Hooked on Science

By David Hunt

It’s a warm summer day in Edenton, N.C., an historic community on the Albemarle Sound that claims the title, “The South’s prettiest small town.” Along the banks of a Civil War-era millpond, a dozen high school students prepare for a day of adventure and exploration.

But it’s serious business – not recreation – that brings the students to Bennett’s Millpond. For the past seven years, Chowan County students have been working with the Science House at North Carolina State University to conduct experiments at the millpond – monitoring the health of the ecosystem, identifying the microorganisms that thrive there and learning about the delicate balance of chemicals and nutrients that sustains life. Students work in teams of two: high school juniors who are new to the program, are teamed with seniors, who have already put in a year on the pond. The arrangement gives students the chance to develop their teaching skills – while learning about science.

The system works.

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