ENVIRONMENTAL
EXCHANGE
PRESIDENT'S ENVIRONMENTAL MERIT AWARDS PROGRAM
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
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u
CONTENTS
EXPERIMENTS
Elementary Level
Air 2
Water 2
Noise 3
Solid Waste 4
General Pollution-Art 4
Intermediate Level
Air 5
Water 5
Noise _ 6
Solid Waste 7
High School Level
Air 8
Water 9
Noise 10
Social Studies 19
Ecology Club 19
THINGS TO DO 20
THINGS TO TALK ABOUT 21
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Dear Activities Leader:
The President's Environmental Merit Awards Program (PEMAP) was created
in response to thousands of letters from young people, deeply concerned
about environmental problems and asking what they could do to help.
To encourage participation and reward achievement in this area so critical to the
world's well-being, PEMAP was launched in November 1971. The program reaches
students from the elementary through high school level.
PEMAP serves as a vehicle to direct the creative talents of youth into construc-
tive, and productive work, to provide opportunities, incentives, and rewards as we
search together for answers to environmental problems. Lastly, it is to provide nation-
wide recognition for their efforts in improving the quality of life.
After long discussions with environmental coordinators and teachers we found that
educators would like guidance in providing environmental education. Many teachers
were very enthusiastic about environmental studies but they did not know where to
begin. We hope this workbook will be "a beginning."
This workbook contains experiments, which we have divided into 3 sections:
Elementary, Intermediate, and High School. Each level will suggest an avenue of
study in the area of air, water, noise and solid waste. While these studies may be un-
dertaken in the classroom, it is hoped that you will not be confined to the indoors.
The suggestions are designed to stimulate your imagination, your curiosity and your
resourcefulness. For example: In the elementary experiment on noise pollution the
students could be sent with a tape recorder to tape outdoor sounds which would be
studied in the classroom. If tape recorders are not available, the students might return
to the classroom to write papers on the environmental noises they heard and the re-
actions they stimulated.
The suggested experiment on state and local government could be expanded by
asking students to watch local newspapers for notices of public environmental hear-
ings. They could then develop views on the issues at hand, prepare testimony and have
a representative present at the hearings in their behalf.
The Office of Public Affairs offers many pamphlets for your use and also provides
on loan environmental films which may also be used in the classroom. For a list of
publications and a list of films, contact: Information Center, Office of Public Affairs,
Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, B.C. 20460.
SINCERELY,
ANN L. DORE
DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
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EXPERIMENTS-ELEMENTARY
ELEMENTARY—AIR
CONCEPT
Air pollution is a part of man's total affect on his
environment. This project will make children aware:
(1) Of air pollution and their role in helping to solve
the problem. (2) What is in the air that plants, animals
and people breathe.
When air has lots of smoke, soot, and other gases,
we say that air is polluted. Children can make an ex-
periment chart showing different ways that air is
polluted in their town.
By following experiments the children will become
aware that air contains oxygen, carbon dioxide, dust,
and other particles.
EQUIPMENT
Steel wool, soup plate, baby bottle, lime water, two
clear custard cups, soda straw, tin can, flashlight or
slide projector, cake pan, white paper, rock, glass
slide, petroleum jelly, magnifying glass.
PROCEDURE
Experiment I—Air contains oxygen. Push a wad of
steel wool all the way down in the bottom of a baby
bottle. Fill it about half full of water and shake well
until steel wool is very wet. Pour off water. Get a soup
plate and add water one inch deep. Now put the bottle,
mouth down, into the plate and let the bottle stand
for a whole day and night. Water will rise in the
bottle. See how rusty the steel wool has become. The
steel wool combined with oxygen in the air inside the
Copyright © 1968, 1969, by Department of Education, State
of South Carolina. All rights reserved. No part of this experi-
bottle to form rust. The water then rises to take the
place of the oxygen in the air that was used up by
the steel wool.
Experiment II.—Air contains carbon dioxide. Put a
small amount of lime water into two clear custard
cups. Take a soda straw and blow into the lime
water in one cup. The carbon dioxide from your
breath will make the lime water milky. Place the
second cup of lime water out in the fresh air for a
couple of hours. Watch what happens. Whenever
carbon dioxide meets lime water, the lime water be-
comes milky.
Experiment III.—Air contains dust and other particles.
Pull down the window shades of the classroom, switch
off lights, and turn on a flashlight or a slide projector
light. Little specks of dust will be dancing in the beam
of light. (You can often observe dust particles in a
ray of sunlight coming through the window.)
Cut a piece of white paper so that it fits the bottom
of a deep cake pan. Place paper in the cake pan, then
put a rock on the paper to keep it down. Put the pan
outside on the window sill so that the fresh air can
get to it. After a day or two see how much particulate
matter has collected.
Smear a glass slide with a thick layer of petroleum
jelly and set it out on the window sill. Leave it for a
few days, then put the slide on a piece of white paper
and study it under a bright light using a magnifying
glass.
ment may be reproduced without written permission from J. G.
Ferguson Publishing Co., Chicago, 111.
ELEMENTARY—WATER
CONCEPT
A sound biological fact concerning the effects of or-
ganic wastes on aquatic life is that in a polluted en-
vironment the number of different kinds of organisms
which can survive is drastically reduced from that of
a non-polluted environment. The number of individual
organisms which are able to survive becomes substan-
tially increased in the polluted environment. This is
because organic pollution destroys clean water asso-
ciated organisms and it destroys the natural balance
of competition and predation among organisms. For
those tolerant organisms that are able to exist, it offers
a seemingly inexhaustible food supply. Conversely,
in clean water, one would expect many different kinds
of organisms with relatively few individuals repre-
senting any particular kind. In clean water, immature
forms of mayflies, stone flies and caddis flies abound;
in polluted water, worms, leeches, and bloodworms
are plentiful. [A toxic pollutant may destroy most or
all of observed life for a distance downstream from
its entrance. Silt pollution will support only a few
organisms of any type.]
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EQUIPMENT
Box frame 1' x 1" x 3" covered on bottom with window
screen, long-handled garden rakes, shovel, pocket
knives, tweezers, nets and/or small seines. A stream
site.
PROCEDURE
Start by making observations and notes of the physical
stream characteristics (width, depth, rocks, and riffle
areas) and any signs of pollution (slimes, discolored
water). Determine where the best samples may be ob-
tained (best sampling areas generally will be riffles).
What type of organisms are being sought (fish, crawl-
ing, and attached animals and aquatic plants)? For
comparability, it is important to sample for the same
time period at each station.
