THAT
5>.v:
CI-
•A RESOURCE BOOK FOR GRADES K-6-
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That Magnificent
/K round Water
Connection:
A Resource Book For Grades K-6
August 1996
Written, Developed, and Compiled by
McMaster Training Associates
New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) and
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1, New England (USEPA)
Edited by
Ellen Frye
Layout and Design by
Ricki Pappo
/
NEIWPCC Project Coordinator
Tom Groves
V
USEPA Project Coordinator
Maryjo Moubry Feuerbach
)
a
NEIWPCC
255 Ballardvale St.
Wilmington, MA 01887
508/658-0500
printed on recycled paper
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Prepared by the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission with
grants (#T001756 and #T001498) from the US EPA, Region I, New England Office.
This publication may be copied for educational purposes. Please give credit to NEIWPCC.
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Acknowledgements
This resource book, which was spon-
sored by the United States Environ-
mental Protection Agency, was developed in
response to requests by educators in New
England who wanted appropriate materials
on the subject of ground water. We wish to
thank Susan M. McMaster, McMaster
Training Associates, who provided her exper-
tise as an instructional specialist, writer, and
former teacher in compiling and developing
the materials for the book.
i
We are grateful to NElWPCC's Tara Hood,
who provided research assistance and
obtained permission to use copyrighted infor-
mation, and Scott Lussier, who helped orga-
nize the pilot teacher workshops. From
USEPA, Region 1, New England we had
expert review input from Michele
Notarianni, Doug Heath, Ann Bonner, David
Delaney, John Haederle, Stafford Madison,
Jane Downing, and Myra Schwartz. Michele
Njotarianni and Rob Adler also helped with
the pilot teacher workshops, and Maria Pirie
was an advisor.
[
1 .
This project would not have been possible
without the help of many teachers from
across New England. Teachers of all grade-
levels and disciplines attended a full-day
wjorkshop to introduce themselves to the
classroom activities, tested the activities in
their classrooms during the Spring 1995
school year, and attended a follow-up work-
shop to provide comments and suggestions
for improving the resource book.
We are deeply grateful to the following
teachers:
Laurie Lezzer, who reviewed the original
material;
Thomas Abbott, Coventry High School, CT;
Judith Basile, Agawam Jr. High School, MA;
Kathleen Eldredge, Hilltop Elementary
School, MA;
Mary M. Fischer, Ottoson Middle School,
MA;
Fred P. Andruchuk, Memorial High School,
NH;
I '
Jody Costello, Acton Boxborough High
School, MA;
Thomas J. Estill, Lyme School, NH;
Anne D. Guptill, Garrett Schenck School,
ME;
| 9
Edward Hodgdon, Rockland Dist. High
School, ME;
Sandra Ivins, Major Edwards School, MA;
Ann-Marie Kelly, Grafton Intermediate
School, MA;
David Knightly, Paris Christian Academy,
ME;
I '
John F. McCormick III, Major Edwards
Elementary, MA;
Gwendolyn P. Osmond, Ottoson Middle
School, MA;
Ann Rector, Grafton High School, MA;
Dawn H. Sather, Forest Avenue School, MA;
Lynn J. Sironen, North Kingstown High
School, RI;
William J. Waterhouse, Jr., Lin-Wood Public
School, NH;
Alexandra G. Weber, Calais High School,
ME;
Howard Whitten, Nokomis High School,
ME;
Ada Wright, Ottoson Middle School, MA;
Karen H. Zwick, Cold Spring School, CT.
• 1. -)
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Ann O'Grady, Aldrich Jr. High School, RI
Deborah Gustafson, Greater Lowell
Technical High School, MA;
Jim Morrill, Hotchkiss School, CT;
Brian Slopey, Union 32 Jr/Sr High School,
,VT;
Nicholas Shaw, Minnerchaug Regional High
School, MA;
Diane B. Savage, Nashua Senior High School,
jNH;
Sandra Stolle, Seabrook Elementary School,
jNH;
Roger Foster, Oxford Hills Jr. High, ME;
Kenneth B. Hastings, Colebrook Academy,
jNH;
Robert O'Neil, Kearsarge Middle School,
'NH;
Robert Libby, Craftsbury Academy, VT;
Susan Michael, Bristol Eastern High School,
iCT;
John Markelon, New Milford High School,
CT;
Edmund Smith, Rockville High School
Agricultural Ed., CT;
Christopher Barnacoat, Squannacook
jElementary, MA;
Susan O'Hare-Black, Merrimack Valley
Hebrew Academy, MA;
Peter Stackhouse, Exeter Area High School,
;NH;
Jennifer Supple, Kennett High School, NH;
Meredith Marcinkewicz, Luna A. White
jSchool, MA;
Walt Gutzman, Craftsbury Academy, VT
Dennis Hanczar, Woodstock Academy, CT;
Alison Guile, Coventry, CT.
To' ensure that the resource book was applic-
able to New England, several professionals
from state environmental protection agencies
attended the teacher workshops and reviewed
and commented on the activities. Jude
Hutchinson of the MA DEP Water Supply
Program provided comments on the draft
materials. George Zoto of the MA DEP
Water Supply Program, Marianne DuBois of
the ME DEP Water Quality Division, Peter
Garrity of the VT DEC Water Supply
Program, Debbie Soule of the NH DES
Ground Water Program, Rob Hust of the CT
DEP Ground Water Program, and Galen
Howard-McGovern of the RI DEM Ground
Water Program attended the teacher training
workshops and provided materials for teach-
ers about their state's ground water resources
an!d programs.
Dennis Cheek, RI Department of Education
Coordinator of Mathematics, Science and
I ...
Technology, provided suggestions for improv-
ing the classroom activities.
Special thanks to Marianne DuBois of the
Maine DEP. Marianne has extensive experi-
ence teaching environmental topics to chil-
dren and adults and was an advisor to the
project. Her ideas, suggestions, and support
were invaluable.
I
Special thanks to Barbara Waters who served
as jan advisor to the project and also helped
to jfield test the K-6 activities with elementary
teachers in southeastern Massachusetts.
.j. .
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Table Contents
WELCOME TO "THAT MAGNIFICENT GROUND WATER CONNECTION' 5-6
WHY SHOULD STUDENTS STUDY GROUND WATER? 7
SYMBOLS USED IN THIS RESOURCE BOOK 9
SECTION A: BASIC WATER FACTS ^
Water Mobiles ^ ¦ j A* I - A* 2
All thp-Wktapjn the World A*3 -A-6
^ct/wty? Amthe Water in the World .. rrF7. A*7
Forms of Water A*9 - A* 10
jise A* 11 - A* 11
Voter in Disguise A* 12
See Salt; Now You Don't! A* 13 - A* 17
Activity: NowYou See Soft, Now You Don't! A* 19 - A*2I
Sink or Swim A»2I -A*22
SECTION B: THE WATER CYCLE
Water in the World Goes Round and Ro^nd B*l - B*3
Activity: The Water Cycle ^
Water Wheels . B*5 - B*6
ActivityfV^terWheels J. \ B«7 - B*8
cV^Walter Cycle Songs /
( Song: The Itsy Bitsy Raindrops .. .J. B*9
N^ong: The Sun Worms they/a&(°r. B* 10
"""v- ¦Son^Water UpandWater Down 'l*K K '
Water Cycle Adventures Cv/''' \\ B* 13 - B* 15
A "Disappearing" Act i B* 17 - B* 18
The Case of the Disappearing Water B* 19 - B*20
Story: The Case of the Disappearing Water 'j*\ ¦ B«21 - B*22
Activity: The Case of the Disappearing Water ^7. J B»23 - B*24
Water Leaves B*25 - B*26
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION
Can Dirt Make Water Clean?
What's Been Polluting the Groundwater?
Activity: What's Been Polluting the Ground Water?
D: WATER DISTRIBUTION AND TREATMENT
Those Pipes
Activity: Pipe Distribution Systems
Me, Is this the Way to the Drainpipe?
Me, Is this the Way to the Drainpipe?. .. .
Hook Up
. The Great Water Hook Up
Magic Schoolbus at the Waterworks"
- C-8
. C«3
. C*4
. 09
.. D'l - D-3
. . D»4 - D»6
. . D»7 - D-9
D-11 - D-18
D-19 - D*20
D'2\ - D-22
D»23
SECTION C: GROUND WATER BASICS
Deep Subjects—and Groundwater.
Ground Water Diagram
Ground Water Terms
Activity: Water Maze
SECTION E: WATER STEWARDSHIP
Conserving Daily Water Use at Home . E* I - E*3
Activity I Handout: How Much Water Do You Use? E*5 - E*6
The Case of the Mysterious Renters. . .(&, E*7 - E*8
Story: The Case of the Mysterious Renters E*9 - E* 10
Activity/Handout: How Much Woter Do You Use? E* I I - E* 12
•_ *
"No Town Meeting!"-Water Conservation and the Government E» 13 - E-15
Activity: "No Town Meeting!"^ E» 17 - E* 18
Story: "No Town Meeting!" . ..HH . i.. . . . .. E* 19 - E*22
Join the Magnificent Society ofWater and Environmental Stewards E*23 - E*24
EPA's Groundwater Stewardship Program E*25 - E«26
Groundwater Steward Certificate Application E*27
RESOURCE FILE
Groundwater Education Resources RF*I - RF*6
Community and Regional Groundwater Information Form RF*7
Glossary of Terms RF*9 - RF* 10
Resource Book Evaluation Form RF»I I - RF" 12
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WELCOME TO
TH AT MACN 1 F I C E NT
CR©
en
P "J
U
D W A TE
E C T10 N
This resource book was prepared
through a collaborative effort by envi-
ronmental professionals and teachers.
Extensive research was undertaken in prepa-
ration for this project. It was reviewed by
technical experts from the New England
Regional Office of the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA),
the New England Interstate Water Pollution
Control Commission (NElWPCC), and by a
number of teachers throughout New
England. During the 1995 school year the
resource book was field-tested by teachers
and, based on their comments, revised as
l
necessary.
i
The following features have been built in to
the book:
Each activity has clearly stated objec-
tives. Teachers can quickly determine if
the exercise is designed to develop
knowledge-level skills, comprehension
skills, application skills, and/or problem-
solving/critical thinking skills. Many of
the activities are set up so that students
will recognize the reason behind the
learning activities. What students learn
about the environment now will help
them thoughtfully approach environ-
mental issues in the future.
This resource book is based on the phi-
losophy that we do not need to teach
people what to think regarding environ-
mental issues. We need to teach them
how to think regarding environmental
issues. The emphasis is not on differenti-
ating the environmental "good guys"
from the "bad guys." Rather, we all
have choices and contributions to make.
Only by listening to other people's view-
points and finding common ground will
we be able derive solutions. Therefore,
particularly with regards to older stu-
dents, emphasis is placed on gathering
and sharing information from a variety
of perspectives on the issues.
The "learner discovery" approach is
used throughout the activities. We pro-
vide structure through experiments, sce-
narios, and brainstorming activities.
Throughout the book, students are
encouraged to hypothesize, experiment,
analyze, and draw their own conclu-
sions.
In most exercises, interdisciplinary skills
are included. As teachers, we know that
as our students go out into the "real
world," they will not be asked to use
the scientific method for 45 minutes and
then stop, write a technical report for
45 minutes and stop, speak for 45 min-
utes and stop, sketch an illustration and
stop. As adults, students will be asked
to integrate all their skills and problem-
solve using information they have
learned from multiple disciplines.
Therefore, we encourage teachers to
share these materials with other teachers
on their teaching teams.
Included in this workbook are materials
that can be shared with art and music
teachers in the lower grades or used as a
-5- h)
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WELCOME TO THAT MAGNIFICENT GROUND WATER CONNECTION
theme that can underlie several learning
activities in various disciplines. As stu-
dents begin changing classes as they get
older, projects are included which could
serve as joint assignments in several
classes.
¦ Activities are easy to incorporate into
teachers' lesson plans. All activities are
designed to stand alone "cafeteria
style." Teachers can incorporate some
activities without incorporating all
activities. Teachers will want to make
sure students have enough background
knowledge and skills to complete any
given exercise. It is our hope that teach-
ers will use this resource book much
like a cookbook; to provide ideas,
recipes, and spice to what they are
already doing.
¦ The activities in this resource book have
been reviewed for technical accuracy
and applicability to the New England
region. Some materials that have been
developed for specific states in other
parts of the country are already avail-
able; this resource book has been devel-
oped specifically to meet the needs of
the New England region.
¦ The activities are fun as well as educa-
tional. We looked for activities that
were appropriate to grade levels but did
not underestimate students' ability to
learn. Each activity can be completed in
a reasonable amount of time—most in
one class period. Many of the stories for
the younger children have an underlying
sense of humor as well as a message.
The experiments illustrate scientific con-
cepts in ways that students can visualize
and understand.
¦ Experiments can be performed with
readily available materials. While some
schools may have budgets that can sup-
port high-tech equipment, we felt that
most experiments should be built
around inexpensive materials that are
readily available in science classrooms,
labs, and local stores and that are
inexpensive.
¦ Background information is provided for
each activity. Because each activity is
designed to stand alone, some back-
ground information will be the same for
more than one activity. Ground water is
a relatively new area of study, even for
environmental professionals. Therefore,
it is likely that many teaching profes-
sionals will not have an extensive back-
ground in this field.
¦ A selection of additional resource mate-
rial is provided at the back of the book
in the "Resource File."
¦ Words that appear in bold-italic type
are listed in the Glossary of Terms in
the "Resource File."
¦ Answers to many of the questions posed
in this resource book appear in italics
following the question.
Teachers are encouraged to browse through
the activities in this book and try some that
enhance their curricula and appeal to their
imagination and interests. If you enjoy the
exercises and learn something new or find a
fresh approach to teaching, your students
will probably enjoy and learn from the
activity as well. A "That Magnificent
Ground Water Connection" evaluation
form is included in the "Resource File."
We welcome your suggestions.
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WHY SHOULD STUDENTS STUDY
GROUND WATER?
round water is likely to become a
prominent issue in the years to come.
Ninety-five percent of all fresh water on
earth (not including icecaps) is ground water.
Ground water provides drinking water for
53 percent of the population in the United
States. Currently, most of the ground water
inl our country is considered to be of good
quality, but an increasing number of prob-
lems associated with ground water contami-
nation are causing concern.
Ground water is an excellent topic of study
for many reasons:
Since ground water is so critical to our
lives, serving as a source of drinking
water and supporting plant and animal
life in a variety of habitats, students need
to be aware of environmental issues con-
cerning ground water.
Most people take their drinking water
for granted. They know that water comes
from the tap and goes down the drain
but rarely give this valuable resource
much consideration in terms of what
happens to the water before or after they
use it.
Communities are constantly faced with
ground water protection issues. It is
important for students to understand
ground water in order to participate as
informed citizens in the difficult decisions
that have to be made when they are
adults.
Ground water is a relatively "new" envi-
ronmental issue, and many people do not
know much about it.
Ground water is a subject that lends itself
well to all grade levels. Even the youngest
students can understand that water is
important for many reasons and become
intrigued that water is underground and
that it flows through the soil under-
ground. Older students appreciate study-
ing subjects that reflect "real life" issues.
Ground water issues provide science
teachers with opportunities for practical
experiments and cross-discipline activi-
ties.
Throughout history, the availability of
water has affected decisions individuals,
communities, and nations have made.
Water quality issues promise to impact
geo-politics in the the future. The study
of ground water helps students gain an
understanding of the complexity and
long-term impact of actions and choices
that people make.
.7. -
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SYMBOLS USED IN TH IS
RESOURCE BOOK
On the first page of each activity you will find a graphic symbols. These
symbols are designed to provide you with a quick snapshot of what the
activity entails. Here is a list of the symbols and what they mean:
ART
EXPLORATION
EXPERIMENT OR DEMONSTRATION
SINGING
STORY AND READING
WATER FACT
WRITING
.9. -
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BASIC WATER FACTS
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W* '
Water Mobi les
~ Grades A
K^l "
>¦ Objectives
• Students will use
water words to apply
classification skills.
• Students will be able
to explain some of the
reasons clean water is
essential to life on
earth.
>- Interdisciplinary
Skills
Science and
Reasoning
Estimated
• 1 hour if pictures
are cut out ahead of
time
• 45 additional minutes
if students draw their
own pictures to add
to mobiles.
>
Materials
~
20-30 water-related
pictures
~
I paper bag
~
I large poster board
~
I ball of yarn
~
60 paper clips
a
Drawing paper,
I sheet per student
Background Information
Water is probably the most important substance on earth.
Where there is no water, there is no life. Every plant and
animal on earth needs water to live. In fact, the human body is
made up of about 75 percent water. People use water in a variety
of ways—for drinking, washing, rinsing, cooling, swimming, boat-
ing, manufacturing, cooking. Some plants and animals spend their
entire lives in water. Water covers about three-quarters of the plan-
et and is present in the air, in rivers, lakes, streams, and oceans,
and in the ground, both in soils and bedrock fractures.
Teaching Strategy
1. Collect 20-30 pictures related to water. You may want to cut
out the pictures ahead of time and mount them on construction
paper, or you may want students to cut out pictures. Punch a
hole in the top of each picture; reinforce the holes.
2. Make a mobile: Cut 3 pieces of poster board (18" x 6").
Punch 6-10 holes along one edge of each and tie different
lengths of yarn to each hole. At the end of each piece of yarn,
tie an opened paper clip.
3. Label each poster board with a classification, such as "Ways
We Use Water," "Where Water Is Found," and "Living Things
that Need Water".
4. Show the pictures to your students. Ask them to tell a story
about the water in the picture.
5. Show the students how several of the pictures belong together.
Ask them to add other pictures to the classifications.
WHERE WATER IS FOUND
A-1- ->
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WATER MOBILES
6. Put the pictures in a paper bag. Have each student pick a
picture out of the bag, decide what category it belongs to,
explain why they chose the category, and hang the picture on
the correct mobile. (Some pictures may belong in more than
one category. What is important is the reasoning skills the stu-
dent uses.)
7. Have your students draw their own pictures about water and
add it to the mobiles.
8. Hang the mobiles around the room.
Alternate Strategy
1. Instead of mobiles, cut out three large umbrella shapes from
construction paper. Put them on the bulletin board. Label them
with the classifications described above.
2. Paste the pictures on pieces of raindrop-shaped construction
paper. Put the raindrops on the correct umbrella.
Adapted from: Science and Environmental Education - North. Groundwater Education in
Michigan's Schools, Grades K-6, 1991.
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All the Water
in the World
~ Grades A
K- 3, 4 - 6 "
>- Objectives
• Recognize that there
is a lot of water in the
world, but that not
very much of it can be
used for our drinking
water and other water
supply needs.
• Recognize that
ground water is a very
small percentage of
the earth's water.
• Understand how
important it is that we
take care of our
ground water.
> Interdisciplinary
Skills
Science and Math
Background Information
Because water covers three-quarters of the earth's surface, it
might appear that there is plenty to go around and that we
will never run out of this valuable resource. In reality, however, we
have a limited amount of usable fresh water. Over 97 percent of
the earth's water is found in the oceans as salt water. Two percent
of the earth's water is stored as fresh water in glaciers, ice caps,
and snowy mountain ranges. That leaves only one percent of the
earth's water available to us for our daily water supply needs. Our
fresh water supplies are stored either in the soil (aquifers) or
bedrock fractures beneath the ground (ground water) or in lakes,
rivers, and streams on the earth's surface (surface water).
We use fresh water for a variety of purposes. Agricultural uses
represent the largest consumer of fresh water, about 42 percent.
Approximately 39 percent of our fresh water is used for the pro-
duction of electricity; 11 percent is used in urban and rural homes,
offices, and hotels; and the remaining 8 percent is used in manu-
facturing and mining activities.
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ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD
Grades
K - 3
i
Materials
Globe
97 pieces of
uncooked ziti dyed
blue, I piece dyed
red, and 2 pieces
dyed green or 100
dixie cups (optional
strategy)
Food coloring
Teaching Strategy for Grades K-3
Part A - Exploring the Globe
1. Look at the globe with the students. See if they can find where
they live on the globe. Have them point out lakes, rivers, and
oceans. Explain that these are called surface waters.
2. Ask the students if they know which kinds of waterbodies are
salt water and which are freshwater. Have they ever tasted salt
water? Was it good?
3. Ask the students if they think there is more water or land on
the globe. Is there water beneath the surface of the ground that
we cannot see on the globe?
Part B - Demonstrating With Ziti
1. Spread the ziti out on a table. Explain that there are 100 ziti
pieces that represents all (100%) of the water in the world.
2. Using the concept of percentages, ask the students if they know
what the red and green zitis represent. See if they can estimate
percentages. Explain that the two green zitis represent water
that is stored as ice in glaciers and at the poles (2%). The lone-
ly red ziti represents the fresh water that is available for plants,
animals, and people (1% of all the water on the earth). Ask the
students what the remaining blue zitis represent. They represent
the water that's in the ocean, 97% of all the water on earth.
3. Ask the students what we should do to take good care of the
water we use in our homes and businesses. Use only what we
need.
Optional Strategy
Use 100 dixie cups filled with water. Use food coloring (as
described above) to indicate ice glaciers and fresh water.
Supplementary Activities
¦ Draw a water pie. Have students draw a circle that represents
all the water in the world. Have them make pie slices in the
circle that represent 97% ocean, 2% glaciers and ice, and
1 % fresh water. Color and label the water pie.
A*4*
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ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD
~
Grades
4-6
i
~ Materials
~ Globe
~ 5 gallons of water
~ Tablespoons
~ Container (such as
aquarium)
~ Droppers
~ Graph paper
~ Small containers
(quart jars)
~ Copies of activity
handout
¦ Make a water necklace. String the ziti (you'll probably need to
have more on hand) on pieces of yarn. Have the students take
the necklaces home and explain "all the water in the world" to
their families.
Teaching Strategy for Grades 4-6
Part A - Exploring the Globe
Same as K-3
Part B - Aquarium Demonstration
As you do this experiment, stress that the amounts represent rela-
tive quantities of different types of water, not actual amounts.
1. Put 5 gallons of water in an aquarium or other container. Tell
students to imagine the container represents all the water in the
world.
2. Have students remove 34 tablespoons of the water and put
them into a cup. Tell them this amount represents all the water
in the world that is not ocean.
3. Have the students remove 26 tablespoons of water and then
another 8 tablespoons of water from the cup containing the 34
tablespoons of water. Put each into separate cups. The 26 table-
spoons represent the world's ice caps and glaciers. The 8 table-
spoons represent the world's fresh water. A fraction of a table-
spoon (1/10) represents the world's fresh water lakes and rivers.
Of that, all rivers amount to less than a drop.
4. Be sure to recycle the water. Use it to water plants.
Part C - Work Sheet: All the Water in the World
1. Ask students to complete the activity work sheet.
2. The answers to the drinking water percentages: 0.419% total
and 2.799% grand total.
3. Ask students if the numbers surprised them. Did they realize
that such a small percentage of the water in the world is fresh?
A-5- ->
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ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD
NOTES
Part D - Bar Graph
1. Distribute graph paper.
2. Ask students to create a bar graph that shows 97% ocean, 2%
ice caps and glaciers, and 1 % fresh water.
Follow-up Questions
1. Why isn't all fresh water usable? Some is not easy to get at; it
may be frozen or trapped in unyielding soils or bedrock frac-
tures. Some water is too polluted to use.
2. Why do we need to take care of the surface water/ground
water? Water is very important for humans, plants/crops, and
animals. If we waste water or pollute it, we may find that there
is less and less of it available for us to use.
Adapted from: Project Aquatic Wild. How Wet is Our Planet? Western Regional
Environmental Education Council, 1987.
A*6* ¦ V
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ACTIVITY: ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD
DID YOU KNOW....?
Q Earth is called the water planet.
Q Between two-thirds (2/3) and three-fourths (3/4) of the earth's surface is
covered with water.
~ The earth has different types of water:
Oceans 97.2% of total water
Ice caps/glaciers 2.38%
Ground water 0.397%
Surface water (e.g., lakes, rivers, streams, ponds) 0.022%
Atmosphere 0.001%
Add up the percentages for water available for drinking water.
Ground water
Surface water
Total
Now add ice caps/glaciers
Grand Total
Remember: Only a small percentage of water is suitable for humans to drink.
Not all of the water in the ground and in lakes and rivers is easy to reach or clean
enough to drink. Ice caps and glaciers are certainly hard to use for humans,
plants, and animals. Some work is being done to take the salt out of ocean water
(desalinate the water), but that is an expensive process.
Adapted from: Water:The Resource That Gets Used and Used and Used for Everything. Poster: Middle School
Version. United States Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia. 1993.
