School: Zhuwei Elementary School
    New Taipei City, N/A - Does Not Apply, Taiwan

8 students, ages 10-11 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on February 20, 2015. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): NA

Classes and Teachers: Chen Jian-Xing, Tian Shu-Qing, Peng Tzu-Shin, Class 408

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.cwps.ntpc.edu.tw/

1. Description of Our Community

Plum Tree Creek origins from the dam of Guei-Zi Keng river. It’s an irrigation canal built in 50s. Total length 12km. The location of the head stream is an important finding of our research. According to scale survey on Google map, from Guei-Zi Keng river Pingding reservoir ? Pingding reservoir tributary ? Pingding aquaculture pond ? Pingding farmland ? Guo-hua golf club ? Wu’s house ? Shu-mei Keng ? Zhuwei plain ? Guan-Du New Villa ? Zhuwei river to estuary, total length is about 10300 meters. We also found the biggest tributary, Xiaobaliben Brook, total length 3Km. It was also an irrigation channel before the serious pollution. We sort out the cause of pollution of Plum Tree Creek as below: waste water from the golf club, cultivation, agriculture and husbandry from the head stream; pigsty of the midstream; domestic sewage of the downstream. It’s really sad to see the crystal stream of the upstream becoming dirty and smelly when it comes to downstream.

2. Summary of Our Project

A) The relationship between Plum Tree Creek and the environmental changes of Zhuwei B) Interviewing the elderly and experts about the ecosystem of Plum Tree Creek C) Visit the residents D) To investigate the drainage area and the route of the creek E) To investigate the major contaminates of Plum Tree Creek F) Water quality survey G) To investigate the variety and distribution of aquatic species H) Programming the improvement of the Plum Tree Creek I) Environmental education of Plum Tree Creek

There is a river passing through our community. The elderly people say that the Plum Tree Creek supplied water to the resident for the use of agriculture and drinking in the past when it was riches in fishes, shrimps and crabs. However, its beauty remains no more. Causes floods when typhoon occurs, dirty and smelly became the impression of Plum Tree Creek. We want to find out the reason of the transformation, deal with the pollution, bring the clear stream back and giving fish and shrimp a chance of survival. We believe people will get close to the stream once again and our community will become better and better.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:21-50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:2-3

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

a) Data collection b) Lack of equipment c) Species identification d) Native language e) Web production f) Assignments

5. Our Project Sound Bite

It a great opportunity to raise the awareness of environmental issue for all the students, teachers and even the whole community. We learned the information of Plum Tree Creek, get close to it and discussed the environmental issues for three months. Students learned to work as a team and earned some research and conversation skills. The community also became more active than before.

6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

Project study is a new trend of teaching activities, which shows the significance of teaching with diversity and depth outcomes. A. Teaching profession Teachers who participate in the program became the center of research group. Through ongoing discussions with the collaboration, the teachers can demonstrate expertise in activities and get familiar with the study skills and will have a better profession of active study. Enhance the teacher's professional image and professionalism. B. Students learning Our nine-year integrated curriculum reform emphasizes practical application of integration between disciplines and subjects. By effective planning from the teacher, the students have experienced how to practice what they preach during the project study. And they will get a great sense of accomplishment after the web page finishes. We believe that the successful learning experience will help them to promote ability of independent learning and learning interest in the future. Specific learning outcomes are as follows: a) Science and technology: research methods, classification and identification of biological, instrument operations, testing water quality, recording and analysis of data. b) Social Sciences: Research and collection of local history, interviewing. c) Chinese language: Enhancing speaking and presentation skills. d) Information capacity: Internet data query techniques and the use of keywords, network analysis and integration of data. Special Web page production and design.

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?

Images: digital camera, printer, computer, scanner Sounds: recording pens, video recorder Transportation: cars Liaison: phone, computer, mobile phone Data collection: computer, newspaper, books, library, software Software: Ulead Photo Impact 11, Microsoft Frontpage, Microsoft Word 2010, google

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.

a) Student: Plum Tree Creek environmental education practice, propaganda of Plum Tree Creek environmental issues and using questionnaires to understand students ' cognition of Plum Tree Creek and explain the environmental issues in the interview.

b) Teacher: Held environmental education workshops to enhance teachers ' cognition so as to implement the environmental education and environmental issues in the class.

c) Interview: Interview with experts and scholars on our research of Plum Tree Creek's pollution problems, and discuss feasible solutions. d) Chief of village: Asking chief of the village for the historical culture background of contamination at Plum Tree Creek and explain the purpose of our study.

e) Parents: Promote the environmental issue through interviews and questionnaires.

f) Volunteers: Discuss environmental issues. Working together to held activity and finding solution for the problem.

g) Residents: Held reconnaissance activities for population to learn the environmental problems of Plum Tree Creek.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

People in our community learn more about Plum Tree Creek and the importance of preserve it from the pollution. We established new working relationship with the elder residents, residents, chief of villages, social worker and experts. They helped us a lot to understand the river and in the future, we'll work together to protect it. We've also got feedback from them and from the parents, they all encouraged us to continue the project and join cyber fair. Our website not only reminds people there's a precious river in our community but also raise their awareness to care about the environmental issue.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

People who are involved and helped us: a)Parents: from Zhuwei Elementary School and Ziqiang Campus

b)Academic group: Department of Journalism from Chinese Culture University and Zhuwei Senior High School

c)Organization: Bamboo Curtain Studio, Zhuwei historical and cultural workshop and AECOM Taiwan

d)Old Resident: Mr. Tsai, Mr. Huang, Mr. Guo, Mr. Wu, chief of Ping-Ding Village and chief of Ming-Sheng Village

e)Expert: Li Xiao-Wen, Wu Chun-He, Lin Bo-Chang, Jiang Ming-Xiang, Zeng Sheng-Xiong, Tu Ding-Min, Wu Zu-Ting, Gong Yu-Qian, Chen Chang-Yao

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

This research theme is 'Plum Tree Creek', so we use equipment to measure the electrical conductivity, pH, oxygen content and turbidity …and so on. In order to better understand Plum Tree Creek, we visit the local chiefs of the villages, elders and residents. Got to know that it was a very clean river before the development and pollution made by people. Now it turns into a smelly and dirty brook. That’s the reason why we want to study Plum Tree Creel. It is not just about winning an award but to enrich our knowledge. People may not know the existence of Plum Tree Creek before the cyber fair. But now, more and more people get to know the importance of it.