Observe, two small streams—one obviously polluted,
one not. Or, observe one stream that is polluted at a
point upstream from the pollution source and at sev-
eral points downstream from the source. Lift small
rocks and submersed sticks and wash or scrape at-
tached and crawling organisms into a pail of water.
Pour the water and organisms through the box screen
to concentrate them. Organisms may be examined
alive or preserved in a formalin solution for later
examination. Place a small amount of stream-bottom
mud onto the screen and separate the organisms
from it by shaking the screen vigorously in the water.
Use long-handled garden rakes and shovels to aid in
securing rocks and stream bottom; use pocket knives
and tweezers to remove organisms from rocks and
sticks. Dip nets and small seines to capture moving or
swimming creatures. Caution: Watch out for glass!
Do not splash water on face or clothing; and take soap
and towels to wash hands and arms thoroughly after
sampling.
EXTENDING THE CONCEPT
What are examples of organic wastes? (Sewage, barn-
yard drainage, and dead animals). Of toxic wastes?
(Oil, copper, cyanide, and ammonia). Of silt pollu-
tion? (Mining wastes, farm land runoff, construction
site runoff).
ACCOMPLISHMENT LEVEL*
Elementary students What is the effect of pollution
on water? What did you see? How many different or-
ganisms did you find at each station? Did aquatic
plants contain more organisms than the other stream
bottom? What did you learn?
Intermediate students (add) Did you observe any
slimes on the rocks? At which stations? What would
be the cause of this? How many kinds of caddis fly
larvae or mayfly nymphs were found? Of fish? What
generally was the most plentiful organism found?
High School students (add) What was the source of
pollution? What was the effect of the pollution on
water quality? Describe the investigation and its re-
sults in a short report that includes a table showing
the kinds of organisms at each station.
• For additional activities see Water Hxpenment in the Intermediate and High School Level
ELEMENTARY—NOISE
CONCEPT
Living things react to their environment. The lesson
will make children more aware of beautiful and pleas-
ant sounds, and of the obnoxious or unpleasant sounds
around them.
EQUIPMENT
Record player, one soft music record, one loud un-
pleasant music record.
PROCEDURE
Ask the children to put their heads down on their
desks, close their eyes, and remain quiet for a minute.
When everything is quiet, the teacher slams a door,
bangs a window closed, drops a book, or abruptly
does something that shatters the silence and startles
the children. It will cause most of them to jump. Ask
the children: What happened when you heard a sudden
noise? How did it make you feel? How do you feel if
someone shouts at you "STOP IT?"
Ask the children to tell about the many sounds they
hear around them. Then list them on the board, using
the following groupings:
SOUNDS WE LIKE TO HEAR (birds singing, brook
rippling, rain splashing, pleasant voices, soft music)
SOUNDS WE DO NOT LIKE (shouting, fussing, cry-
ing, automobile brakes screeching, airplanes taking off
and landing)
SOUNDS THAT HELP US (horns blowing, sirens,
telephone ringing)
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These lists can be used to make charts or bulletin
board displays. Use cut-out pictures or children's
drawings to illustrate them.
First play the loud unpleasant music to the classroom.
Let the record play for several minutes. Then change
the record to soft music. Begin discussion—what was
most pleasant to their ears.
Copyright © 1968. 1969. by Department of Education, State
of South Carolina. All rights reserved. No part of this experi-
ment may be reproduced without written permission from J. G.
Ferguson Publishing Co., Chicago, 111.
ELEMENTARY—SOLID WASTE
CONCEPT
Awareness of litter and how it affects our environ-
ment.
EQUIPMENT
Cotton rag, piece of string, paper, peanut butter
sandwich, aluminum pie tin, pliers.
PROCEDURE
Ask the children to keep an eye open for litter on
their way home and to give a report to the class the
next day. Teacher can check a suggested location to
see if it warrants showing the whole class. If so, walk
the class there and pick up all litter on the way and
at the spot. Put it in a garbage bag. Point out how
nice the spot looks now.
In the classroom, examine collection and list kinds of
litter. How did it get there? What can the children do
to keep an area clean? What can they suggest that
others can do? Have each child look in his or her desk
and around the room.
Draw pictures of area before and after cleanup. Write
a poem or story to go along with the picture. Maybe
the class would like to volunteer to keep a certain
section of the playground clean.
Burn a cotton rag, piece of string, a piece of paper
and peanut butter sandwich over an aluminum pie tin.
Hold with a pair of pliers. Keep children at a safe
distance. Is the smell pleasant? Have the children
noticed anyone burning anything in their neighbor-
hood? Does it look or smell good?
EXTENDING CONCEPT
Have the children list or tell you about the kinds of
solid waste. Who causes it? What can be done?
Copyright, 1971, The Dow Chemical Co. Permission is granted
for schools and government agencies to reproduce this paper in
its entirety for educational purposes provided the copyright
notice is shown.
ELEMENTARY—GENERAL POLLUTION—ART
CONCEPT
This activity gives students a chance to express their
personal attitudes toward pollution through creative
art forms. Students will become more aware of the
environmental crisis through their art and pass their
awareness on to others.
EQUIPMENT
Litter (have the students collect this themselves), glue,
magic markers, poster paper, paints and brashes.
PROCEDURE
To lead into the activity ask some questions similar
to the following: How can we communicate our con-
cern about the pollution problems to others?
Could posters, collages, and other art forms be useful
in communicating this concern?
Start off by taking your class to the scene of actual
pollution, nearby river, pond, beach, etc. Have them
observe the pollution and react to it, then start col-
lecting the trash, some of which may be used in the
actual making of their art projects.
Should we use slogans, humor, and cliches in our
posters? If we run a contest, who will be involved?
Just one class, one grade, the entire school?
Students might also make useful things out of the dis-
carded objects—pencil holders out of tin cans or
candle holders out of bottles. This is the true meaning
of recycling.
NOTE: TEACHERS BE SURE OBJECTS ARE NOT
SHARP.
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EXPERIMENTS-INTERMEDIATE
INTERMEDIATE—AIR
CONCEPT
Acid gases and aerosols are prime ingredients of urban
air pollution. These gases may damage plants, cor-
rode metals, crumble stone, and in heavy concentra-
tion, they can make men and animals ill.
EQUIPMENT
A large funnel, an air pump or aspirator (most pet
shops sell air pumps), filter papers, one for each ex-
posure site, large enough to cover the large end of
the funnel, a piece of wire screen the same size. Tape
to hold filter paper on funnel, 1 ounce of 0.01M
sodium bicarbonate solution, 1 ounce of glycerin, 2
or 3 ounces of a dilute solution of 10 percent hydro-
chloric acid in a beaker, 3 eye-dropper bottles, 2 or
3 feet of rubber or glass tubing, chart and graph. See
Figure 1 and Figure la on page 16. BARRIER (FT)
PROCEDURE
Cut filter paper big enough to fit over the large open-
ing of the funnel with a ]/2-inch overlap. Tape it on.
