2 research outputs found
Every apple has a voice: using stable isotopes to teach about food sourcing and the water cycle
Agricultural crops such as fruits take up irrigation and meteoric water and
incorporate it into their tissue (fruit water) during growth, and the
geographic origin of a fruit may be traced by comparing the H and O stable
isotope composition (δ2H and δ18O values) of fruit water to the global geospatial distribution of H and O stable isotopes in
precipitation. This connection between common fruits and the global water
cycle provides an access point to connect with a variety of demographic
groups to educate about isotope hydrology and the water cycle. Within the
context of a 1-day outreach activity designed for a wide spectrum of
participants (high school students, undergraduate students, high school
science teachers) we developed introductory lecture materials, in-class
participatory demonstrations of fruit water isotopic measurement in real
time, and a computer lab exercise to couple actual fruit water isotope data
with open-source online geospatial analysis software. We assessed learning
outcomes with pre- and post-tests tied to learning objectives, as well as
participant feedback surveys. Results indicate that this outreach activity
provided effective lessons on the basics of stable isotope hydrology and the
water cycle. However, the computer lab exercise needs to be more specifically
tailored to the abilities of each participant group. This pilot study
provides a foundation for further development of outreach materials that can
effectively engage a range of participant groups in learning about the water
cycle and the ways in which humans modify the water cycle through
agricultural activity