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Geography Action! Rivers 2001- Human River
Students create a 'human river' by arranging themselves into a river pattern. Each student selects an article to represent a pollutant such as paper, book, or pencil. Students at the source of the river pass their pollutant on to the...
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How Clean Is Our Water?
Students examine samples of water to determine its cleanliness. They visit a waste treatment plant and/or reservoir. Students explore what protects the water supply from contamination by chemical or organize pollution. They trace the...
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Microbial Contaminants in Drinking Water
When presented with three unopened bottles of water, pupils are asked to tell decide which one is contaminated with a microbe. Students work in small groups and role play being a Microbiologist, a patient, or a recorder. The patient is...
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Stream Watch
Students discuss why it is important to take care of streams, what is non-point source and point source pollution, what are some causes of pollution in streams, and what can we do to prevent some of these causes of pollution? They steam...
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Our Water Resources
Students build a model aquifer to study groundwater zones and water table formation. Students use the models to measure the movement of polluted groundwater.
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What is Happening to Our Water?
Students compare and contrast Wisconsin's water resources to that of Puerto Rico. They research books about islands, particularly the Puerto Rican islands. Student view illustrations of island ecology. They discuss the illustrations and...
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Hypoxia and the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico
Middle schoolers investigate the causes of hypoxia, the characteristics of a watershed, and how the actions and management practices of people can both negatively and positively affect aquatic ecosystems.
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Testing the Waters
Students use test kits to measure the level of chlorine, iron, sulfide, and dissolved oxygen in tap (drinking) water and stream water. They post and evaluate the results of these water quality tests.
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Droplets and Downpours
Learners explore how storm water flows through different habitats by sketching the slope of their yard, compare runoff for erosion, and create a sand castle. For this storm water lesson plan, students measure where their yard...
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Freshwater Habitats
Students take samples from local freshwater sources and examine them for macroinvertebrate life. They take samples from both shallow and deep freshwater environments, measure temperatures, and classify organisms found in their samples.
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What's The Flow?
Students examine urban runoff and identify peak flows. They examine causes for different flow rates, and complete worksheets and a graph.
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Desalination: Creating a Solar Still
To better understand how solar power can aid in creating desalinated drinking water, the class creates a model still. They will build a model of a solar still, make observations, and discuss how the process works. While the idea behind...
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Waste Watchers
Young scholars recognize the importance of saving energy to save natural resources. In this saving energy lesson, students complete a worksheet to find types of electricity meters in their homes. Young scholars use meter readings to...
University of Wisconsin
A Rain Garden Year
Pupils become plants in an interpretive play that depicts what happens throughout the seasons in a rain garden. As you narrate, students bloom, flower, and go to seed accordingly. The activity is first in a series of lessons written for...
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Activity #8 Simulation of Oil Spills
Students conduct an experiment to simulate an oil spill and identify the characteristics of oil in water. They evaluate the effectiveness of various cleanup methods. They discuss the how to clean up an oil spill, and what causes oil...
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Poseidon's Protectors to the Rescue
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this environmental stewardship lesson plan, students explore the Greek mythology story of Poseidon. Students write letters to Poseidon that address water pollution today and express how...
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Chemistry of Burning
Students look into the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In this chemistry lesson, students look at the hydrocarbon molecule through a model and see what happens when energy is released. They watch as the water vapor leaves...
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Don't Water....Shed A Tear#145
Students examine the definition and attributes of tributaries and watersheds. They design a landscape which includes a mountain, a river, a lake and other appropriate items. They observe as the teacher pours water through the landscape...
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Watershed Lesson Plan
Students are introduced to the concepts of a watershed, stream flow and water quality. This five-day plan is an excellent way to introduce students to the concepts involved. They create their own watershed using a paper bag, water and...
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Wind Power! 2
Fourth graders explore how engineers transform wind energy into electrical energy by building their own miniature wind turbines and measuring the electrical current it produces. They see how design and position affect the electrical...
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Wastewater
Students discuss what happens to their wastewater. They read about the wastewater treatment process. Students are asked what types of things get flushed down toilets or goes down drains in sinks and showers. They are taught what happens...
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Would You Drink This?
Students examine how they affect water quality of those who live downstream after identifying rivers and river basins in Kansas.
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Get Your Butt off the Beach!
Students participate in a Beach Field Study in which the analyze the affect pollution is having on beaches and the animals that live there. Students focus specifically on the damage cigarette butts are causing on the environment.
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Activity #5 Soils-Permeability and Impurity Removal
Middle schoolers predict which types of soils would work best for keeping contaminants contained. They comprehend that in the past, landfills have been one major source of groundwater contamination. Pupils comprehend that placing and...