Because General Motors Corporation gave Mansfield ISD a $10,000 grant to conduct water testing throughout the district, every high school’s Environmental Science classes participated by collecting samples of Chambers Creek on Nov. 16 and 17.

“It’s a chance for students to do real world science, not just book work and random experiments,” Environmental Science teacher Damon Miller said.

A kit was provided by General Motors which included testing tubes and pills to find out how safe the water is.

“This lab was very different because we actually went outside and did things on our own,” senior Brianna Diaz de Leon said. “I liked it a lot because it wasn’t just a simple lab where we sit in class.”

Students got into the water to collect samples.

“I didn’t like having to walk so far to get the testing water because I stepped on a lot of branches,” senior Ashley Weber said. “It was really humid but the actually lab was really cool.”

The final results will be complete after the break and students had the option to video their findings or write up a report.

“The results of all the testing are being uploaded to a database,” Miller said.  “So the results can be used to see the relative health of the watershed as well as to have a baseline of comparison to measure future changes.”

Miller said students were able to experience possible future career opportunities.

“They saw that there are environmental science jobs available in just about every major company,” he said. “And experiments like this are what those people do every day.”