The Piedmont Highlander

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The Piedmont Highlander

The Piedmont Highlander

AP Biology class travels to Marine Science Institute

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Water splashes around the canoe as a student leans over the side to gather samples of isopods from the marshy landscape near  the Marine Science Institute.

Shelley Seto-Rosen’s AP Biology class traveled on Tuesday, Oct. 13 to the Marine Science Institute (MSI) to enrich their understanding of ecosystems.

Seto-Rosen, a former employee at MSI, decided this hands on experience would be engaging and informative for her students.AP Bio Trip 2 Taken by Courtney Gao

“There’s no substitute for going and seeing it [the ecosystem] for real and observing,”  Seto-Rosen said. “It’s an intense class so I also want it to be fun.”

The students traversed onto the water in canoes to get a closer look at the water snails, birds, and fish. This hands on experience helped students see the bigger picture of how the organisms’ interactions provoke the longevity of their ecosystem.

“Being out in the ecosystems and seeing them first hand was really great as it enforced the last few labs we had been performing in class,” junior Caroline Dunlap said.

The trip was customized and personalized for Piedmont High School, which allowed the AP Biology students to go more in depth with their research.

The students took hydrology tests to not only judge the quality of the water in the ecosystem they observed, but also the quality of life in the ecosystem. It let the students explore outside as a group instead of attempting to absorb the information on their own.

Photos and videos could be presented in class to the students, but it would not be the same, Seto said.

In addition, the students tested salinity, pH level and certain levels of nutrients, such as phosphates and nitrates.

The meaning behind the field trip was so the students could return to it later and feel more engaged in the information. It was also an opportunity to bond as a class.

“This trip compliments my understanding of ecosystems by letting me see one in action, as opposed to just looking at words and pictures in a book,” junior Joseph Chu said.

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