Her Stem Space

By: Avanti R

On June 12, Her STEM Space continued with its Summer STEM Series at the El Dorado Hills Library. Hosted by Avanti Ramamoorthy and other students from Oak Ridge High School, the second session focused on environmental engineering and water pollution. The students got to participate in the Water Pollution & Filtration Challenge and assumed the roles of scientists living in the year 2196, when the world faced a lack of fresh water resources and was forced to rely on water from the polluted ocean instead.

During this challenge, students got to observe a sample of polluted water. Students were surprised to see just how quickly the food coloring substance spread through the body of water. This was done to simulate chemical pollution, and one participant was especially surprised by the speed at which the food coloring dissolved. He exclaimed, “Wait, that’s it? We can’t get it back out?” This brought up an important topic regarding the spread of chemical pollutants in oceans and rivers.

In groups, students had the opportunity to work on designing and constructing a filter that would clean the dirty water. Using various resources, the groups were able to test different options and use the engineering design process to fix their filters.

There were many interesting moments during this activity. One happened when a group got frustrated trying to get the glitter out of the water. The glitter was a representation of microplastics, and students soon realized that although larger objects could be filtered out of the water, smaller objects like glitter proved to be more challenging. This was a great starting point for a discussion on the dangers of microplastics and why preventing pollution is so much easier than dealing with it once it occurs.

The creativity displayed by the students in creating their filters was amazing. For example, one group used rocks to create a multilayer filter. It was exciting to see how each group approached the issue differently.

Throughout the entire event, students engaged in critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving while connecting STEM concepts with issues in our environment. We would like to thank the El Dorado Hills Library for hosting this event. It will be great to see all of the children who attended join us for our final Summer STEM Series event next week.

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About the Author

Avanti Ramamoorthy is a rising junior at Oak Ridge High School and the chapter head of Her STEM Space in El Dorado Hills. Through Her STEM Space, she organizes hands-on workshops that introduce younger students to topics such as environmental science, engineering, public health, and the human body. Outside of organizing STEM events, Avanti enjoys playing golf, volunteering in her community, and working on new projects that encourage curiosity and learning.

Reach Her:

ramamoorthyavanti@gmail.com