Add a drop of glycerin to the center of the paper.
Add a drop of the indicator solution to the center
of the paper. More drops may be necessary if the color
is not apparent. Add a drop of sodium bicarbonate
solution to the center of the paper.
[NOTE: Support the filter paper with a piece of wire
screen cut to fit over the opening of the funnel if
the moistened paper cannot withstand the flow of air
through it without rupturing. Place the screen on the
funnel, then place the paper over it. Secure both with
tape or a rubber band.]
Attach the tubing to the small end of the funnel and
to the air pump. Start the air pump and the timer. Do
a preliminary test, drawing air from above the open
bottle of dilute hydrochloric acid. Stop the pump when
a red color is visible.
Test some air: Take samples from a chemistry lab-
oratory, outdoors, in a kitchen, from exhaled breath.
Record the results on a chart and bar graph to illus-
trate the presence of acid gases at the test site. (See
Figure la) Record on the chart the site location, the
time you started taking the air sample, and the time
the treated filter paper began to react with the gases.
Show the elapsed time figures in the form of a bar
graph. Then you will have a complete picture of the
acid gas concentrations encountered in the test.
INTERMEDIATE—WATER
CONCEPT
To determine the toxicity of a material to aquatic
life or to determine the degree of reduction in toxicity
that is necessary to protect aquatic life.
EQUIPMENT
Six one-gallon jars, 12 to 24 small fish, small nets,
ammonia,
household
table salt.
PROCEDURE
Many of our water quality standards specify margins
of safety in reference to a toxic level of a pollutant.
Such a toxicity determination is called a bioassay. A
bioassay is the exposure of an aquatic organism,
usually fish of one to two inches in length, to a known
concentration of a toxicant under controlled conditions
for a specified time—usually is 24, 48, or 96 hours. A
series of test concentrations of increasing toxicity in
test jars is used so that in one test jar at a particular
concentration, more than half, but not all, of the
fish will be killed within a specified time, while in
another jar at another concentration, less than half of
the fish will be killed. Two, four, or more test fish
are placed in each jar of the test series.
Fill six one-gallon jars with 2,000 milliliters of stream
water (tap water may contain toxic chlorine). Number
the jars. Use the first jar as a control and add nothing;
to the second jar add a very small amount of test
material (household ammonia). Increase this amount
in successive jars in the series. Record amount of
toxicant placed in each test jar. Add two to four small
stream fish to each jar. Handle fish with small nets—
not with hands. A good experiment will kill no fish
in the control jar or in the jar containing the least
amount of introduced toxic material but will kill all
of the fish in the jar containing the most toxic matrial.
Observe reaction of fish in each jar. Note when fish
die in each jar and record time of fish death and per-
centage of dead fish in each container at end of ex-
perimental period. Remove dead fish from experi-
mental jars at time of death.
ACCOMPLISHMENT LEVEL*
Elementary students. Have you ever seen a fish kill?
For additional activities see Water Experiment in the Elementary and High School level.
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Describe what you saw. What will kill fish? (Practi-
cally any thing or event that significantly changes
water quality.)
Intermediate students, (add) How can one use the
information obtained from this and similar experi-
ments to increase our knowledge of the water environ-
ment? What does a fish kill indicate? (Usually a catas-
trophic event or a man introduced toxic material.)
High School students, (add) Repeat same experi-
ment using table salt as the experimental toxicant,
calculate the concentrations of both household am-
monia and table salt that will kill 50 per cent of the
test fish. This is done by graphing the percentage of
fish killed at each concentration of toxic material
against the various concentrations in the separate test
jars for a particular time period. How can the infor-
mation from these experiments be used to manage
the discharge of pollutants? In the above experiments,
which toxic material killed fish in the lowest concen-
tration?
INTERMEDIATE—NOISE
CONCEPT
Assessing the cumulative effects of noise from various
sources.
EQUIPMENT
100 ft. tape measure, reading material.
PROCEDURE
The Walk-Away Test was designed to evaluate—with-
out reference to specific sources—the overall noise
condition at a site. Since noise may vary during a 24-
hour period, this test should be performed at times
when noise is apt to be most severe, i.e., during peak
morning and afternoon traffic periods, and at those
hours when noise is apt to be most annoying, i.e., be-
tween 10 p.m. and midnight when people are trying to
sleep. When performing a Walk-Away Test, you should
record the information on Worksheet A.
The Walk-Away Test requires two students who ex-
change roles as speaker and listener; thus each person
should have normal hearing and an average voice. To
perform the test, you will need the tape measure and
reading material with which both students are un-
familiar.
The speaker should stand at a fixed location, while the
listener, starting at a distance of 2 or 3 feet, backs
slowly away. The speaker should hold the reading
material at chest height in such a way as not to block
the direct path from himself to the listener. He should
not raise his voice in an attempt to maintain com-
munication.
At some point the listener will find that he can under-
stand only a scattered word or two over a period of 10
seconds or more. At this point, measure the distance
between the listener and the speaker.
For consistent and accurate results, this procedure
should be repeated several times during each test and
the distance should be averaged. Also, the roles of
speaker and listener should be reversed to average out
variations of normal speaking levels and hearing acuity.
After each test, evaluate the site's overall noise levels
by using Table I.
EXAMPLE: The site's exposure to both roadway and
railway noise has been evaluated as Normally Accept-
able. Therefore, we assess the overall noise levels during
three separate weekday visits to the site. During Test #1,
made between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m., the distances at
which understanding became difficult were 50 ft., 55 ft.,
and 54 ft. for an average of 53 ft. The average of dis-
tance for Test #2, made between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m.,
was 47 ft. and the average for Test #3, made between
10:00 and 11:00 p.m., was 68 ft.
Table I shows that during each visit, the overall noise
level at the site was Normally Acceptable.
TABLE I
SITE EXPOSURE TO OVERALL NOISE LEVELS
Distance Where
Understanding
Becomes Very Difficult
More than 70 ft.
26-70 ft.
7-25 ft.
Less than 7 ft.
Acceptability Category
Clearly Acceptable
Normally Acceptable
Normally Unacceptable
Clearly Unacceptable
WORKSHEET A — Walk-Away Test
Date and time of each visit Acceptability Category:
to the site:
1.
2.
3.
Visit #1 Visit #2 Visit #3
Average of distances:
Date:
Signature:
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INTERMEDIATE—SOLID WASTE
CONCEPT
Discuss the subject of solid waste with your students so
they can understand the full scope of this national prob-
lem. This project is to show your students how they
can help solve the solid waste problem in your own
community through a student-sponsored glass con-
tainer reclamation program.
