Chemistry students put Mar Lee School on the world map

Students in Chiquita Hamilton’s and Tina Rocco’s third-grade class put Mar Lee School on the world map – the Global Water Experiment Map.  

As part of the International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC), so designated by the United Nations, Hamilton’s and Rocco’s students measured acidity of the Kalamazoo River and posted the data to the IYC global water map with assistance from Albion College faculty Lisa Lewis and Craig Bieler and Albion College chemistry student, Preston Arquette. Organizers, including the American Chemical Society (ACS), hope this will become the world’s biggest chemistry experiment ever, as students, scouts, and community groups from many nations study their local water sources and post the data to the interactive, global map.

“This was a wonderful experience for these students,” said Lewis. “They really enjoyed applying chemistry to a real world situation and learning about the importance of clean water for people throughout the world.”  Along the way, Mar Lee students learned about acids and bases. “The best part was figuring out that vinegar is an acid,” said Daniel Walkinhood, Mar Lee student. Third-grade teacher Chiquita Hamilton agreed. “The students really got engaged in asking questions about acidity in food and having hands-on experiences with test tubes.” 

MarLee School will soon receive a certificate from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization for its participation in the Global Experiment and commitment to the goals of the International Year of Chemistry.  The IYC is a worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind, which includes providing safe drinking water to a thirsty world.

NOTE TO READERS: to view the data, click on the map link above, then choose Experiment 1, and hover over Michigan until Marshall appears. Click there and you will see the name of MarLee School, Lisa Lewis, and their pH measurements of the Kalamazoo River.