MIDDLE SCHOOL WATER QUALITY ACTIVITY VIDEOS

Video #1- Importance of water Quality and making a watershed Model

Video: What is a Watershed, What is Stormwater, and Why Should We Care? Activity: Making a Watershed Model — Total Video Length: 10:52

Presenter: Michelle Martinez, Retired SLCSD Middle School Teacher

Notes: Michelle introduces students to the importance of stormwater and water quality. At 4:50 in this video, she begins the activity of coaching students through making a watershed model.

From the supplies the Stormwater Coalition can provide, each group will need:

  • Spray bottle(s) (fill with water--1 person could go around and spray the water - i.e. the teacher)

  • You will need to provide:

    • Regular 8 x11 white computer/copy paper (2 pieces per group)

    • 1 File folder (opened up and with folded corners, this will act as a tray)

    • 4 three-inch pieces of tape (Tip:1 ft. strips could be given out in advance and "staged" by sticking the edge of the tape to one of the group member’s desk)

    • 4-5 magic markers

Tips for success: Divide class into groups of 3-5 students. During the activity portion of this video, you can PAUSE the video to allow students to catch/keep up. You may want students to create a more or less detailed model, so more or less time will be needed to complete this activity. Approx. time required: 10-30 mins.

Video #2- Wastewater, Stormwater, and Impervious Surfaces -Underground pipe system demo 

Video: Hilary Venable from West Valley City Public Works discusses wastewater, stormwater, impervious vs. pervious surfaces. Hilary demonstrates the underground pipe system and helps us understand how things we do in our daily lives may cause stormwater pollution and what we can do to prevent water pollution. Video length 7:18.

  • No supplies needed

 

Video #3- Identifying Macro-Invertebrates & Determining if an aqueous solution is acidic or basic (pH) 

Water Quality- The impact of Water Quality on Macroinvertebrates. Activity: Testing water quality for pH. Video Length: 12:52

Presenter: Hannah Murphy, SLCo Watershed Scientist

From the supplies the Stormwater Coalition can provide, each group will need:

  • 3 strips pH test paper

  • Lemon Juice packet

  • Laundry soap sheet

Activity- Water Quality BIngo-

Resources:

Blank Bingo Page with word list

Water Quality Bingo Words organized to cut apart to draw from bowl or other container (needed only if you do not use the video, which will play a game of blackout bingo)

You will need:

a printed copy of the Blank Bingo page with word list for each student

Pens/pencils/markers (for students to write and mark off words, or—if you want to play several games—chips, pennies, or other reusable items that can be used to cover words that have been selected.

Small prizes, such as fruit snacks.

BONUS ACTIVITY- THINK LIKE A SCIENTIST- LET’S NOT TAKE WATER FOR GRANTED.

You will need:

Lesson plan: THINK LIKE A SCIENTIST- LET’S NOT TAKE WATER FOR GRANTED


Additional supplemental Water Quality Videos (Approx. 10 minutes each)

Denise Zivkovic, a student at Westminster College in SLC, UT talks about impacts and prevention of water pollution caused by excess Nitrogen and Phosphorus. (6 min. 50 seconds)

Salt Lake County Water Scientist, Lynn Berni talks about the importance of proper disposal of pet waste and its potential harms to water quality and human health. (7 min. 34 seconds)

Riverton City Stormwater Manager, Tom Beesley, talks about to do a stormwater inventory and implement best management practices. (7 min. 37 seconds)

South Salt Lake Stormwater Manager, Corby Talbot demonstrates how stormwater goes untreated to our nearest waterbodies. (2 min. 11 seconds)

Beautiful video explaining storm drain Stunning and underwater footage of polluted runoff in Puget Sound

Rain Gardens- Dawn Barbee from Sandy City talks about how to prevent flooding by making and properly locating a rain garden at your home. (6 min. 14 seconds)

SL County Water Scientists, Hannah Murphy and Sam Taylor visit 3 locations along the Jordan River Watershed to demonstrate how macro invertebrates indicate stream health. (7 min 29 seconds)

South Salt Lake Landscape Architect and Urban Design Director, Sharen Hauri explains the benefits from and right way to plant trees. (9 min. 41 seconds)

Stormwater Lesson Resources

The lessons and activities in the SLCo Stormwater Coalition Stormwater Curriculum are aligned with the Utah Science with Engineering Education (SEEd) Standards to teach 6-8th graders (or youth approximately 10-13 years of age) about stormwater, its impact on systems, the environment and humans, and how to prevent water pollution. The curriculum may be used by teachers, environmental educators, afterschool personnel, municipal staff, community volunteers, and others. The links on this page are provided for easy access of sources and resources needed to deliver the lesson plans in the curriculum. SLCo Stormwater Coalition acknowledges and appreciates the Utah Society for Environmental Education for the development of this curriculum.

Lesson 1: Understanding Stormwater

Droplet’s Ride Down the Jordan River Watershed As stormwater flows along the watershed, stormwater becomes polluted. The polluted stormwater can be dangerous to wildlife impact the environment, and can be harmful to human health. While commercial and industrial facilities contribute to water pollution, the largest portion of the problem comes from our collective, individual actions as residents and homeowners. But, there are several things we can do to prevent stormwater pollution. If we all do a little, it will help a lot! We all live downstream!