What Flows Below: The Science of Watersheds and Pollution

Overview

Students explain what a watershed is and how human activity within it affects water quality. They complete a KWL chart, locate local watersheds with The National Map Viewer, and model a watershed with crumpled aluminum foil and markers showing runoff. After a toxic scavenger hunt and videos on water pollutants, students add items to a container of clean water and try to clean it with spoons, tongs, and coffee filters. Later phases cover satellite images of polluted water, and students use the Oak Ridge National Laboratory HydroClimate Model to calculate percent change in historical and projected precipitation and temperature, write an analysis, and create a PSA on water pollution.

Lesson Objectives

• Explain the concept of a watershed and analyze how human activities within a watershed impact water quality.
• Identify common types of water pollutants and evaluate methods used to clean up and prevent water pollution.
• Interpret water quality data presented in graphs and charts, identify trends and patterns, and construct their own graphs to support data analysis.
• Describe how satellites are used to detect and monitor water pollution and interpret satellite imagery related to water quality.