Sequence | Background | Objectives | Materials | Activity | Extensions | Evaluations

TOPIC-TITLE Marine & Aquatic Habitats Activities - Journey of a Drop of Water through a Watershed AUTHOR Rita Houghton Colleen Wilusz Christine Yanco GRADE SUITABILITY Upper Elementary Middle School SCOPE Environmental Science Social Studies

Sequence This activity should follow a discussion on pollution and the hydrologic cycle. Students should view a video(s) on pollution and/or water before this activity is implemented. < < go top

Background Summary Watersheds are areas of land drained by a stream, river, or river system. Each watershed is separated from another by ridges of high land. Activities by individuals, groups, towns, states, and/or regions affect our supply of water, some of which is the source of our drinking water. Therefore, we must be very careful about what enters our watershed. In New England, town government is the most influential form of government, and town lines often cross watersheds. Often cooperation in the management of watersheds is lacking and we must find ways to clean and/or filter our water before we can drink it. < < go top Objectives Students will be able to do the following: Trace the journey of a drop of water through a watershed. Understand why it is important to reduce pollution in an entire watershed, not just the immediate locale. Understand components of a water cleaning system. Identify and understand components of their watershed. < < go top Materials Water in plastic milk jugs Spray bottles Roller paint trays Clay, gravel, charcoal, sand, silt, and small pebbles Styrofoam® Kool-aid®, used coffee grounds, and powdered chocolate Filtering agents: paper towels, coffee filters, fine screening Gazeteer® maps of local areas, enlarged and photocopied Colored pencils < < go top Activity Use a teacher-made model of a watershed to demonstrate the movement of water. With students working as partners or in cooperative learning groups of 3-4, have them trace their journey on a map through a local watershed by locating tributaries, their sources and destinations. (Note: they can outline the watershed, color in the rivers and streams, underline towns, or whatever they deem appropriate). Have students locate high ground and discuss plants, animals, and towns located within the watersheds. Discuss point and non-point (run-off) pollution and where it might occur in the watershed. Have the students construct a model of their watershed (or a portion containing a river or streams) using some of the supplies listed (chocolate for land; Kool-aid®, soda, and vinegar for chemicals; and coffee grounds for waste). Pour a small amount of water to see how it travels through the watershed. (You can make it rain with one of the spray bottles. Observe erosion and discuss the importance of forests, grasslands, and other ground cover). < < go top Possible Extension Arrange a visit to the local sewage treatment plant to learn how a combination of settling, filtration, chemical and biological treatment, and composting can assist in making water cleaner. Using LaMotte or other commercial water sampling kits, take water samples and test for dissolved oxygen, pH, carbon dioxide, alkalinity, nitrates, and/or other water quality parameters and compare with local, state, or federal records. Write a short story of the progress of a drop of water through the watershed created by the student(s). Choose at least four types of filtering materials to test. Devise a simple chart with types of filters on one axis and effectiveness as a filter on the other. Test at least four types of filtering materials placing them so that they filter whatever is "running off" the watershed. Be sure to use the same amount of water to test each filter. Experiment with spray bottle for rain. Graph these results. Have students present their watersheds and filtering results to the class. < < go top Teacher Evaluation Have students create an evaluation card as a group activity, then have the audience use the cards to evaluate the presentations. Administer pre-and posttests on vocabulary, relationships between plants, animals, soils and water, effectiveness of filtering materials, and other related differences or similarities. Before making oral presentations, have each cooperative learning group outline its presentation and submit it for comment by the teacher. < < go top