MEMS 6th Graders Study Francis Short Pond

Curt Craig’s 6th grade team of 90 students, three teachers and a few chaperones from Mount Elden Middle School (MEMS) had a grand field day on May 2, 2013. First, they walked 4 miles via Cedar Mesa from MEMS to the Coconino County Court House where they observed court proceedings. Then, they continued on to Francis Short Pond where they conducted water quality investigations.

Chuck Benedict, of Arizona Game and Fish, has assisted Curt Craig’s classes, at both Flagstaff Middle School and now at Mount Elden Middle School, for a decade…"at the drop of a fishing hat’s notice” according to Curt.

Chuck Benedict of Arizona Game and Fish helps a MEMS student with his dissolved oxygen test

Chuck helped Curt’s students with testing dissolved oxygen and also setting up a dark bottle/light bottle test. Students check the dissolved oxygen at the time of collection and then cover one bottle with aluminum foil and leave the other bottle open to light. Each pair of bottles has some pond life in it, and students can then compare the dissolved oxygen numbers daily between the dark and light bottles.

Curt has taught at FUSD for 13 years, and while Francis Short Pond is not as easily accessible as when he taught at Flagstaff Middle School, he hopes to include the pond in  monthly water data collection next year. Curt also sponsored the MEMS STEM Club with fellow teacher Sandie Grinnell last year.

When the students were done with all the educational activities and data collection at the pond, they were able to fish!