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Water Monitoring in schools and Montana Science standards
Monitoring can and should be a positive experience for you and your students. As educators, you get to help students experience how water quality studies are designed and implemented. Students can transfer these skills to any scientific endeavor. Students also get their hands in on collecting scientific data. Natural extensions from this process include:
graphing
making inferences
writing reports
making presentations on findings
Montana Science Content and water monitoring connections (word doc of this information)
(Science Content Std.1) Design, conduct, evaluate and communicate scientific investigations
Grade 8
o Select and use appropriate equipment to measure, gather, process and analyze data
o Communicate and defend results
Grade 12
o Represent results of investigations mathematically and graphically
o Question conclusions with insufficient supporting evidence; recognize results are always open to revision by further experiments

(Science Content Std. 3) Demonstrate knowledge of characteristics, structures and function of living things, the process and diversity of life and how living organisms interact with each other and their environment
Grade 8
o Investigate and explain the interdependent nature of biological systems in the environment and how they are affected by human interaction
o Use a basic classification scheme to ID local plants and animals
Grade 12
o Predict and model the interaction of biotic and abiotic factors which limit populations and contribute to the change of a species over time (evolution/adaptation)
o Apply a biological classification scheme to infer and discuss the degree of species divergence using local ecosystems (a place to use invertebrates!)

(Science Content Std. 5)Understand how scientific knowledge and technological developments impact society
Grade 8
o Investigate local problems and/or issues and propose solutions or products that address a need
o Apply scientific knowledge and process skills to understand issues

Additional points on using aquatic invertebrates as teaching tools:
Use them to study adaptations - invertebrates have such a WIDE variety
Students develop observation skills
Students practice good notekeeping, data recording and following ID keys for zoology or taxonomy
Students get real-world ecology lessons (the study of the interaction between living and non-living things)
Art - form following function, invertebrates as inspiration for water colors (River of Words inspiration)
Writing
Technical writing to communicate science study results
Poetry inspiration
Creative writing and storytelling (a day in the life...)

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