US Environmental Protection Agency
Building an Model Aquifer
With almost half of Americans relying on groundwater supplies, it is more important than ever to protect aquifers from possible contaminants. Working in small groups, young environmentalists explore this problem as they create an aquifer...
US Environmental Protection Agency
Aquifer in a Cup
Young scientists create their very own aquifers in this science lesson on ground water. After learning about how some people get their drinking water from underground wells, young learners use sand, modeling clay, and aquarium rocks to...
DiscoverE
Water Pollution Cleanup
How do scientists determine the best method for removing pollutants from our water sources? Environmental scholars experiment with pollution clean-up options to discover which are the most cost-effective, fastest, and most thorough....
Curated OER
Sources of Potential Groundwater Contamination
Learners construct models that demonstrate potential sources of contamination. Students select one type of contamination model (septic system, sinkhole, landfill, disposal lagoon, leaky barrels, oil spill, agricultural contamination) to...
Learning Games Lab
Nitrogen in Pollutants
Responsible farming is important for maintaining natural resources. Eager scientists complete a WebQuest to explore what happens to nitrogen when it enters the soil. They learn about the chemical makeup of nitrogen-based molecules and...
Curated OER
A Model Aquifer
Students build a model that depicts how water is stored in an aquifer. They examine ways in which groundwater can become contaminated.
Curated OER
What's Down the Well?
Middle schoolers examine how environmental engineers determine possible sites for drinking water wells. They listen to a teacher led-lecture, and create their own groundwater well model using a coffee can and wire screening, observing...
University of Waikato
Groundwater Contamination
Scientists study how pollution occurs in hopes of minimizing its effects. A quick activity shows how point and non-point source pollution enters groundwater and aquifers. Learners mimic the phenomenon with models that show how rain...
Curated OER
Leach Out and Touch Someone
Students discuss how groundwater becomes polluted. In groups, they design and create models of groundwater pollution sources. They demonstrate to the class how the water may become contaminated from local and nonlocal pollution sources.
NOAA
It All Runs Downhill
Examine how pollution makes its way into an ocean with help from a model watershed. Scholars use household items to recreate a mini-watershed, equipped with pollutants, that when mixed with rain drain into a model's body of water. After...
Curated OER
Pollution Solution
Students explore the concept of environmental stewardship. In this science instructional activity, students investigate the effects of oil spills and brainstorm ideas to help companies avoid them as they create models to demonstrate...
Curated OER
Groundwater Detectives
Learners measure the pH of soil samples from a hypothetical site to locate a contaminant spill and will predict the direction of groundwater flow using mathematical modeling. They use the engineering design process to develop...
Curated OER
Midnight Dumpers
Learners explain how pollution affects ground water. They participate in a simulation to discover the location of an illegal dump. Students explore the monetary benefits, risk and environmental concerns are factors in business decisions.
Curated OER
Settling The Wasterwater Problem
Pupils name models that are representations of larger objects. They suggest ways that industry, agriculture, and mining affect water quality. Pupils demonstrate the use of lagoons for treating wastewater. Students define the following...
Curated OER
Surface Water Model
Learners examine, through demonstration and experimentation, how water moves through watershed, identify pollutants that can enter water system from different land use activities, and discuss ways people can help prevent water pollution.
Curated OER
Wide Open Spaces
Students examine the problem of groundwater pollution. In groups, they develop a solution to solve the problem of a local polluted water source. They also practice measuring the space between sediment particles and the rate of water flow.
Curated OER
Groundwater: Cleaning Up
Students research the various aspects of groundwater contamination that threaten health and human safety. They create a model and display that informs other about the health and safety risks. Students illustrate ways in which these...
Curated OER
Water: Naturally Cleaned
Learners use stream trays covered in different types of rocks or soil to investigate infiltrates and runoff. In this water pollution lesson, students work in groups with stream trays that have different substrates. They write a paragraph...
Curated OER
Splish, Splash, I was Takin' a Bath!
Students explore the causes of water pollution and its effects on the environment through the use of models and scientific investigation. In the accompanying activities, they investigate filtration and aeration processes as they are used...
Curated OER
Watershed Landscape
Students demonstrate how water flows by building a human watershed using themselves. In this ecology lesson plan, students compare and contrast point-source and non-point source pollution. They write what they have learned from this...
Curated OER
Water, Water Everywhere, Even Underground
The "Engage" section of a wetlands lesson plan asks young ecologists to examine a wetlands poster. You can easily find one online and display it using a projector. Pupils immerse a piece of sandstone and a piece of granite in water to...
Curated OER
Groundwater Modeling
Students evaluate the effects of point and non-pointy sources of water pollution using a model. They assess human impact on water quality. Students build a model which represents an aspect of the hydrosphere and compare their model with...
Curated OER
"Arsenic and Old Waste": Groundwater Activities Using Modeling
Learners develop models of groundwater and pollution flow. They research information using the Internet and develop models of groundwater flow in Stella and Excel.
Curated OER
Underground Pollution
Fourth graders construct their own aquifer. They discover how water travels underwater and identifies sources of underground pollution. They record their observations and discuss the results.