4th Grade Stream Study

Grantee: Northern Lebanon School District – Fredericksburg, PA

Project Title: Fourth Grade Stream Study

Grant Type: ecoSolution

Description: With a grant from the Captain Planet Foundation, the Northern Lebanon School District (NLSD) in Fredericksburg, PA was able to provide a meaningful outdoor environmental experience for every fourth-grade student in the district (168 students). The most integral part of this experience is a day-long watershed awareness activity focusing on water quality, human impact and the role of plants and animals within the local watershed (Swatara Creek).

Students were instructed on how to measure water quality, learned what affects water quality, and discovered what can be done to improve the water quality of the stream they studied. All fourth-grade students from the four elementary schools in the district participated in this activity at Levitz Memorial Park and the local stream. Eight fourth grade teachers accompanied the students, and the day’s activities were orchestrated by Ms. Ronda Sowers (a current high school biology teacher) and Mr. Jim Logan (a retired biology teacher). Parents volunteered as chaperons and high school biology students also mentored their younger counterparts to gather and assess specimens from the stream.

The Northern Lebanon School District plans to continue to provide the stream study experience to all fourth-grade students. They are convinced of the worthiness of the project and will continue to seek community and grant support.

For more information about this project, contact:
Melissa McInerney, Principal and Grant Coordinator
Northern Lebanon School District
40 Fisher Avenue
Jonestown, PA  17038
717-865-4012
mmcinerney@norleb.k12.pa.us