Stream to Table Student-Centered STEM Workshop

The Stream to Table STEM Workshop engages students in exploring where their drinking water comes from and the journey it takes from a stream to your table. Through hands-on activities, students investigate water quality and learn about the process of treating water using mechanical steps like filtration and exploring chemical and biological processes necessary to make clear water safe to drink. Students will learn about the concept of watersheds, their local watershed, and their responsibility for water stewardship. Students will walk away with practical insights into how they fit in the greater watershed and how both nature and water treatment plants make the water flowing in our streams safe for us to drink. 

Module 1:
Mechanical Separation: Using Common Materials to Clarify Water 
Participants will investigate and quantify local watershed water samples, simulating waterway conditions. This involves measuring water quality benchmarks like turbidity and pH. Using a do-it-yourself 3-stage water filter, the module provides a hands-on introduction to understanding and initial treatment of local water. This step focuses on making water "Dirty → Clear" through mechanical processes.  

Module 2:  
Water Processing: Investigating Chemical and Biological Processes 
This module delves into advanced water treatment processes available to communities, from disaster relief scenarios to established treatment plants. Key topics may include disinfection and adsorption, and using microscopes. The session also explores the dual nature of bacteria in water treatment, highlighting how they can be both helpful and harmful throughout the process. This stage moves water from "Clear → Clean" through chemical and biological steps. 

Module 3: 
Human Interactions: How Water Treatment Can Give Us Insights into Our Communities 
The Human Interactions module focuses on watershed networks and related issues of stewardship and social impact. Students will learn about their own local watershed and the path that water takes to and from their community. They will engage in hands-on activities that challenge them to consider their social responsibility in the watershed network, factors that affect how and where water flows, and explorations of landscape topography. 

Program logistics:

  • STEM Workshops can accommodate one to three full classes (90 students).
  • The Science Discovery team will arrive at your school the evening before, or early the morning of programs to set up all teaching materials and activities.
  • The workshop can run in a single, or multiple classrooms.
  • Ideally, two and three-class workshops will have access to an auditorium or multipurpose room for a group introduction and wrap-up activities.
  • Programming can accommodate full-day and period-based schedules with three 45-75 minute modules.
  • Sample schedule (75-minute modules):
    • 9-9:45am: Introduction
    • 9:45-11am: Module One
    • 11-11:45am: Lunch
    • 11:45am-1pm: Module Two
    • 1-1:15pm: Break
    • 1:15-2:30pm: Module Three
    • 2:30-3pm: Wrap-Up

Intrigued by this topic but looking for a different format? Consider Science Discovery's Immersive Professional Development STEM Experiences - a unique PD model featuring day-long, activity-based programs for teams composed of one teacher and five students.

For additional information or to begin planning your Stream to Table STEM Workshop, contact us via email.