ACTIVITY |
DESCRIPTION |
KEY MESSAGES |
A-MAZE-ING WATER TREATMENT
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Students pretend to be drops of water entering a simulated water treatment plant. Find out what happens to municipally provided water before it enters the pipes to come into your home. Students will gain an understanding of how much has to be done to each drop of water that comes out of our taps and sprinklers and that we should conserve water as much as possible. Then tour an actual working Water Treatment Plant on site. |
- That humans use water faster than Mother Nature can purify it.
- That treating water involves three key processes in between the well and our taps.
- That reducing our water usage will not only preserve water resources, but also save us money and energy.
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BOOTS, BUBBLES & BUGS
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Students discover the differences between aquatic insects found in stream and pond habitats with emphasis on adaptations to their environment. Through the use of an interactive puppet show, participants follow Billy Water Boatman and a little girl named Polly as they wish for a better life underwater. Our characters meet a number of interesting creatures such as grasshoppers, damselfly nymphs, black fly larva, mayfly nymphs, water striders and whirligig beetles along their way learning that sometimes it is better not to get what you wish for! |
- Rivers, streams, lakes and ponds all possess a wide variety of plant and animal life.
- Animals have many adaptations that help them to survive aquatic life.
- All animals and plants play an important role in the food chain and are deserving of our respect. We should keep their habitat clean to help them to survive.
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DOWN AND OUT IN THE COUNTRY
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A sub-surface look at how sewage is treated in rural areas. Using a model of a septic system, students observe what happens to the solid and liquid waste and how it is cleaned as it travels through the soil material. Malfunctioning systems and their effects on the environment are also demonstrated. |
- All waste water has to be treated before it is returned to the environment.
- A properly maintained septic system is good for the environment.
- We should never pour any toxic or hazardous materials down the drain or toilet.
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EGGS TO ADULTS
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Students observe fish in two different stages of their life cycle. Through a brief discussion, they will learn about the different stages of a fish's life cycle and why habitat protection and clean water are important for each of these stages. Students will also learn how fish fit into the food web/chain and local ecosystem. Students will be encouraged to describe ways in which humans can both threaten and protect the natural habitat of fish. |
- Groundwater is important to trout because it keeps the water clean and cold.
- The Saugeen River is home to an assortment of fish and we should work at keeping it safe.
- It is important not to pollute groundwater because it can reach rivers and lakes where it can harm fish and other life.
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GREAT WATER RACE
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Students continue their study of porosity and permeability by watching how quickly water passes through sand, gravel and fractured limestone. Students are introduced to the concepts of slope and angle and observe their effect on how water moves through the Earth. |
- The materials making up ground differ in permeability - that is, the ability of water to move through the pores (spaces) between different particles in the ground.
- If the materials are different, the permeability should be different and water should move through the ground at different speeds.
- Permeability is critical for water supply purposes; if water contained in soil or rock will not drain out, it is not available to water wells.
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ACTIVITY |
DESCRIPTION |
KEY MESSAGES |
H 2 OHHHHH ... THE SCIENCE OF WATER!
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Students discover the science of water – buoyancy, density, surface tension and more! Hands-on experiments with water will have your budding scientists learning about the properties of water and putting the ohhhh! in H20! |
- All water molecules contain two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
- Water is the only substance found naturally in all three states of matter: solid; liquid and gas.
- All living things depend on water.
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MARSH MONSTERS
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Participants use nets and equipment to discover what lives in the waters of the Saugeen River. A Biologist and volunteers assist in reviewing the food chain and interdependency. |
- Rivers, streams, lakes and ponds all possess a wide variety of plant and animal life.
- Animals have many adaptations that help them to survive aquatic life.
- All animals and plants play an important roll in the food chain and are deserving of our respect. We should keep their habitat clean to help them to survive.
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POROSITY & PERMEABILITY
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Porosity and permeability are the key factors in determining how water moves through or is held by the earth's surface materials. Using models to determine grain size and real soil samples for testing, discover one of the mysteries of how the water cycle serves us. Students engage in an activity which demonstrates these principles. |
- Porosity and Permeability are the key factors in determining how water moves through or is held by the earth's surface materials.
- Porosity refers to the pore spaces between soil particles or pieces - if there are many spaces then the soil has high porosity.
- Permeability refers to and the ease with which water passes through the pores - the more and bigger the spaces the more easily water will pass through.
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SEPTIC SIGHTS
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Students observe the water trickle through sewage pipes into the septic bed in a full size model of a septic system. Where does the waste water and solid waste go? |
- A septic system is a system for treating waste water by filtering it through certain types of gravel and earth materials in order to clean it.
- Rural homes or cottages are often serviced by a septic system rather than a municipal wastewater system like we have in the city.
- A malfunctioning or overloaded septic system can contaminate groundwater and make the people, who use the groundwater from a well for drinking and washing, very sick.
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ACTIVITY |
DESCRIPTION |
KEY MESSAGES |
SOMETHING FISHY'S GOIN' ON
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Students test the pH levels of various common liquids (ex: juice, vinegar). There is a brief discussion of pH and how natural habitats must have water of a certain pH in order to support plant and animal life. Students use model lakes to see which lakes are healthy and which are too acidic, due to acid precipitation. |
- The pH scale is used to measure how acidic or basic a substance is.
- Acids that we can eat or drink may not be healthy for aquatic life to live in.
- We must protect the water quality of surface and groundwater by preventing water and air pollution.
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WATER CYCLE MADNESS
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Students learn about the water cycle first hand by watching it cycle before their eyes. Unique working model shows the processes of evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and runoff all with the help of a miniature sun (lamp) and other materials. Learn how the water cycle impacts our daily lives. |
- Water is never lost or gained; there is always the same amount of water in the world. The water we drink today was used by dinosaurs a million years ago!
- The water cycle is a model that shows how water is continuously recycled through the environment.
- We waste water by making it permanently contaminated so that it can no longer be used for drinking or washing.
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WATER VITAL TO HEALTH
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How is water used in our body? Students will engage in an interactive activity to discover the necessity of water to our body's organs and life systems. |
- All things need water to survive.
- Two-thirds of our bodies are made up of water. Variance in age and sex affects the total body water.
- We all need clean, safe water for healthy bodies.
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ACTIVITY |
DESCRIPTION |
KEY MESSAGES |
WHAT'S UP DOC?
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A person from medieval times sits wrapped in bandages waiting for some sort of miracle. Students work together to try to determine what waterbourne disease the actor has by asking the person what symptoms they have (similar to the type of questions your own doctor may ask) to determine what might be the problem. Possible ways to avoid the sickness again are discussed as well. |
- What are waterborne diseases and how are they spread.
- Explain how the health of humans is affected by environmental factors (e.g. water pollution from sewage or other human contaminants and how these diseases affect our health).
- How waterborne diseases can be prevented.
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YOU'RE MOSTLY WATER
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Students will discover how much of their body mass is made up of water. Using a teeter-totter,and water bottles, they will be able to calculate the amount of water in their bodies. |
- The human body is 70% water.
- We lose water each day through breathing, perspiring and urinating.
- We take water into our bodies through the foods we eat and the beverages we drink.
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