Sleuthing the Slough: Engaging (and Managing) Schoolwide Authentic Science in K-6 Students, a Ten-Year Study

Authors: Brannan, Tori L., Salcha Elementary School/FNSBSD Retired; Jonas, Jenna, Tanana Valley Watershed Association; Brannan, Teslin R., Ben Eielson High School/FNSBSD; Buffington, Christina, University of Alaska Fairbanks

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Abstract

When a multi-million dollar bridge and levee project on the Tanana River cut off the head of Piledriver Slough, the rural community of Salcha grew concerned about its health and fish populations. An authentic, ten-year scientific study ensued when the local K-6 elementary school was asked to partner with the Tanana Valley Watershed Association to study the impact of the new infrastructure on the slough, a local food source for Arctic grayling, salmon, and burbot. Staff, students, partners, and community members came together in 2012 to train in water quality and fish survey protocols, map curriculum, and develop programmatic and structural supports for a longitudinal K-6 school-wide study. These partnerships, training, and immersion into citizen and community science spurred the three times a year, decade-long study of eight sites along five miles of slough, opening pathways for our diverse learners in future STEM careers. Kindergarten through sixth-grade students and alumni collected data, studied outcomes, presented findings, and received recognition in local media, school and regional science fairs, state-wide art contests, regional student research symposiums, international scientific publications, and even the 2022 AGU Fall Meeting. Engaging and sustaining young learners ages 5-12 in outdoor conditions while collecting 1200 data points over multiple years at sites miles from the school required extensive logistical planning, flexibility, and revision. Successfully doing so has taught our young scientists the importance of their voice and stewardship of the lands and waters, leading to additional grants, paid seasonal work for elementary alumni, the pursuit of post-secondary STEM education, and a generation of young people who are invested in science and their community.

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