Who Polluted the Potomac?

Time 50 minutes

Goal/Theme ● Students will be able to list the principal pollutants in our

nation’s rivers.
● Students will be able to draw connections between
individual actions and results at the community level and
examine the cause and effect.
● Students will be able to develop strategies for minimizing
and counteracting environmental problems.

Supplies ● 1 clear gallon jar or bowl of water

● 1 small container or cup per student
● Canister/cup ingredients
○ (Listed below)
● Canister/cup labels
● Story: ​Who Polluted the Potomac?

Lesson Intro:
● Explain to students that rivers and watersheds are vitally
important to the establishment of societies - as we see
examples throughout history with early civilizations
sprouting up close to rivers and bodies of water.
● Explain that a watershed is an area of land that feeds all
the water running under it and draining off of it into a body
of water. It combines with other watersheds to form a
network of rivers and streams that drain into larger water
areas.
● Explain that as human populations have increased and
land uses have changed over time, many of our rivers
have become polluted.

Explore:
1. Fill a clear jar or bowl with water. Place the container in a
location that can be seen by all students

2. Distribute one canister/cup to each student. Ask them to

keep them upright and closed (if applicable) and to NOT
reveal the identity of their character.

3. Explain that I am going to tell a story about a river and that

each of them will play a part in the story.

4. Read the story, ​Who Polluted the Potomac? ​Aloud.

 Emphasize each bolded character name when
reading, pause after each question, giving students
time to think and respond.

Discussion:
● Who polluted the Potomac?
○ (everyone played a role)
● What effect did the increasing population have on the
health of the river?
○ Can you think of any way that the population
growth helped the river?
○ (led to increase in pollution and decrease in open
space, however, led to more efficient uses of
resources and public services like sewage
treatment plants)
● Think about the pollution contained in the cups. What
could be done to prevent those types of materials from
entering the water?
○ What effect did some of the particular pollutants or
litter have on the environment?
● Challenge students to come up with ways to clean up the
water in the jar or bowl; after all, everything has to go
somewhere.
○ Once this type of pollution has entered the river,
how can we get it out?
○ How can we clean up the river?
● Do you think that it is easier to prevent pollution or to
clean it up later?

Wrap-Up:
● What could each of us do to help improve the health of our
river by preventing some of this pollution?
DRY CHARACTER INGREDIENTS

Trees Dry Leaves

Construction Sites Soil (dry)

Person fishing Fishing line or dental floss

Farmers Baking soda

Gardeners Baking soda

Beach party Litter, assorted

Picnicking Litter, assorted

WET CHARACTER INGREDIENTS

Barnyard Water + instant coffee

Washing the car Water + dishwashing soap

Antifreeze Water + one drop of green food coloring

Mysterious liquid Water + one drop of red food coloring

Homeowner Water + one drop yellow food coloring

Coal mine Vinegar

Electric power plant Vinegar

Commuters Vinegar

Motorboats Water + one drop red and green food coloring