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~
The Chancing
Fo RMS OF V^ATE R
Grades
K - 3
i
Objectives
Identify the forms of
water—liquid, gas,
solid. (Note: This
exercise may be used
to find out how much
students already know
about the water cycle
and places where
water is found.)
Describe the use and
value of water as the
only natural resource
that exists in nature as
a liquid, solid, and gas.
Interdisciplinary
Skills
Science, Art, Contrast
and Compare
Estimated
Time
Part A - 20 minutes
Part B - 30 minutes
Part C - 45 minutes
>- Materials
~ Drawing paper and
art supplies for col-
lages, painting and
drawing
~ Teakettle, ice, water,
and hot plate
3
Background Information
Water is one of the most unusual and one of the most abun-
dant substances on earth. If water behaved as other liquids
do, planet earth, as we know it, would be a very different place.
Water; with its amazing properties, is one of the crucial elements
that makes it possible for life, as we know it, to inhabit this planet.
One of water's special properties is that it is the only substance on
earth that exists in nature as a liquid, solid, and gas. As a liquid,
water falls to the earth as rain. In its liquid form, water is found in
oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, and underground. The water that we
drink comes from rivers, lakes, special water-holding reservoirs, or
from the ground (ground water).
When water freezes, it crystallizes and can be found in the form of
ice cubes, frozen surface water, snow, sleet, and hailstones. As a
gas, water is always in our air as a vapor, but it is essentially invisi-
ble. A cloud is made up of tiny water droplets (liquid) that result
when water vapor condenses. Fog is essentially a cloud at ground
level. Likewise, steam is a mist of cooling water vapor.
Teaching Strategy
Part A - Brainstorming About the Changing Forms
of Water
1. List the forms of water (liquid, solid, gas) as headings on the
blackboard. Begin by telling the class you want to have a dis-
cussion about something that is extraordinary—even magical.
Give the class some hints: You can drink it, walk on it, hold it
in your hands, swim in it, slide on it, breathe it in, and breathe
it out. Sometimes you can see it, and sometimes its invisible. As
it becomes apparent that you are talking about water, explain
that water is the only substance that exists in nature as a liquid,
a solid, and a gas.
2. Ask students to develop a list of ways that water is found in
our world (e.g., steam, fog, rain, sleet, snow, ice, water vapor).
Place the various forms of water under the headings of liquid,
solid, and gas.
A-9- ->
-------
NOTES
THE CHANCINC FORMS OF WATER
At
3. Review the list and and discuss where you might find the differ-
ent kinds of water (e.g., air, trees, glaciers)
4. Tell students that we can't usually see water vapor, but it is
always in the air. We often see water vapor (a gas) change into
a liquid right before our eyes (condensation). Ask the students:
Why can we see our breath on a cold day? We breathe out
water vapor, which changes (condenses) to a liquid, when it
reaches the cooler air outside the mouth. Why do the windows
inside a car fog up? If the temperature inside the car is warmer
than outside, the vapor in the car condenses when it comes into
contact with the cooler car window. Ask the students if they
can think of any other examples of condensation.
Part B - Artful Renditions
1. On a sheet of drawing paper, ask students to draw a picture
showing water as a liquid, solid, and/or gas.
2. Ask each student to describe his/her picture and name the
forms of water shown (liquid, solid, gas).
Optional: Do a class mural(s) creating a scene(s) that demon-
strates the changing forms of water (liquid, solid, vapor).
Part C - Demonstrating the Changing Forms ofWater
¦ Bring in a whistling teakettle and a hot plate to demonstrate
steam. Measure the amount of water before and after it boils.
CAUTION: It is advisable to have another adult present to
ensure students do not touch or get near the hot surfaces or the
steam.
¦ Using ice cubes or a bowl of snow, allow the ice/snow to melt
and change into a liquid.
¦ Fill a cup with as much ice as it will hold without extending
over the top of the cup. Fill the cup to the very top with water.
Ask the students if they think the cup will overflow as the ice
melts. Does the water take up more space as a solid or as a liq-
uid? Experiment to find out the answer. The water takes up
more space as a solid.
This type of exercise can also be accomplished by filling a plas-
tic container with water and marking the water line. Then
place the container in the freezer. When the water has frozen,
observe the difference in the water levels.
|A-10-h
-------
Water in Disguise
~ Grades J
K&l "
> Objectives
• Demonstrate through
music that water is all
around us in many
forms (liquid, gas, and
solid).
> Interdisciplinary
Skills
Science, Music
> Estimated
Time
30 minutes
>- Materials
~ Copies of "Water in
Disguise" handout.
$
Background Information
One of water's special properties is that it is the only sub-
stance on earth that exists in nature as a liquid, solid, and
gas. As a liquid, water falls to the earth as rain. In its liquid form,
water is found in oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, and underground.
The water that we drink comes from rivers, lakes, special water-
holding reservoirs, or from the ground (ground water).
When water freezes, it crystallizes and can be found in the form of
ice cubes, frozen surface water, snow, sleet, and hailstones. As a
gas, water is always in our air as a vapor, but it is essentially invisi-
ble. A cloud is made up of tiny water droplets (liquid) that result
when water vapor condenses. Fog is essentially a cloud at ground
level. Likewise, steam is a mist of cooling water vapor.
Teaching Strategy
¦ Teach the song "Water in Disguise," which can be sung to the
tune of the "Beverly Hillbillies" theme song. The students can
sing the song in unison, or groups of students can be assigned
to sing various lines.
AHh>
Follow-up Questions
¦ How can you tell the difference between a liquid, gas, and
solid?
Supplementary Activities
¦ Divide students into teams of 4 or 5. Ask students to write
their own song about water. Have each team perform their
song for the class.
-------
SONC: WATER IN DISGUISE
WATER IN DISGUISE
(Sing to tune from "Beverly Hillbillies" theme song.)
I
I'm a liquid in the puddle.
I'm a liquid in the stream.
I'm a gas in the tea kettle when the kettle starts to scream.
You can change me to a solid; drop me in a glass of tea.
But no matter what I look like, I'll always be just me.
Chorus
I'm water in disguise; yes, I'm water in disguise.
I might just be a snowman or a teardrop in your eye.
I might look like a big, white fluffy cloud up in the sky.
But no matter what I look like, I'm water in disguise.
I'm a liquid in a waterfall
Dancing with the rocks.
I'm a liquid in the washer
Dancing with your dirty socks.
I'm a water vapor in the air that you can't even see.
I'm a crystal on the mountain where the people ski on me.
Chorus
I'm water in disguise; yes, I'm water in disguise.
I might just be a snowman or a teardrop in your eye.
I might look like a big, white fluffy cloud up in the sky.
But no matter what I look like, I'm water in disguise.
II
Lyrics by John E. Bigum
-------
Now You See Salt
Now You Don't!
~
Grades
K - 6
i
Background Information
Estimated
Time
45 minutes (K-3)
35 minutes (4-6)
> Materials
~ Container of salt
~ Funnels
~ Several bottles of
food coloring
~ Water
> Objectives
• Demonstrate how
water interacts with
different substances.
• Explain the signifi-
cance of water as a
solvent.
• Describe how
water can become
contaminated.
>- Interdisciplinary
Skills
Science, Math,
Measurement(K-3)
U/
TTc
I
'ater is often referred to as the universal solvent because it
can dissolve a wide range of materials (solids, liquids, and
gases). Water is also a medium in which undissolved particles can be
carried in suspension. When two or more substances combine into a
homogeneous mixture, the mixture is called a solution. If a substance
appears to be a homogeneous mixture, but the particles eventually
settle out to the bottom, the mixture is called a suspension.
In nature, the composition of ground and surface water quality is
influenced by the geologic and biologic characteristics of the sur-
rounding water environment. The composition of water is also
influenced by certain human activities that result in the introduc-
tion of harmful or toxic substances into the water environment.
When drinking water is exposed to contaminants, such as fertiliz-
ers, gasoline, pesticides, or chemicals, it becomes contaminated and
is no longer suitable to drink.
Ground and surface waters can become contaminated when harm-
ful substances (e.g., household hazardous wastes, pesticides, road-
way deicers) dissolve in the water as a solution. Water can also
become contaminated by substances, such as oils and greases, that
do not dissolve in water; the oils and greases create their own layer
on the surface of the water
(heavier oils will sink to the
bottom).
Pollution enters rivers, lakes,
and streams in two basic ways:
as a concentrated point source,
which enters the water (e.g.,
from a municipal or industrial
source) through a pipe or out-
fall, or as a nonpoint source,
which enters the water as gener-
al runoff from a variety of
sources (e.g., farms, construc-
tion sites, roadways). In the
case of nonpoint source pollu-
tion, water quality can be
~ Masking tape
~ Measuring cup
~ Measuring spoon
~ Cooking oil
~ Clear individual plastic soda bottles with screw-on caps
(3 for each student or a small group of students)
~ Soil (A soil with different sized particles allows the student to
see how the particles settle out according to size and weight
The best soil is probably right in your own backyard or
school yard. Be sure to dig a little below the top organic
layer to avoid vegetation and roots.)
A-13- ->
-------
NOW YOU SEE SALT; NOW YOU DON'T!
NOTES
impacted adversely by soils, oils, and other materials that are car-
ried from the land to the water by rain or melting snow. When soil
washes into surface water it mixes with the water and then slowly
settles out (heavier particles first) at the bottom of rivers, lakes, or
streams, disrupting aquatic environments. For example, this bot-
tom sediment may cover fish spawning habitats or clog the gills of
aquatic insects.
Ground water contamination occurs when contaminants are dis-
charged into the ground (e.g., through a floor drain) or when rain
or melting snow infiltrate the ground and transport products or
wastes that have been deposited or stored on the land or buried in
the soil to the ground water. Once ground water becomes contami-
nated, it may take years or decades before it is once again drink-
able.
Ground water and contaminants move very slowly through the
subsurface. Because of this, it can take quite awhile before anyone
realizes that a contamination problem exists; by then, the contami-
nant may already be widespread in the soil and ground water. For
this reason, and because ground water is generally deep beneath
the soil surface, it is difficult, if not impossible, to clean up contam-
inated ground water. Some people, cities, and towns have had to
close their wells and locate alternative water supplies because of
water supply contamination. This is why preventing contaminants
from entering our water resources in the first place is the very best
way to ensure that we have water that is safe for both people and
wildlife.
Teaching Strategy for Grades K-3
With a little bit of help (and lots of patience), even very young stu-
dents can do this experiment. Funnels reduce spills.
1. Put 3-4 tablespoons of salt into one of the three bottles.
(Put in enough so that students can see the level of the
salt.)
2. Add several drops of food coloring.
3. Put the cap on the bottle, and shake it until the food col-
oring is evenly distributed throughout the salt.
4. Use a small piece of tape to mark the level of the salt in
the bottle.
A~14*|- >-
-------
NOW YOU SEE SALT; NOW YOU DON'T!
5. Open the bottle and pour in 6 ounces of water (lukewarm if
possible). Secure cap.
6. Shake the bottles for one full minute.
7. Ask the students: How much salt is in the bottom of the bottle
now? Compare with original mark. What happened to the
salt? It dissolved. Does the water look different? Because of
the amount of salt, it may look murky. What happened to the
food coloring? It mixed with the water and became a solu-
tion. Point out that the salt is a solid and the food coloring is
a liquid. Make the point that in nature many things (e.g., min-
erals, chemicals) can dissolve into water as it flows through
the ground.
8. Take another bottle and add several drops of food coloring, 6
ounces of water, and then 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Don't
shake.
9. Ask the students: What happened to the oil? It stayed on top
of the water. It did not dissolve.
10. Put the cap on the bottle tightly and shake well. Let it stand
for a few minutes.
11. Ask the students: What happened to the oil?/? eventually
returned to the top of the water. Point out that in nature,
when oil spills into water it often forms a slick on top of the
water. Some heavier crude oils, however, will sink to the bot-
tom of the waterbody.
12. Take the third bottle and add 2 ounces of soil and 6 ounces of
water.
13. Put the cap on the bottle tightly and shake well. Let it stand.
14. Have the students observe what happens to the soil and
describe what they see. After being shaken up in the bottle,
the soil particles are suspended in the water. Slowly the parti-
cles begin to settle to the bottom, larger ones first. Point out
that soil is a substance that does not dissolve in water.
-------
NOW YOU SEE SALT; NOW YOU DON'T!
Teaching Strategy for Grades 4-6
1. Distribute copies of experiment handout. (This experiment may
work best if students work in pairs or teams.)
2. Tell students they will be "water detectives" today. Go over the
experiment with the students and remind them to be sure to
answer the questions at the end of each experiment.
3. Explain that scientists always form a hypothesis before doing
an experiment. They do this by writing down what they think
the experiment will demonstrate before they actually do it. Ask
the students what they think will happen to the salt, the oil, the
food coloring, and the soil when they do the experiments. List
their responses on the board (as a brainstorming activity).
4. Ask the students to compare the results of the experiment with
their hypotheses—was their hypothesis correct?
5. Discuss water's role in our lives—all the things we use it for—
imagine what it would be like if our water supply were sudden-
ly too contaminated to use.
Follow-up Questions for Grades 4-6
1. Where else is salt dissolved in water? Salt is dissolved in the
ocean, and some is found in drinking water.
2. Is salt water good to drink? Too much salty water is not good.
Our bodies maintain a natural balance of water and salt. Too
much salt, however, can upset this balance. When we eat too
many salty foods, we get thirsty; our bodies want to take in
more water to balance the increase in salt. Because too much
salt is not good for many people, drinking water suppliers must
keep salt from entering water supply systems. This is why some
water supply areas have signs that say "reduced salt area."
These signs let motorists know that in snowy or icy conditions,
these roads have less road salt than other areas and that extra
caution should be taken.
3. What other types of things can pollute water?
4. In what other ways do you think water becomes contaminated?
5. Why do we need to take care of our ground water? Ground
water is a major source of water for humans and plants.
-------
NOW YOU SEE SALT; NOW YOU DON'T!
6. What happens when a large
amount of oil spills into a water-
body? How are birds and other
wildlife affected when they land in
a place where oil has spilled.
(Exxon Valdez or other major
spills are good examples. Libraries
may have photos showing what
happens to birds and aquatic life.)
7. How can we prevent pollution?
Supplementary Activities
¦ Bring in other substances (e.g., sugar, baking soda, butter) and
observe what happens when they are mixed with water. To
observe gas in solution, use a small, clear bottle of soda or
seltzer water. Tell the students that the gas (C02) in the liquid
causes the carbonation, or bubbles. Observe what happens to
the gas before the soda is opened, after it is opened, and when
it is poured into a glass. What is happening? Make a list of
your substances and indicate whether they are a solid, liquid,
or gas and whether they dissolve, suspend, or don't mix with
water.
-------
ACTIVITY: NOW YOU SEE SALT: NOW YOU DON'T!
NOW YOU SEE SALT;
NOW YOU DON'T!
Directions:
Read the entire experiment, and write your hypothesis before you begin
doing the experiment. Then, do the experiment and report on your results.
Hypothesis: (What do you think will happen?)
A.
B.
C.
Materials
~ plastic soda bottles
with screw-on caps
(3 for each student
or small group of
students).
~ Food coloring (dark)
~ Masking tape
~ Measuring cup
~ Container of salt
~ Measuring spoon
~ Water
~ Funnel
~ Cooking oil
~ Soil
Experiment A:
1. Put 3-4 tablespoons of salt into each bottle. (Put in enough so that you
can see the level of the salt.)
2. Add several drops of food coloring.
3. Put the cap on the bottle, and shake it until the food coloring is evenly
distributed throughout the salt.
4. Use a small piece of tape to mark the level of the salt in the bottle.
5. Open the bottle and pour in 6 ounces of water (lukewarm if possible).
Tighten the cap and shake for one full minute.
A»19*h>-
-------
ACTIVITY: NOW YOU SEE SALT; NOW YOU DON'T!
Questions:
1. Is there more or less salt in the bottom of the bottle after you shake it?
2. What happened to the salt?
3. Was your hypothesis correct?
Experiment B:
1. Take another bottle and add several drops of food coloring, 6 ounces of
water, and then 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Do not shake.
2. Observe what happens to the food coloring and the oil before you shake
it up.
3. Put the cap on the bottle tightly and shake well. Let it stand for a few
minutes.
4. Observe what happens to the oil.
Questions:
1. What happened to the oil?
2. What happened to the food coloring?
Experiment C:
1. Take the third bottle and add 2 ounces of soil and 6 ounces of water.
2. Put the cap on the bottle tightly and shake well. Let it stand.
3. Observe what happened to the soil.
Questions:
1. What happened to the soil?
2. Was your hypothesis correct?
-------
Sink or Swim
~ Grades A
K - 3 "
> Objectives
• Apply the concepts of
water density by cate-
gorizing items that j
float and sink. !
i
> Interdisciplinary
Skills ;
Science, Classification,
Prediction
> Estimated fiR
Time
45 minutes
> Materials
i
! ~ Plastic tub or large
I Pot
| ~ 2 towels
j ~ 2 signs; one says
"FLOATS"; the other
says "SINKS"
j ~ Small everyday items,
1 such as a bar of
I Ivory soap, a bar of
some other brand of
soap, pencil, eraser,
twig, paper, tissue, i
chalk, cooking oil,
coin, ice, empty soda
bottle with cap on,
etc.
~ Salt
~ 2 glasses
~ 2 hard-boiled eggs
Background Information
Water, which is essential to all life processes, has unique
properties that most of us simply take for granted. In fact,
many of these unique properties have profound ecological signifi-
cance. For example, as discussed in the previous exercise, water is
referred to as the "universal solvent," capable of dissolving more
substances than any other liquid on earth. Another remarkable
property of water is that in its solid form (ice), it is less dense (or
lighter) than its liquid form—which is why in the winter ice floats
and doesn't sink to the bottom of lakes and ponds. Likewise, at
higher temperatures, water becomes less dense—which is why cool-
er water sinks to the bottom of lakes and ponds and warmer water
stays at the top.
Density refers to the amount of particles (mass) within a given space
(volume). If an item or a substance is less dense (or lighter) than
water; it will float; if it is more dense, it will sink. The density of
water is also affected by the concentration of substances dissolved or
suspended in the water solution. This is why more things float in
ocean water, which is made up of dissolved salts, than in fresh water.
Density and solubility are important factors in determining how a
contaminant will behave if it is released into the environment.
Teaching Strategy
1. Place the tub or large pot on a table. Lay out each of the towels
on the table and place the "Floats" sign with one and the
"Sinks" sign with the other.
2. Lay the various items out on a table so that all the students can
see them. Have the students guess whether each item will float
or sink. Then ask students to take turns gently dropping each
item in the water. Does it float or does it sink?
3. Place each wet item on the towel with the appropriate sign,
depending on whether it floated or sank.
4. Ask the students if they know why some items sank and others
didn't. Explain that some things are lighter (less dense) than
water and will float, and that some things are heavier (more
dense) than water and will sink. Use the diagram in this exer-
cise to help explain what density is.
IA-21-|->
-------
SINK OR SWIM
NOTES
5. Take the 2 glasses and fill each about 3/4 of the way with
water. Pour the salt into one of the glasses and keep stirring
and adding salt until no more salt dissolves.
6. Gently drop one hard boiled egg into the glass of freshwater
and the other egg into the glass of salt water. The egg should
sink to the bottom in the freshwater and float in the salt water.
Ask the students why this happens. Explain that the salt make
the water more dense so that the egg becomes the lighter of the
two.
Follow-up Questions
1. What would happen if the ice in a lake or pond didn't float?
People couldn't ice skate. Fish and other aquatic animals
wouldn't be able to live in the warmer water underneath the ice
in the winter.
2. If people throw trash in the water, will it sink or float? Some
things will float. Some things will sink. Either way it pollutes
the water. Trash should always be disposed of properly.
Supplementary Activities
¦ Pour cold water into a glass or clear container. In a saucepan,
warm about 1/2 cup of water until it is luke warm. Add several
drops of food coloring. Gently pour the warm water onto the
cold water. The colored warm water should form a layer on top
of the cold water. This demonstrates the way in which tempera-
ture affects water density.
DENSITY DIAGRAM
I
i
I
A-22- ->•
-------
THE WATER CYCLE
-------
Water in the World
Coes Round and Round
~
Grades
K - 6
i
Objectives
Apply basic principles
of the hydrologic
(water) cycle to the
experiment.
Demonstrate knowl-
edge of the limited
supply of water.
Demonstrate knowl-
edge of how pollution
enters into the water
cycle.
Estimated
Time
45 minutes
>- Materials
~ Oven mitts
~ Hot plate
~ 2 large pans (a sauce
pan and a rectangu-
lar metal baking pan)
~ Water and ice cubes
~ Activity handout
$
Background Information
The water available to planet earth is the same water that has
always been available and the only water that ever will be
available. The water we drink is the same water that dinosaurs
drank some two hundred million years ago. Water is on a never-
ending, cyclical journey between earth and sky. This journey is
referred to as the water cycle.
During its journey, water is continuously reused and recycled. It
also changes form. Water falls to the earth as rain, snow, sleet, or
hail. What happens to water once it reaches the earth depends on
where it lands. It might seep into the ground and move slowly
along with the ground water to a nearby lake or stream. It might
sink into the ground and be taken up by a plant, moving through
the plant to its leaves and evaporating back into the atmosphere
(transpiration) as water vapor.
Water might land on a lake or pond and spend a season or two
freezing and thawing; changing form back and forth between a
liquid and a solid. Water might land on a river or stream and con-
tinue its journey on to the ocean, or it might be heated by the sun
and evaporate as water vapor back into the atmosphere, where it
condenses into tiny droplets and becomes part of a cloud forma-
tion. Eventually, the water in the cloud falls back to the earth and
the journey begins again.
If we understand that we have all the water that we ever will have,
we can better appreciate why it is so important that we do our best
to keep water clean. Nature has its own built-in water cleaning sys-
tem, but sometimes human carelessness causes water to become so
dirty that nature's cleaning system gets bogged down.
When harmful substances are discarded into the environment,
sooner or later they will end up as part of the water cycle. When
chemicals are released into the air from smokestacks, sooner or
later they will fall to the earth with the rain and snow. When we
put harmful substances onto the land or bury them in the ground,
sooner or later they may find their way into ground water or sur-
face water—which may turn out to be the water we drink. In
nature's water cycle, everything is connected to everything.
B «1 • -
-------
WATER IN THE WORLD GOES ROUND AND ROUND
Teaching Strategy
I. Boil water in a saucepan over a hot plate.
1. Put the ice cubes in the baking pan so that they cover the bot-
tom.
3. Using the oven mitts, hold the baking pan over the steam from
the boiling water. Have the students observe how the steam
condenses on the bottom of the baking pan and then falls back
into the water in the saucepan and then changes back to steam
again, completing the cycle.
4. Ask students how this experiment is like what happens in the
real world. The water in the world goes through this process of
evaporation and condensation over and over again. As the sun
beats down, water is evaporated into the air and forms into
clouds. The clouds may drift for some distance before the water
falls as precipitation (e.g., rain, snow, sleet, hail).
5. Discuss the concept of "cycle" in terms of circles, seasons, or
washing dishes, putting them away, taking them out, eating off
them, then washing them again. Then introduce the "water
cycle" in terms of water moving continuously between earth
and sky.
6. Distribute copies of the "Water Cycle" coloring page. Discuss
what is going on in the picture.
NOTE: Before doing this or any experiment, the teacher should try
the experiment first to see how it will work. TAKE PRECAU-
TIONS WITH BOILING WATER. WEAR OVEN MITTS. IT IS
HELPFUL TO HAVE ANOTHER ADULT TO ASSIST IN ENSUR-
ING THAT STUDENTS WATCH FROM A SAFE DISTANCE.
Follow-up Questions
I. Water is one of the links we have with historical times. We
have used the same water over and over throughout time.
Dinosaurs used the same water we use. Why do we have to
take care of our water? We will never have "more" water than
we have today. Our supply of water is limited. We have to keep
it clean so we can use it again and again.)
-------
WATER IN THE WORLD COES ROUND AND ROUND
2. What happens to the rain and snow that falls on the land?
Some of the water will evaporate; some will run off into a
water body [e.g., stream, river, lake]; some will seep into the
ground and become ground water, which slowly moves to a
water supply well or another body of water.
3. How can pollution on the land affect water? As the ivater runs
off the land into a water body or seeps into the ground, chemi-
cals and minerals dissolve into the water.
Supplementary Activities
¦ Demonstrate the water cycle by building a terrarium. A terrari-
um is a closed, self-sustaining, miniature version of the water
cycle. In this cycle, evaporation, transpiration, and condensa-
tion are the vehicles by which water is transported between air
and land. In the terrarium environment, plants not only give off
water vapor through their leaves (transpiration), they also sup-
ply the atmosphere with oxygen through the process of photo-
synthesis.
