Las Lomas High School

AP Environmental Science students ( ~120 ) at Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, CA will be using dissolved oxygen meters for multiple experiments. These instruments will be used to measure net primary productivity of aquatic plants. With this research lab they will study if the water has the conditions for producers to capture and transform energy into a form that can be transferred to consumers. This lab is part of the AP Biology course and can be used by about 60 more students and the same dissolved oxygen meters will also be used for two other AP Environmental Science lab investigations -- the eco column lab and water quality lab. Eco columns help in understanding the interaction between the different components of ecosystems. Water quality labs are important for analyzing local water samples and this research will enable students to develop a sense of belonging in our community and be responsible in maintaining quality of local ecosystem. The grant will fund the purchase of a class set of eight dissolved oxygen meters.