Project Questions/Explorations

The questions below are suggested for help in determining a hypothesis for the project, follow-up discussions or further exploration. Students could address some of these questions or try to make comparisons of their own and include in their Final Reports.

1. How did the Dissolved Oxygen level of your water sample compare to the BOD level? Did you see any relationship between the two? If so, what was it?

2. How did the Dissolved Oxygen level of your water sample compare to the Carbon Dioxide level? Did you notice a lot of plant life in the water? How might this relate to Carbon Dioxide levels?

3. Is there a relationship between Dissolved Oxygen levels and the types of plants, animal, or other organisms you observed in the water? If so, describe the relationship.

4. Is there a relationship between BOD levels and the types of plants, animals, or other organisms you observed in the water? If so, describe the relationship.

5. Do you think that your water source is a good environment for organisms to survive based on pH levels? Why or why not?

6. Is there a relationship between Nitrate and Phosphate levels and observed algae or plant life in the water? If so, describe the relationship.

7. Is there a relationship between Turbidity level and the type and variety of organisms observed in the water? If so, describe the relationship.

8. Is there any relationship between Dissolved Oxygen levels and Turbidity? Between BOD levels and Turbidity?

9. Look at the database of results. Do you see a relationship between Dissolved Oxygen levels and water Temperature? If so, describe the relationship.

10. Look at the database of results. Do you see a relationship between Temperature and BOD level? If so, describe the relationship.

11. Did any of your results indicate poor or good water quality? If so, which ones? Explain your reasoning.

12. Are any of your results not what you expected them to be? Which ones? Explain your reasoning.

13. Look at all the schools' data collected for this project. Do your relationships hold true for other school's results as well?

14. Pick one other school collaborating in this project and make a comparison between your water supplies.


Suggestions for additional discussion questions will gladly be accepted! Contact the project leader with your suggestion.