For either of the options listed below, place about 1/2 inch of grav-
el on the bottom of the container for drainage. Cover the gravel
with about 2 inches of rich potting soil. Gather small plants and
moss and plant them in the terrarium soil. Gently water until the
soil is moist. Place the cover securely on the terrarium. The terrari-
ums should be placed in a moderately sunny location. If all goes
well the plants will thrive, courtesy of the continual recycling of
water.
Option A: Make a terrarium in a large see-through container like
a fish bowl or 10-gallon tank. Use a sheet of plexiglass to cover the
top.
Option B: Have students make their own terrariums, using 2-
liter, clear plastic bottles with caps. In order to place the the soil
and plant material in the bottle, take scissors and cut around the
circumference of the bottle (about 1/3 of the way down from the
top). Once you have installed material in the bottle, put the top
back on the bottle and secure it with tape.
-------
ACTIVITY: WATER IN THE WORLD GOES ROUND AND ROUND
THE WATER CYCLE
TRANSPIRATION
RUN-OFF
^ J HUM"
WATER
tabi p • .•*# WATER •
INFILTRATION •
GROUNDWATER • ! • •j,.« Irf»».
BEDROCK
B-4- -
-------
Water Wheels
~
Grades
K - 3
i
Objectives
Apply the concepts of
the water cycle.
Identify and explain
the processes in the
water cycle.
Interdisciplinary
Skills
Science, Art, and
understanding circles,
cycles, and sequences
Estimated
Time
2 hours (can be
spread over several
days)
$
>- Materials
~ Hula hoop, or I sheet (20" x 20") of
poster board cut into a circle
~ 6-8 sheets of drawing paper (at least
20" x 20"), each cut into a circle
~ Construction paper (assorted colors)
~ Old magazines
~ Scissors
~ Tape, glue, or stapler
~ Drawings of parts of the water cycle
(see drawings at end of this activity.)
~ Crayons or markers
~ Copies of the "water cycle" coloring
page (handout from previous activity)
Background Information
The water available to planet earth is the same water that has
always been available and the only water that ever will be
available. The water we drink is the same water that dinosaurs
drank some two hundred million years ago. Water is on a never-
ending, cyclical journey between earth and sky. This journey is
referred to as the water cycle.
During its journey, water is continuously reused and recycled. It
also changes form. Water falls to the earth as rain, snow, sleet, or
hail. What happens to water once it reaches the earth depends on
where it lands. It might seep into the ground and move slowly
along with the ground water to a nearby lake or stream. It might
sink into the ground and be taken up by a plant, moving through
the plant to its leaves and evaporating back into the atmosphere
(;transpiration) as water vapor.
Water might land on a lake or pond and spend a season or two
freezing and thawing; changing form back and forth between a
liquid and a solid. Water might land on a river or stream and con-
tinue its journey on to the ocean, or it might be
heated by the sun and evaporate as water vapor
back into the atmosphere, where it condenses into
tiny droplets and becomes part of a cloud forma-
tion. Eventually, the water in the cloud falls back to
the earth and the journey begins again
Teaching Strategy
Preparation
1. Cut out, color, and mount drawings of the parts
of a water cycle on colored construction paper.
You will need 4 copies of the arrow.
2. Cut each sheet of drawing paper into large cir-
cles (1 per group of 4-6 children).
3. If a hula hoop is not available, cut poster paper
into a large circle.
B 5- ->
-------
WATER WHEELS
NOTES
Part A - Looking for Circles
1. Have students sit in circles, with 4-6 students in each circle.
Tell them that the reason they are sitting in a circle is that
today they will learn about things that are round or circular.
Ask them to look around the room and find things that are
round.
2. Ask students to cut out pictures of round things from the mag-
azines and then glue their pictures to their large, round sheet of
drawing paper. Ask them to name the round objects.
Ask students to describe what a circle is like. Does it have a
beginning? No. Does it have an ending? No, it just keeps going
and going.
Part B - Creating a Water Cycle
I. Explain that when things move in a circle we use the word
cycle. Ask students to name words that have "cycle" in them.
(Examples: tricycle, bicycle, motorcycle, which are named after
their wheels, which go around and around.)
Tape the large drawings of the parts of the water cycle to
the hula hoop or large round poster board. Use an arrow
between each drawing to indicate a cycle. Explain that
water evaporates into the air. It forms into clouds, con-
denses, and rains back down on the earth. Then it evaporates
again, and the cycle goes on and on.
(NOTE: This concept is easier for students if they have seen the
demonstration of the water cycle described in this unit. See
page Bl.)
Part C - Color and Label the Water Cycle
1. Give each student a copy of the "Water Cycle" coloring page
on page B4. Using the picture, have a discussion about the
water cycle. Ask the students what the arrows mean (e.g.,
water evaporating from land, water leaving trees, water falling
from clouds as rain). Ask them where the water goes when it
falls on the land (i.e., evaporates, seeps into ground, runs off to
nearby river or stream). Ask them where the water goes when it
falls onto a water body (i.e., evaporates, flows into a larger
water body).
2. Have the students color the picture. Suggest they take the
picture home and explain the water cycle to their families.
B-6- -
-------
Vi
Make copies of these drawings that represent steps of the water cycle.
Cut out for activity in fart £3
CLOUDS |
o
d d ^ , A
a d d d
¦? d d d ?
d d V
5UN |
| WATER BODY
-------
ACTIVITY: WATER WHEELS
Make copies of these arrows to help indicate the four stages of the water cycles.
-------
Wate
r Cycle Songs
~
Grades
K - 3
i
> Objectives
• Explain the water
cycle through music.
> Interdisciplinary
Skills
Science, Music,
Language Arts
Estimated
Time
15 minutes per
tune. (It is best to
repeat the songs over
several days until the
words are familiar.
Work on one song at
a time.)
>- Materials
~ Copies of "The Itsy-
Bitsy Raindrops,"
"The Sun Warms the
Water," and " Water
Up and Water
Down"
$
Background Information
The water available to planet earth is the same water that has
always been available and the only water that ever will be
available. The water we drink is the same water that dinosaurs
drank some two hundred million years ago. Water is on a never-
ending, cyclical journey between earth and sky. This journey is
referred to as the water cycle.
During its journey, water is continuously reused and recycled. It
also changes form. Water falls to the earth as rain, snow, sleet, or
hail. What happens to water once it reaches the earth depends on
where it lands. It might seep into the ground and move slowly
along with the ground water to a nearby lake or stream. It might
sink into the ground and be taken up by a plant, moving through
the plant to its leaves and evaporating back into the atmosphere
(transpiration) as water vapor.
Water might land on a lake or pond and spend a season or two
freezing and thawing; changing form back and forth between a
liquid and a solid. Water might land on a river or stream and con-
tinue its journey on to the ocean, or it might be heated by the sun
and evaporate as water vapor back into the atmosphere, where it
condenses into tiny droplets and becomes part of a cloud forma-
tion. Eventually, the water in the cloud falls back to the earth and
the journey begins again.
Teaching Strategy
1. Have students sing "The Itsy-Bitsy Raindrops" to the tune of
"The Itsy-Bitsy Spider."
2. Have students sing the "The Sun Warms the Water" to the tune
of "The Farmer in the Dell;" and "Water Up and Water Down"
can be sung to "Old MacDonald." The students can sing the
song in unison, or groups of students can be assigned to sing
various lines. The students can also add their own verses to
these songs.
B ->
-------
THE ITSY-BITSY RAINDROPS
Can be sung to tune of "Itsy-Bitsy Spider"
Verse I
The itsy-bitsy raindrops make a splish-splash sound
Down comes the rain,
And some goes in the ground;
Chorus
Out comes the sun
And evaporates the rain.
Then it's stored up in the clouds,
'Til it falls on me again.
Verse 2
It falls on ponds and lakes where people swim around.
Down rivers to the ocean,
Where salty water's found.
Chorus
Out comes the sun
And evaporates the rain.
Then it's stored up in the clouds,
'Til it falls on me again.
Lyrics by Susan McMaster.
-------
THE SUN WARMS THE WATER
Can be sung to tune of "The Farmer in the Dell"
The sun warms the water.
The sun warms the water.
Heigh-ho, the dairy-o,
The sun warms the water.
(Students stand with arms over their heads to form sun shape.)
The water turns to vapor.
The water turns to vapor.
Heigh-ho, the dairy-o,
The water turns to vapor.
(Students hold hands out to indicate water disappears like magic.)
It rises to the sky.
It rises to the sky.
Heigh-ho, the dairy-o,
It rises to the sky.
(Students move arms and fingers to indicate vapor rising to sky.)
It floats up in the clouds.
It floats up in the clouds.
Heigh-ho, the dairy-o,
It floats up in the clouds.
(Floating gestures.)
The clouds turn into rain.
The clouds turn into rain.
Heigh-ho, the dairy-o,
The clouds turn into rain.
(Rain gestures.)
The rain falls to the ground.
The rain falls to the ground.
Heigh-ho, the dairy-o,
The rain falls to the ground.
(Students slap desks or knees.)
Then, the sun warms the water.
The sun warms the water.
Heigh-ho, the dairy-o,
The sun warms the water.
(Students stand with arms over their heads to form sun shape.)
-------
SONG: WATER CYCLE SONGS
WATER UP AND WATER DOWN
Can be sung to tune of "Old MacDonald"
Verse I
Water that is on the ground
(Move fingers in wave-like motion in front of body.)
Rises to the clouds.
(Trickling movements going upwards)
Clouds get heavy—
(Join bands to make circle in front of body.)
Rain falls down
(Trickle finger movements down)
So, let's sing another round.
(Students stand in place and turn around.)
Chorus I
With a raindrop here and a raindrop there,
Here a drop, there a drop,
Everywhere a rain drop,
Water up and water down,
Going round and round.
Verse 11
Water that is on the ground
(Move fingers in wave-like motion in front of body.)
Rises to the clouds.
(Trickling movements going upwards)
Clouds get heavy—
(join hands to make circle in front of body.)
Snow falls down
(Trickle finger movements down)
And doesn't make a sound.
(Students stand in place and turn around.)
Chorus II
With a snowflake here and a snowflake there,
Here a flake, there a flake,
Everywhere a snowflake,
Water up and water down,
Going round and round.
-------
Water Cycle
i
Adventures
~
Grades
4-6
<
Objectives
Apply information
about the many forms
of water and the
water cycle to create a
comic strip story.
Write and draw fic-
tional stories which
include scientific facts.
Interdisciplinary
Skills
Science, Language
Arts (writing, story
telling, oral communi-
cation), Visual Arts
Estimated
Time
To allow students
maximum time for
creative expression,
this exercise works
best as an in-
class/homework
activity.
> Materials
~ Writing Paper and
Pencil (for story
draft)
~ Art Materials (draw-
ing paper, pens, col-
oring materials) for
comic strip
$
Background Information
The water available to planet earth is the same water that has
always been available and the only water that ever will be avail-
able. The water we drink is the same water that dinosaurs drank
some two hundred million years ago. Water is on a never-ending,
cyclical journey between earth and sky. This journey is referred to
as the water cycle.
During its journey, water is continuously reused and recycled. It
also changes form. Water falls to the earth as rain, snow, sleet, or
hail. What happens to water once it reaches the earth depends on
where it lands. It might seep into the ground and move slowly
along with the ground water to a nearby lake or stream. It might
sink into the ground and be taken up by a plant, moving through
the plant to its leaves and evaporating back into the atmosphere
(transpiration) as water vapor.
Water might land on a lake or pond and spend a season or two
freezing and thawing; changing form back and forth between a
liquid and a solid. Water might land on a river or stream and con-
tinue its journey on to the ocean, or it might be heated by the sun
and evaporate as water vapor back into the atmosphere, where it
condenses into tiny droplets and becomes part of a cloud forma-
tion. Eventually, the water in the cloud falls back to the earth and
the journey begins again.
If we understand that we have all the water that we ever will have,
we can better appreciate why it is so important that we do our best
to keep water clean. Nature has its own built-in water cleaning sys-
tem, but sometimes human carelessness causes water to become so
dirty that nature's cleaning system gets bogged down.
When harmful substances are discarded into the environment,
sooner or later they enter the water cycle. When chemicals are
released into the air from smokestacks, sooner or later they fall to
the earth with the rain and snow. When we put harmful substances
onto the land or bury them in the ground, sooner or later they may
find their way into ground water or surface water—which may
turn out to be the water we drink. In nature's water cycle, every-
thing is connected to everything.
B-13- ->
-------
WATER CYCLE ADVENTURES
Teaching Strategy
Note: This exercise will be more successful if students have com-
\ pleted the "Water in Disguise" and "The Water in the World Goes
Round and Round" activities.
1. Begin by asking students to name forms of water as a liquid
(e.g., rain, ground water, ocean, lake, river, pond, puddles), a
gas (i.e., water vapor), and solid (e.g., ice, hail, snow).
2. Tell the students that they are going to create a comic strip
about a drop of water that has an adventure through the water
cycle. Give each student a different water cycle/phase starting
point. For example, have one student begin as a drop that is
frozen in a pond, have another begin as a drop in a puddle on
a hot summer day, and have another begin in the ground as
ground water, where it slowly moves to surface water or is
drawn from a well. (See later exercises to learn more about
what happens to ground water.) This way, each student's story
will go through the water cycle in a different way.
3. Tell the students that during its adventure their drop of water
must find itself in situations where it becomes all three phases:
a solid, a liquid, and a gas. The drop may even encounter some
form of pollution (e.g., air pollution in clouds, pesticides
sprayed on land, leaking underground storage tank, cow
manure, carelessly disposed paints or chemicals, oil spills).
4. Have the students develop their story line first. The story
should have a beginning, a middle, and an ending. Students can
use the water cycle as a way to sequence the story. Ask the stu-
dents to describe how the water drop feels as it changes forms
or how it feels and how others feel (e.g., people, animals) if
someone pollutes it.
5. On the drawing paper have the students put their water story
adventure into a comic book format. Use cartoon "balloons" to
indicate when the drop or someone else is speaking. Put the
pictures in the order in which the action happens. Bind the car-
toon strips with a cover to create a comic book.
6. When the comic books have been completed, have the students
show and tell their stories to the class.
-------
WATER CYCLE ADVENTURES
Supplementary Activities
¦ Have students divide up into news teams. The teams will
develop news broadcasts that tell stories about a water drop's
encounter with pollution, including interviews. The students
can describe how the drop got polluted and how it might be
expected to recover. The broadcasts can also include weather
forecasters, who describe weather conditions and show on a
map where the drop was when the incident took place.
¦ Have students create a travel brochure or travel ad for other
water drops. Tell the water drops where they can go to avoid
pollution and have fun and adventure.
-------
A "Disappearing" Act
~
Grades
K - 3
i
Objectives
Demonstrate knowl-
edge about how water
evaporates into the
air.
Explain how chemi-
cals can evaporate and
return to the ground
as precipitation
Estimated
Time
20 minutes for initial
set up and discussion
15 minutes for final
observation and dis-
cussion
>
Materials
a
Water
~
Marker
~
Soil (optional)
a
Salt (optional)
~
Leaves/sticks/
twigs/grass
(optional)
a
Food coloring
(optional)
~
Litter/trash
(optional)
I
Background Information
The states in which water exists—solid, liquid, and gas—are
often referred to as phases. As heat is added or removed,
water goes through a phase change. In their solid phase, water
molecules are structured and orderly, while in their gaseous phase,
water molecules lack structure and order.
In nature, the energy, or heat of the sun causes water to evaporate
into its gaseous, or vapor, phase. Likewise, when we boil water
over a burner we are causing it to change from a liquid to a gas.
The process by which a substance changes from a liquid to a gas is
called evaporation.
Water is continuously being heated and cooled—evaporating, con-
densing, freezing—depending on its environmental circumstances.
As water travels its never-ending cycle between earth and sky, it
encounters and mixes with a variety of substances. Some of these
substances are pollutants in the sense that they are harmful to liv-
ing things. Pollution can result both from natural sources and
human activities.
Fortunately, through the water cycle, nature provides a variety of
mechanisms for cleaning water. For example, evaporation is a nat-
ural water cleanser. When water evaporates, it leaves most dis-
solved substances and waste materials behind. Pollutants can also
be filtered out when water moves through soil. Some pollutants set-
tle out in slow-moving water bodies. Nature even employs a host
of microscopic organisms to help keep water clean. Unfortunately,
however, if pollutants remain in the environment, clean water can
easily become polluted all over again as it moves through its cycle.
Teaching Strategy
1. Allow students to work in small groups. Have each group fill a
cup with water and then mark the level of the water.
2. Place the cups in a sunny place. Wait several days until the
water level has gone down and then mark the new water level.
B •17* ->~
-------
A DISAPPEARING ACT
NOTES
Follow-up Questions
1. What happened? How do the cups look different from the first
day? The water went down.
2. Where did the water go? It changed from a liquid into a gas
called water vapor.
3. What is evaporation? Evaporation occurs when a liquid
changes to a gas. Water changes to a gas called water vapor.
4. How much water evaporated? Measure.
5. Imagine how much water evaporates from a lake! Does more
water evaporate on a sunny, hot day or a cloudy, cold day? A
6. Does more water evaporate on a windy day or a still day? A
windy day, water has more surface on a windy day because of
wave action.
Supplementary Activities
¦ Have students fill cups half full with water and then add other
substances (e.g., food coloring, salt, mud). Set the cups in loca-
tions that are sunny and shady. Have students observe what
happens to water in sunny versus shady locations and what
happens to the substances in the water as the water evaporates.
¦ For older students, see the next activity entitled "The Case of
the Disappearing Water," which adds
a story dimension to the J
experiment. V Mi
hot day.
Adapted from: Denoncour, MarkT. Interactive Lake Ecology -Teacher's Guide. Concord:
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Sciences, 1991.
¦I B >18»|- >~
-------
The Case of the
Disappearing Water
~
Grades
4-6
i
Objectives
Demonstrate knowl-
edge of the concepts
of "evaporation."
Explain evaporation
in the context of the
water cycle.
Estimated
Time
45 minutes to read
and start the experi-
ment
15 minutes to reach
conclusions at the end
of the experiment.
> Materials
~ Clear measuring
cups
~ Water
~ Copies of activity
handouts
I
Background Information
The states in which water exists—solid, liquid, and gas—are
often referred to as phases. As heat is added or removed,
water goes through a phase change. In its solid phase, water mole-
cules are structured and orderly, in its gaseous phase water mole-
cules lack structure and order.
In nature, the energy, or heat of the sun causes water to evaporate
into its gaseous, or vapor, phase. Likewise, when we boil water
over a burner we are causing it to change from a liquid to a gas.
The process by which a substance changes from a liquid to a gas is
called evaporation.
Water is continuously being heated and cooled—evaporating, con-
densing, freezing—depending on its environmental circumstances.
As water travels its never-ending cycle between earth and sky, it
encounters and mixes with a variety of substances. Some of these
substances are pollutants in the sense that they are harmful to liv-
ing things. Pollution can result both from natural sources and
human activities.
Fortunately, through the water cycle, nature provides a variety of
mechanisms for cleaning water. For example, evaporation is a nat-
ural water cleanser. When water evaporates, it leaves most dis-
solved substances and waste materials behind. Pollutants can also
be filtered out when water moves through soil. Some pollutants set-
tle out in slow-moving water bodies. Nature even employs a host
of microscopic organisms to help keep water clean. Unfortunately,
however, if pollutants remain in the environment, clean water can
easily become polluted all over again as it moves through its cycle.
Teaching Strategy
I. Tell the students that they are going to be water detectives who
are being asked to solve the case of the disappearing water.
2 Allow students to read the activity handouts.
3. Coach students as necessary, but encourage independent think-
ing as much as possible.
-
-------
THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING WATER
4. Make sure students develop a hypothesis before beginning the
experiment.
5. Make sure students remember to check the water level each
day.
6. When the experiment is over, be sure the students record their
results and conclusions.
7. Allow the students to work in small groups.
Follow-up Questions
1. For what reasons might the results of each group's experiment
differ? Environmental variables, e.g., one group's measuring
cup may be exposed to more or less sun than the other's.
2. Suppose that during the days Mrs. Flowers was gone the
weather was sunny and hot; however, when the water detec-
tives conducted their experiment, the weather was cloudy and
cool. How would this variable affect the experiment?
3. What is a variable? Something that is subject to change or vari-
ation; not constant.
Alternate Strategy
¦ See "The Easy Evaporation Experiment" in this unit if you
wish to perform this experiment without the story.
-------
STORY: THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING WATER
THE CASE OF TH E
DISAPPEARING WATER
by Susan M. McMaster
The Water Detectives Anonymous were called to the home of Mrs. Flowers.
When they arrived on the scene, Mrs. Flowers' grown son, Frank Flowers,
was frantic. His mother was missing! The detectives asked Frank how long his
mother had been missing.
"That's just it," Frank said. "I've been traveling a lot and kept forgetting
to phone her. Now I feel terrible. I have no idea where she is or how long she's
been missing."
"Do you know of some places where she might have gone?" asked one
water detective.
Frank wrinkled his brow and thought hard. "Well," he said, "her habits
are very predictable. If she has been gone less than a day, she probably just went
shopping. If she's been gone for less than 3 days, she may be visiting one of her
sisters. She always says 'Guests are like fish, they start to stink in 3 days!' She
would never visit anyone for more than 3 days."
"If she's been gone more than 3 days, but less than 7," continued Frank,
"she's probably taking a vacation on a cruise ship. I'm sure she can't afford more
than a 7-day cruise. If she's been gone more than 7 days but less than 6 weeks,
she's probably received the grant that she applied for—she wants to study art in
Europe. If she's been gone more than 6 weeks, she is probably at her mountain
cabin. However, she never stays there more than 2 months. If she's been gone
longer than 2 months, aliens must have captured her and taken her to another
galaxy. She loves her plants and her home. She would never stay away longer than
2 months for any reason.
"I think we can help you solve this mystery," said another water detective
who had been looking around the house.
"Did you find a note?" asked Frank hopefully.
"No," said the detective, "but I did find this glass measuring cup in the
window."
"Oh," said Frank, "that's nothing. Mother is very particular. Every morn-
ing she fills the measuring cup to exactly one cup. Then she puts it in the window
sill to warm in the sun for a little while before she waters her African Violets. She
is very careful about how much water she uses because she doesn't want to over-
water or under-water the plants."
-------
STORY: THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING WATER
"Aha!" said the water detective, "Just as I suspected, this is pre-
cisely where we must begin our search. The measuring cup now has
% exactly 3/4 of a cup of water."
"Are you saying someone stole 1/4 of a cup of
water?" asked Frank.
• "No wonder his mother didn't bother to tell him
*,*• where she was going!" muttered one of the detectives.
• "No, sir," said another water detective, trying to
keep a straight face. "It's a matter of evaporation. Ya' see, water evaporates into
the atmosphere. The warmth of the sun changes the liquid into water vapor that
we can't see. After awhile the water vapor condenses and forms into clouds.
Eventually, the water comes back to the ground as rain or snow or hail. Over
time, the water evaporates again. It's part of the water cycle."
"To make a long story short," said another detective. "We're going to con-
duct an experiment. We'll put a cup of water in a sunny place and keep track of
how long it takes to evaporate. Based on that experiment, we will estimate how
long ago Mrs. Flowers left the measuring cup in the window sill."
"What a relief!" said Frank. "What should we do now?"
"I suggest you water the plants," replied yet another detective.
B-22-->
-------
ACTIVITY: THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING WATER
THE CASE OF THE
DISAPPEARING WATER
Step I : Read "The Case of the Disappearing Water."
Step 2: Write down the facts of the case:
1. Original amount of water in the measuring cup.
2. Amount of water in the measuring cup now
Step 3: Write down where Frank Flowers said his mother might be.
• If Mrs. Flowers has been gone for less than a day, she probably
• If she's been gone for less than 3 days, she may be
• If she's been gone more than 3 days but less than 7, she's probably
• If she's been gone more than 7 days but less than 6 weeks, she's probably
• If she's been gone more than six weeks but less than two months, she is
• If she's been gone longer than two months,
Step 4: Develop a hypothesis: (Tell what you think will happen before you do
the experiment.)
1. How long do you think the water was left on the window sill?.
2. Where do you think Mrs. Flowers went?
-------
ACTIVITY: THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING WATER
Step 5: Perform an experiment to establish approximately how long it took for
the water to evaporate.
Supplies:
~ Clear measuring cup
~ Water
Directions:
I. Write down today's date.
2. Fill a measuring cup to the 1-cup line.
3. Put the cup in a sunny window.
4. Record how many days it takes for the water in the measuring cup to be
at the three/fourths cup line.
Step 6: Write your conclusions.
I. It took approximately _
days for the water to evaporate.
