What is the water like in our river? Ecological problems that have local impact always capture students' attention. In this chemistry and watershed ecology unit, students develop an understanding of aquatic ecosystems as they investigate the water quality of their local river. Because students are investigating a river in their own community, they are naturally led to question what they can do to preserve or improve its water quality. | This unit is divided into four areas:  | Bringing the river inside: In this phase of the unit, students develop a sense of their existing knowledge about rivers and what they want to learn about their own river. Students take a river walk or watch a river video to help them put their questions in the context of a specific river. |
| | Where is my river located? The nature of the area drained by a river-its watershed-largely determines the kind and quality of the water in the river. To explore this idea, students identify the kinds of land that flank the river, determine how the land is used, and examine the flow of water to and from the river. Using maps, stream tables, and Model-It, students create physical and computer models of their river and its surroundings. |
| | Model-It is a dynamic modeling program used with the Water unit. It enables students to represent, test, and evaluate their theories about complex systems such as watersheds. Using it, students can create representations of their research, hypotheses, and findings regarding water quality. Through time-series simulations and graphic data, they can also show how different factors affect water quality. |
| | What affects water quality? Many factors affect water quality: pollutants, the biodiversity of the river, pH and oxygen levels, temperature, turbidity, plant growth, and others. Students evaluate their river in these areas to determine how well it supports the creatures in it and how usable it is for people. To assess some of these factors, students collect data in class or on site using a variety of sensors. |
|  |  | | What is the quality of the water in our river? Having collected data from their tests, observations, and models, students are ready to state their conclusions about the quality of their river’s water. They must provide evidence to support their conclusions and relate what they learned during the curriculum activities. |
The Water Quality unit, designed for seventh-graders, has been customized for use in Detroit and in Chicago. For information about the version used in Detroit, contact Steve Best at 734/647-2975. For information in Chicago, contact Lou-Ellen Finn at 847/491-5420. | Home | Top of Page |
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