Water quality Lesson Plans

Students identify a variety of human activities that can pollute our water sources. They conduct experiments to determine water quality, describe their local community's impact on water resources and explore ways in which to protect and conserve water supplies.

Fifth graders discuss the importance of water quality for humans and fish and make predictions about what happens to water that is polluted. In small groups, they conduct experiments to compare and contrast water that is unpolluted and water tainted with motor oil, paint, or detergent. Students determine the importance of clean water to aquatic habitats.

Learners explore how humans can pollute the water.  In this water quality lesson plan students test for water quality and then compare various samples taken from their own personal water supply. 

Students analyze water quality and turbidity of collected samples. In this physics lesson, students conduct tests to identify the suspended particles in the samples. They explain how human activities affect water quality.

Students examine water quality and how to improve it, how to measure it and how it relates to human activities.  In this water quality lesson students sample water from different sources, and test the samples. 

Seventh graders conduct year long study of water quality over different seasons using variety of probes, including D.O., pH, conductivity and temperature, that are attached to portable technology. Students select three data points in stream, make observations, and collect data. Students then analyze data, and make graphs to display information.

Students research information on macroinvertebrate organisms and their environments and discover that tolerance to water quality conditions vary from organism to organism. Through their research they also determine how to identify aquatic organisms and discover how to assess water quality.

Students use laptops and sensors to measure water quality and graph their results.  In this aquatics lesson students post their results to a website or email. 

Sixth graders investigate watersheds and research factors that affect water quality. As a class, they discuss related vocabulary and discover the four primary pollutants to water. In groups, they participate in experiments to test water and determine if it is safe to drink. Students read and summarize information about water pollutants and observe video clips dealing with water quality. Additional activities are listed.

Ninth graders measure the quantity of various chemicals and determine the effect tht they have on water quality. They identify the intereactions between chemical, physical and biological characteristics. Students work in groups of 3 or 4. They determine the temperature of the water by leaving the thermometer in the water or air for several minutes before recording the temperature.