2. Where should Frank begin looking for Mrs. Flowers?
Step 7: Make notes about your observations in your water detective's notebook:
Supplementary Activities:
¦ Have students fill cups half full with water and then add other sub-
stances (e.g., food coloring, salt, mud). Set the cups in locations that are
sunny and shady. Have students observe what happens to water in
sunny versus shady locations and what happens to the substances in the
water as the water evaporates.
B•24•-
-------
Water Leaves
~
Grades
K - 3
<
Objectives
Demonstrate knowl-
edge about the
process of transpira-
tion.
Explain how all forms
of water are intercon-
nected.
Estimated
Time
20 minutes for
initial set up
20 minutes for follow-
up and discussion
> Materials
~ 2 broad-leafed plants
of similar size and
type
~ 2 plastic bags that
will fit snugly over
the plants
~ 2 plastic bags or
sheets of aluminum
foil to be placed
around the container
and the soil to pre-
vent water from
evaporating from the
soil.
3
Background Information
All plants need water to live. Yet more than 90 percent of the
water taken up by plant roots is released by the plants into
the air as water vapor through the process of transpiration. Most
of this water leaves the plant by way of a multitude of small open-
ings, called stomata, located on the surface of the plant's leaves.
Stomata open and close in response to environmental conditions
and the functional needs of the individual plant. For example, for
most plants transpiration rates are highest during daylight hours,
when stomata are open and air temperatures are warm. If the soil
is dry, however, and the water uptake of the plant decreases, the
stomata of many plants close, and the rate of transpiration decreas-
es correspondingly. In general, transpiration rates are greater in
breezy conditions than when the air is still.
Water vapor from plants transpires into the atmosphere and even-
tually returns to the earth as precipitation (i.e., rain, sleet, snow,
hail). Some of that water will fall on or run off into surface water
and some will seep into the ground and become ground water.
Teaching Strategy
NOTE: It is best to begin this activity at the beginning of the
school day (preferably a sunny day) so that you can observe your
results at the end of the day.
1. Put a plastic bag or sheet of foil around the pots and soil of
two broad-leafed potted plants, covering the soil right up to the
main stem of the plant, so that water in the soil cannot evapo-
rate during the demonstration. (The object of this exercise is to
demonstrate the transpiration of water vapor from leaves, not
soil evaporation.)
2. Place a clear plastic bag over the two plants, which are approx-
imately the same size and type. Make sure plants are healthy
and have been watered.
3. Place one plant in a dark, cool place. Place the other in a
warm, sunny place. Toward the end of the day, have the stu-
dents observe the two plants. Where did the water that collect-
ed on the bags most likely come from? The water on the inside
of the bags is a result of transpiration. Does there appear to be
B-25- ->
-------
WATER LEAVES
any difference between the two plants? The plant that was
placed in the warmer; sunnier environment should have a
greater degree of condensation on the inside of the bag. If yes,
why? Plants transpire more during warm, sunny days.
Follow-up Questions
1. Why was the soil in the pots covered?
2. How is transpiration a part of the water cycle?
3. If you were to take the plastic bag off the plants and place the
plants outdoors, what would happen to the transpired water?
-------
GROUND WATER
BASICS
-------
~
Deep
and
Grades
3-6
i
Objectives
Demonstrate knowl-
edge about what
ground water is in
terms of how it exists
in the ground.
Explain how ground
water moves through
the soil and how it
interacts with surface
water.
Demonstrate knowl-
edge about how
ground water is
extracted for use as
drinking water.
Estimated
Time
Part A - 20 minutes
Part B - 20 minutes
Part C - 45 minutes
Part D - 25 minutes
Part E - 20 minutes
Part F - 25 minutes
Part G - 20 minutes
<
Subjects—Wells
{¦round Water
Background Information
Water that falls to the earth in the form of rain, snow, sleet,
or hail continues its journey in one of three ways: It might
land on a waterbody and, essentially, go with the flow; it might run
off the land into a nearby waterbody or storm drain; or it might
seep into the ground. Water that seeps into the ground moves in a
downward direction because of gravity, passing through the pore
spaces between the soil particles, until it reaches a soil depth where
the pore spaces are already filled, or saturated, with water.
When water enters the saturated zone, it becomes part of the
ground water. The top of this saturated zone is called the water
table. The water table may be very close to the ground surface,
which is often the case when it is adjacent to a waterbody, or it may
be as much as 200 to 600-feet deep, which is the case in many areas
of the Southwest United States. A water-bearing soil or rock forma-
tion that is capable of yielding enough water for human use is called
an aquifer. In bedrock aquifers, water can move through cracks, or
fractures. Some types of bedrock—like sandstone—can absorb
water like a sponge; other types of bedrock—like granite—do not.
How quickly water passes through, or infiltrates, the soil is a func-
tion of the size and shape of the soil particles, the amount of pore
space between the particles, and whether or not the pore spaces
interconnect. For example, soils that consist primarily of larger
sand and gravel particles tend to have larger, interconnected pore
spaces that allow water to flow easily and relatively quickly. In
contrast, some soils, such as silts and clays, have poorly connected
pore spaces, a soil structure which tends to slow down infiltration.
> Materials
~ Flip chart or black board
~ Markers
~ Clear plastic cups
~ Pea-sized un-colored aquari-
um gravel (available from pet
supply stores)
~ Sand
~ Water bottle spray nozzles
(available from a hardware
store)
~ Pieces of nylon stockings or
tights
~ Cake pan(s) (glass is prefer-
able) or a clear, plastic salad
tray
~ Water
~ Food coloring (at least one
teaspoon per gallon)
~ Unsweetened red Kool-Aid
~ "Rain cups" - paper cups
with holes punched in the
bottom
~ Water Maze handout
-------
i DEEP SUBJECTS—WELLS AND CROUND WATER
| When infiltrating water reaches the water table, it begins to move
; along with the ground water flow, which tends to follow a down-
hill, or down slope, direction. Compared with water in rivers and
streams, ground water moves very, very slowly, from as little as a
fraction of a foot per day in clay to as much as 3-4 feet per day in
[ sand and gravel.
j
| In time, ground water "resurfaces"—perhaps when it intersects
! with a nearby waterbody, such as a stream, river, lake, pond, or
ocean; or perhaps when it emerges from a hillside as a spring or as
water seeping out of a cutaway roadside rock formation. Ground
water is very much a part of nature's water cycle.Another way
j ground water resurfaces is when it is withdrawn from the ground
by way of a well. Wells are drilled and installed to capture ground
! water and pump it to the surface. In New England, the average
I depth to ground water ranges between 8-20 feet.
When pollutants leak, spill, or are carelessly discarded into and
onto the ground, they, like water, move slowly or quickly through
the soil, depending on the soil, the nature of the pollutant, and the
amount of extra help it gets from incoming precipitation. If there is
a water supply well near a source of contamination, that well runs
the risk of becoming contaminated by polluted ground water. If
there is a nearby river or stream, that waterbody may also become
polluted by the ground water. Because it is located deep in the
ground, ground water pollution is generally difficult and expensive
to clean up. In some cases, people have had to find alternative
sources of water because their own wells were contaminated.
-------
GROUND WATER DIAGRAM
UNSATURATED
ZONE
SATURATED
ZONE
T
y
'^TSLl-Vi
•m IMCIITDAT
INFILTRATION
BEDROCK
i
vt
C
2
m
f\
H
v*
k
\A
>
z
u
c\
73
0
c
z
u
1
-------
DEEP SUBJECTS—WELLS AND CROUND WATER
GROUND WATER TERMS
AQUIFER: A water-bearing
soil or rock formation that
is capable of yielding enough
water for human use.
UNSATURATED
ZONE
WATER TABLE
SATURATED
ZONE
Bottom (impermeable)
C'4•
-------
DEEP SUBJECTS—WELLS AND CROUND WATER
Teaching Strategy
NOTE: These exercises may be completed over several class
periods.
Part A - Brainstorming About Ground Water
1. Have a discussion with the class about ground water so that
you can get some idea of what, if any, preconceptions exist.
(Many adults still think ground water exists as an underground
lake or river.) Ask students to describe what they think ground
water is, where it is, and how it got there. List the answers on
the board or a flip chart.
2. Ask for a volunteer(s) to come to the board and draw a X-sec-
tion of what he/she thinks the ground water environment might
look like. Allow the students to contribute to the drawing by
making suggestions or even volunteering to draw their own ver-
sions. Keep the drawings on hand so you can refer back to
them when you have completed the demonstrations.
Part B -The Water Cycle Connection
1. Take your students outside onto the school grounds. Ask them
to think about the last time it rained. Where did the water go
when it fell on pavement? On roofs? On soil?
2. Take a cup of water, and ask a student to pretend it is rain.
Have the student pour the water on unpaved ground. What
happens to the water? First, it makes a puddle. Then, it soaks
into the ground.
3. Discuss what might be happening to that water once it disap-
pears into the soil.
Part C - Demonstrating Ground water
You may want to do this exercise as a class or as small groups.
I. Ask the students to think of the cup and sand and gravel
models that they are about to make as part of a ground water
system. Explain that the bottom of the cup is similar to
bedrock or clay that is found beneath the earth's soil layers.
Because we can't see ground water; we make models to demon-
strate how it looks.
-------
DEEP SUBJECTS—WELLS AND GROUND WATER
2. Fill one clear cup(s) 3/4 full with gravel and the other(s) with
sand. Ask the class to describe the spaces (pores) between the
gravel and between the sand. The gravel has bigger spaces.
3. Pour water slowly into each of the cups until it reaches the top
of the gravel or sand (not the top of the cup). Where is the
water? It has filled in the pore spaces.
4. Explain that when we refer to ground water, we are talking
about that part of the soil where all the pore spaces are filled,
or saturated, with water.
5. Explain that when it rains, some of the rain (or other precipita-
tion) flows into the soil. It moves through the spaces or pores
between the particles. As water flows through the soil, it even-
tually reaches an impermeable layer of rock or clay and begins
to fill the pore spaces of the soil.
6. Have students complete the water maze activity. This activity
illustrates how water must find its way through available open-
ings and paths in the soil structure.
7. To demonstrate where ground water (the saturated zone)
begins, fill another cup(s) to nearly the top with gravel. At the
edge of the cup, gently pour in the water (dyed with food col-
oring) until the cup is half filled with water. (If you pour the
water too fast, you may have to let it "settle" for a few min-
utes). Tell students that the water table is the place where the
soil becomes saturated and the drier sand or gravel ends. Water
found below the water table is called ground water. For older
students, you may want to mention that the area above the
water line is called the unsaturated zone-, the area that has
every space filled with water is called the saturated zone.(See
"Ground Water Terms" diagram on page C4 with this activity.)
Part D - Well Demonstration
1. Explain to students that many people use ground water as a
source of drinking water or as a source of water for
crops/plants.
2. Explain that wells are used to pump water out of the ground.
This demonstration shows how wells pump out ground water.
-------
DEEP SUBJECTS—WELLS AND GROUND WATER
3. Cover the bottom of the tube of a spray nozzle with a piece of
nylon stocking. Secure the stocking with a rubber band.
4. Put the spray nozzle into an empty cup. Fill the cup 3/4 full
with gravel. Pour water into the cup until it reaches the top of
the gravel (not the top of the cup). The sprayer is used to simu-
late pumping water through a well.
5. Pump water through the spray nozzle into another cup or into
the sink.
Follow-up Questions
1. Why did we use the stocking at the base of the spray nozzle?
To keep sand and gravel from being pumped into the tube.
Real wells have screens too.
2. How are most real wells powered? By an electric pump.
Part E - The Ground Water/Surface Water Connection
1. Put a layer of un-colored aquarium gravel in a clear cake pan
or clear plastic salad bowl (about 3" deep). Dig a hole (depres-
sion) in the gravel, so that when water is added students can
see the water table (the thoroughly wet gravel, or saturated
zone, versus the area that is dry or just damp) as well as the
relationship between ground water and surface water.
2. Add light blue food coloring to a pitcher of water. Gently pour
the water into the pan at one edge until it saturates about
1 1/2" of the gravel throughout the pan. What happens?
Water will seep into the hole.
3. Explain that in many parts of the country, when people dig a
big hole in the ground it slowly fills up with water and
becomes a man-made pond or lake. From where does the water
come? Ground water flows into the hole.
4. Explain to students that lakes and ponds receive their water
from many sources—direct rainfall and melted snow, runoff of
water during storms, and ground water. Just as ground water
fills a man-made lake or pond, it also moves and discharges
into naturally occurring waterbodies. For grades 4-6, hand out
the ground water diagram in this activity (see page C3) to show
how the water table intersects with lakes and streams.
-------
NOTES
RAINCUPS
4 4 4
DEEP SUBJECTS—WELLS AND GROUND WATER
Part F - Polluting Groundwater
I. Using the ground water/pond set up from Part E, take the spray
nozzle and withdraw water from the ground. (Do this in a cor-
ner away from the pond.) What happens to the water level in
the pond as you withdraw more and more water? The water
level in the pond goes down.
1. Replenish the ground water level, then place 1 tablespoon of
the red Kool-Aid in one location on the ground surface, away
from the pond. Make it rain by adding water using "rain
cups." What happens to the pond? Eventually, the contamina-
tion make its way into the pond. This exercise demonstrates
how ground water quality can impact surface water quality.
3. Using your spray nozzle to simulate a well, withdraw water
from the ground. What happens? As you continue to withdraw
water, the contamination eventually moves into the well. Look
underneath the clear pan to see how it spreads.
Part G - Wrap-up Discussion
1. Have students review the earlier ground water brainstorming
discussion to see how their answers might have changed as a
result of what they now know about ground water. What have
they learned?
2. How might they modify their earlier ground water X-section
diagram?
Alternate Strategy
Make parts E-F more interesting and fun by having the students
create whole, landscaped settings in larger see-through containers.
Settings can include houses, roadways, ponds or rivers, bridges, etc.
Using a spray nozzle, install a well near the home or business.
Adapted from: SEE-North. Ground water Education in Michigan's Schools. Petoskey, Ml:
Science and Environmental Education - North, 1991.
Adapted from Watershed to Bay:A Raindrop Journey, U. Mass. Cooperative Extension
System.This curriculum was printed with funds from the U. Mass Extension Program,
the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and the Massachusetts Bays Program.
C-8-
-------
ACTIVITY: DEEP SUBJECTS—WELLS AND GROUND WATER
re:
WATER MAZE
Using a pencil, follow the paths that rain water might take as it
travels down into the ground between the soil particles to the
water table (the shaded area at the bottom).
.
C'9' ~
-------
~
Can Dirt Make
Water Clean?
Grades
K - 6
4
Objectives
Demonstrate that soil
acts as a natural filter,
but that its ability to
do this is limited.
Recognize that while
water may look clean,
we cannot always be
sure it is safe to drink
unless we test it to
know that it is clean.
Recognize that we are
all responsible for
protecting ground
water.
Estimated
Time
1.5 hours (Can
be spread out over
several days)
I
>- Materials
~ Clear plastic soda
botdes (2-liter botdes)
~ Pieces of old nylon
stockings or tights
~ Rubber bands
~ Rolling pin
~ Water
~ Clean gravel
Background Information
The term soil refers to the thin outer layer of the earth's surface
that consists of disintegrated and decomposed rock material and
the accumulated residues of plant and animal life. In essence, soil is
made up of four basic components: Minerals, organic matter,
water, and air. The soil layer, which varies in thickness and compo-
sition from place to place, is a living "blanket" that overlays sub-
surface bedrock and supports life. Indeed, soil is the earth's medi-
um for plant growth; it is home to a multitude of organisms, such
as earth worms, insects, and soil bacteria; and it is the mainstay of
our homes, businesses, and highways.
Soil is also an excellent filter, it has the capacity to remove pollu-
tants from water through intrinsic physical, chemical, and biologi-
cal processes. For millions and millions of years, soil has played an
important role in keeping the earth's finite, recycled water supply
clean. However, even soil has its limits. Some kinds of pollutants
can't be filtered out. For example, some pesticides are not readily
biodegradable and persist in soil and ground water for many years.
Some hazardous substances may actually be leached (dissolved and
carried along) with water as it soaks into the ground.
When pollutants leak, spill, or are carelessly discarded into and
onto the ground, they, like water, move slowly or quickly through
the ground, depending on the soil, the nature of the pollutant, and
the amount of extra help they get from incoming precipitation.
How effectively pollutants are filtered
by soil depends on such factors as the
type of pollutant, the soil type, and the
soil depth.
~ Different types of soil
(e.g., sandy soil, loam,
clay, or "kitty litter"
with no additives)
~ Cup of top soil with
plant material
~ Plastic pitcher for water
~ Water dyed with dark
shade of food coloring
(at least one tablespoon
per gallon)
In general, because ground water is
located deep below the ground surface,
polluted ground water is difficult and
expensive to clean up. In some cases,
people have had to find alternative
sources of water because their own
wells were contaminated and unsafe for
drinking. Thus, the best solution to
ground water contamination is protec-
tion and prevention.
C-11- -
-------
CAN DIRT MAKE WATER CLEAN?
NOTES
Teaching Strategy
Preparation
I. Cut 6 inches off the bottom of several plastic soda bottles as
shown in the illustration. Use the bottom of the bottle as a
stand.
INVERTED 50DA BOTTLES
Cut Here
2. Cover the necks of the bottles with the pieces of nylon stock-
ings or tights. Secure them tightly with rubber bands.
3. Invert the tops of the bottles into the stands (bottom halves of
the bottles) as shown in the illustration.
4. If you use "kitty litter" to represent clay, use a rolling pin to
crush it into fine particles.
Part A - Filtering Water
1. Put a 2-inch layer of coarse sand, and a 2-inch layer of gravel
into the inverted top of one soda bottle.
2. Make "dirty water" by mixing 1 cup of soil in a gallon jug
(from your backyard or school yard) with clean water.
3.
Ask the students to predict what will happen when they pour
the dirty water into the container.
-------
CAN DIRT MAKE WATER CLEAN?
4. Stir the mixture to make it look very dirty. Slowly pour some
of the dirty water through the soil in the inverted bottle top.
(Make sure to leave some dirty water in the jug for compari-
son and for the next part of this demonstration.)
5. Have the class observe the water when it comes out of the
bottle into the base.
6. Compare the water before and after it has been filtered. How
does the appearance compare with student predictions?
7. Add the food coloring to the remaining dirty water in the
bottle.
8. Ask the students to predict what will happen when they pour
the food coloring water into the container.
9. Stir the mixture and slowly pour it through the sand and
gravel in the inverted bottle top.
10. Again, observe the water when it comes out of the bottle into
the base.
I I. Compare the water before and after it has been filtered. How
does the appearance compare with student predictions?
Part B - Comparison of Soil Types
1. Using soda bottles prepared as described above, put a different
type of soil in each bottle (clay, sand, loam). Put gravel in
another bottle. In some bottles, allow students to layer different
combinations of soils and gravel.
2. Label each bottle.
3. Prepare another batch of "dirty" water. Slowly pour the dirty
water through the soils. (Pour the same amount through each
bottle.) Notice which ones clean the water best. Notice how
fast the water moves through each combination.
4. After the water has been poured through the different soil mod-
els, allow students to feel them. Notice which soils still feel
damp because they retain more water, and which feel almost
dry. (The damp ones should have less water in bottom.)
5. Explain to the students that as ground water moves through
the soil it moves slower through some types of soils and faster
-------
CAN DIRT MAKE WATER CLEAN?
NOTES
through other types. (Refer back to the "demonstrating ground
water" exercise in the "Deep Subjects" activity.)
Follow-up Questions
1. Can soil clean up everything that passes, or leaches, through it?
No, soil is an excellent filter, but only up to a point (as shown
in the food coloring sample).
2. Just because water looks clean, can we be sure it is clean
enough to drink? No. It may look clean, but it may still have
contamination that you cannot see.
3. Should you drink water that is outside in a stream? Why?
No. It may also have contamination which you cannot see.
4. Can you drink water from a fountain or from the sink? Why?
Yes. It has been tested to make sure it is clean.
5. Is your water treated if it comes from a well next to your
home? Your water is naturally treated by the soil. As waste-
water or rain flows through the soil, contamination may either
cling to the soil or change form; harmful bacteria or viruses die.
Water gets cleaner as it moves through the soil.
Adapted from: Science and Environmental Education - North. Ground water Education in
Michigan's Schools. Grades K-16,1991.
Adapted from: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Earth Trek... Explore Your
Environment Washington, DC: USEPA, April, 1987.
C'14' ->
-------
What s Been Polluting
the Ground Water?
~
Grades
4-6
i
Objectives
Demonstrate that soil
acts as a natural filter
in helping to prevent
pollutants from leach-
ing into the water as
it flows through the
soil.
Recognize that soil
cannot filter every-
thing.
Recognize that the
best way to protect
ground water is to
prevent pollutants
from getting into the
soil.
Estimated
Time
1.5 hours
$
> Materials
~ Copies of activ-
~ Water
~ I eyedropper
ity handouts
~ Clear plastic
soda bottle
~ Beakers(500
ml or larger)
~ Measuring
per team (to
add food
coloring)
~ Red and blue
~ Pieces of old
nylon stockings
spoons
~ "Rain cups" -
Paper cups
food coloring
or tights
~ Vegetable oil
~ Rubber band
with holes
~ Paper towels
~ Clean gravel
punched in the
bottom
~ Baking soda
~ Clean sand
~ Table salt
~ Vinegar
Background Information
The term soil refers to the thin outer layer of the earth's sur-
face that consists of disintegrated and decomposed rock
material and the accumulated residues of plant and animal life. In
essence, soil is made up of four basic components: Minerals, organ-
ic matter, water, and air. The soil layer, which varies in thickness
and composition from place to place, is a living "blanket" that
overlays subsurface bedrock and supports life. Indeed, soil is the
earth's medium for plant growth; it is home to a multitude of
organisms, such as earth worms, insects, and soil bacteria; and it is
the mainstay of our homes, businesses, and highways.
Soil is also an excellent filter, it has the capacity to remove pollu-
tants from water through intrinsic physical, chemical, and biologi-
cal processes. For millions and millions of years, soil has played an
important role in keeping the earth's finite, recycled water supply
clean. However, even soil has its limits. Some kinds of pollutants
can't be filtered out. For example, some pesticides are not readily
biodegradable and persist in soil and ground water for many years.
Some hazardous substances may actually be leached (dissolved and
carried along) with water as it soaks into the ground.
When pollutants leak, spill, or are carelessly discarded into and
onto the ground, they, like water, move slowly or quickly through
the soil, depending on the soil, the
nature of the pollutant, and the
amount of extra help they get from
incoming precipitation. How effec-
tively pollutants are filtered by soil
depends on such factors as the type
of pollutant, the soil type, and the
soil depth.
In general, because ground water is
located deep in the ground, pollut-
ed ground water is difficult and
expensive to clean up. In some
cases, people have had to find alter-
native sources of water because
their own wells were contaminated
C-15- ->
-------
WHAT'S BEEN POLLUTING THE GROUND WATER?
and unsafe for drinking. Thus, the best solution to ground water
contamination is protection and prevention.
Teaching Strategy
Note: This activity builds on the previous activity, "Can Dirt Make
Water Clean?"
1. Divide students into teams of 3-4. Distribute copies of the
handouts, including data sheets. Read the scenario together.
Explain that some pollutants that are on the surface of the soil
or mixed in with the soil can be leached (dissolved and carried
along) as the water slowly soaks into the ground and moves
into the ground water.
2. Have each team construct its own ground water model. If the
base of the soda bottle is not clear, have students use a beaker
as a stand to support the soda bottle so that they can see the
water after it filters through the soil. (See diagrams on pages
CI8 and C19.)
3. Make sure students read the entire experiment and formulate a
hypothesis before beginning the experiment.
4. As students add pollutants to the soil, encourage them to use
the rain cups so that the water is spread evenly and flows
through the soil slowly.
5. Tell students to fill in the results section of their data sheets as
they go along.
6. Students should notice a cumulative effect as more and more
pollutants contaminate the ground water.
-------
ACTIVITY: WHAT'S BEEN POLLUTING THE GROUND WATER?
WHAT'S BEEN POLLUTING
THE CROUND WATER?
Scenario:
Mr. and Mrs. Public have been confident that the water in their ground water well
is of excellent quality. They know that soil is an excellent filter. As water flows
through the soil, many contaminants are left behind and cling, or adsorb, to the
soil particles.
But lately Mr. and Mrs. Public have begun to worry that perhaps some contami-
nants are being dissolved and carried along as the water slowly soaks into the
ground and becomes part of the ground water. They have asked the water detec-
tives to perform an experiment to find out how good a filter the soil really is.
Step I: Read the following experiment all the way through.
