SOLA3 sponsored an exploratory study of Silver Lake, located just behind Rehoboth Elementary School, the morning of June 5. Jacquie Kisiel, a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching finalist, brought her fifth-grade classes to the environmental learning center to examine and contrast samples from the polluted Silver Lake and a clean water source. AARON MUSHRUSH PHOTOS
SOLA3 volunteer Rick Hardy holds up the species list to help the students identify what they have found in each water sample. Shown clockwise from left are Jamie Celano, Mason Behringer, Jeremiah Radcliffe, Amare Cherry, Hardy, Giuliana Fitzgerald and Gio’Vanni Sauls.
Rick Hardy explains that the three bodies of fresh water, Silver Lake, Lake Gerar and Lake Comegys, were created by glaciers long ago. Students learned that Silver Lake is the closest lake to the Atlantic Ocean on the United States’ East Coast. 
Envirotech’s Todd Fritchman said an inquiry activity aims to get kids to start asking questions. Students were presented with polluted Silver Lake and clean water samples to explore. Using spoons, they sifted through the Silver Lake samples to try and find the life visible in the clean water sample. Identification charts were available and observations were recorded.
Students found species like the mayfly nymphs in the clean-water sample, indicating a healthy body of water. They were also able to see how clear a quality water source can be.
In addition to several snails, students found true flies (mosquitos, black flies, horseflies, etc.). They are tolerant of poor conditions and are a sign of fouled water.
Todd Fritchman, president of Envirotech Environmental Consulting Inc., talks to the 10 a.m. class about the kind of exploration and research they will be doing with the water samples.
Among the organisms found in the clean water sample were a tadpole, crayfish and damselfly nymphs indicating a healthy aquatic ecosystem.
Some students dug right in while others observed and reported what was found in each water sample. Shown are (l-r) Andrew Nguyen, Luisa Ramos Siquina, Ben Rutkowski, Abby Schwartz, Juelle Finney, Abigail Rausch, Luke Little and Ethan Roswell-Monack.
Todd Fritchman, an environmental professional and aquatic biologist, shows Elijah Ortiz a leach found in one of the samples. 
Showing their teachers one of the organisms they found are (l-r) Addison Zaniewski, Raina Passwaters and Meryl Smith.
Rehoboth Elementary science teacher Jacquie Kisiel helps her students as they explore the water samples. 
A predaceous diving beetle larva was found in one of the samples. The adults, like the larva, cannot breathe underwater. They hunt below the surface by trapping air beneath it’s wings and using the bubble similar to a scuba tank.
Apple Yeuyi Wang, right, was the spokesperson for her group, discussing findings with her class and the scientists. Justin Carter, left, and Nolan Jones, listen to their lab partner.
SOLA3 sponsored an exploratory study of Silver Lake, located just behind Rehoboth Elementary School, the morning of June 5. Jacquie Kisiel, a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching finalist, brought her fifth-grade classes to the environmental learning center to examine and contrast samples from the polluted Silver Lake and a clean water source. AARON MUSHRUSH PHOTOS
SOLA3 volunteer Rick Hardy holds up the species list to help the students identify what they have found in each water sample. Shown clockwise from left are Jamie Celano, Mason Behringer, Jeremiah Radcliffe, Amare Cherry, Hardy, Giuliana Fitzgerald and Gio’Vanni Sauls.
Rick Hardy explains that the three bodies of fresh water, Silver Lake, Lake Gerar and Lake Comegys, were created by glaciers long ago. Students learned that Silver Lake is the closest lake to the Atlantic Ocean on the United States’ East Coast.
Envirotech’s Todd Fritchman said an inquiry activity aims to get kids to start asking questions. Students were presented with polluted Silver Lake and clean water samples to explore. Using spoons, they sifted through the Silver Lake samples to try and find the life visible in the clean water sample. Identification charts were available and observations were recorded.
Students found species like the mayfly nymphs in the clean-water sample, indicating a healthy body of water. They were also able to see how clear a quality water source can be.
In addition to several snails, students found true flies (mosquitos, black flies, horseflies, etc.). They are tolerant of poor conditions and are a sign of fouled water.
Todd Fritchman, president of Envirotech Environmental Consulting Inc., talks to the 10 a.m. class about the kind of exploration and research they will be doing with the water samples.
Among the organisms found in the clean water sample were a tadpole, crayfish and damselfly nymphs indicating a healthy aquatic ecosystem.
Some students dug right in while others observed and reported what was found in each water sample. Shown are (l-r) Andrew Nguyen, Luisa Ramos Siquina, Ben Rutkowski, Abby Schwartz, Juelle Finney, Abigail Rausch, Luke Little and Ethan Roswell-Monack.
Todd Fritchman, an environmental professional and aquatic biologist, shows Elijah Ortiz a leach found in one of the samples.
Showing their teachers one of the organisms they found are (l-r) Addison Zaniewski, Raina Passwaters and Meryl Smith.
Rehoboth Elementary science teacher Jacquie Kisiel helps her students as they explore the water samples.
A predaceous diving beetle larva was found in one of the samples. The adults, like the larva, cannot breathe underwater. They hunt below the surface by trapping air beneath it’s wings and using the bubble similar to a scuba tank.