EQUIPMENT
Containers or barrels, gloves, poster paper, paint.
PROCEDURE
GLASS COLLECTION SITE—Pick a suitable loca-
tion (possibly a shopping center parking lot) where
people can deliver their containers. Obtain permission
to use the site. (Acquire any legal permit needed to
carry out your collection activity). Contact the Recla-
mation and Recycling Coordinator of the nearest glass
plant to coordinate the collection schedule with him.
Each Reclamation Center has its own schedule; be sure
you know when yours can accept delivery of the con-
tainers you collect.
COLLECTION SITE FACILITIES—Arrange to have
containers that can transport the collected bottles and
jars to the Reclamation Center. Because the glass must
be separated by color—amber, green and clear—a
minimum of three containers will be needed. You will
also need a container to collect the bags and boxes
people use to deliver jars and bottles. Signs will help
your operation.
POLICE LIAISON AND TRAFFIC CONTROL—In-
form local police about your plans; a special permit may
be required. The police may want to assign someone to
help direct traffic at the collection site.
COLLECTION SITE PERSONNEL—Determine how
many students will be needed to work at the site. Ask
for volunteers and assign specific duties, including
cleanup after the drive is over. It is a good idea to use
gloves and, if possible, safety goggles when handling
glass containers.
INSURANCE—Check to see if the collection site
should be insured for liability. Rules and requirements
vary. If the site is on private property, check with the
owner or general manager. If it is on public property,
discuss the matter with the appropriate governmental
official.
TRANSPORTATION—Arrange to have the collected
glass containers transported to the Reclamation Center,
possibly using vehicles and equipment donated by a
local company.
PUBLICITY—This responsibility can be broken down
into two main areas: Media: Contact local newspapers
and radio and television stations to let them know
what your students are planning. Ask them to publish
or announce your program as a public service. At the
end of the drive, inform the press on the success of the
program. Give credit to the people and companies who
helped. Mention how much the drive netted in earnings
and what the children plan to do with the money.
Political and civic: Notify your mayor, city manager,
and town council of your project. Let the presidents of
local civic groups know about it too. These people can
be a big help in making your drive a success. For ex-
ample, have the mayor kick off the project by bringing
some bottles to the site. Invite the press and TV to
cover this.
No part of this experiment may be reproduced without per-
mission from the Boy Scouts of America, North Brunswick,
N.J., and Glass Container Manufacturers Institute, Washington
D.C.
Assembly for Sampling Air (See page 8)
CORRUGATED BOARD CARTON
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EXPERIMENTS-HIGH SCHOOL
HIGH SCHOOL—AIR
CONCEPT
This experiment demonstrates that the air in which we
live and which we breathe is not always as clean as it
appears to be.
EQUIPMENT
Small vacuum pump or water aspirator having an air
volume capacity of approximately % cubic foot per
minute. Two pieces of 28-mm (outside diameter) glass
tubing 50- to 75-mm long, with 1.2-mm wall thickness
(be sure glass tubing is cut square and the ends are fire
polished to avoid cut fingers). Window screen disc cut
28-mm in diameter, two rubber stoppers to fit glass
tubing. Each stopper to have an 8-mm hole in center.
Two 75-mm pieces of 8-mm outside diameter glass
tubing. Whatmann #41 filter paper 28-mm diameter
discs, rubber band, 1-inch wide, to fit snugly around
28-mm tubing, or 1-inch wide masking tape, burette
stand with a 3-finger clamp, plastic (Tygon or Nalgon)
or rubber tubing to connect filter to vacuum pump and
to act as a probe to collect outdoor air, flowmeter (rota-
meter) of appropriate range, or a wet or dry gas meter
if available. A critical orifice of proper size may be
used to control air flow at the maximum rate desired.
Glass bottle (1-gal. capacity) fitted with 2-hole rubber
stopper containing one long and one short piece of 8-
mm glass tubing. The bottle should be nested in a cor-
rugated board box for safety.
ASSEMBLE APPARATUS
Set the screen on top of one piece of 28-mm tubing
(now called cylinder #1).
Place a filter paper disc on the screen.
Place the other piece of 28-mm tubing (cylinder #2)
on top of the filter paper, press the two cylinders to-
gether and make an air-tight seal with the rubber band
or with masking tape.
Insert a small glass tube in a hole through each rubber
stopper. Place one stopper in the lower end of cylinder
# 1 and the other stopper in the upper end of cylinder
#2. Mount the assembly in the burette stand with
cylinder #2 in the upper position.
Using plastic or rubber tubing, connect cylinder # 1 to
the lower tap on the rotameter or to the inlet of other
type of flow measuring device. Connect the outlet of
the rotameter or other flowmeter to the inlet side (long
glass tube) of the 1-gallon bottle. (This bottle evens out
any fluctuations due to the vacuum pump. It is called
a surge or buffer bottle.)
Similarly connect the outlet tube from the surge bottle
to the inlet tap of the vacuum pump or other source of
vacuum.
Connect a long piece of plastic or rubber tubing to the
inlet end of cylinder #2, and pass the other end
through a window. The stem of the funnel should be
inserted in the tubing hanging outside. The funnel
should hang upside down to prevent rain from entering
the tubing. See Assembly on page 7.
PROCEDURE
Start the vacuum pump and record the time. Measure
and record the rate of air flow.
Allow air to pass through the filter for two hours or as
long as required to darken the filter paper noticeably.
Measure and record the rate of air flow. Stop the
vacuum pump and record the time.
Dismantle and observe the soiling of the filter paper.
If a photometer to measure transmittance of light
through the soiled filter paper is available, a quantita-
tive evaluation of the amount of soiling can be made.
(Physics students may be interested in investigating and
building a simple means of measuring light transmit-
tance through the tape.)
QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION
THEORY—The amount of discoloration on the filter
paper is approximately proportional to the quantity of
solid particles suspended in the air. This makes it pos-
sible to relate the decrease in light transmittance
through the paper to the amount of particles collected
on it. The light transmittance of the paper can be
measured with a photometer before and after filtering
the air by placing the clean filter disc and later, the
exposed filter disc against the photometer window and
noting the intensity of light transmitted in each test.
From these measurements the optical density of the
soiled filter paper can be computed in COHs. The COH
is an abbreviation for Coefficient of Haze and one COH
unit represents an optical density of 0.01. The optical
density of the deposit or soiling is the logarithm to the
base 10 of the ratio of the intensity of light transmitted
through the clean filter paper to the intensity of the light
transmitted through the soiled filter paper. In terms of
percentage, it can also be the ratio of percent trans-
mittance through the clean paper (considered as 100%)
to the percent transmittance through the soiled paper.