Step 2: State your hypothesis: (Make a prediction about what you think will
happen before you do the experiment.) For each "pollutant," write the
name of the pollutant and state your hypothesis on the Water Detective
Data Sheet. What do you think the water will look like after it passes
through the various contaminants in the ground water model?
Step 3: Perform the experiment.
Materials
~
Clear plastic soda
bottle
~
Pieces of old nylon
stockings or tights
~
Rubber band
~
Clean gravel
~
Clean sand
a
Water
~
Beakers
~
Measuring spoons
~
"Rain cups" - Paper
cups with holes
punched in the bottom
~ I eyedropper per team-
to add food coloring
"Pollutants"
~ Table salt (2 Tbs.)-
represents road salt,
which may dissolve in
snow or rain and get into
the ground water
~ Red food coloring
(5-20 drops) -
represents hazardous
or toxic materials
~ Vegetable oil (2 tbs.) -
represents motor oil
~ Paper towels soaked in
I /4 cup of water and
5 drops of blue food
coloring - represents
contaminants in garbage
at landfills, which can
leach into the ground
water
~ Baking soda (2 tbs.) -
represents commercial
fertilizer
~ Vinegar (2 tbs.) -
represents household
chemicals
-------
ACTIVITY: WHAT'S BEEN POLLUTIN6 THE 6ROUNP WATER?
MAKING INVERTED 500A BOTTLES
Cut Here
* -N
V
s,
v
Directions:
1. Make a ground water model:
A. Cut 6 inches off the bottom of several plastic soda bottles as shown in
illustration. Use the bottom of the bottle (if clear) as a stand.
B. Cover the necks of the bottles with pieces of nylon stockings or tights.
Secure them tightly with rubber bands.
C. Invert the tops of the bottles into the stands (bottom halves of the bot-
tles) as shown in the illustration, or use a beaker as a stand instead.
D. Put a 2-inch layer of coarse sand, and a 2-inch layer of gravel into the
inverted top of one soda bottle.
2. Place each of the "pollutants" on the top of the soil in the ground water
model one at a time. (The materials listed above are not harmful to you.
However, they are being used to represent harmful substances.)
3. Slowly pour water through the "rain cup" and on to the surface of the soil.
(This represents rain.)
4. Pour the rain water until it begins to fall into the clear beaker at the bottom of
the ground water model.
5. Did the "polluted" water look cleaner after it was poured through the model?
Note any changes in color and smell. Record your observations on the data
sheet provided.
6. Repeat steps with other "pollutants."
-------
ACTIVITY: WHAT'S BEEN POLLUTING TH; GROUND WATER?
GROUND WATER MODEL
"Rain cup"
2 Liter
Soda dottle
Sand
Gravel
Nylon Screen
Conclusions:
I. Did the sand and gravel help to filter out some of the pollutants?
Give examples.
2.
Did some of the pollutants get through the sand and gravel?
Give examples.
3. Were there pollutants which you were unsure about, regarding whether or
not pollutants had been filtered out? If so, what other means might you use,
besides sight or smell, to determine their presence?
As you added more and more pollutants to the soil surface, how was the
quality of the water affected?
4. How did your results compare with your hypotheses?
Hint: After performing this experiment, the water detectives told Mr. and
Mrs. Public that the best way to keep ground water protected from pollu-
tants is to make sure that pollutants don't get into the soil in the first place.
C19-HV
-------
ACTIVITY: WHAT'S BEEN POLLUTING THE CROUND WATER?
WATER DETECTIVE DATA 5HEET
POLLUTANT
HYPOTHESIS
ACTUAL RESULTS
I
¦^^¦1
¦^¦1
C-20->
-------
WATER DISTRIBUTION
AND TREATMENT
-------
Follow Those Pipes
~
Grades
K - 6
i
> Estimated
Time
25 minutes
>- Materials
~ Copies of the activity
handouts
~ Crayons
Objectives
Identify components
of a household water
distribution system.
Recognize that water
does not begin at the
faucet and end at the
drain.
Recognize that a great
deal of effort goes
into providing clean
water for household
use.
Recognize that the
dirty water that goes
down the drain will
eventually flow into
the ground water or
surface water.
> Interdisciplinary
Skills
Science, Art
Background Information
We seldom think about where the water we use in our
homes or businesses comes from or where it goes once it
disappears down the drain. The water we use everyday is very
much a part of the earth's water cycle and is continually recycled.
When we use water we are, essentially, detouring it from its natural
cycle and then, in short order, returning it back to the environment.
Water can dissolve, suspend, and transport many substances.
Therefore, the quality of the water we drink has a lot to do with
where it has been and what has been in contact with it. For this
reason, our water supply sources are not always drinkable and may
need treatment to remove natural or manmade contaminants. All
drinking water must meet federal and state standards that were put
in place to ensure that the water is safe to drink. Needless to say,
protecting our water from harmful contaminants to begin with, is
important.
Our drinking water comes from either ground water wells, springs,
or surface water (e.g., rivers, lakes, manmade reservoirs). Ground
water supplies are usually extracted by a pump, treated and disin-
fected when necessary, and delivered to homes and businesses
through a network of pipes called a distribution system. Many
people who live in rural areas have individual, on-site ground
water wells with very simple piping systems; many other people
who depend on ground water, but live in more populated areas,
receive their water from large water supply wells with more com-
plicated distribution systems.
Surface water supplies are withdrawn from rivers, lakes, and reser-
voirs through large intake structures. The water is disinfected and
often treated to remove impurities before entering the distribution
system. Surface water supplies often travel through many miles of
underground pipes before reaching the faucets of people's homes
and businesses.
Clean drinking water comes into our homes through one set of
pipes and leaves our homes as wastewater through another set of
pipes. The dirty wastewater that is flushed down the drain from
our homes and businesses must be treated so that it can be safely
and effectively recycled back to nature.
D*1 •
-------
FOLLOW THOSE PIPES
NOTES
In rural areas, wastewater pipes are hooked up to small on-site
sewage treatment and disposal systems, or septic systems, that are
buried in the ground. In these systems, wastewater generally flows
by gravity through a pipeline that runs from the home to a septic
tank, where wastewater is partially treated before it flows onward
to a leaching system. As wastewater passes through the leaching
system (a buried network of pipes with holes through which the
water passes) it is further filtered and treated by the soil and the
microorganisms in the soil. The extent of wastewater treatment
depends on local soil conditions and the system design and place-
ment. Eventually, the water seeps into the ground water.
In more populated areas, wastewater is conveyed from the home
into a network of sewer lines which lead to a wastewater treatment
facility. There, wastewater is cleaned by mechanical, biological, and
chemical processes before it is discharged into ground water or sur-
face water. Water that is discharged from wastewater treatment
facilities must meet stringent federal and state standards.
Teaching Strategy
1. Distribute copies of the activity handouts.
2. Have students color the household water distribution systems
in the "Country" picture and the "City" picture on pages D5
and D6. (Begin with the one that best reflects the household
distribution system commonly used by most of the students in
your class.) Using a blue crayon, color the path of the clean
water coming into the houses in both pictures. (The number
"1" indicates clean water.) Using a green crayon, color the
wastewater pipes (indicated by the number "2") in both pic-
tures. (Note: The wastewater pipes are larger than the water
pipes. The wastewater pipes handle the wastewater through
gravity flow. The larger pipes help to prevent clogs from the
solid matter in the wastewater.)
3. Compare the two pictures. How are they alike? How are they
different? Which one has a water distribution system like the
one the students have at home?
4. Discuss how the sewer pipe in the "Country" picture leads to a
tank called a septic tank. The heavier matter sinks to the bot-
tom of the tank. Then the water flows out through a pipe near
the top of the septic tank. From there the used water is spread
out through a network of pipes into the ground. This area is
D-2- ->~
-------
FOLLOW THOSE PIPES
called the leach field because the water slowly seeps, or leaches,
into the ground. The soil helps to filter out some of the conta-
minants in the water.
5. Discuss how the sewer pipe in the "City" picture probably
leads to a wastewater treatment facility where the water is
cleaned so that it can be put back into a river or lake. Have
students color the "Neighborhood Water/ Wastewater Pipe
Distribution System" picture on page D4, which gives students
a better perspective on the pipe distribution system from vari-
ous households in a neighborhood.
6. Be sure to explain that not everyone who lives in the country
has a well and septic tank. Some areas in the suburbs use the
system described in the "City" picture.
7. Ask the students to take the pictures home and explain to their
families how water comes into and leaves their home. They can
ask their families if they have a well and/or septic tank. They
can ask their families to join them in finding the water and
wastewater pipes in their homes.
Supplementary Activities
¦ Find a space in your classroom for a series of six water
resources education posters published by The Water Resources
Education Initiative, a cooperative effort of the U.S. Geological
Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, the Nebraska Groundwater Foundation, and the
National Science Teachers Association. The completed posters
in the series are entitled "Water: The Resource That Gets Used
8c Used 8c Used for Everything," "How Do We Treat Our
Wastewater?," "Wetlands: Water, Wildlife, Plants, and People,"
Ground Water: The Hidden Resource!," "Water Quality:
Potential Sources of Pollution," and "Navigation: Traveling the
Water Highways."
The posters, which are drawn in a cartoon format, are designed
to be joined to create a wall mural. The posters are fun, infor-
mative, and contain facts, definitions, questions, and other
resources on the back side. Up to 50 copies of the posters
(color for grades 3-5 and 6-8 or black and white) can be
obtained at no cost from the U.S. Geological Survey, Box
25286, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225.
Phone: (303) 202-4700.
-------
//// ACTIVITY: FOLLOW THOSE PIPES
-1
9
c-v
NEIGHBORHOOD
WATER/WASTEWATER PIPE
DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
1 = BLUE-water going
into the house
2 =GREEN-wastewater
going out of the house
Color the pipes going into and out of the houses in this neighborhood.
-------
ACTIVITY: FOLLOW THOSE PIPES
Plimp
Motor,
Well
Septic Tank
to Leach Field
-------
ACTIVITY SHEET: FOLLOW THOSE PIPES
CITY
Urban/5uburban
Color the pipes going into and
out of this city house.
1 = BLUE-water going
into the house
2=GREEN- wastewater
going out of the house
If »' i
Water
0
Water
Pipe
%
Sewer
Pipe
p.6 •
-------
~
Excuse Me, Is this the
Way to the Drainpipe?
Grades
K - 6
i
Objectives
Explain where drink-
ing water comes from
and where wastewater
goes once it leaves the
home.
Explain how the
water we use fits into
the water cycle.
Interdisciplinary
Skills
Reading, Art, Science.
Estimated
Time
K-3: 45+ minutes
to read, discuss, and
color story
4-6: 10 minutes to
read story; 45 minutes
to create water travel
book
> Materials
~ Copies of the activity
story
~ Crayons (grades K-3)
~ Paper and art sup-
plies to make travel
book (grades 4-6)
I
Background Information
We seldom think about where the water we use in our
homes or businesses comes from or where it goes once it
disappears down the drain. The water we use everyday is very
much a part of the earth's water cycle and is continually recycled.
When we use water we are, essentially, detouring it from its natural
cycle and then, in short order, returning it back to the environment.
Water can dissolve, suspend, and transport many substances.
Therefore, the quality of the water we drink has a lot to do with
where it has been and what has been in contact with it. For this
reason, our water supply sources are not always drinkable and may
need treatment to remove natural or manmade contaminants. All
drinking water must meet federal and state standards that were put
in place to ensure that the water is safe to drink. Needless to say,
protecting our water from harmful contaminants to begin with, is
important.
Our drinking water comes from either ground water (e.g., wells,
springs) or surface water (e.g., rivers, lakes, manmade reservoirs).
Ground water supplies are usually extracted by a pump, treated
and disinfected when necessary, and delivered to homes and busi-
nesses through a network of pipes called a distribution system.
Many people who live in rural areas have individual, on-site
ground water wells with very simple piping systems; many other
people who depend on ground water, but live in more populated
areas, receive their water from large water supply wells with more
complicated distribution systems.
Surface water supplies are withdrawn from rivers, lakes, and reser-
voirs through large intake structures. The water is disinfected and
often treated at a water treatment facility to remove impurities
before entering the distribution system. Surface water supplies
often travel through many miles of underground pipes before
reaching the faucets of people's homes and businesses.
Clean drinking water comes into our homes through one set of
pipes and leaves our homes as wastewater through another set of
pipes. The dirty wastewater that is flushed down the drain from
our homes and businesses must be treated so that it can be safely
and effectively recycled back to nature.
D'7' h
-------
EXCUSE ME, IS THIS THE WAY TO THE DRAINPIPE?
In rural areas, wastewater pipes are hooked up to small on-site
sewage treatment and disposal systems, or septic systems, that are
buried in the ground. In these systems, wastewater generally flows
by gravity through a pipeline that runs from the home to a septic
tank, where wastewater is partially treated before it flows onward
to a leaching system. As wastewater passes through the leaching
system (a buried network of pipes with holes through which the
water passes) it is further filtered and treated by the soil and the
microorganisms in the soil. Eventually, the treated water seeps into
the ground water.
In more populated areas, wastewater in conveyed from the home
into a network of sewer lines which lead to a wastewater treatment
plant. Here, wastewater is cleaned by mechanical, biological, and
chemical processes before it is discharged into ground water or sur-
face water. Water that is discharged from wastewater treatment
facilities must meet stringent federal and state standards.
Both septic systems and large wastewater treatment systems rely on
small, microscopic organisms (e.g., bacteria) to help clean up
water. These organisms, nature's own built-in water purifiers,
devour and digest organic waste material in the wastewater. The
more efficiently the organic solids are digested, the cleaner the
water. This is a big reason why it is important not to flush harmful
substances, such as household hazardous wastes, paints, paint thin-
ners, and drain cleaners, down the drain. These substances can kill
natually-occurring bacteria, especially in septic systems, and cause
the systems to function poorly.
Teaching Strategy: Grades K-3
1. Hand out copies of the story. For classes with pre-readers or
early readers, read the story to the students. Discuss the story,
ask questions, and show the students the pictures as you go
along. (The art activity in the "Follow Those Pipes" activity
can help students visualize what this story is describing.) Have
older students read the story themselves and then have a discus-
sion.
2. Discussion questions: Ask the students whether they think their
water comes from a well by their home or whether it is piped
in from somewhere else. If their water comes from somewhere
-------
EXCUSE ME, IS THIS THE WAY TO THE DRAINPIPE?
else, do they know from where? Does their wastewater go to a
septic tank or a wastewater treatment plant? Does Martha live
in the city or the country? Ask the smaller children what parts
of the story they think couldn't happen and what parts are
true.
3. Have the students color the pictures in the story and take it
home to share with their families.
Teaching Strategy: Grades 4-6
1. Distribute copies of the story.
2. Have students read the story on their own. (The art activity in
the "Follow Those Pipes" activity can help students visualize
what this story is describing.)
3. Discuss the story. Ask the students whether they think their
water comes from a well by their home or whether it is piped
in from somewhere else. If their water comes from somewhere
else, do they know from where? Does their wastewater go to a
septic tank or a wastewater treatment plant? Does Martha live
in the city or the country? In the city, where is the water
cleaned to make sure it is safe enough to drink? In the city,
where does the water go after people have used it?
4. Have the students create a "Willy Wetsworth Travel Book" that
shows their own ideas about what a good travel adventure for
a water drop might be. Make sure students show how the
water gets from one place to another and in which phases
(liquid, gas, solid).
Supplementary Activities
¦ Take the class on a field trip to a water and/or wastewater
treatment plant.
¦ Invite a member of your local water or wastewater department
or a plumbing contractor to be a guest and explain how water
comes into and leaves homes and businesses.
-------
\s It 1
V>w"
by Ellen Frye
illustrations by Hank Aho
Martha Merriweather forgot to brush her teeth. She'd already said goodnight
to her mom and dad, to Benji, her brother, and Lulu, her parakeet. She
was all snug under her red polka dot blanket. In fact, she was pretty near asleep
when she remembered about her teeth.
It had been one of those days—one of those forgetting days. She forgot her
lunch and had to borrow lunch money from Mrs. Johnson in the school office.
She forgot her homework assignment and had to call her friend Terry to find out
what it was. She'd even forgotten to feed Lulu until her mother reminded her.
But Martha Merriweather did finally remember to brush her teeth. So she
got out of bed, headed to the bathroom, turned on the light, picked up the tooth-
brush, picked up the toothpaste, put the toothpaste on the toothbrush...
But, just as Martha was bringing the toothbrush with the
| toothpaste to her teeth, she noticed a drop of water that was just
beginning to drip from the faucet—which isn't so very unusual. But
this drop didn't drip and it didn't drop; instead, it seemed to get big-
ger...and bigger. Furthermore, it seemed to be waving to her.
Yes, it was waving to her. In fact, it seemed to be speaking to
her. Yes...yes, it was speaking to her. In fact, it was asking
her a question.
"Excuse me, is this the way to the drainpipe?," the
drop was asking as it pointed to the drain in the sink.
"Yes it is," answered Martha, her eyes wide open with
amazement. "But...but....you're talking!"
n»»
V
-------
GROUNDWATER.
"Yes," said the drop, "I often talk when I have a question, and, if you recall,
I did have a question! You see," he said, "my travel book says that I should flow
from the Merriweathers' ground water well, continue on up through the
Merriweathers' water pipes, until I get to the Merriweathers' bathroom faucet. At
that point, my travel book says, I should dive downward to the Merriweathers'
drainpipe."
"Merriweather?," cried Martha, "Merriweather? That's my name—Martha
Merriweather."
"And my name is Willy Wetsworth, a traveler and adventurer," said the
drop. "Pleased to meet you."
"A traveler and adventurer?," whispered Martha gleefully.
"Yep," said Willy Wetsworth, "I spend my life traveling—in the clouds, in
the sky, in the rivers, oceans, and streams, along the roadways, through the wood-
lands and grasslands, down in the soil, and between the rocks. Today, I'm traveling
through water pipes—your water pipes. I was just pumped up into your house from
the well in your backyard. It was a fun-foodling ride. Up, up, up, up, from the
ground, then through this pipe and that pipe, until...well....here I am."
"Wow!," said Martha, trying to imagine what it would be like to travel in
water pipes. She thought it might be "fun-foodling" if she were wearing a snorkel
and flippers. She thought it might be like zooming through a water slide at the
amusement park.
D-12- ->
-------
"Do you mean to say," she
asked, "that any time people brush their
teeth, or wash their hands, or take a
shower, or wash the dishes, or do the
laundry, or flush the toilet, or water the
flowers...that all that water has just had
an exciting ride through the pipes?"
"Yep," replied Willy.
"Do you mean to say that all
the water that people use comes right
from a well in their own backyard?,"
asked Martha.
"Well...sometimes yes, and
sometimes no," replied Willy. "It says
here in my travel book that some peo-
ple, like the Merriweathers, live in the
country where there are more trees than people, and where houses are spread apart.
So when people who live in the country need water, they can usually get it from the
water deep in the ground in their own backyard. But it's different in the city—the
city's where there are more people than trees, and buildings are closer together. City
water is usually piped in from a big well, or a lake, or a stream, or a reservoir that
might be right near by or it might be many miles away. I have a friend who actually
made the trip through city water pipes."
"Really?," asked Martha
"Yes," said Willy, "he started out at a big reservoir. From there he went
through a big pipe to a water treatment plant."
"A water treatment plant?," asked Martha. "What's that?"
"According to my friend," said Willy, "it's a place where water is cleaned so
it's safe enough for people to drink."
"You mean your friend isn't safe to drink?" asked Martha.
"Well he probably is," said the drop. "But, in our travels, we water drops
never know what we're gonna run into—or what's going to run into us. Let's face it,
every living plant and animal on this earth needs us and uses us—people boil us,
drink us, mix other stuff with us, throw their scumdiddle giunk in us. There are so
many ways we can get dirty. Most days, mother nature can clean us up without any-
body's help. But sometimes mother nature can use some help and a water treatment
plant does just that—it's kind of like mother nature's little helper. My friend said it
was really weird going through the treatment plant, but he felt good as new by the
time he got out of there. But then...," continued the drop.
"But then what?," asked Martha, who by now was trying to decide whether
or not she would like it if she were a water drop.
V^,
TAP
D-13- ->~
-------
SEPHc.
TANK '
o&0/W* /////u////////;;//////A /f~\ ffr\
"Then he took a wondrous, long, rip-snoodling ride through some great big
pipes, and then some medium-sized pipes, and then some smallish pipes, right into
an apartment house," said "Willy. "Other water drops went to other places like office
buildings and stores and museums and libraries. And then..."
"And then what?," gasped Martha, thinking that, indeed, it might be fun to
be a water drop.
"Then," said Willy Wetsworth, "the people who live and work in those
buildings turned on their faucets and used their water for something or other—like
brushing their teeth."
"Oh," said Martha, looking at the toothbrush and toothpaste she was still
holding. "I was just about to brush my teeth when I met you."
"And I was just heading for the drain," said Willy.
"But you mustn't," blurted Martha, who had already grown rather fond of
the drop. "I mean...down the drain? What on earth will happen to you?"
"Well, it says right here in my travel book that I'll wash down another set of
pipes and end up in a septic tank that's buried in the Merriweathers' backyard."
"A septic tank?," exclaimed Martha. "I've heard of that. A man came to
clean our septic tank a little while ago, and when I asked my mother what a septic
tank was she told me that it was a big box that holds our
dirty water after it goes down the drain. She said it helps
make the water clean again. The dirty water stays in the
septic tank for awhile and then goes into another pipe
and then it goes into the ground."
Martha thought for a moment and then
asked Willy, "Are you sure you really want to
go down the drain to a septic tank? It sounds
yucky!"
-------
G/,'^0///^
— V //( w
t
"It's not so bad," said Willy. "My travel book says the Merriweathers take
good care of their septic system, so it does a good job of cleaning us up. My book
also says the Merriweathers don't throw all kinds of nasty scumdiddle glunk down
the drain that might make my friends down in the septic tank sick."
"You have friends in the septic tank?," asked Martha.
"Yep," said Willy, "heaps and gobs of eency, beency, plump, and jolly bacte-
ria—mother nature's little cleaner uppers. They live in the septic tank and love to eat
the waste in your wastewater."
"Ick," thought Martha.
"They eat it and digest it and eat it and digest it," said the drop, "and, like
magic, they change it from harmful waste to harm/ess waste."
"Wow!," exclaimed Martha.
"But like I said," said the drop, "my bacteria buddies get sick when people
throw nasty scumdiddle glunk down the drain."
"What kind of scumdiddle glunk?," asked Martha.
"Oh, like paint thinner or plastics or oils or pesticides," said the drop.
"Oh," said Martha, who was beginning to think that being a water drop
might not be as much fun as she thought. "I can't say that I've ever thrown any
glunk down my drain, and I know now—for certain—that I never will!"
"Hooray for you, Martha Merriweather!," shouted the drop. "As you know,
I thrive on adventure, but I've heard there are some septic systems that even I
wouldn't want to visit. Some people just don't take care of them and, after awhile,
they clog up and bog down and then my bacteria friends are anything but jolly. And
then, of course..." said Willy, his smiling face giving way to a deep, dark frown.
"And then, of course what?," asked Martha, almost afraid to hear the
answer.
P-15-h>»
-------
u
"Then, of course, we water drops stay dirty, dirty, dirty," he
answered with a shudder, "too dirty for anyone to drink...too
dirty for brushing anyone's teeth."
"Oh," sighed Martha.
"But I'm going down that drain Martha
Merriweather," Willy laughed and pointed to the drain. His
face was once again lit up like the Fourth of July. "And if I
get a little dirty and smelly in the septic tank, so what?
Everybody gets dirty and smelly sometime. Down there in
the septic tank, I'll hang out with my friends for a while and
then, like you said, I'll float out of the tank and into a pipe—a
pipe with holes in it," he said.
"It says right here in my travel book," Willy began reading from his book,
"You will float out of one of the holes in the pipe and sink down into a big gravely
place. From there, just relax and enjoy your journey into the soil below. Here in the
soil you will find yourself getting cleaner and cleaner and cleaner and cleaner. In
time, you will find yourself back in the ground water, not far from where your little
adventure began." Willy smiled a big, wide smile and closed his book.
Martha asked Willy if his friend in the city had gone into a septic tank when
he went down the drain.
"Oh no," replied Willy. "There's no room for septic systems in cities. Your
septic tank is only a short trip from your house, but in the city, all the dirty water
that goes down the drains of all the apartment houses and businesses travels
through oodles upon oodles of pipes—smaller-sized, then middle-sized, then bigger-
sized pipes that are buried under the streets. All that dirty water ends up at a flu-
mongous, magrungous wastewater treatment plant."
"Another treatment plant?," asked Martha.
