Having students in the field collecting data is an important and, I feel, vital way to learn science. This fieldwork allows students to see first-hand the impact they can have on the world. Thomas "Mac" McFeely City Day science teacher
On a mild morning earlier this fall, the sixth-grade scientists from Chicago City Day School discovered a dobsonfly larva living in the Chicago River.
Their teacher was both surprised and delighted. The dobsonfly is part of a group of invertebrates that is particularly vulnerable to pollution, and therefore rarely seen in the river.
"It was only the second time in more than 20 years that we've found that type of organism," City Day science teacher Thomas "Mac" McFeely said. "This is a good sign that efforts to improve the river are working."
City Day students work along the North Branch of the Chicago River each fall and spring, in partnership with the Friends of the Chicago River and the North Branch Restoration Project. The activities, which vary by grade, align closely with the school's science curriculum.
This fall, fourth-graders collected specimens of plants that live in the nearby Miami Woods prairie and then spread beneficial seeds to undergrown areas. Sixth-graders used nets to collect invertebrates that live in the river — this is how they discovered the dobsonfly larva — and then documented what they found. Seventh-graders measured the flow rate of the river, while eighth-graders collected samples of river water and analyzed them for nitrates, phosphates, and dissolved oxygen.
By doing this work, students develop a keen understanding of ecosystems and how different types of environments support and depend on one another. They also hone skills in collecting, interpreting, and presenting data. In the winter, City Day eighth-graders will present findings about the quality of the Chicago River at the annual Friends of the Chicago River Student Congress.
On a deeper level, the students develop a stronger sense of the relationship between human beings and the natural world — a sophisticated insight for elementary school students.
"Having students in the field collecting data is an important and, I feel, vital way to learn science," Mr. Mac said. "This fieldwork allows students to see first-hand the impact they can have on the world. Our finding the dobsonfly larva on the sixth-grade trip was a concrete example of that."
See below for more photos from this fall's Chicago River work.
- Interested in learning more about City Day and its service learning program? Attend an admissions event.