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Therefore,
Io _ log.o 100%
It ~ %T
where,
I0 = average light intensity transmitted through
clean filter paper,
It = light intensity transmitted through the soiled
paper, and
C'(T = percent light transmitted through the soiled
paper when the light transmittance through
clean paper is considered as 1009^
Since log,n of 100 = 2.0, we have
O.D. = 2.0-log %T
By definition, one COH unit equals an optical density
of 0.01. Thus, the number of COHS represented by
the actual O.D. found equals O.D./0.01 = 100X(2.0
- log
-------
PROCEDURE
If naturally colored water is available from a local
stream or lake, it can be used. If not, an artificially
colored water can be made using 1-2 teaspoons of
instant tea per gallon of tap water.
Set up 6 beakers with known amount of water (250
ml. or 500 ml.). Add filter alum and soda ash (if re-
quired) according to the following table:
(initially try test without soda ash.)
Table 1
Jar No. Amount of Alum Amount of Soda Ash
1
2
3
4
5
6
Added
250 ml.
2
4
6
8
10
12
(Mg.)
500 ml.
4
8
12
16
20
24
Added
250ml.
4
5
6
7
8
9
(Mg.)
500ml.
8
10
12
14
16
18
Stir vigorously for about 1 minute until floe forms
(about 3 revolutions per second). After floe formula-
tion, stirring should be reduced to just keep the floe
in suspension (about 1 revolution every 4 seconds).
Slow stirring should continue for 10-15 minutes.
NOTE: If the floe does not form initially, reduce the
pH in one jar to about 4 by adding sulfuric acid. Floe
should then form. If floe still does not form, try adding
sodium carbonate in another beaker to see if floe
will form. If either addition is required, begin test over
again with the addition of the required chemical.
Allow beakers to stand for 10 minutes while floe
settles to the bottom. Record the results achieved in
each beaker. In practice, the beaker with the lowest
chemical dosage that produced an acceptable color
level would be the chemical dosage used in the water
treatment plant.
ACCOMPLISHMENT LEVEL*
Elementary students. Could the same procedure be
used to remove clay turbidity from water? (Answer:
—yes, exactly the same.)
Intermediate students. After treating the water, test
the pH. How would the pH be increased or decreased
to avoid corroding pipes in a distribution system?
(Answer:—by adding either a base—lime, sodium
carbonate or an acid—sulfuric acid.)
High School students. Calculate the required chemi-
cal dosages for a water treatment plant treating 10
million gallons of water per day for each of the test
chemical dosages. (Hint: 1 mg/liter is equivalent to
8.34 pounds per million gallons.)
* For additional activities see Water Experiment in the Elementary and Intermediate level.
HIGH SCHOOL—NOISE
CONCEPT
Noise is a harmful intruder in our daily lives—it is
distracting and injurious when excessive. If noise levels
are unacceptable, steps should be taken (planting bush
barriers, re-routing traffic, etc.) to reduce the level.
To evaluate a site's exposure to roadway noise, you
will need to consider all major roads within 1000 ft.
The information required for this evaluation is listed
below under headings that indicate the most likely
source.
EQUIPMENT
A map of the site area, a ruler (straight-edge), a pencil,
and perhaps a 100-ft. tape measure. (The worksheets
needed for the analysis are at the end of the lesson.)
PROCEDURE
Before beginning the evaluation, you should try to
obtain any available information about approved
plans for roadway changes (e.g., widening existing
roads or building new roads) and about expected
changes in road traffic (e.g., will the traffic on this
RAILWA1
NO.l —
^
300'
366'
sis'
^s£-
*^STOP
SIGN
^-- -
1
SO1
210'
320'
186'
ROAD' NO. z
(EFFECTIVE DISTANCE
IS 166 FT)
-ROAD NO.l ROAD NO. 3
(EFFECTIVE (EFFECTIVE
DISTANCE IS DISTANCE IS
330 FT) Z60FT)
f
TO
AIRPORT
RAILWAY
NO. 2
580' t
j
Figure 1—Plan view of site showing how distances should be
measured from the location of the dwelling nearest
to the source.
10
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road increase significantly in the next 10 or 15 years?)
Then record the following information on the work-
sheet A page 15.
From an area map and/or the City (County) Engi-
neer: The distance from the site to the centerlines of
the nearest and farthest lanes of traffic.
From the City (County) Director of Traffic: The peak
hourly automobile traffic flow in both directions,
combined.
The peak number of trucks (buses count as trucks)
per hour in each direction. (If the road has a gradient
of 3 per cent or more, record uphill and downhill
numbers separately as these figures will be necessary
later; if not, simply record the total number of
trucks.)
NOTE: You may also need to make adjustments for
the following circumstances:
—A road gradient of 3 per cent or more
—Stop-and-go traffic
—Mean speed
—A barrier
The information required for these adjustments can be
obtained from the City (County) Director of Traffic.
Traffic surveys show that the level of roadway noise
depends on the percentage of trucks in the total traf-
fic volume. To account for this effect, these guidelines
provide for separate evaluation of automobile and
truck traffic.
Before proceeding with these separate evaluations,
however, determine the effective distance from the site
to each road, by locating on Figure 2 the distances
from the site to the centerlines of the nearest and far-
thest lanes of traffic.
The site shown (Figure 1) is exposed to noise from
three major roads: Road #1 has 4 lanes, each 12 ft.
wide, and a 30-ft. wide median strip which accom-
modates a rapid transit line. Road #2 has 4 lanes,
each 12 ft. wide. Road #3 has 6 lanes, each 15 ft.
wide, and a median strip 35 ft. wide. The distance
shown ( Figure 1 ) will be used for all roadway
examples in this experiment.
Return to Fig. 2—lay a straight-edge to connect these
two distances and read off the value at the point
where the straight-edge crosses the middle scale. This
value is the effective distance to the road and should
be recorded on line 4 of worksheet A.
AUTOMOBILE TRAFFIC
The numbers in Figure 3, which is used to evaluate
the site's exposure to automobile noise, were arrived
at with the following assumptions:
—There is no traffic signal or stop sign within 800
ft. of the site.
—The mean automobile traffic speed is 60 mph.
—There is line-of-sight exposure from the site to the
road—i.e., there is no barrier which effectively
shields the site from the road.
DISTANCE TO
CENTERLINEOF
NEAREST LANE
DISTANCE TO
CENTERLINEOF
FARTHEST LANE
Example of how Figure 2 is used to determine effective
distances.