"Another treatment plant," replied the drop, "but this one is called a waste-
water treatment plant. A wastewater treatment plant is a place where dirty water
that's flushed down drains and toilets gets cleaned up so that it's clean enough to go
back into a nearby river, lake, stream, or ocean. Yep, my friend flowed into the
wastewater treatment plant. He flowed from one big, flumongous tank to another
getting cleaner and cleaner."
"Were there heaps and gobs of eency, beency, plump, jolly bacteria to help
him get clean?," asked Martha.
"As a matter of fact, there were, Martha Merriweather, jillions and scillions
and gadrillions of them. They were eating and digesting and eating and
digesting...they ate so much," laughed Willy, "that after awhile they just sank to the
bottom of the tank and took a nap."
"Took an nap?," giggled Martha.
D *16*->
-------
IWasteyWER,
"^teATMEKT
"Yep," laughed the drop. "And, guess what they did next?"
"What?..What?," cackled Martha. "What did they do next?"
"They woke up and started eating and digesting all over again," roared the
drop, swinging gleefully from the faucet. Martha was laughing gleefully too—she
couldn't help it—although she wasn't sure which was funnier, the thought of jillions
and scillions of plump and jolly bacteria having a giant feast or seeing a drop of
water named Willy laughing himself silly.
"And what happened to your friend?" asked Martha, trying to calm her gig-
gles down.
"Then," said the drop, trying to calm his giggles down, "then he splashed
out of the treatment plant and into the Witchywatchy River. That's where I met
him—in the Witchywatchy River. We spent one cold January as icicles on the bank
of the Witchywatchy River."
"Icicles?," shivered Martha. "Weren't you cold?"
"Nah," answered the drop. "We're water. Sometimes we float and flow as a
liquid, sometimes we freeze into ice, and sometimes the heat makes us evaporate
into the air as a vapor. It's fun-foodling Martha Merriweather...fun-foodling. But
now," checking his waterproof watch, "I really must be moving on down the drain,
and I think you must be brushing your teeth." He noticed a big, wet tear well up in
Martha's eye and slide slowly down her face.
g. "Hey, hey, Martha Merriweather, I see a friend of mine
T|rf^.iiijiiiMitiiiiiniiaiiiiiW'"!g!^BalMi^U sliding down your face—Tina Teardrop's her name. When I
\-T « [ Spy see Tina Teardrop I know somebody's sad. Are you sad?"
A v A
(3 A fj Martha felt her cheek for Tina Teardrop, but Tina had
]| )/ already evaporated into the air. "Must you go?," she asked. "I could
D '17* ->
-------
keep you with me in a special, special
little jar..." But Martha knew that a
jar would be a very bad place for a
traveler and adventurer. "Will I ever
see you again?," asked Martha.
"Of course you will," smiled
Willy. "Whenever you turn on your
faucet, or catch a snowflake in your
hand, or see the frost on your win-
dowpane, or watch the mist rise from
your spaghetti water, or swim in a
swimming pool, or watch a flower
grow—I'll be there. I'm always here,
Martha Merriweather. But if I were to become too dirty, even you wouldn't want to
have me around. So make sure you let your friends and family know that we water
drops need to stay clean—for the sake of all the people and animals and flowers and
trees in the whole wide world. So, S.Y.L., Martha Merriweather."
"S.Y.L.?," puzzled Martha.
"See Ya Later," laughed Willy. "See Ya Later, Martha Merriweather," he
waved and winked.
"S.Y.L., Willy Wetsworth," whispered Martha.
And, before her very eyes—right before her eyes—Willy got smaller and
smaller until he was simply and purely a drop at the faucet. But, he'd left something
behind. And what do you think it was?
He left his travel book with all the pictures of pipes and wells and ground
water and ponds and lakes and oceans and glaciers and raindrops and snow flakes
and...
Martha picked up the little book and opened it to the first page. And what
do you think she saw?
She saw a little message. It said, "To my friend Martha Merriweather. From
your friend, Willy Wetsworth." That's what it said.
As Martha brushed her teeth, she watched
the foamy water wash down the drain, knowing
that Willy was on his way to another adventure.
She turned the water off, put her toothbrush
away, and returned to bed. She crawled under
her polka dot blanket, then she took the travel
book and tucked it carefully under her pillow.
It had been quite a night...a FUN-FOODLING
NIGHT!
D-18-
-------
The Creat
Water H ook U p
~
Grades
4-6
i
> Objectives
• Build a model of a
water delivery system
from source to user.
• Demonstrate what is
involved in designing
a water distribution
system.
>- Interdisciplinary
Skills
Science, Social
Studies, Mathematics
Estimated
Time
2 hours (Suggestion
Build original model
the first day. Revise
the model with new
additions on the sec-
ond day.)
$
Background Information
Our drinking water comes from either ground water wells or
surface water (e.g., rivers, lakes, manmade reservoirs).
Ground water supplies are usually extracted by a pump, treated
and disinfected when necessary, and delivered to homes and busi-
nesses through a network of pipes called a distribution system.
Many people who live in rural areas have individual, on-site
ground water wells with very simple piping systems; many other
people who depend on ground water, but live in more populated
areas, receive their water from large water supply wells with more
complicated distribution systems.
Surface water supplies are withdrawn from rivers, lakes, and reser-
voirs through large intake structures. The water is disinfected and
often treated to remove impurities before entering the distribution
system. Surface water supplies often travel through many miles of
underground pipes before reaching the faucets of people's homes
and businesses.
In the water distribution system, the size of the pipe is a function
of the amount of water that will typically pass through it. Thus,
the largest pipe hooks into the source water supply (e.g., ground
water well, reservoir, river); middle-sized pipes serve larger water
users (e.g., office buildings, hospitals, apartment buildings); and the
smallest pipes serve individual residences.
> Materials
~ Copies of activity handouts
~ Large diameter cardboard
tubes (e.g., map tubes)*
~ Medium diameter cardboard
tubes (e.g., wrapping paper
tubes, toilet paper tubes,
paper towel tubes)*
~ Small diameter tubes (rolled
card stock or straws)*
~ Ten (10) boxes labeled:
a) school (I box); b) business
(3 boxes); c) hospital
(I box); d) industry (2 boxes);
e) new school (I box); f) new
business (I box); g) new
industry (I box)
~ Match boxes (labeled "home")
(Have enough so that every
student gets a box.)
* If tubes are unavailable, roll up poster board or construction paper
into different sizes.Tape or staple ends together.
Teaching Strategy
1. Label boxes before class
begins. (Suggestion: Send
a note home a few weeks
before the project asking
parents to send card-
board tubes to school.)
2. Find a large floor space
where the project can be
left in place for at least
two days.
P'19* ->
-------
THE GREAT WATER HOOK-UP
NOTES
3. Tell your students that they are water system designers. They
have been called to go to Small Town, New England in order
to design a new public water supply system. They must decide
how to link all the homes and businesses to the water source
so that everyone can get the water they need.
4. Divide students into teams of five. Each team will design a
segment of the delivery system. At random, give seven stu-
dents the seven boxes that are labeled "school," "business,"
"industry," and "hospital." Wherever the boxes are placed,
that represents their location in Smalltown, New England.
Give out boxes labeled "home" to all the rest of the students.
(Reserve the 3 boxes which represent new buildings.)
5. Randomly select a location for the well. (This will be the
starting point for the model.)
6. Distribute copies of the activity handout. Go over all this
information with the class.
7. Tell students to start building a distribution system. To avoid
chaos, give each group of five students a large pipe leading
from the well. They can build their section of the distribution
system from that pipe.
8. Have students determine the cost of the entire delivery system.
9. Ask students to look at the design and see if any changes
could be made to reduce the cost. (Perhaps teams could com-
bine their distribution systems.) Ask students to calculate the
cost of the new system.
10. Distribute boxes marked "new." Determine cost of adding in
these new users.
11. After designing the water system, help students develop a list
of questions that community leaders must ask when designing
a distribution system (e.g., How many homes, industries, etc.,
must receive water? How much water do they need? How
much water is available? Where will all the homes, businesses,
industries, etc. be located? What will the system cost? How
will the community change in the future? How can the com-
munity plan for these changes?)
12. Ask students what steps community leaders might take to
reduce future costs (e.g., group similar types of users together
[zoning], limit growth of the community).
Adapted from: Massachusetts Water Resource Authority. Water Wizards. Boston:
Massachusetts Water Resource Authority.
lP'20>h>
-------
ACTIVITY: THE GREAT WATER HOOK UP
THE 6REAT WATER HOOK UP
PART I: Background Information
Scenario:
Smalltown, New England needs help in designing a new water delivery system.
They have asked your firm, Water Hook-Ups Inc., to do the design work. Here's
the scoop:
• A community that relies on a large well to provide water to its residents, busi-
nesses, and institutions must design a system to pump and deliver water from
the well throughout the community.
• Each home, business, industry, or institution requires varying amounts of water.
Therefore, the size of the pipes needed to provide water also varies. (Larger
pipes provide more water.)
• In Smalltown, you must follow these rules when laying pipes:
1. Large pipes must hook up to the well. Large pipes will be used for the
major water lines running through the community.
2. The hospital and the industry use a very large amount of water and
must be connected to a large water pipe.
3. The businesses and school use a lot of water but not as much as the
hospital and industry. They must be connected to a medium-sized pipe.
4. Homes use less water than businesses and require a small-sized pipe.
5. Pipes can only be con-
nected in descending
order. That is, from the
well, large pipes are
connected to medium
pipes, which are con-
nected to small pipes.
Also, from the well,
large pipes can be con-
nected to small pipes.
However, once you lay
a small pipe, you can-
not add a medium or
large pipe on the end.
That would cause a
"bottleneck."
-------
ACTIVITY: THE GREAT WATER HOOK UP
6. A large pipe can serve 3 medium-sized pipes or 15 small pipes. Each
medium-sized pipe can serve 5 small pipes.
Part 2: Your Job
1. Connect the pipes! Be sure that every home, business, industry, school,
and hospital will receive water.
2. When you are done laying pipes, determine the cost of the project based
on the following cost figures:
Large pipe = $15,000 each
Medium pipe = $ 5,000 each
Small pipe = $ 1,000 each
Follow-up Questions
I. How much did your segment of the delivery system cost?
2. How much did the whole delivery system cost?
Part 3: Delivery System Changes
I. Look at the delivery system you designed. Can you make any design
changes to reduce the cost? If so, what is the cost of the redesigned
system? $
How much did you save? $
2. Help! Smalltown is growing rapidly. The town wants to build a new
school, a new business, and a new industry. (Add new boxes.) Make
changes in your design to serve these new needs.
3. How much did the changes cost? $
Part 4 : Add a Wastewater Collection System (optional)
Smalltown is having problems with its septic systems and will soon be needing to
build a wastewater treatment plant so that a wastewater collection, or sewer, sys-
tem can be hooked up to all the homes and businesses. Find a location where the
wastewater can be treated and then discharged into a receiving river or stream.
Figure out how to accomplish this great wastewater hook up.
D-22- -
-------
M
The Ma6ic Schoolbus
at the Waterworks"
~
Grades
K - 3
Interdisciplinary
Skills
Science, Reading
Estimated
Time
30 minutes to read
and discuss story.
30 minutes to copy
water facts.
<
> Objectives
• Explain the basic
steps of how a water
treatment facility
operates.
~ Materials
~ Copy of The Magic
School Bus at the
Waterworks by
Joanna Cole. New
York: Scholastic, Inc.,
1986.
~ Paper
~ Crayons or markers
~ Masking tape or
tacks
Background Information
This delightful story is one in a series of "Magic School Bus"
books by Scholastic Inc. that illustrate that there are no bor-
ing subjects if a story is told well. This story also helps students
separate facts from fantasy.
Teaching Strategy
1. Read The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks by Joanna Cole
to non-readers or early readers. An alternative is to have stu-
dents from a higher grade practice and read the story to the
class. Most third-graders can read the story independently.
2. Ask students to copy the water facts from the book and post
them around the room with masking tape or tacks.
3. Make a list of statements from the book that are true. Make a
list of statements that are used to make the story more exciting
but are not true. (There is a list at the end of the book.)
Supplementary Activities
¦ Read the other "Magic School Bus" stories to the class.
-------
WATER STEWARDSHIP
-------
~
Con
Wate
serving Daily
r Use at Home
Grades
K - 3
i
Objectives
Identify ways in
which water is used.
Determine how much
water families use
each day.
Recognize the impor-
tance of conserving
water.
Determine ways in
which water can be
conserved.
Interdisciplinary
Skills
Art, Science,
Mathematics,
Critical Thinking
Estimated
Time
Part A - 20 minutes to
draw picture; 15 min-
utes for discussion
Part B - 10 minutes
on one day to explain
the chart. Then a 30-
minute follow-up dis-
cussion the next class.
Part C - 20 minutes
(longer for older chil-
dren to answer last
two questions in #2)
> Materials
~ Copies of activity
handouts
~ Drawing materials
(e.g., paper, crayons)
$
Background Information
As we have traveled through this ground water curriculum,
students have learned about the inestimable value of water,
its characteristics, how it moves through our world and our homes
and businesses in a vast cycle, and how it can become polluted. In
this final section of the curriculum, we would like students to rec-
ognize their own ability to make a difference in conserving and
protecting our water resources.
Gifford Pinchot, an American conservationist and politician who
served as chief of the U.S. Forest Service between 1898 and 1910,
referred to conservation as "The wise use of the earth and its
resources for the lasting good of men." The conservation of our
water resources depends on our wise use of these resources. Such
wise use, without a doubt, begins at home.
It is only recently that environmental issues and our interrelation-
ship with the natural world have been integrated into school curric-
ula. In this sense, our teachers and our children are our environ-
mental emissaries, getting the word out to families and friends that
we are all responsible for protecting and maintaining our earth for
today's and future generations. The final four activities in this cur-
riculum serve as first steps in what we hope will be a life-long com-
mitment to water stewardship.
Teaching Strategy
Part A - Picture Your House
1. Have students draw a picture of their own home that shows all
the places where water is used (e.g., toilets, sinks, showers, out-
door spigots). This activity can be done in class or at home as a
family activity.
2. Have students discuss the many ways we use water in the
home, inside and out. Make a list of these ways so that you can
refer to them in Part C. This discussion can be extended to
include water uses in other settings (e.g., swimming, fire fight-
ing, bottling plants).
E *1 • -
-------
CONSERVING DAILY WATER USE AT HOME
Part B - Daily Water Use Survey
1. This can be a quick in-class exercise in which students estimate
how many times each activity occurs; however, the survey will
be more interesting and accurate if an actual survey is conduct-
ed. Weekdays, when families have more of a routine, provide a
more accurate picture of daily water use. (It might be interest-
ing to compare weekday with weekend water use.) Have stu-
dents ask their families to help with the surveys—families, too
can become aware of how much water they use in the process.
2. Distribute the "How Much Water Do You Use?" activity sur-
veys. Explain how to make tally marks each time the activity
takes place. Ask students to ask their families to help complete
the survey for one day. Explain that this survey deals with daily
water use in the home, but that most of us use additional
amounts of water at school, at work, and other places through-
out the day.
3. Older students may be able to multiply the number of gallons
used for each activity by the number of times the activity
occurred. They can then add up their answers to find out the
total number of gallons used by their family in one day.
Alternate Strategy
¦ See the next activity, "The Case of the Mysterious Renters,"
which accomplishes the same purpose as this activity, but has a
creative story to add interest. It is particularly effective with
older students.
Follow-up Questions
1. In your home, what water use activity happened most often?
2. Which activities use the most water each time they occur?
Taking long showers, washing dishes with the water running.
3. What other activities at home consume large amounts of water?
Laundry, watering lawns, filling swimming pools, etc.
-------
CONSERVING DAILY WATER USE AT HOME
Part C - Brainstorming About Water Conservation
1. Have students take a look at the diagrams that they drew of
their homes and the list the class made in Part A of the ways
we use water. Ask the students if they can think of ways they
could reduce the amount of water they use.
2. Have students look at their water use surveys. Ask them to
consider what their families could do to reduce the amount of
water they use. For older children: How much water would
that conserve? If everyone in the class followed that practice,
how much water would it save in a year?
3. Are there ways to conserve water that would not be a good
idea (e.g., not brushing teeth or washing)?
4. Give each student a copy of the "Water Conservation Tips"
activity handout. Look it over as a group to see how it com-
pares with your list. Suggest that students take it home and
post it in the bathroom or kitchen.
b
h
Adapted from: Cerullo, Mary. Minnow—The Children's Journal of the Gulf of Maine Aquarium.
Portland: Portland Water District.
-------
ACTIVITY: CONSERVING DAILY WATER USE AT HOME
HOW MUCH WATER
DO YOU USE?
Directions:
We are doing a water survey to find how much water we use in one day. Place a
tally mark in the Times/Day column every time someone in your family does the
activity.
Toilet Flushing (5 gallons/flush)
Short Shower (25 gallons/shower)
Tub Bath (35 gallons/bath)
Brushing Teeth (2 gallons/brush)
Washing Dishes (30 gallons)
with running water
Washing Dishes (10 gallons)
by filling a basin
Using Dishwasher (20 gallons)
TIMES/DAY
NOTE: Washing clothes in a
washing machine is not includ-
ed in these calculations. Be
aware, however, that a typical
wash cycle uses 40 gallons of
water.
WATER USE IN THE BATHROOM
Shower
tf
6
4
6
4
Most water is used in
the bathroom
Tub
Toilet.
2F
D, 1993,1994, National Energy Foundation,
All Rights Reserved, Used by Permission.
uu u
w w
1L
Drainage
n
i
-------
HANDOUT: CONSERVING DAILY WATER USE AT HOME
DID YOU KNOW THAT ALL WATER IS RECYCLED?
We drink the same water that the dinosaurs did, and future generations will drink
that same water. That's why it's our job to use water wisely and protect water sup-
plies whenever and wherever possible. If we each save a small amount of water
each day, our combined savings will add up to millions of gallons each year.
Water saved is money saved! Water conservation can save on water
and sewer fees. Also, when you use less water, your fuel bills are lower.
Even if you use well water, saving water reduces both electric costs and
.-"¦"A* the waste load going into your septic system.
0 0
. O
WATER CONSERVATION TIPS
O O
o 0 o
°~1
Bathroom i
Two thirds of the water used in the average home is used in the bathroom, mostly for flushing toilets,
showers, and baths.
fflT Turn off the water when you are not using it—don't let it run while you brush your teeth or
shave.
& Flush the toilet less often—put used tissues, trash, hair, paper towels, etc. in the wastebasket
instead of flushing them,
ffif Fix leaks and drips—this is often simply a matter of changing a washer,
if Retrofit older plumbing fixtures with flow-reducing devices.
Take shorter showers—less than 5 minutes is adequate, any longer is recreation.
fflT Take baths—a partially filled tub uses less water than a shower.
Kitchen and Laundry l _ i
fflf Use appliances efficiently—run full loads in the dish or clothes washer or, if your appliance has
one, use a load selector,
fflf Buy a water saver—select new appliances that are designed to minimize water use.
Clean vegetables and fruit efficiently—use a vegetable brush to expedite cleaning,
ffif Use garbage grinders as little as possible—start a compost pile or give leftovers to a dog, cat,
chicken, horse, etc.
fflf Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator—avoid running the tap just to cool water
for drinking.
Lawn and Garden i i
Water the lawn and garden only when necessary—early morning or evening are the best
times. Let grass grow higher in dry weather. Mulch your trees and plants. Avoid watering drive-
ways and sidewalks.
Sf Deep-soak your lawn—allow the moisture to soak down to the roots where it does the most
good. A light sprinkling evaporates quickly.
& Plant drought resistant trees and plants—many beautiful trees and plants thrive with less
watering, particularly native species.
Wash your car sensibly—Clean the car with a pail of soapy water and use the hose only for a
quick rinse.
CAN YOU THINK OF OTHER WAYS TO CONSERVE WATER-
AND PROTECT YOUR WATER SUPPLY?
E-6- ->
-------
~
The Case of the
Mysterious Renters
Grades
4-6
i
Objectives
Identify ways in
which water is used.
Determine how much
water families use
each day.
Recognize the impor-
tance of conserving
water.
Determine ways in
which water can be
conserved.
Interdisciplinary
Skills
Science, Mathematics,
Critical Thinking
Estimated
Time
Part A - 10 minutes
to explain the chart;
30 minutes for follow-
up discussion after the
survey has been
completed.
Part B - 20 minutes
> Materials
~ Copies of activity
handouts (3)
€
Background Information
As we have traveled through this ground water curriculum,
students have learned about the inestimable value of water,
its characteristics, how it moves through our world and our homes
and businesses in a vast cycle, and how it can become polluted. In
this final section of the curriculum, we would like students to rec-
ognize their own ability to make a difference in conserving and
protecting our water resources.
Gifford Pinchot, an American conservationist and politician who
served as chief of the U.S. Forest Service between 1898 and 1910,
referred to conservation as "The wise use of the earth and its
resources for the lasting good of men." The conservation of our
water resources depends on our wise use of these resources. Such
wise use, without a doubt, begins at home.
It is only recently that environmental issues and our interrelation-
ship with the natural world have been integrated into school curric-
ula. In this sense, our teachers and our children are our environ-
mental emissaries, getting the word out to families and friends that
we are all responsible for protecting and maintaining our earth for
today's and future generations. The final four activities in this cur-
riculum serve as first steps in what we hope will be a life-long com-
mitment to water stewardship.
Teaching Strategy
Part A-Detective Work
1. Tell students that today they are going to be water detectives
who have been called in to solve a case of mysterious renters.
2. Distribute the copies of the case story and survey.
3. Be sure students write down their hypotheses before completing
their surveys.
4. Explain how to fill out the survey. Explain how to make tally
marks each time the activity takes place. Ask students to ask
their families to help complete the survey for one day—families
can become more aware of how much water they use in the
process. A weekday, when families have more of a routine, will
E-7- h>
-------
THE CASE OF THE MYSTERIOUS RENTERS
provide the best picture of daily water use. (It might be interest-
ing, for extra credit, to compare weekday and weekend water
use.)
5. After students have completed the survey, discuss the results.
Alternate Strategy
¦ If the story is too complicated for some students, try the previ-
ous activity, "Conserving Daily Water Use at Home," which
accomplishes the same purpose and is designed for younger stu-
dents.
Part B - Brainstorming About Water Conservation
1. Have students look at their water use surveys. Ask them to
consider what their families could do to reduce the amount of
water they use. How much water would that conserve? If
everyone in the class followed that practice, how much water
would it save in a year?
2. Are there ways to conserve water that would not be a good
idea (e.g., not brushing teeth or washing)?
3. Give each student a copy of the "Water Conservation Tips"
activity handout. Look it over as a group to see how it com-
pares with your list. Suggest that students take it home and
post it in the bathroom or kitchen.
Supplementary Activities
¦ Have students write an article for the school newspaper listing
ways people can conserve water.
¦ Have students write a brief newsletter for their parents report-
ing on the results of the survey. (Don't mention names, except
to honor those who used the least amount of water per person.)
Include water conservation suggestions.
-------
ACTIVITY: THE CASE OF THE MYSTERIOUS RENTERS
THE CASE OF THE
MYSTERIOUS RENTERS
Scenario:
Mrs. Jackson has called the water detectives to help her solve a serious problem.
She has heard that the detectives have an excellent record for solving mysteries.
"What seems to be the problem?" asked one of the water detectives.
"Well," said Mrs. Jackson, "as you know, I rent out several apartments to
college students. I never allow more than four students to stay in one apartment.
But, in Apartment 319,1 know there are more than four people, I just can't prove
it."
One of the water detectives interrupted her with a question, "Have you
ever tried making surprise visits?"
"Yes," she answered, "but every time I go there, four people or less are at
home. Those college students come and go at all hours of the day and night.
There is no way for me to keep track of how many students actually share the
apartment."
"Very interesting," said one of the detectives. "I think we can help you,
but first we'll need to see last month's water bill for the apartment."
"How will that help?" asked Mrs. Jackson.
"We'll be able to see how many gallons of water were used last month,"
said another water detective.
Mrs. Jackson found the bill. It revealed that last month the occupants used
15,000 gallons.
"Let's see," said one of the detectives. "Last month was September, which
has 30 days. If we divide 15,000 gallons by 30 days, we know that they used 500
gallons a day."
"Yes," said Mrs. Jackson, "but is that a little or a lot?"
"We'll have to investigate and get back to you. We'll do a survey to find
out how much the average person uses," said the detective.
With that, the water detectives left Mrs. Jackson with a promise to return
soon with an estimate of how many people are sharing the apartment. The water
detectives decided that they needed to do some research to determine how much
water people use in one day. In order to come up with an estimate, they decided
to find out how much water their own families use in one day. Here's how:
-------
ACTIVITY: THE CASE OF THE MYSTERIOUS RENTERS
Step I: Record the facts of the case.
