Return to Project List The Point Arena High School Aquatic Research Center Applicant and/or teacher sponsor: Ben Angwin, Connor Angwin, Joe Henry, Mr. Jurist Student Groups /Teachers/ Community Members/ Partnerships Involved: Point Arena Advanced Science Class Point Arena High Student Body Mendocino High School Laytonville High School Anderson Valley High School Horicon School Manchester, Kashia, GATE and Arena Elementary School Any other schools or groups showing interest in this project are also more than welcome Mr. Steve Jurist Ann Slattery The Gualala Steelhead Project Department of Fish and Game GATE Program at Arena Elementary Number of students affected: Approximately 2,450 Length of project: 1997-98 school year and many years to come 1. Brief description of the project: This project is a reproduction of the local Garcia and Gualala River habitats. It consists of a tank that is eight feet long, two feet deep and eighteen inches wide. The first 4 1/2 feet is a one foot deep river run area. The tank is then divided by a waterfall which flows into a 3 1/2 foot long and eighteen inch deep pond area. Some experiments that may be conducted in this tank could have to do with fish development of the effects of water flow on certain areas of a river. This tank will contain many of the creatures found in our local river systems including crayfish, trout and various aquatic plants. This tank is for the use of any students interested in learning more about our local aquatic environment. 2. Connections How does the project connect with our theme of people, history, and place? How does the project interact with the community? How will you evaluate or assess the community impact? How does the project connect with other NCRCN sites? It will allow people to learn more about what is around them and increase environmental awareness. The project will interact with the Gualala Steelhead project, Department of Fish and Game and other organizations to reach into the community for information, and provide information for them in return. The project will be assessed by keeping track of the number and nature of projects and people that make use of the tank. The Center will be open to all NCRCN members and sites to gather information from and use for learning new things about our environment. 3. Student Learning How will the project improve student learning? How will you evaluate or assess what students have learned? What kind of data will you collect? Will you have an Action Research question? How will students be involved in the evaluation of the project? How does the project invite student planning/student choice? How will students share their project and learning with others at their own site, other sites or within the community? Will your project have a service learning component? If so please describe. Students will have access to a hands-on approach to learning about the local river habitats. Students will gain an increased awareness of the environment around them and the ecosystems in that environment. Students will also be able to see the effects of certain environmental problems in a classroom setting. Students will be able to learn, and form their own opinions about issues affecting river habitats. We will communicate with classes in other schools through video teleconferencing, and share the information with anybody who is interested. We will also use the center as a learning tool for the Arena Elementary GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) program, for whom we now give an annual workshop. 4. Support What kind of support would you like from the coordinator/TSA? What kinds of funds will you need for the project? Please supply a general budget. (Staff development, release time for planning, transportation, materials.) What other sources might provide additional funding for the project? Arranging the teleconferencing with other NCRCN sites. Arranging with local service groups for presentations. Arranging media contacts. We would like support from contacts in the community, other schools and other organizations that might be helpful to make the research Center a reality and a success. General Budget: We require approximately $1000 to finance the construction and maintenance of the Aquatic Research Center. This includes: Filtration System $300 Various and sundry pumps $200 Raw materials for building the tank $300 General maintenance costs over time $200 (General maintenance would include the cost of the fish, fish provisions, materials for any repairs needed and materials for habitat design.) Other sources for possible aid would possibly be Fish and Game, Point Arena High School Booster Club, School Site Council or other community donations. Project funded for $600.