Scientific Inquiry in the Big Bend Region of Texas

Winter Term provided a unique opportunity to apply the principles of scientific inquiry to a field-based experiment. Eight students joined the course and, with guidance provided by Mr. Matt Maloney and Mr. Russ Glenn, created and carried out their own experiments in either the Davis Mountains or Big Bend National Park. Students spent the first week of Winter Term on campus learning field techniques for gathering data, coming up with their questions, performing background research, learning how to craft a hypothesis, and creating experimental procedures. Students tackled the following experiments during the course: (Click Read More Link)
  • How does water quality differ between SMCA, Davis Mountain State Park, and Big Bend National Park as indicated by pH, phosphate, oxygen, and nitrate levels and biotic index?
  • How does altitude affect temperature variations throughout the course of the day?
  • How does the circumference and height of the Ocotillo plant vary at different altitudes?
  • How does the biodiversity of surface invertebrates differ from the day to the night?
  • How does plant type impact transpiration rates in Big Bend National Park?
  • In addition to carrying out their experiments, students visited the McDonald Observatory and hiked to the hot springs in Big Bend National Park. They camped out for four nights and enjoyed seeing the stars, the Milky Way, Saturn, Mars, and Venus in the sky.
Students were planning to present their findings from 2:00pm-3:30pm on Friday, January 22, in the Upper Commons.
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