Students will launch the investigation by separating observations, inferences, and claims from a PFAS news article and partner-lab evidence samples, then generate focused questions about how scientists know an environmental problem exists and what evidence would be needed to investigate it responsibly.

Students will interrogate a PFAS news claim, separate what is observed from what is inferred, and turn that uncertainty into a focused investigation question, hypothesis, and peer-reviewed plan for evidence collection before entering the field.

Students will carry out their PFAS or mercury investigation plans through documented sampling, field notes, source tracking, and midpoint evidence-quality checks. They will gather biological, chemical, physical, and historical evidence as available, test the reliability of their methods, revise procedures when needed, and maintain traceable records that can later support the community science briefing board.

Students will analyze PFAS or mercury evidence from their investigation, test the strength of their interpretations against anomalies and limitations, and turn their findings into a draft community science briefing board for partner-lab feedback and revision.

Students will present their community science briefing boards and oral defenses to classmates and invited partners from the UCONN Avery Point Mercury Lab and URI PFAS Lab, respond to questions about evidence quality and uncertainty, and demonstrate what their PFAS or mercury investigation supports, what remains inconclusive, and what should be investigated next.