levels of CO2 result in higher air temperatures and, in turn, cause higher levels of algae growth. The experiment, which takes anywhere from 1-5 weeks to observe, provided the students an added element to continue the discussion.
Using worksheets and online guides, the experiment then helped youth take the above activities and connect back to their lives by measuring their own carbon footprint, their family’s footprint, and estimate energy savings by looking at gas and electric bills. As the students calculated their carbon footprints -- like the kind we create with CO2 emissions from our cars, factories and power plants – the students will discover the impact these choices have on our water sources and our lives.