40,000 |TT
5000
4000
£ 2000
20 30 40 SO 60 BO 100 200 300 400 500 800 innn
EFFECTIVE DISTANCE (FTI
Example of how Figure 3 is used to evaluate site exposure
to automobile noise.
11
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If a road meets these three conditions, proceed to
Figure 3 for an immediate evaluation of the site's
exposure to the automobile noise from that road. BUT
if any of these conditions are different, make the nec-
essary adjustment(s) and then use Figure 3 for the
evaluation.
ADJUSTMENTS FOR AUTOMOBILE TRAFFIC
Stop-and-go Traffic:
If there is a traffic signal or stop sign within 800 ft.
of the site, multiply the total number of automobiles
per hour by 0.1. Record your answer on line 5.
Mean Traffic Speed:
If there is no traffic signal or stop sign within 800 ft.
of the site and the mean automobile speed is other
than 60 mph, multiply the total number of automo-
biles by the appropriate adjustment factor (see table
below). Record your answer on line 6.
Mean Traffic Speed
20 (mph)
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
Adjustment Factor
car truck
0.12 1.60
0.18 1.20
0.25 1.00
0.32 0.88
0.40 0.75
0.55 0.69
0.70 0.63
0.85 0.57
1.00 0.50
1.20 0.46
1.40 0.43
Barrier Adjustment:
This adjustment affects distance and applies equally to
automobiles and trucks on the same road.
A barrier may be formed by the road profile, by a
solid wall or embankment, by a continuous row of
buildings, or by the terrain itself. To be an effective
shield, however, the barrier must block all residential
levels of all buildings from line-of-sight to the road,
and it must not have any gaps that would allow noise
to leak through.
This adjustment is necessary only when the site's ex-
posure to noise from a road has been found Normally
or Clearly Unacceptable.
To make the barrier adjustment, you should first re-
cord on line 10 the distance between the site and the
barrier and on line 11 the distance between the center
of the road and the barrier; then you should deter-
mine the differences in effective elevation between (1)
the site and the road, and (2) the barrier and the road
as follows:
Step 1. From the City (County) Engineer, obtain the
elevation of the road. (Roads may be elevated above
the natural terrain or may be depressed, as in our
example; make certain, therefore, that the figure you
obtain for road elevation takes any such change into
account.) Add 5 ft. to this figure to obtain the effec-
tive road elevation and record your answer on line 12.
Step 2. From the applicant, obtain the ground eleva-
tion of the site and the number of stories in the pro-
posed housing. Multiply the number of stories by
10 ft. Add the site elevation and then subtract 5 ft.
from this total to obtain the effective site elevation.
Record your answer on line 13.
Step 3. From the City (County) Engineer or a contour
map, obtain the elevation of the terrain where the
barrier is located. Add the actual height of the barrier
to obtain the effective barrier elevation. Record your
answer on line 14. (Note that in some cases, as in our
example, the barrier is formed by the road profile and
the elevation of the terrain is the effective barrier
elevation.)
Record the difference in effective elevation between
the site (line 13) and the road (line 12) on line 15.
Record the difference in effective elevation between
the barrier (line 14) and the road (line 12) on line 16.
To find the barrier adjustment factor, you will need
Figure 5, a straight-edge, and the information re-
corded on lines 10, 11, 15 and 16. The Example of
Barrier Adjustment explains how to use Figure 5.
When you have determined the barrier adjustment
factor, multiply line 4, the effective distance, by the
adjustment factor to obtain the adjusted distance from
the site to the road. Record your answer on line 17.
* EXAMPLE 2: Road # 1 meets the three conditions
that allow for an immediate evaluation. In obtaining
the information necessary for this evaluation, we
found that the hourly automobile flow is 800 vehicles.
On Figure 3, we locate on the vertical scale the point
representing 800 vehicles/hr. and on the horizontal
scale the point representing 330 ft. (Note that we
must estimate the location of this point.) Using a
straight-edge, draw lines to connect these two values
and find that the site's exposure to automobile noise
from this road is Normally Acceptable.
EXAMPLE 3: Road #2 has a stop sign at 750 ft.
from the site. The hourly automobile flow is reported
as being 900 vehicles. Adjust for stop-and-go traffic.
900X0.1=90 vehicles
and find from Figure 3 that the exposure to auto-
mobile noise is Clearly Acceptable.
EXAMPLE 4: Road #3 is a depressed highway.
There is no traffic signal or stop sign and the mean
speed is 60 mph. The hourly automobile flow is 1200
vehicles. The road profile shields all residential levels
of the housing from line-of-sight to the traffic. The
only adjustment that can be made is the barrier ad-
justment. This adjustment is necessary, however, only
when the site's exposure to noise has been found
Clearly or Normally Unacceptable. Figure 3 shows
that the exposure to automobile noise is Normally
Acceptable. Therefore, no adjustment for barrier is
necessary.
* See Page 14
12
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20 30 40 50 GO 80 100 200 300 400 600 800 1000
EFFECTIVE DISTANCE (FT)
Example of how Figure 4 is used to evaluate site exposure
to truck noise.
TRUCK TRAFFIC
The numbers in Figure 4, which is used to evaluate
the site's exposure to truck noise, were arrived at
with the following assumptions:
• There is a road gradient of less than 3%.
• There is no traffic signal or stop sign within 800
ft. of the site.
• The mean truck traffic speed is 30 mph.
• There is line-of-sight exposure from the site to
the road—i.e., there is no barrier which effectively
shields the site from the road.
If a road meets these four conditions, proceed to
Figure 4 for an immediate evaluation of the site's
exposure to truck noise from that road.
But
if any of the conditions are different, make the neces-
sary adjustment(s) listed below and then use Figure 4
for the evaluation.
ADUSTMENTS FOR TRUCK TRAFFIC
Road Gradient:
If there is a gradient of 3% or more, multiply the
number of trucks per hour in the uphill direction by
the appropriate adjustment factor.
% of Gradient
3-4%
5-6%
More than 6%
Adjustment
Factor
1.4
1.7
2.5
Add to this adjusted figure the number of trucks per
hour in the downhill direction and record your answer
on line 7.
Stop-and-go Traffic:
If there is a traffic signal or stop sign within 800 ft.
of the site, multiply by 5 the total number of trucks.
Record your answer on line 8. (If the truck traffic has
already been adjusted for gradient, use the number on
Example of how
Figure 5 is used
to find
the adjustment factor.
13
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line 7; if not, use the number of trucks on line 3c for
this calculation.) See Example 6.
Mean Traffic Speed:
Make this adjustment only if there is no traffic signal
or stop sign within 800 ft. of the site and the mean
speed is not 30 mph.