• The people in the apartment used
September.
gallons of water in
September has
days.
The average number of gallons of water used per day was
gallons.
Step 2: Form a hypothesis.
How many gallons of water a day do you think a person uses?
gallons
Step 3 : Fill out the water survey.
Step 4: Record your conclusions.
1. How many total gallons
of water did your fami-
ly use in one day?
gallons
2. How many gallons of
water per person per
day did your family
use?
gallons
3. Based on your results,
how many people do
you think are living in
Mrs. Jackson's apart-
ment?
WATER USE IN THE BATHROOM
4. Compare your answer
with the answers of
others in your class.
5,1993,1994, National Energy Foundation,
Ail Rights Reserved, Used by Permission.
Shower
6
I
6
4
Most water is used in
the bathroom
Tub
Toilet
uu u
Its
KB KB K
111
Drainage
FT
\
E-10- ->•
-------
ACTIVITY: THE CASE OF THE MYSTERIOUS RENTER?
HOW MUCH WATER
DO YOU USE?
Directions:
We are doing a water survey to find how much water we use in one day. Place a tally
mark in the Times/Day column every time someone in your family does the activity.
Times/Day Total
x =
x =
x =
x =
x =
x
x =
Grand Total =
NOTE: Washing clothes in a washing machine is not included in these calculations—a
typical wash cycle uses 40 gallons of water. Another significant seasonal water use is
lawn and garden watering. This survey deals with daily water use in the home, but
most of us use additional amounts of water at school, at work, and other places
throughout the day.
To find average use per person in your family, divide the grand total by the number of
people in your family. The answer is:
Follow-up Questions:
I. In your home, which activity happened most often?
2. Which activities use the most water each time they occur?
Toilet Flushing 5 gallons
Short Shower 25 gallons
Tub Bath 35 gallons
Teeth Brushing 2 gallons
Washing Dishes 30 gallons
with running water
Washing Dishes 10 gallons
by filling a basin
Using Dishwasher 20 gallons
3.
What other activities at home consume large amounts of water?
-------
KmOXeX^'uCGB SfifiG ®(?cuCQB BffiMlES
DID YOU KNOW THAT ALL WATER IS RECYCLED?
We drink the same water that the dinosaurs did, and future generations will drink
that same water. That's why it's our job to use water wisely and protect water sup-
plies whenever and wherever possible. If we each save a small amount of water
each day, our combined savings will add up to millions of gallons each year.
Water saved is money saved! Water conservation can save on water
and sewer fees. Also, when you use less water, your fuel bills are lower.
Even if you use well water, saving water reduces both electric costs and
the waste load going into your septic system.
O 0
. 0
WATER CONSERVATION TIPS
O O
0 o O
Bathroom I
Two thirds of the water used in the average home is used in the bathroom, mostly for flushing toilets,
showers, and baths.
if Turn off the water when you are not using it—don't let it run while you brush your teeth or
shave.
if Flush the toilet less often—put used tissues, trash, hair, paper towels, etc. in the wastebasket
instead of flushing them.
Fix leaks and drips—this is often simply a matter of changing a washer.
Ift Retrofit older plumbing fixtures with flow-reducing devices,
if Take shorter showers—less than 5 minutes is adequate, any longer is recreation,
if Take baths—a partially filled tub uses less water than a shower.
Kitchen and Laundry
Use appliances efficiently—run full loads in the dish or clothes washer or, if your appliance has
one, use a load selector,
if Buy a water saver—select new appliances that are designed to minimize water .use.
ffif Clean vegetables and fruit efficiently—use a vegetable brush to expedite cleaning,
if Use garbage grinders as little as possible—start a compost pile or give leftovers to a dog, cat,
chicken, horse, etc.
Sf Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator—avoid running the tap just to cool water
for drinking.
Lawn and Garden
(ST Water the lawn and garden only when necessary—early morning or evening are the best
times. Let grass grow higher in dry weather. Mulch your trees and plants. Avoid watering drive-
ways and sidewalks.
Hf Deep-soak your lawn—allow the moisture to soak down to the roots where it does the most
good. A light sprinkling evaporates quickly,
if Plant drought resistant trees and plants—many beautiful trees and plants thrive with less
watering, particularly native species.
IT Wash your car sensibly—Clean the car with a pail of soapy water and use the hose only for a
quick rinse.
^A^kYiaUJmKlll!^iK
-------
\\
No Town Meeting!
WATER CONSERVATION AND THE COVERNMENT
~
Grades
K - 6
i
Estimated
Time
30 minutes for both
K-3 and 4-6
> Materials
~ Grades 4-6:
Copies of the
activity handout
Objectives
Explain how local
governments can
help with water
conservation.
Recognize that it is
important to use
water wisely.
Interdisciplinary
Skills
Science, Reading
Comprehension,
Problem-Solving
$
Background Information
As we have traveled through this ground water curriculum,
students have learned about the inestimable value of water,
its characteristics, how it moves through our world and our homes
and businesses in a vast cycle, and how it can become polluted. In
this final section of the curriculum, we would like students to rec-
ognize their own ability to make a difference in conserving and
protecting our water resources.
Gifford Pinchot, an American conservationist and politician who
served as chief of the U.S. Forest Service between 1898 and 1910,
referred to conservation as "The wise use of the earth and its
resources for the lasting good of men." The conservation of our
water resources depends on our wise use of these resources. Such
wise use, without a doubt, begins at home.
Our local, state, and federal governments also play important roles
in ensuring that our water is clean and safe to drink. The federal
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires the United States
Environmental Protection Agency to set uniform standards for
drinking water contaminants in all public water systems. States can
set even more stringent standards. The SDWA also requires all
states to adopt Wellhead Protection Programs to ensure that all
ground water used for public drinking water supplies is protected.
At the local level, communities can help protect water supplies
from contamination by adopting ordinances and bylaws (e.g., zon-
ing, which regulates density and allowable land uses) that ensure
that our land use activities don't conflict with our water supply
needs. Communities can also provide the public with information,
suggestions, and programs on conserving and protecting water
resources. For example, during severe droughts, some New
England communities have instituted emergency water conservation
measures (e.g., limiting lawn and garden watering). However, com-
munities should also remind the public that water conservation is
not only for emergency situations; being water wise is something
we can do everyday.
In New England communities, "town meeting" is a common form of
government. Town meeting provides citizens with the opportunity to
-------
NO TOWN MEETING
come together and vote on issues that the town must address and
actions that the town will take. At town meeting, local boards and
commissions present their proposals or plans to town residents for
approval.
Teaching Strategy
1. Read story to students. Point to students and allow them to say
"pish, posh!" Encourage students to chime in on the rhyme
that is repeated throughout.
2. Some third graders can read the story themselves or practice
the story and read it aloud to younger students.
3. The end of the story must be determined by the students. Go
over the follow-up questions and have a discussion about what a
community can do to ensure an adequate and safe water supply.
Follow-up Questions
1. Where does the town's water come from? Review the water
cycle.
2. What job does Lily Drinkwater have? She works for the water
department.
3. Why was Lily Drinkwater worried? There was not enough
clean water for the town.
4. Why did Lily go speak to the Town Manager? To have him call
a town meeting to discuss how to deal with the water shortage.
5. What did Lily tell the people in the town? See poem in story.
6. What did the Town Manager say to Lily's request? What did
the Board say? "There will be no town meeting!"
7. When did the townspeople change their minds and decide to
have a town meeting? When the children and their parents
decided to get the word out by being Town Criers.
8. Why should people try to use only the amount of water they
need? So they will always have clean water.
9. What do you think people decided to do at the town meeting
to help the town? They decided to use only to use the amount
of water they really needed. Town officials might have provided
citizens with information about the water shortage and a list of
water conservation tips.
-------
NO TOWN MEETING
10. What do you think the author's purpose was in writing the
story? To point out that the water we have to drink should
never be taken for granted and that our water supply should
be used wisely.
Teaching Strategy
1. Distribute the activity handouts (2).
2. Have the students read the story and then answer the ques-
tions. (Suggest that students read the questions before they
read the story. This exercise gives them practice in reading in
order to answer questions as well as to have fun.)
3. Discuss the end of the story and the questions as a class.
Supplementary Activities
¦ Hold a "town meeting," Have students role-play participants
(citizens and officials) in a public forum.
¦ Collect newspaper articles about local water issues. Discuss
them with the class.
¦ Invite a local official to discuss the quantity and quality of
water available to the community. Ask the official to explain
the importance of voting on issues and participating in town
meetings. Ask the official to explain what his/her town is doing
to ensure that there is enough clean water.
¦ Have students read the story aloud to younger (K-3) students.
¦ Students can act out the story. Choose someone to play the
parts of Lily, Jenny, Benny, the Town Manager, the Board, and
the townspeople. Let others a take turn reading different para-
graphs of the narrative. This "play" can be done in class or for
a parent-teacher meeting.
-------
ACTIVITY: "NO TOWN MEETING!' (GRAPES 4-6)
NO TOWN MEETING!"
(GRADES 4-6)
Directions:
Before you read the story, read through these questions. As you read the story,
look for the answers. After you read the story, answer the questions.
I. Where does the town's water come from?
2. What was Lily Drinkwater's job?
3. Why was Lily worried?
4. Why did Lily go to see the Town Manager?
5. What did Lily tell the people in the town?
6. What did the Town Manager and the Board say?
7. When did the townspeople change their minds and decide to have a
town meeting?
-------
ACTIVITY: 'NO TOWN MEITIN6!" (CRAPES 4-6TH)
What Do You Think?:
The following questions are not answered directly in the story. What do you
think?
8. Why should people try to use only the amount of water they need?
9. What do you think people decided to do at the town meeting to help the
town become water wise?
10. What do you think the author's purpose was in writing the story?
-------
STORY: "NO TOWN MEETIN6!'
NO TOWN MEETING!
by Susan M. McMaster
Benny and Jenny lived in a small town near a large mountain in New England.
More importantly—at least as far as this story is concerned—Benny and
Jenny lived a hop, skip, and a jump from the drinking water plant, where Lily
Drinkwater worked. Lily's job was to make sure that the townspeople had plenty
of clean and safe drinking water. Benny and Jenny spent many a fine hour at the
plant. They loved to talk to Lily Drinkwater, who loved, more than anything else,
to talk about water. She even showed Benny and Jenny how to sample water to be
sure it was always as fine and as clean as it could possibly be.
But, one winter—and this is where our story begins—it hardly snowed at
all. There was hardly a dusting of snow or a patch of ice anywhere—not even on
the mountaintops—which was very unusual. Oh, there were some people who
enjoyed having a winter that was mild. They still had to wear warm coats and
hats and gloves, but they could stay outside for a long time without feeling like
frozen popsicles. But there were other people who missed the snow because they
couldn't go skiing, or sledding, or snow shoeing, or make snow ladies and men.
But Lily Drinkwater was worried about the "no snow" situation for other
reasons. She knew that when snow melts, it fills the rivers and lakes with watec
Some of the snow melts and goes into the ground where it is stored in soil and
rocks. Lily knew if there was not much snow, there might not be enough water for
the people in the town to drink. Jenny and Benny understood this perfectly. Lily told
them that she would have to let the town's people know that their drinking water
was in short supply, and that they should use only the amount of water they need.
"How will you do that?" asked Benny.
"What will you say?" asked Jenny.
"We must call a town meeting to talk about water," said Lily.
She told them what she'd say:
We must have a town meeting
With lots and lots of seating.
We must let everyone know
That water here is very low.
If there is no water at the sink,
You can't even have a drink.
If there is no water in the tower,
You can't even take a shower,
(You just might stink!).
-------
STORY: "NO TOWN MEETING!"
Lily Drinkwater went to the town hall to visit the Town Manager. She told
him in her calmest voice:
We must have a town meeting
With lots and lots of seating.
We must let everyone know
That water here is very low.
If there is no water at the sink,
You can't even have a drink.
If there is no water in the tower,
You can't even take a shower,
(You just might stink!).
"Pish, posh!" said the Town Manager. "There will be no town meeting!
There's always been plenty of water! There always will be plenty of water!"
"Okay, I'll go talk to the Board," Lily said to herself. So she went to talk
to the very important men and women on the Board who make decisions about
the town. She told them in a louder and not-so-calm voice, "Listen closely, listen
carefully!..."
We must have a town meeting
With lots and lots of seating.
We must let everyone know
That water here is very low.
If there is no water at the sink,
You can't even have a drink.
If there is no water in the tower,
You can't even take a shower,
(You just might stink!)."
"Pish, posh!" said the Board members—one by one. "There will be no
town meeting! There always has been plenty of water! There always will be plenty
of water! We've got much more important things to talk about!" And let's face it,
water's not a very exciting thing to talk about—as long as you have plenty of it.
So Lily went home. She and Benny and Jenny waited to see if the melting
snow and spring rains would help matters. The snow melted, but it hardly added
a drop of new water to the ground water. Lily, Jenny, and Benny had hoped for
lots of spring rain, but it didn't rain very much at all.
Benny and Jenny were worried. They knew how hard Lily worked to send
clean water to the town. But the water level in the ground continued to drop
lower and lower. People wanted more clean water than Lily was able to provide.
And with so little rain, people were very busy watering their gardens and lawns.
-------
STORY: "NO TOWN MEETINC!'
And as the days got hotter, people were taking long, cool showers and drinking
water with lots of ice.
"People need to use less water—starting now," said Lily. "We must have a
town meeting. I'll go back and talk to the town officials."
When Lily left, Jenny and Benny thought long and hard. "It's time to take
action," declared Jenny. "We have to help Lily. We have to tell people to use only
a little bit of water."
"You're right," said Benny. "What'll we do?"
"We'll remind people about where their water comes from. We'll tell them
about the water cycle...about ground water...about water conservation," said
Jenny.
"How?" asked Benny.
Jennie and Benny thought a moment. Then a brilliant idea popped into
Benny's head.
"We'll be Town Criers!" bellowed Benny. "Town Criers, just like in the
olden days, when the Town Crier used to walk through the town, ringing a bell to
get everyone's attention so he could make an important announcement."
"That's it!" agreed Jennie. "We'll get all our friends to be Town Criers too.
We can make notices and pass them out to
people."
Before long, Jenny and
Benny had enlisted the help of (l^|
friends and parents and friends of
friends and friends of parents. Jenny and
Benny and parents and friends stopped
everyone they could find in the town.
They spread the word:
We must have a town meeting
With lots and lots of seating.
We must let everyone know
That water here is very low.
If there is no water at the sink,
You can't even have a drink.
If there is no water in the tower,
You can't even take a shower,
(And you just might stink!).
E-21-
-------
STORY: "NO TOWN MEETING!"
There was quite a ruckus. Jenny, Benny, and Lily were interviewed by the
local newspaper; they were even on the six o'clock news. The word was out, no
more "Pish, posh!" No more "There will be no town meeting!"
The Town Manager and the Board were unanimous in proclaiming:
We must have a town meeting
With lots and lots of seating.
We must let everyone know
That the water here is very low.
If there is no water at the sink;
We can't even have a drink.
If there is no water in the tower,
We can't even take a shower,
(And we might all stink!)
Yes indeed, there was a town meeting and every seat was filled. Some peo-
ple hollered and some people yelled...some people wept, and some people blamed.
They wanted answers. They wanted to find out what could be done so the well
wouldn't run dry.
At that town meeting all eyes turned to Lily Drinkwater and her friends
Jenny and Benny. All ears were cocked to hear what Lily and her friends had to
say. What do you think they said? What would you have told them to do?...
How would you finish the story f
-------
Join the Magnificent
SOCIE
ty of Water and
Environmental Stewards
~
Grades
K - 6
i
Objectives
Investigate local
ground water issues.
Recognize the impor-
tant role that private
citizens can play in
shaping the policies
that affect the envi-
ronment.
Interdisciplinary
Skills
Science, Research,
Writing
Estimated
Time
From now on
> Materials
~ Poster board
(optional)
~ Scrap book
(optional)
$
Background Information
As we have traveled through this ground water curriculum,
students have learned about the inestimable value of water,
its characteristics, how it moves through our world and our homes
and businesses in a vast cycle, and how it can become polluted. In
this final section of the curriculum, we would like students to rec-
ognize their own ability to make a difference in conserving and
protecting our water resources. As anthropologist Margaret Mead
said: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed
citizens can change the world, indeed, it's the only thing that ever
has."
It is only recently that environmental issues and our interrelation-
ship with the natural world have been integrated into school curric-
ula. In this sense, our teachers and our children are our environ-
mental emissaries, getting the word out to families and friends that
we are all responsible for protecting and maintaining our earth—
with all its rich and life-giving resources—for today's and future
generations. It is our job to be life-long water and environmental
stewards.
Teaching Strategy
Note: It's time to help students assimilate all the knowledge they
have gained about ground water and apply it in a practical way in
their own community. Let students know that they can be partners
in the Magnificent Society of Water and Environmental Stewards.
All they have to do to join is to be water wise and environmentally
smart each and every day. Here is a smorgasbord of ideas for get-
ting started:
¦ For several weeks, have students cut out articles in the newspa-
per that describe local water issues. Collect the articles in a
scrapbook or make a collage on the poster board.
¦ Invite someone from the community who knows about local
water issues to speak to the class. If possible, invite several peo-
ple who can present different water quality aspects (e.g., water
E-23-h
-------
WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS
NOTES supply, wastewater treatment, environmental regulation, envi-
ronmental cleanup). Have students prepare written questions in
advance for the speakers.
¦ Ask students to interview their family members to find out
their opinions about what kinds of land uses and activities
affect the quality and quantity of drinking water in the commu-
nity. Tally the results and report back to the class.
¦ Ask students to do research in the library or check in with the
internet to find out what other students in other places are
doing to protect their water supplies.
¦ Ask students to prepare posters that will convince other people
to think more about water issues. Ask local businesses to post
them conspicuously.
¦ Ask students to write a brief report about what they have
learned this year about water quality.
¦ Encourage students to develop an environmental stewardship
newsletter.
¦ Encourage students to write a newscast about local water
issues.
¦ Encourage students to write and perform a play about local
water issues.
¦ Discuss the role of students as stewards of the environment.
¦ Design, present, and award "Water and Environment Steward"
certificates for successful graduation from the Magnificent
Ground Water Connection program.
¦ Have your class apply for a U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency "Ground Water Stewardship" certificate. (See the
"EPA's Ground Water Stewardship Program" activity handout.)
¦ In short, work with students to help them apply all they've
learned throughout this curriculum in a practical way!
E -24- - >
-------
EPA S GROUND WATER STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM
BRINCINC GROUND WATER
PROTECTION HOME
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's New England Office invites you to become
a Ground Water Steward! Believing that the route to ground water protection is
through local action, EPA's Ground Water Stewardship Program has two objectives:
1. To recognize the ground water protection efforts of schools across New England. EPA
will send one Ground Water Steward Certificate to every class that qualifies and will
provide a second reproducible certificate which teachers may copy and distribute to indi-
vidual students to reward their efforts. This certificate recognizes the dedication and
hard work of students and teachers to protect their environment.
2. To help teachers share their classroom and field experiences with each other. Please sum-
marize any ideas or experiences you would like to share with other teachers in your cer-
tificate application. These "teaching tips" will be used to improve this resource book
over time and will be shared at educational conferences and in newsletters.
How can your class qualify for a Ground Water Steward Certificate?
While EPA wants to encourage ground water education in all its forms, the Agency believes
that students best learn about their environment through action. We encourage students to
take what they've learned and put it into practice. To be recognized as a Ground Water
Steward, students must demonstrate to EPA that they have conducted at least one steward-
ship-oriented activity that helps to protect or improve the quality of ground water resources
in their region. Your class can qualify for a Ground Water Stewardship Certificate by doing
one of the following activities:
1. Conduct a ground water education campaign in the school and/or community.
Examples: Hold an environmental festival; prepare and distribute a student environmen-
tal newsletter; create songs, art work, poems or plays which celebrate the environment
and present these to parents and community leaders.
2. Improve the environmental performance of your school.
Examples: Identify ways that your school could better protect the environment and take
steps to make it happen. Promote recycling and reduce waste in your school. Use non-
hazardous materials for art classes and experiments where possible. Reduce use of lawn
fertilizers and pesticides for maintenance of school lawns and playing fields.
3. Get involved in a local ground water issue.
Examples: Investigate a local ground water issue and present your findings to a town
board or city council. Issues might relate to a landfill expansion or closure, a develop-
ment proposal, or a new well siting.
4. Set up a ground water partnership with another school.
Examples: Work with another school to share what you've learned. Establish a regional
environmental newsletter with input from students across area schools. Set up a mentor-
ing program where students teach other students. For example, students at a high school
in Maine set up a partnership to teach students at the middle and elementary schools
-------
EPA'S 6ROUND WATER STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM
about ground water. You can also set up a partnership between schools in commu-
nities which face different obstacles for environmental protection (urban, suburban,
rural, or minority school communities) to expand student awareness of potential
constraints and opportunities for environmental protection.
5. Help create a ground water protection program for a local community or school.
Examples: Assist your community water supplier, planning board, or school (if the
school maintains its own well) with creating a ground water protection program.
Students may help find available sources of information about local ground water
resources, conduct land use surveys, identify existing and potential sources of cont-
amination, evaluate the effectiveness of current environmental regulations, and/or
propose actions for further protection.
Because this program is administered through EPA's New England regional office, cer-
tificates will be available only for classes in the six New England states (Connecticut,
Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine).
What do you need to do next?
Fill out the certificate application. Describe what your class has done to protect local
ground waters and how it has educated others based on the experience. If possible,
include materials that document your efforts—a letter from your local water supplier or
town board, local newspaper articles, photos or slides, student newsletter^ examples of
student works (posters, poems, plays, etc.). Much of this material may be shown to
other teachers to share ideas about potential student projects. Please indicate in your
submission if you wish to keep the material confidential. Because a goal of this pro-
gram is to share teacher and student experiences, we greatly appreciate any information
and student samples which you provide to us.
Send this information to:
EPA-New England Office
JFK Federal Building, CMA
Boston, MA 02203
ATTN: Ground Water Stewardship Program
In order to make improvements to this ground water resource book, we would appreci-
ate your feedback on the effectiveness of these materials. Also, please let us know if you
are interested in hosting a teacher training session on ground water education for teach-
ers in your school system.
How long will it take to receive a Certificate?
Review of your application and distribution of the certificate could take up to four
weeks, depending on the number of applications received. If you have any questions,
please contact the EPA-New England Ground Water Education Program Coordinator at
(617)565-4721.
**EPA's New England Office also has an Adopt-A-Wetland Certificate Program. Please indicate if you
would like additional information about this program.
-------
GROUND WATER STEWARD CERTIFICATE
APPLICATION
Teacher's Name
School address_
Phone number Grade Level
Community(ies) served by your school
Summary of stewardship project(s). Please feel free to include additional pages. Samples of
student projects are welcomed!
May we discuss your student project(s) with other teachers through conferences, workshops,
or newsletters?
Do you have any ideas or successful ground water activities that you would like to share with
other teachers or ground water professionals?
Did you experience any obstacles to studying ground water resources or other environmental
topics that you'd like to mention?
Do you have any other suggestions for improvement of the ground water education resource
book?
Are you interested in hosting a ground water education workshop for teachers in your school
system? (A half-day or full-day workshop could be scheduled during an in-service day if there is
sufficient interest)
Please send this form to:
EPA-New England Office
JFK Federal Building, CMA
Boston, MA 02203
Attention: Ground Water Stewardship Program
E *27~ -
-------
RESOURCE FILE
-------
6ROUND WATER
Education Resources
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA Headquarters Drinking Water Hotline:
1 j(800) 426-4791
EPA Headquarters Wetland Protection
Hotline: 1 (800) 832-7828
US EPA-New England Office (CT, MA, ME,
NH, RI, VT)
Ground Water Program
Office of Ecosystem Protection
JFK Federal Building
Boston, MA 02203
Ground Water Program Contacts:
cjT: (617) 565-3564
MA: (617) 565-4877
ME: (617) 565-3519
NH: (617) 565-3503
RI: (617) 565-3575
VT: (617)565-3585
New England Interstate Water
Pollution Control Commission
(NEIWPCC)
255 Ballardvale Street
Wilmington, MA 01887
Tom Groves, Ground Water Coordinator
Phone: (508) 658-0500 Ext. 234
GROUND WATER-RELATED
CURRICULA
Water Wizards. Includes basic environmen-
tal concepts of water supply. Students learn
where safe drinking water comes from and
why it is important to conserve water. For
ekmentary students (3-4 Grades).
