Writing Contest Winners 2018-2019

Second Place, Grades 3-5

Rosalie Lieber
Grade 5, Galvin Middle School, Wakefield
Ms. Cynthia Fitzpatrick, Teacher

MATH IS QUEEN OF THE MWRA

MWRA stands for Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, and STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. One thing that the MWRA does is clean the water that we drink. Each aspect of STEM helps make the water clean. Math, which is the M in STEM, is the most important, so I call her queen. As we learn about how the MWRA cleans the water, then we will understand how important Math is.

Science helps us know if the water is clean. Scientists can observe the water with a microscope to see what bacteria is present. The scientists must use math to calculate the percentage of bacteria, and use that information to make sure our water is a clean drinkable liquid. Now, let's move onto Technology and Math.  Technology helps us use multiple tools to clean the water and measure the water flow. Math is used to help understand how the tools work and how to use them correctly and safely.

Engineering will show us how to create the tools that we will use in Technology while using Math. When engineers need to build buildings and plants, they need drawings, and to make those drawings they need Math. Engineers were needed to design the John J. Carroll Water Treatment Plant and they used Math to do it!

Without Math, the MWRA would fall apart. Scientists wouldn’t be able to count the bacteria. Technicians wouldn't be able to use tools and make them work. Engineers would not be able to design and create the tools that are essential to the MWRA.  So the MWRA uses all of the aspects of STEM, but when it comes to Math, the queen of the MWRA, and the queen of STEM it all adds up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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