Students in Sheila Asbury’s fifth grade science classes at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School put their school on the map – the Global Water Experiment Map. As part of the International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC), so designated by the United Nations, Asbury’s students participated in the Global Water Experiment by conducting the pH of the Planet experiment.

The fifth-graders measured the acidity and other properties of Lake Barcroft in Falls Church, vinegar, window cleaner, two types of bottled water and tap water and compared the results. Their data on Lake Barcroft will be posted to the world map and they will compare it with results in other countries.

“This was a wonderful experience for my students,” said Asbury. “They enjoyed applying chemistry to a real world situation and learning about the importance of clean water for people throughout the world.”