FHL Science Outreach Program (FHLSOP) Update
by Jenny Roberts, FHLSOP Program Director
Exciting FHLSOP Expansion!
New this year — Friday Harbor Labs Science Outreach Program staff, Jenny Roberts and Kari Koski, are excited to offer science outreach programs to groups outside its Partnership with the San Juan Island School District and Spring Street International School. For a fee, FHLSOP can design a program of activities to meet a visiting school’s interest and needs for as little as an hour or up to several days.
Two different off-island groups were thrilled to visit the Friday Harbor Labs this fall and winter to engage their students in hands-on science activities.
Fifty students from the International Community School of Kirkland, Washington spent half a day at FHL participating in a variety of activities. Students took a tour of the campus to learn about the different facilities and the range of research conducted here at FHL. Students were especially interested in learning about our new Ocean Acidification Lab and its findings. Students learned about and observed a variety of marine Salish Sea invertebrates in our sea tables. An important part of their observations of the live invertebrates was comparative analysis and developing an inquiry study question. Students also conducted a scavenger hunt of the submerged lab dock tires to observe the natural distribution and accumulation of marine alga and animals from San Juan Channel.
A smaller group of students from Jefferson School of Port Townsend, Washington spent a day at FHL to participate in the Invasive Mussel Project. The teacher chose this project because this was an opportunity to expose her students to biotechnology that she could not offer them. The students learned how to use micropipettes, electrophoresis chambers and interpret a stained electrophoresis gel. CSI at FHL!
Both groups were very pleased with their activities and visit. This is a great way to showcase FHL to potential future students, researchers and supporters. We are happy to report that we are expecting more visitors this upcoming spring.
Friday Harbor and Spring Street FHLSOP Programs
Locally, FHLSOP has been very busy engaging our partner school’s students in dynamic science activities in the classroom, field, and lab and aboard the UW R/V Centennial. Listed below are projects already completed and upcoming for this school year.
- FHES 1st Grade - The Scientific Inquiry/Investigation Loupe Project (magnify your world 5X) (Completed)
- FHES 2nd Grade – “Is it a Plant or an Animal?” Inquiry Lab (Upcoming)
- 3rd Grade – Meet the Marine Invertebrates (Completed)
- FHES 3rd Grade – Invasive Clam Dig (Upcoming)
- FHES 3rd Grade - “Diver for a Day” Activity on the R/V Centennial (Upcoming)
- FHES 4th Grade – Watersheds and Salmon Release (Upcoming)
- FHES 4th Grade – Eelgrass Beds, Fish Life Cycles and Beach Seine (Upcoming)
- FHES 5th Grade - Fall and Spring Water Quality Sampling in Friday Harbor Marina (Completed)
- SSIS 5th/6th Grade – Watershed Stream Surveys and Topographic Mapping (Completed)
- SSIS 5th/6th Grade – False Bay & Beaverton Valley Watershed Water Quality Sampling (Upcoming)
- FHES 6th Grade – Marine Invertebrate Expert Day (Upcoming)
- FHES 6th Grade - Soft Sediment & Rocky Shore Intertidal Ecosystem Surveys (Upcoming)
- FHMS 7th Grade - Gray Whale Project (Completed)
- FHMS 7th Grade – Whale Watch Adventure Day (Upcoming)
- FHMS 7th Grade & SSIS 8th Grade – Cheek Cell DNA Extraction Lab (Completed)
- SSIS 7th Grade – Benthic Macroinvertebrate Stream Sampling, Sorting and Identifying (Upcoming)
- FHMS 8th Grade – Student Designed Marine Biology Inquiry Labs & Field Experience Projects (Completed)
- SSIS 8th Grade – Know the Kelps and Alga Survey (Upcoming)
- FHHS Biology – The Invasive Mussel Project Biotechnology Labs (9 days) (Completed)
- SSIS Biology – Biotechnology Labs: Electrophoresis and PCR (Completed)
- FHHS Chemistry – Electrophoresis Exploration Labs (Upcoming)
Key: FH: Friday Harbor; ES: Elementary School; MS: Middle School; HS: High School; SSIS: Spring Street International School
The above listed hands-on, inquiry projects involve students in the process of science while fostering good stewardship of our marine and freshwater environments. For more information, please see the FHLSOP website.
To help support Friday Harbor Labs Science Outreach Program, it’s easy to donate online (keyword: FHLSOP). You may also contact Rachel Anderson at 206-616-0760 or rachelea@uw.edu.
Schools interested in visiting Friday Harbor Labs for activities and/or a tour can visit our website and contact Program Director, Jenny Roberts at fhlk12@uw.edu.
All photo credit goes to Jenny Roberts