Apple Yeuyi Wang, right, was the spokesperson for her group, discussing findings with her class and the scientists. Justin Carter, left, and Nolan Jones, listen to their lab partner.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary Sept. 14, Save Our Lakes Alliance3 has continued its mission of preservation and education, including its long-standing relationship with Rehoboth Elementary.
Jacquie Kisiel brought her fifth-grade students outside June 5 to get to know the fresh body of water that borders the school.
Silver Lake was formed by glaciers long ago and is one of only three natural bodies of freshwater in Delaware. Unfortunately, neglect has not only made jurisdiction murky, but has also muddied the closest freshwater lake to the Atlantic Ocean in the United States.
“Under state ownership, it’s [the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control] who has the primary responsibility for maintaining and protecting the lakes, but they don’t always do a great job,” said SOLA3’s Sallie Forman. “We have been working with them and other organizations to improve the lake’s environment, and we’ve made some progress, but we have a long way to go.”
One of those organizations is Envirotech Environmental Consulting Inc., which SOLA3 has partnered with to engage with the fifth-graders and raise awareness about Silver Lake’s situation.
“To be able to bridge in what we do for a living into the stewardship of the general society and community is very rewarding,” Envirotech President Todd Fritchman said. “In fact, to watch the inquiry-based learning process take place is also rewarding. One of the first students that approached the setup this morning came running up, full speed, and he stopped dead in his tracks at one of the sampling trays.”
Fritchman said the student asked what everything was, kicking off the exact curiosity the certified science teacher looks for during these exercises. Classes began with an explanation of how students should analyze two water samples, one from the polluted Silver Lake and one from a healthy body of freshwater.
Right off the bat, students saw how murky and algae-filled the water from Silver Lake was while observing clearer water from the other source. As they sifted through the murky water filled with vegetation, they found signs of an unhealthy ecosystem, such as trueflies, in the Silver Lake samples while discovering healthy indicators in the cleaner sample. Mayfly nymphs, tadpoles and crawfish allowed them to observe what vitality in a freshwater ecosystem should look like.
“Throughout the water samples, we found some crawfish, a really big tadpole and a ton of snails – some were going in and out of their shells,” Carter Nelson said. “We also saw a lot of boatsmen, they were really hard to catch since they are very tiny and extremely fast, and we found a dragonfly nymph.”
Students also recalled a previous scientific exploration.
“On the Smyrna trip, we examined fish – what they were, how they defend themselves – and this time we’re learning about the same type of things but learning what they do in the lake,” Owen Blondin said.
Kisiel, a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching finalist, said it's a big hit for the kids.
“They love it!” Kisiel said. “They can’t believe that the nymphs turn into the adults we see flying around.”
She believes it inspires them to take action.
“They want to become stewards of the environment, especially since it’s right in their backyard,” Kisiel said.
SOLA3 sponsored an exploratory study of Silver Lake, located just behind Rehoboth Elementary School, the morning of June 5. Jacquie Kisiel, a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching finalist, brought her fifth-grade classes to the environmental learning center to examine and contrast samples from the polluted Silver Lake and a clean water source. AARON MUSHRUSH PHOTOS
SOLA3 volunteer Rick Hardy holds up the species list to help the students identify what they have found in each water sample. Shown clockwise from left are Jamie Celano, Mason Behringer, Jeremiah Radcliffe, Amare Cherry, Hardy, Giuliana Fitzgerald and Gio’Vanni Sauls.
Rick Hardy explains that the three bodies of fresh water, Silver Lake, Lake Gerar and Lake Comegys, were created by glaciers long ago. Students learned that Silver Lake is the closest lake to the Atlantic Ocean on the United States’ East Coast.
Envirotech’s Todd Fritchman said an inquiry activity aims to get kids to start asking questions. Students were presented with polluted Silver Lake and clean water samples to explore. Using spoons, they sifted through the Silver Lake samples to try and find the life visible in the clean water sample. Identification charts were available and observations were recorded.
Students found species like the mayfly nymphs in the clean-water sample, indicating a healthy body of water. They were also able to see how clear a quality water source can be.
In addition to several snails, students found true flies (mosquitos, black flies, horseflies, etc.). They are tolerant of poor conditions and are a sign of fouled water.
Todd Fritchman, president of Envirotech Environmental Consulting Inc., talks to the 10 a.m. class about the kind of exploration and research they will be doing with the water samples.
Among the organisms found in the clean water sample were a tadpole, crayfish and damselfly nymphs indicating a healthy aquatic ecosystem.
Some students dug right in while others observed and reported what was found in each water sample. Shown are (l-r) Andrew Nguyen, Luisa Ramos Siquina, Ben Rutkowski, Abby Schwartz, Juelle Finney, Abigail Rausch, Luke Little and Ethan Roswell-Monack.
Todd Fritchman, an environmental professional and aquatic biologist, shows Elijah Ortiz a leach found in one of the samples.
Showing their teachers one of the organisms they found are (l-r) Addison Zaniewski, Raina Passwaters and Meryl Smith.
Rehoboth Elementary science teacher Jacquie Kisiel helps her students as they explore the water samples.
A predaceous diving beetle larva was found in one of the samples. The adults, like the larva, cannot breathe underwater. They hunt below the surface by trapping air beneath it’s wings and using the bubble similar to a scuba tank.
Apple Yeuyi Wang, right, was the spokesperson for her group, discussing findings with her class and the scientists. Justin Carter, left, and Nolan Jones, listen to their lab partner.Event Details :
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