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My Environmental Science students have been charged with developing a sustainable aquaponics system for the school. Aquaponics is a fairly new concept in with fish and plants are raised/grown using about 90% less water than traditional gardening/farming. The beauty of an Aquaponics system is the balance between the fish and the plants because they are in a symbiotic relationship with one another. Our students have to research, design, and prototype an aquaponics system using the engineering by design process in small groups. They have to present their research to a panel of teachers answering rigorous questions regarding the choices they made during the research phase of the project such as why they chose a particular type of fish to raise. Involving students in such a way gives them a different outlook on the human impact on Earth. The students would benefit greatly from having living, breathing, and growing organisms at their fingertips. The system will be of their own creation, build, and maintenance. They will be conducting water quality tests, and adjusting the nutrient balance between the fish , water, and plants from the results of those tests. The students will also be able to consume and/or re-purpose what they grow. All in all the project is meant to teach the importance of sustainability, nutrient cycles, communicating ideas, drawing conclusions based on evidence, and scientific data collection in a fun and inclusive way.
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