Source:
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Schools Program
Cnarlestown Navy Yard
100 First Avenue
Boston, MA 02129
(617) 241-4644 (water supply)
(6|17) 241-6259 (wastewater)
Water Watchers. Curriculum designed for
science and social studies classes. The lessons
call for active student involvement in the
classroom and home assignments, and help
student explore the relationship of the water
cycle to water supplies, water delivery sys-
tems, balancing a community's water budget,
analysis of home water use, and conservation
measures for your home. Grades 7-8.
Source:
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Water Wisdom. Includes 24 stand-alone
activities covering a variety of subject areas
including water in nature, water and commu-
nity, keeping water clean, the economics of
water use, home water conservation, and
water use in the school. For high school
students.
I
Source:
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Water Quality Testing. Students perform
basic chemical tests on fresh water and salt
water environments. In addition to test pro-
cedures, the guide includes information on
sampling and safety, sections on background
and interpretation of results, and extension
activities. Tests include: temperature, PH,
dissolved oxygen and biochemical oxygen
demand, nitrates, total dissolved solids and
I ~
turbidity, and total coliform bacteria.
Grades: middle and high school.
Source:
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
•RF1*
-------
6ROUND WATER EDUCATION RESOURCES
Down the Drain. Down the Drain is a
wastewater school curriculum that includes
I
activities and home assignments which can
be adapted to all age groups. Activities
include wastewater sources and treatment in
Greater Boston, the Boston Harbor Project,
recycling wastewater by-products, and
household hazardous waste. May be adapted
to all grade ranges.
Source:
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Classroom GEMS. A program to educate
students about ground water through the
learning cycle (active exploration, question-
ing, discovery and application of new knowl-
edge). For elementary school students.
Source:
SEE-NORTH
03001 Church Road
Petosky, MI 49770
(616) 348-9700
fajx: (616) 348-1085
Water for Today and Tomorrow. A pro-
gram where learning about water conserva-
tion is integrated into all subjects (science,
math, social studies, etc.). Topics include
why water is essential to life, water as a lim-
ited resource, the water cycle, how clean
water gets into the home, the many uses of
water, and home water conservation plan-
ning. The curriculum includes a teacher's
guide and worksheets. For elementary stu-
dents.
I
Source:
Rhode Island Department of Environmental
Management
Division of Water Supply Management
291 Promenade Street
Providence, RI 02908-5767
Water Resources Professional's Outreach
Notebook - Groundwater. This curriculum
I
is written for the water resources profession-
al and includes activities which professionals
may offer to students in the classroom. The
curriculum includes a more technical intro-
duction to ground water concepts. For 6-8th
grade students.
Source:
U.S. Geological Survey
Earth Science Information Center
Open-File Reports Section
Box 25286, MS 517
] 5
Denver Federal Center
Denver, CO 80225
Scituate Reservoir Watershed
i
Information and Education Program -
Teacher Resource Package. Geared toward
the Scituate Reservoir watershed, the pack-
age includes lesson plans and specific activi-
ties for teachers to use in the classroom to
educate students about water. Covers the
importance of water, water in the environ-
ment, watersheds, water pollution, and the
social responsibility for clean water. For ele-
mentary and middle school students.
Source:
Northern RI Conservation District
19, Smith Ave.
Greenville, RI 02828
(401) 949-1480
The Pawcatuck Watershed Education
Pijogram Curriculum Guide. Includes vari-
ous activities geared to the Pawcatuck water-
shed including wetland ecology, water/soil
resources, land use effects, non-point sources
of pollution, and citizen action. For middle
and high school students. Additional curricula
geared toward other Rhode Island watersheds
are also available through the Active Water-
shed Education Program. Cost of the curricu-
lum plus postage and handling is $45.00.
Source:
The Southern Rhode Island Conservation
District
P.O. Box 1522
Kingston, RI 02881
(401) 792-5198
1 |-RF2-h>
-------
GROUNDWATER EDUCATION RESOURCES
Environmental Resource Guide -
t
Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention.
Includes activities and fact sheets concerning
the relationship between land use and water
quality, with emphasis on nonpoint sources
of water pollution. Includes four volumes for
grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12.
Source:
Public Education Program
Air Sc Waste Management Association
P.^. Box 2861
Pittsburgh, PA 15230
Watershed to Bay - A Raindrop Journey.
Curriculum focuses on hands-on activities
illustrating coastal watershed systems. The
curriculum begins with a short story, "The
Raindrop Journey" which describes a rain-
drop's trip to the sea. Illustrates ground
water, wetland, and estuary systems and the
effects of geology and water pollution. For
giades 4-8.
Source:
The Water Quality Program at the University
of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension
System
Stockbridge Hall
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003-0099
A World in Our Backyard. Includes back-
ground information, activities, charts and
readings about wetlands aimed at helping
te'achers and students learn about the wet-
lands in their community. Includes EPA-New
England's Adopt A Wetland program.
Student and teacher videos accompany the
guide. For middle school students. Available
free of charge through attending a regional
workshop by Stafford Madison, wetlands
education coordinator in EPA's New England
ojffice.
Source:
Environmental Media Center
P.O. Box 1016
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
1 (800) ENV-EDUC (363-3382)
Stafford Madison
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Office
Office of Ecosystem Protection
JFK Federal Building, CSP
Boston, MA 02203
(6jl7) 565-3607
Wildlife and Humanity: Can We Share the
Earth? Includes problem solving activities
for middle science students. Includes eight
modules addressing a variety of environmen-
tal topics including wildlife survival, water
resources, and soil and mineral resources.
Source:
New York Science, Technology and Society
Education Project
8^ Washington Avenue, Room 674 EBA
Albany, New York 12234
(518) 486-1726
GROUND WATER-RELATED VIDEOS
Tijoubled Waters. Prepared by the State of
Connecticut, the video illustrates the dangers
of ground water contamination, featuring the
real life experiences of residents impacted by
ground water pollution. For middle and high
school classes. Approximately 45 minutes.
Tile video may be rented free of charge at
the address below.
Source:
Connecticut Department of Environmental
Prptection
Bureau of Water Management
7S Elm Street,
Hartford, CT 06106-5127
RF3- ~>
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GROUND WATER EDUCATION RESOURCES
Partnerships for Watersheds. Video takes a
lojok at individuals working together in a
community to protect their watersheds.
Provides a basic understanding of what
watersheds are and the role which people
pljay in protecting them. For middle and high
school students. 13 minutes. $7.00 per copy.
Source:
Conservation Technology Information Center
1220 Potter Drive, Rm. 170
West Lafayette, IN 47096-1383
(3|l7) 494-9555
The Power to Protect - 3 Stories About
Ground Water. Illustrates three real life sto-
ries about how people and communities
wjorked together to protect their ground
water. Stories illustrate the role of teachers,
| '
businesses, citizens, and community officials
inl keeping their water clean. An accompany-
ing guidebook for citizens is also available.
For middle and high school students (and
adults). Approximately 30 minutes.
Source:
NEIETC
Instructional Resource Center
2 Fort Road
South Portland, ME 04106
{io7) 767-2539
Water Pollution Control Federation -
H20 Ground Water Video. A video about
ground water protection, presented in a
vildeo game format with a dinosaur host. A
girl has to win a game by protecting ground
wlater from industry, agriculture and people.
For elementary students. 9 minutes.
Source:
Uis. Environmental Protection Agency
do National Small Flows Clearinghouse
P.jD. Box 6064
Morgantown, WV 26506-6064
and NEIETC (see Using above)
The Surface Water Video.
Describes how every drop of water on earth
is continuously recycled through the atmos-
phere by evaporation, condensation, and pre-
cipitation. Also illustrates the effects of pollu-
tion and importance of water conservation.
Information is presented by a dinosaur and
kids in a news report format. For elementary
an'd middle school students. 9 minutes.
Source:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
c/o National Small Flows Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 6064
Mprgantown, WV 26506-6064
aJd NEIETC (see lising above)
Saving Water:The Conservation Video. A
child is transported into the future where
there are only a few drops of water left. A
dinosaur is the curator of the museum where
the last drops are kept. Includes tips on how
to save water. For elementary students.
8 minutes.
Source:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
c/o National Small Flows Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 6064
Morgantown, WV 26506-6064
and NEIETC (see lising above)
Careers in Water Quality.
Presents several careers dealing with protect-
ing the environment and water quality, and
includes interviews with scientists, computer
specialists, engineers, attorneys, and govern-
ment officials. For high school students.
16 minutes.
Source:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
c/o National Small Flows Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 6064
Morgantown, WV 26506-6064
RF4- ->
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6ROUND WATER EDUCATION RESOURCES
tu
Environmental Response News Magazine
rogram #5. A news format program fea-
ring a story about the Divex Chemical
Cjompany explosion disaster and response by
tlje EPA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
and Firearms, the Department of Defense,
the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S.
cjoast Guard Strike Force. For high school
students. 30 minutes.
siurce:
Environmental Video Response
USEPA/ERT MS101
GSA Raritan Depot
2890 Woodbridge Ave.
Eclison, NJ 08837
(908) 321-6746
A World in Our Backyard. A combined 22
minute video for both teachers and students.
Includes a 15 minute teacher video that
describes the activities of three different
schools using wetlands as outdoor class-
rooms. Teachers are given tips on how to
lekrn from the teachers' experiences and
incorporate similar projects into their classes
Student portion includes a 7 minute humor-
ous introduction for students to the excite-
ment and importance of wetlands. Aimed at
motivating students to learn about wetlands.
For middle school students and teachers.
Source:
Environmental Media Corporation
P.p. Box 1016
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
1 (800) 368-3382.
Stafford Madison
uJ.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Office
Office of Ecosystem Protection
JFK Federal Building, CSP
Boston, MA 02203
((>17) 565-3607
OTHER USEFUL REFERENCES
G ve Water a Hand - Leader Guidebook.
19J94. Guide for establishing a youth action
program promoting good water management
practices at home and in the community.
Includes suggested projects for young people
to
increase awareness about water supply
issues.
Source:
New England Water Environment
Association (NEWEA)
255 Ballardvale Street, 2nd Floor
Wilmington, Mass 01887
(5p8) 658-4048
Educating Young People About Water - A
Guide to Goals and Resources. 1992. A
guide for teachers who want to organize and
teach a program about water quality.
Includes suggested methods and references
fo r additional education materials and cur-
ricula.
Source:
Elaine Andrews
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Environmental Resources Center
21j6 Agriculture Hall
1450 Linden Dr.
Madison, WI 53706
fax: (608) 262-2031
Ground Water Education in America's
Schools. A Catalog of Resource Materials
for Elementary and Secondary Education
Professionals. 1990. Includes a list and
description of book/pamphlet/disks related to
ground water.
Source:
The American Ground Water Trust
6375 Riverside Drive
Dublin, Ohio 43017
(6ll4) 761-2215
>RF5» ->
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GROUND WATER EDUCATION RESOURCES
Making Waves: How to Put on a Water
Festival. 1993. Includes tips and ideas for
putting on a water festival, targeted at ele-
mentary school and middle school kids.
Festivals provide a fun and different way of
lejarning about ground water. May be adapt-
ed to all grade levels.
Source:
I
The Nebraska Groundwater Foundation
P.|0. Box 22558
Lincoln, NE 68542-2258
(402) 434-2740
or 1 (800) 858-4844
fax: (402) 434-2742
Outreach Packet - Children's
Groundwater Festival. Includes education
methods and specific projects for students.
Source:
I
Nebraska Groundwater Foundation
(sjee listing above)
Protect Your Groundwater - Educating for
^ction. 1994. A guide to starting an educa-
tional program for your community. Includes
references to resource materials. Ask for
Publication #980; $6.95 ($5.95 for members).
Source:
League of Women Voters of the United States
1730 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 429-1965
Aigricultural Education Materials Service -
1994 Catalog. Catalog of education materi-
als and curriculum available through the
Iowa State University. Includes information
and prices for obtaining a ground water flow
model.
Source:
Department of Agricultural Education and
Studies
217 Curtiss Hall
Ames, IA 50011
(515) 294-5872
fax: 515-294-3101
Precious GEMs - Groundwater Education
Strategies That Work. 1993. Includes tips
on how to establish a ground water educa-
tion program based on the experiences of the
"Groundwater Education in Michigan"
(GEMs) program. Describes completed
GEMs projects and available educational
materials.
Source:
WiK. Kellogg Foundation
One Michigan Avenue East
Battle Creek, Michigan 49017-4058
Ajcatalog of Water Quality - Information
and Education Materials. 1995 Update. A
catalog of educational materials including the
author, media, length, appropriate audience,
location, and source of copies in chart
format.
Source:
Maine Department of Environmental
Protection
Bureau of Land and Water Quality
State House Station 17
Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 287-3901
RF6- -
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GROUND WATER EDUCATION RESOURCES
POSTERS
Clean Water for Maine's Sake. Illustrates a
tyjpical cross section of Maine country-side,
illustrating the ground water system and
potential sources of contamination. Also
includes background information about
ground water, its myths, sources of contami-
nation, and sources of additional informa-
j '
tion. Also available as book covers.
Source:
Maine Department of Environmental
Protection
1
Water Bureau
Station 17
Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 287-3901
Groundwater and Land Use in the Water
Cycle. Poster illustrating a typical cross sec-
tion of a suburban and rural country-side,
natural water cycle processes, and human
impacts on ground water. Teacher packets
entitled, "Ground Water Study Guide," may
be requested to accompany the poster.
Publication # IE004 (90) REV.
Source:
I
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Publications
2^21 Darwin Road
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 267-7529
RF7- ->
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6ROUND
WATER
RESOURCE
FILE
Community and Regional
Orounp Water Information
Start a water resource file for your own community and region. Collect the names and numbers
of local and regional water resource contacts—planning boards, conservation commissions, and
health departments. Your nearest regional planning commission also has information about your
region's natural resources. Keep a list of the resource information and environmental experts avail-
able to help enhance the scope of your students' environmental education adventures.
NAME PHONE NUMBER
M*F9-h
-------
THAT MA6NIFICENT
6ROUND WATER CONNECTION
OF
irV
aquifer - A water-bearing soil or rock forma-
tion that is capable of yielding enough water
for human use. In bedrock aquifers, water
can move through cracks, or fractures.
bedrock fractures - Breaks or cracks in
buried rocks.
condensation - The process by which a vapor
changes to a liquid, as by cooling.
conservation - The wise use of the earth and
its resources.
drinking water distribution system - A net-
work of pipes designed to carry drinking
water from its source to a point of use (e.g.,
home spigot).
environmental stewardship - The act of pro-
tecting and maintaining our earth for today's
and future generations.
evaporation - The process by which a liquid
changes to a vapor, as by heating.
filter - A porous material through which a liq-
uid is passed in order to separate the fluid
from suspended matter or to remove impuri-
ties! Soil is a natural filter.
gas -j The vapor phase of water.
ground water - Soil or rock beneath the sur-
face of the ground in which pore spaces or
fractures are filled, or saturated, with water.
infiltration - A process in which water passes
through soil pores or bedrock fractures.
leaching - The transport of materials in solu-
tion in the soil by waters seeping through the
soil.
leacljiing system - A buried network of pipes
connected to a septic system. Wastewater
passes through holes in the pipes and is even-
ly distributed into the soil, where contami-
nants are filtered out by natural processes.
liquid - A phase in which water exhibits flow-
ing characteristics; the liquid phase in con-
trast with the vapor or solid phases.
microscopic organisms - Most soils contain
hosts of naturally occurring organisms, such
as bacteria, which assist in cleaning up cont-
aminated materials that are carried by water
into the soil and ground water.
New England Interstate Water Pollution
Control Commission (NEIWPCC) - An
interstate commission established in 1947
through an act of Congress to foster cooper-
ation among the New England states and
New York in addressing water quality issues.
Over the years, the commission's role and
responsibilities have expanded to encompass
a broad spectrum of water quality issues.
nonpoint source - Pollution which enters the
water from a variety of sources (e.g., farms,
construction sites, roadways, stormwater,
septic systems). In the case of nonpoint
source pollution, water quality can be
impacted adversely by soils, oils, and other
materials that are carried from the land to
the water by rain or melting snow.
phases - The states in which water exists—
liquid, gas, solid.
point source - Pollution which enters rivers,
lakes, and streams from a single location as a
concentrated source (e.g., from a municipal
or industrial source) through a pipe or out-
fa 1.
pol utant - Something that pollutes, especially
a waste material that contaminates air, soil,
or
water.
pore spaces - The spaces between soil parti-
cles.
prevention - Action designed to avoid situa-
tions where water could become polluted.
fRFt1»h>
-------
GROUND WATER GLOSSARY OF TERMS
protection - Action designed to keep water
resources safe from harmful substances or
activities.
reservoir - A natural or artificial pond or lake
used for the storage of water.
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) -
Legislation passed by the United States
Congress in 1974 to ensure that citizens have
safe and drinkable public water supplies.
saturated zone - Area of soil where pore
spaces are filled with water.
septic system - Small on-site sewage treat-
ment and disposal systems that are buried in
the ground.
septic tank - A part of the septic system
which receives raw wastewater and contains
it for a period of time so that solids are
allowed to settle out before the partially
treated wastewater moves on to a leaching
system.
soil - The thin outer layer of the earth's sur-
face that consists of disintegrated and decom-
posed rock material and the accumulated
residues of plants and animals.
solid | - A phase in which water exists as ice.
stomata - A multitude of small openings
located on the surface of the leaves of plants.
Stomata open and close, allowing water to
leave the plant, in response to environmental
conditions and the functional needs of the
individual plant.
transpiration - The process by which water is
taken up by plant roots and released into the
air from leaves as a water vapor.
United State Environmental Protection
Agency (USEPA) - An agency established in
1970 by the United States Congress to carry
out federal laws to protect the environment.
USEPA's mission is to protect the health and
welfare of the American people by preventing,
abating, and cleaning up pollution hazards.
unsaturated zone - The area of soil in which
pore spaces are not filled with water; they
are mostly filled with air.
variable - A component in an experiment that
is subject to change and can, therefore, cause
the result to change.
wastewater - Water that has been used for a
purpose and is no longer needed. Wastewater
is usually disposed of down the drains of
homes and businesses.
i
wastewater treatment facility - A place
where wastewater is cleaned by mechanical,
biological, and chemical processes before it is
discharged into ground water or surface
water. Water that is discharged from waste-
water treatment facilities must meet stringent
federal and state standards.
j
water treatment facility - A place where
source water from reservoirs, lakes, rivers, or
ground water is treated to ensure that it
meets drinking water standards before going
tojhomes and businesses.
water cycle - Water's never-ending, cyclical
journey between earth and sky.
water table - The top of the saturated zone,
ori ground water area of the soil or bedrock
profile. The water table may be very close to
the ground surface, which is often the case
when it is adjacent to a waterbody, or it may
bej as much as 200 to 600-feet deep, which is
the case in many areas of the Southwest
United States.
wellhead - The source of a ground water sup-
ply well.
Wellhead Protection Program - A program
established by the 1986 amendments to the
Safe Drinking Water Act for the purpose of
protecting wellhead areas from contaminants
which might adversely impact drinking water
quality.
•RF12- -
-------
THAT MAGNI FICENT GROUND WATER
CONNECTION RESOURCE BOOK
¦
Is the resource book teacher friendly? Do you find the design and format of the book easy to
follow?
¦
Do you find the writing style of the activities and attached readings interesting and easy to read?
Are any portions of the text too technical?
¦
Is the information appropriate for students in grades 4-6th? If not, how should they be modified?
¦
Is the information applicable to your school system's community(ies)?
¦
Did your students enjoy learning about ground water from the activities?
¦
Did the activities leave your students with a good understanding of what ground water is, why it is
important, and how it may be protected?
*
RF13--
-------
MUATION FORM
Is there enough variety in the types of activities?
How well do the activities in this guide tie into your existing curriculum?
What activities did you and/or your students like best? Why?
What activities did you or your students not like? Why?
Did you encounter specific problems with any of the activities (e.g., set up, obtaining materials,
unclear procedures, getting maps, etc.)?
How could the general content and activities be improved?
Other comments?
Return form to:
NEIWPCC
255 Ballardvale St
-------
mmi
Students tove^0k'-^^M
||f&£^&/ appro nek. It
Udinre. to Aav-e tAem tvntk tAronff
^/{wr unA say: re. ivi %0*in^k
IjS^k/idve science toAayj^di
HJjmaSather, Grade|A^wH|8i^
gSFpresftAvenup School, MA
-------
^^ACNIflCt
m ^ WBBK
round water is a fascinating subject to learn
about and teach about. That's because there's a lot
more to ground water than meets the eye!
Ground water accounts for 95 percent of all fresh
water on earth. Here in New England, it plays some
part in all our lives. It's used for drinking water. It
replenishes our lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, estuaries,
and wetlands, contributing anywhere fram 50 to 90
percent of the streamflow. And, because it's an
integral part of the earth's magnificent, perpetual,
and somewhat magical water cycle, you never know
where today's ground water will turn up tomorrow.
In a rain cloud? A juicey, red apple?
important to people, plants,
and animals. This is why we
must teke care of it. Ground water is the drinking
water source for 53 percent of the United States
population. While much of New England's ground
water is of good quality, problems associated with
ground water contamination have increased in recent
years. Once ground water is contaminated, it is very
difficult and expensive to restore.
,1he &Q
a Water-
How Does Ground
Fit Into the Bin w + 1
Picture? 3 Water
"SSi"*'
A kitchen sink?
Water—including ground
water—is exceedingly
. V4 Teaser
Garret
That Magnificent Ground Water Connection was produced by tht
(NEIWPCC) in partnership with the United States Er.vir
-------
'nd water coNi-*tCtl0hl
T
wo complete ground water resource packages
with a New England focus are now available to
teachers: One is designed for Grades K-6, the other for
Grades 7-12. That Magnificent Ground Water
Connection is a compilation of selected ground water-
related activities from available curricula, seasoned
with a smattering of original material. The material
has applicability to a wide range of subject matter, not
just science. The ground water theme is integrated into
stories, songs, math, social ,,
studies, art, and £
writing. The two ^64 ^ ee** \>Cr^ s
resource books
itjuuitc
-------
Makes Learninv M
' fit.
j
K-e :
^ ^ '* ^tLe.
he grades K-6 **»
resource back includes ^^4 T* **4 & &
24 activities, organized ^ Y e^H
under the following C^'s f ~c*t
C,J*»»a C°* G '
sections: licook * ^tfe
y*-
¦ Section A: Basic Water Facts A .
¦ Section B: The Water Cycle
¦ Section C: Ground Water Basics
¦ Section D: Water Distribution and Treatment
¦ Section E: Water Stewardship
^ A** fr^' r hC gr°deS 7" '2
• resource book incudes
¦ wt Vf • -1 . ^ Kc^°
^pans ~nr',sua 2 9 activities, orgar ized
• c'7"'^JU' ''
GfaC under the following
sections:
¦ Section A: The Water Cycle and
Water Conservation
V: ' 5 '' ~ : : J
¦ Section 8: New England Ground
Water Systems
• What is Ground Water?
• New England's Ground Water Resources
• Ground Water Movement and Its
Ecological Links
• Ground Water: A Vital Water Suppty
¦ Section C: Ground Water Contamination
• What is a Contaminant?
• Contaminant Transport and Monitoring
¦ Section D: Ground Water Protection
-------
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C% \ UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
S REGION I
^ J0HN F-KENNEDY federal building
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02203-0001
Memorandum
Date: November 14, 1996
To: USEPA HQ and Regional Libraries
From: MaryJo Feuerbach, Ground Water Program Coordinator '/<"/
Re: Complimentary copy of new EPA Ground Water Education Resource Book
I am pleased to enclose a copy of a new K-6 Ground Water Education Resource Book, "That
Magnificent Ground Water Connection" for your library. The resource book was created at the
request of New England teachers and was developed through a joint effort between the US EPA
Region I-NE Office, New England Interstate Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC),
teachers and environmental professionals. Although the book was written for New England, its
concepts are applicable nation-wide. A companion 7-12 Ground Water Education Resource
Book will be available in spring 1997.
This book is a handy compilation of activities which convey the importance of ground water and
how to protect it. The book introduces students to the wonders of our region's ground water
resources. It includes hands-on, stand alone activities that can be carried out using inexpensive,
readily available materials. Its activities are both fun and educational. Through stories,
experiments, mysteries and songs, students learn about water and its cyclical movement between
our land and sky, the connections between ground water and the streams, lakes, estuaries, and
wetlands near their home,, where their drinking water comes from, and how to become a water
steward.
Additional copies of the curriculum may be obtained from the New England Interstate
Environmental Training Center (NEIETC), 2 Fort Road, So. Portland, ME 04106, (207)767-
2539 for the prepaid cost.of $25 each. For further information about the project or workshops
please call me at (617)565-4721.
Ra cycled/Re cydabla
Printed with SoyJCanola b* on pspsr that
contains at lent 75% recycled fiber
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