Title: Clean Watersheds Subject/Course: Environmental Science

Topic: Water Quality Grades: 11-12 Designers: Thomas Cooper

Stage 1 - Desired Results

Established Goals:
This project meets the following National Science in Education Standards

 Content Standard A (Scientific Inquiry)

o Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations.

o Design and conduct scientific investigations.
o Use technology and mathematics to improve inquiry and communication.

 Content Standard F (Science in personal and social perspectives)

o Environmental quality
o Natural and human-induced hazards

Understandings: Essential Questions:

Students will understand that...
 Humans need to use natural resources to
survive.
 Exploration, extraction, production, use and
disposal of resources cause environmental
degradation.
 Technology can be used to monitor water
quality.
 Current production methods waste water.
 Awareness of our effects on environmental
health can lead to changes in production.
 Water may not necessarily be divided evenly
between human consumption, production, and
ecosystems.
Students will know/be able to...
 What natural resources does our society use?
 Why do we have environmental problems?
 How do we use technology to explore, extract,
produce, use and dispose of resources?
 Why is water needed to produce the material
goods we need?
 Could we use less water?
 How does the health of our local environment
affect others?
 Is water more important for humans or for the
environment?

 Use a GIS database, such as Google Earth, to research the location of various production facilities and
their proximity to water sources.
 Collect water samples from a local watershed.
 Use of GPS technology to record geographical data points where samples are collected.
 Use an online form to record and share water quality data with peers.
 Use spreadsheet technology to analyze watershed data.
 Use a wiki site to share results with others.
 Compare and contrast your results with other collection sites to determine patterns.
 Stage 2 - Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks:
Summary of GRASPS form (Goal, Role, Situation, Performance, Standards)
A water quality monitoring company is hiring researchers. The company would like you to demonstrate your
scientific inquiry, analysis, and reporting skills so that they can make a final decision among their candidates.
Your task will be to develop and carry out a water quality monitoring program for a particular industry. The
company would like you to demonstrate your skills with technology by using their geographical database to
research production companies in the area. The database will help you determine possible water contamination
sites by comparing the company's location with water sources in the local area. The company suggests that you
contact the company and interview them about their particular production process and its environmental policies
and include this interview in your report. You should also determine if the company meets EPA standards.

Key Criteria

 Understands how water is used in the production process.

 Relates production method to water contaminate.
 Appropriate levels of water contaminates according to EPA standards.
 Uses provided standard templates so that data can be compared between researchers.

Other Evidence

 Review of the students journal entries.

 Chapter test on water and pollution.
 Project self-assessment.

Stage 3 - Learning Plan

Learning Activities:

 Have students brainstorm about items they use in their daily life; identify the natural resources from
which these products are made
 Investigate the production process of an item used; diagram this process and identify basic steps,
technology used, chemical processes, water used, and areas where environmental problems may arise.
Post to project wiki. Conduct a peer review of at least one other diagram. Post response to the
discussion tab.
 Provide students with information on the water cycle and how humans interrupt this cycle.
 Review the company's environmental policies and compare them with those stipulated by the EPA. Are
the sufficient?
 Determine if any of these facilities are in your local area and schedule an interview to learn more about
their production process. Write an informed consent document and have it signed before recording the
interview. Post the recording to the project wiki.
 Use a geographical database to determine local water sources near this facility and suggest possible
contamination sites for testing.
 Collect water quality data for this stream or river over a period of time.
 Use appropriate statistical formulas to help you analyze your data.
 Write a letter to the production facility to inform them of your findings.
 Write a water quality monitoring plan based on your findings.