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Earthworks
Earth System Science for Secondary Teachers
What's in the Water?
Background:Guerneville (school location) is in a valley (4 miles total) with a state park at its head and the Russian River at its foot. A huge local issue is salmon habitat restoration. There is a current proposal to limit flow in the river to historic levels to restore habitat. The economy of the community is based on summer river tourism. The debate is strenuous. Further issues are waste water disposal both in town and upstream, the installation of summer dams, the wisdom of piping treated wastewater to "The Geysers", a geothermal plant east of us, and the pros and cons of diverting water from the Eel River watershed to the Russian River watershed. The state park and other agencies are actively monitoring and attempting separate creek restoration on a small tributary of the Russian River that flows past the school. Winter flooding is an issue on both the creek and the Russian River.
This plan began as a test of water quality, and I will continue with that, but where we go from there will be in part determined by choices the students make, issues they want to research, and questions they want to answer. The overall project will be completed over the year, and may be ongoing. Learning to do the water testing itself will be shorter.
Test of water quality in local streams and rivers and implications
Grade: 6-7-8
Time: Water testing lesson to be complete over 1 month with probable extension—repeat testing at different times of year and application to local issues.
Standards: CA Standards
2. Topography is reshaped by weathering…by water…
5. Rivers and streams are dynamic systems
- e. The number and types of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on resources available and a biotic features such as…water…
7. Scientific investigation
Background:
- knowledge of local issues surrounding water use; recreation, waste water disposal, geothermal energy, protection of endangered or threatened species
- basic understanding of the water cycle
- understanding of water as a solvent
- knowledge of water tests and how to do them
Students should be able to
- collect water samples appropriate to tests to be conducted
- perform tests
- explain results
- identify implications/problems the results might pose
- identify local water issues and relate their understanding of water quality to one of those issues
- identify solutions if appropriate
Procedures:
- Review water cycle
- Introduce water as a solvent with saturation experiments
- Using students knowledge identify places water can be found in their environment
- Conduct tests on most available water sources a practice
- Discuss water quality issues in the community
- Have students choose a water source to test (cooperative groups) and report on
- Field testing/sampling of close to school sources (creeks, irrigation water, drinking water, river)
Extension have students report on a water issue important to them.
Assessment:
- Observation of student performing test
- Group report to class (oral, video)
- Written report
Extension:Environmental fair, participation in local watershed day, presentation to or participation with local agencies.
Resources:
- Parents
- State Park Staff, Conservation District and other local agencies
- Watershed monitoring groups
- Waste management
- Activist groups in area
Obstacles:
- need to purchase test kits
- time
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