If the mean truck speed differs with direction treat
the uphill and downhill traffic separately. Multiply
each by the appropriate adjustment factor on page 12.
Add these two numbers and record your answer on
line 9. (Remember that the uphill traffic may have
been adjusted for road gradient.)
But
if the mean truck speed is the same for both directions,
then multiply the total number of trucks (from either
line 3c or line 7) by the appropriate adjustment fac-
tor. Record your answer on line 9.
*EXAMPLE 6: Road #2 has a stop sign at 750 ft.
from the site. There is also a road gradient of 4%.
No trucks are allowed on this road, but 4 buses per
hour are scheduled 2 in each direction.
We adjust first for gradient
uphill:
downhill:
total flow:
2x1.4 = 2.8 vehicles
2. vehicles
4.8 vehicles
And then adjust for stop-and-go traffic
4.8X5 = 24 vehicles (per hour)
Figure 4 shows that the exposure to truck (bus) noise
from this road is Normally Acceptable.
If truck noise is found to be normally unacceptable we
proceed to make the barrier adjustment.
EXAMPLE 7: Example 7 explains how to use Fig-
* Example I and Example 5 (which appear on the appropriate graphs)
were omitted as no adjustments were required for the calculations.
ure 5. The barrier, which is formed by the road
#3 profile, has no height other than the 150 ft. el-
evation of the natural terrain. Thus, the effective
barrier elevation is 150 ft.
The difference in effective elevation between (1) the
site and the road is 55 ft. and (2) the barrier and the
road is 20 ft.
We now use Figure 5 to find the barrier adjustment
factor.
Example of Barrier Adjustment:
—The distance from the site to the barrier is 200 ft.
—The distance from the center of the road to the
barrier is 70 ft.
—The difference in effective elevation between the
site and the road is 55 ft.
—The difference in effective elevation between the
barrier and the road is 20 ft.
On the vertical scale of Graph 1, we mark 200 ft. and
draw a straight horizontal line to meet the curve
marked 70 ft. Then, we draw a vertical line down to
Graph 2 to meet the point which represents 55 ft.
(note that we must guess the location) and a hori-
zontal line over to Graph 3 to meet the curve marked
20 ft.
NOTE: If the line from Graph 2 does not meet the
appropriate curve on Graph 3, then the barrier is not
an effective shield and there is no adjustment.
Next, we draw a vertical line to Graph 4 to meet the
curve marked 4 (which is the number intersected by
the line going from Graph 1 to Graph 2) and a hori-
zontal line over to Graph 5 to meet the curve marked
200 ft. From Graph 5, we draw a vertical line down
to the adjustment scale and find that our multiplier
is 1.8.
Using this multiplier, we adjust the effective distance
260X1.8 = 468 ft.
and find from Figure 4 that the site's exposure to truck
noise from this road is Normally Acceptable.
14
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Worksheet A—Roadway Noise
Noise Assessment Guidelines
Acceptibility Category:
List all major roads within 1000 ft. of the site:
Automobiles
Trucks
1.
2.
3.
4.
Necessary information:
1. The distance in feet from the site to the
centerline of
a. nearest lane:
b. farthest lane:
2. The total number of automobile per hour
in both directions:
3. The number of trucks per hour
a. uphill direction:
b. downhill direction:
c. both directions:
4. Effective distance from site to road:
Road#l Road #2 Road #3 Road #4
Adjustments for Automobile Traffic
5. Stop-and-go:
6. Mean speed:
Adjustments for Truck Traffic
7. Road gradient:
8. Stop-and-go:
9. Mean speed:
Barrier Adjustment
10. Distance from site to barrier:
11. Distance from center of road to barrier:
12. Effective elevation of road:
13. Effective elevation of site:
14. Effective elevation of barrier:
15. Difference in elevation between site and
road:
16. Difference in elevation between barrier and
road:
17. Adjusted distance:
Signature:
Date:
15
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Figure i
Air Assembly
Figure la Air Graph
STARTING STOPPING ELAPSED TIME (Show in form of bar graph)
SITE TIME TIME
c
D
E
F
G
H
I
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0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
(MINUTES)
era
2 = S
01 ^-J co to
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16
-------
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17
-------
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18
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HIGH SCHOOL—SOCIAL STUDIES
CONCEPT
This activity is to introduce the students to State and
local government structure. As a result, the student
should know where to go within his local or State
government to deal with a water, air, noise, or solid
waste problem.
EQUIPMENT
Use of school library, pamphlets released by legis-
lative services, EPA regional office, comptroller's of-
fice, water pollution board office; poster board, pens,
magic markers and rulers.
PROCEDURE
The students should visit the site of a particular pol-
lution problem. The local area should be scanned
beforehand for various pollution offenders along
bodies of water, streets, parks, etc.
Either through use of the library or individual investi-
gation, the student will obtain information concerning
State laws and State agencies. Their research should
lead to questions dealing with pollution. They should
discover the responsibilities and relationships between
various State and Federal agencies in order to deal
with them more effectively.
The students may be encouraged to work in groups on
some or all of the following: State, Federal and local
laws dealing with pollution, biological studies of pol-
lution, duties and relationship of Federal, State and
local agencies.
HIGH SCHOOL—ECOLOGY CLUB
CONCEPT
This activity is designed for high school students in-
terested in starting a club dealing with a pollution
problem.
EQUIPMENT
The equipment required will be determined by the
activities of the club.
PROCEDURE
The method for starting an organization will vary,
depending on the school itself and the kind of pro-
gram desired. Students interested in any aspects of
pollution (i.e., science, legislation, philosophy, etc.)
should be encouraged to participate, because differing
skills will be needed for every project. If the students
show an interest in establishing a club or similar stu-
dent organization, help them out by:
1. Defining the purpose of the club (write a charter).
2. Choosing a project or setting a goal.
3. Publicizing the club.
In defining purpose, the activities that the club hopes
to carry out or the possible lines of action should be
considered.
After the club has been functioning for a while, it
might be advisable to sit down as a group and list the
activities the group has engaged in. This list should in-
clude failures as well as successes. From this, a short
explanatory program of what the club is doing could
be evolved very easily.
The program could utilize any posters, charts and
anything else the club has produced to explain or
exemplify pollution.
A 10-to 30-minute slide program of sufficient subject
matter with a narrator can be very effective. It could
be presented to students in other schools to encour-
age them to form their own club.
CLUB FUNCTIONS
PROJECTS:
1. Cleanup of polluted areas
Organize a basic plan for the cleanup of community
rivers, streams, and highways. Use volunteers. View
the sites to get an idea of how and what to clean up.
