Ms. Alejandra Guzman, a Secondary Science Strategist for Los Fresnos CISD in Texas, shared her recent experience with Project Based Learning (PBL) in the Design-It-Clean Challenge. In this dynamic end-of-year project, students are challenged to create a water filtration device that is efficient, affordable, and sustainable. Students also create websites and marketing materials in order to promote their product at a school showcase that is open to the public. Teachers, district employees, and community members attend the event and act as judges and stakeholders.

This challenge takes approximately two and a half weeks to complete and is a great way for chemistry teachers to cover and review topics such as matter, wavelength, physical and chemical changes, solutions, and acid and base reactions. Throughout a prototyping process, students use pH Sensor, Conductivity Probe, Turbidity Sensor, Dissolved Oxygen Probe, Ammonium Ion-Selective Electrode, and Nitrate Ion-Selective Electrode to collect data from their water samples.

To learn how Vernier sensors could enhance the student’s experience with the project, teachers completed a training with a Vernier workshop presenter at the school. More information about Vernier workshops at your school and other training options are available.

You can read more about this PBL project in Ms. Guzman’s article “Understanding our World through PBL” in the August 2017 issue of TechEdge (Alejandra Guzman, TechEdge 2017, 3, 17–19).