Submitted by Lopez School

This year, the Lopez Island School District is partnering with several organizations to enhance and increase its science instruction.

Lopez-based Kwiàht continues its tradition since 2006 of providing hands-on experience in fieldwork and laboratory research to Lopez middle and high school students to complement classroom learning. This school year, Kwiàht’s activities with science teacher Jen Romo will run the gamut from measuring the strength of storms, to separating out the different pigments in plants using chromatography and spectrophotometry, and will include a fifth year of monitoring change in the chemistry and microbiology of Weeks Wetland, with results reported to the Lopez Village Planning Committee and the county storm water program.

For a third year, Kwiàht will also engage Lorri Swanson’s elementary school science classes in a major research project to acquaint them with scientific tools and experimental methods. The topics of the last two years were the ecology of light and importance of darkness in ecosystems; and the biological effects of strong magnetic fields.

This year, Kwiàht Botanist Madrona Murphy will meet weekly with grade three and five students to explore heredity and genetics through growing, cross-pollinating, selecting and grafting plants in the school greenhouse. Activities will also include extracting DNA, and using gel electrophoresis to confirm diversity and changes in the genes of plants such as mustards, peas, and apples. Ordinarily, students do not learn to do PCR and genotyping until they take advanced university courses, but Murphy says that elementary students have a better grasp of genetics and basic biology when they can carry out lab procedures themselves.

Principal Dave Sather also took notice saying, “Where else in the country do you have elementary kids doing lab work that other high schools don’t even try?”

The elementary looks forward to another year of studying marine invertebrates brought to us by the San Juan Nature Institute. This will also be the fifth year elementary students have raised salmon in the classroom. This opportunity is provided to us through both San Juan Nature Institute and Long Live the Kings salmon hatchery on Orcas Island. Having these opportunities provided for our students has made science exciting and tangible.

Marcia deChadenèdes of the Bureau of Land Management developed a grant in coordination with the San Juan Nature Institute allowing Lopez students to perform a baseline survey of the Chadwick Marsh.

“The San Juan Islands National Monument is thrilled to have this opportunity to work with the Lopez Island students. Chadwick Marsh is the perfect place for a ‘Hands On the Land Outdoor Classroom’ and an ideal location for budding scientists to get their hands dirty!” says deChadenèdes.

Sather is focused on increasing the school’s activities towards science, technology, engineering and math programs.

“There’s no doubt that last year’s budget reductions took a toll on how we approach technology, but training staff to embed technology into their classroom instruction is key and a step forward.” Sather went on to note that already the secondary is offering astronomy and calculus in conjunction with the University of Washington so that students can earn college credit. A new biology course is also in development for the spring that focuses around anatomy. A grant is also being pursued to develop an engineering class.

“We’re a small school doing big things” exclaimed Sather.