Needed materials could include trash containers, ve-
hicles for pickup, and transportation. Plastic or can-
vas bags are stronger waste containers than most
paper bags.
2. Erosion
Find an erosion problem in your community that needs
attention. Determine what would be involved to cor-
rect the problem. If it is a major undertaking, seek
help of others in the community. If it is a small proj-
ect, gather the needed equipment and materials and
set up a work day for the club and other interested
students.
DISTRIBUTION CENTERS
A club booth can be set up to sell or distribute ma-
terial concerning pollution. Buttons, posters, and
stickers can be made by the students and sold for a
19
-------
profit. A number of students can be selected to re-
ceive these materials free, in order to stimulate interest.
Materials that could be distributed could include
pamphlets, free upon request from any government
agency. You could also write to your Congressman
and request that your name be added to his list of
people who receive The Congressional Record. The
Congressional Record will keep you informed of en-
viroinmental legislation being introduced and voted
upon. Keep the materials at the booth.
COMMUNICATION
It is necessary to inform the public so that it can be
an effective force in the school and community.
Methods of communication available are unlimited.
In the school, use the school newspaper or distribute
dittoed sheets at information centers. Outside of the
school, the students could talk to the local radio sta-
tion managers and newspaper editors about time and
space to publicize their activity.
POSTER AND ART EXHIBITS
For any art exhibits, proper hanging space must be
available. There are several exhibits made up for ex-
hibition in schools; check with your local library or
museum. Poster contests can be sponsored in your
school by the art or science department. All you need
to do is arouse enough enthusiasm for the project so
that you have enough contestants. One idea for pro-
moting the enthusiasm is to make materials available
to the students. Often, when some kind of prize is
offered, more of the older students will participate.
Otherwise your best participants will be the students in
the lower grades. Encourage multi-dimensional posters
made up from discarded objects as opposed to the
one-dimensional kind.
Having any kind of exhibit in the halls of a school
building will help to interest students. You will find a
contest motivates some students who would not have
been motivated otherwise.
FIELD TRIPS
Field trips are interesting and useful to a club. But
trips should have interest and relevancy such as areas
of established pollution. The date, time, and methods
of transportation should be set up before the desig-
nated time. It is possible to get help or maybe per-
mission from authorities if you write ahead of time or
call to ask.
The purpose of the trip, either testing or knowledge
seeking, can be discussed beforehand to look for key
points during the trip. In the case of testing water,
legal complications should be taken into consideration.
THINGS TO DO
Build a balanced aquarium or terrarium to learn how
plants and animals depend on each other. Then change
one element at a time to determine the effect on this
environment.
Make a windowsill garden to learn how plants grow
and how to take care of them; keep a weekly record
of plant growth.
Take a walk on a windy day to observe how wind
moves flags, clouds, leaves, seeds and soil. Show how
grass and shrubs keep soil from blowing away.
Select a plant and an animal found on the school site;
explain what they need for survival and how the en-
vironment meets their needs.
Start a school garden with different kinds of plants.
Learn how to manage soil and water resources to en-
courage the growth of these plants.
Study the plants and animals on and near the school
site,—in a vacant lot, in a nearby field, in the woods,
and in a pond. How do these plants and animals differ
in one area from those in another? How are they
similar? How has man changed these areas? Prepare
a report explaining how plants or animals have
adapted to the environment in these areas.
Write stories about some of the ways man has either
improved or harmed the environment for living things,
or how your environment has changed because of
man's influence.
Visit a city's water supply plant. Where does the
water come from? Does the water have to be treated
before it can be used by people? Why?
Find an area in which natural resources have de-
teriorated. Form small groups to prepare reports de-
tailing conservation needs. Outline a plan of action for
improving the area.
Select a conservation organization or agency and
prepare a report on its origin and its action programs
that have had a lasting effect on some aspects of con-
servation in your community.
Visit an art gallery or museum to learn how painters
20
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sculptors use natural resources as inspiration for
r works.
npile a list of local, State, and Federal agencies
i conservation and resource management respon-
lities. Identify those that do conservation work in
r community.
iy State laws affecting natural resources and Their
use and management. Write a model ordinance that
would help solve a specific resource-use problem in
your community.
Assume that all electric power has been cut off in
your community for a week. Write a day-by-day ac-
count of the effect this would have on your life and
on the life of the community.
THINGS TO TALK ABOUT
;uss how your everyday activities affect natural
iurces. How do you make use of soil, trees, shrubs,
7ers, water, domesticated animals, and wildlife?
npare plants and animals living in your community
i those in the ocean, in a pond, in a desert, and
L forest. How are they similar? How are they dif-
nt?
at is an environment? What are some of the natural
ors that limit plant and animal life in your com-
lity?
at is sediment? How does sediment in rivers and
;s affect fish and wildlife? The water you use every
vv are plants, animals, soil and water affected when
n uses large areas of land for houses, shopping
ters, highways, and airports?
w does man use science and technology in adapt-
to his environment? Have scientific discoveries
mged your environment? Has agriculture or industry
>nged your environment? How?
w do droughts, floods, fire, soil erosion, water and
air pollution, and the construction of cities and high-
ways affect plants? Animals? Man?
Name five sources of energy used by man. What im-
pact has the use of, and search for, energy sources
had on the industrial development of this country?
How does the price of space in congested areas in-
fluence decisions affecting the environment?
What are man's responsibilities to other living things
in making use of resources?
How do some of the decisions on resource-use in your
community affect your State or the Nation? What
conservation practices can be used in your community
to improve resources needed or used by other com-
munities?
Who makes the plans for the way in which your
community develops? Who plans the use and manage-
ment of water resources, land area developments,
parks, and open spaces? How are these plans carried
out? What government agencies are responsible for
using and managing natural resources? Applying con-
servation practices in your community? In your State?
Dear Teacher:
P.E.M.A.P.—the President's Environmental Merit Awards Program was created to encourage
and recognize student involvement in cleaning up the environment.
Certificates bearing the Presidential seal and signature are granted students who participate in
award-winning projects.
For information on how to enroll your class, club or school in the program write:
Ms. Joan Donnelly
The President's Environmental
Merit Awards Program
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ^ (.
401 M Street S.W. fj f: p".-'r?m-.~-"-*"' < •'-
Washington, D. C. 20460 . ; • •
LIFE — PASS IT ON
60604
Agsncy
), S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1974-624-464/806 3-I
21
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OFFWF OF PIIRI ir AFFAIRC /»_in-M POSTAGE AND FEES PAID
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS (A—107) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY fcNVIKUNMUM IAL KKUI tuIIUIN AbbNU|
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 TH|RD CLASS BULK RATE
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