Wetland or Marsh Water Filter

Wetland or Marsh Water Filter Objectives: Students will plan and conduct a simple investigation Students will communicate their investigations and explanations Students will learn how a wetland works to filter water into the ground water aquifers. Students will work cooperatively to create a wetland filtration system. Students will gain a better understand how a marsh or wetland clean the water as it travels through the wetland or marsh. Students will gain an understanding that a wetland or marsh can act as a buffer zone to soak up excess water during storms. Students will understand the importance of wetlands and marshes. Students will compile a list of ways people can conserve water Students will research the different types of wetlands Grade Level(s): Fourth through Sixth Grade Subject Area(s): Science Mathematics Language Arts Social Studies Visual Arts Technology Timeline: Approximately two (2) one-hour long class periods (this may need to be broken up and/or time extended) National Education Standards: NS.5-8.1 SCIENCE AS INQUIRY NS.5-8.2 PHYSICAL SCIENCE NS.5-8.3 LIFE SCIENCE NS.5-8.4 EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE NS.5-8.5 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY NS.5-8.6 PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES NS.5-8.7 HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE NL-ENG.K-12.1, 12.3 12.8 NM-DATA.3-5.1 3-5.4 NM-GEO.3-5.1 3-5.4 NM-MEA.3-5.1 3-5.2 NSS-G.K-12.1 K-12.6 NT.K-12.1 K-12.6 NA-VA.5-8.1 5-8.6

Background: Begin with whole class discussions. This should be completed in the days before the activity. Discussion Starter Tell students that you are going to read them a series of clues and they are going to guess what you are describing based on the clues. 1. Without me the earth would look like the moon, what am I? 2. When I am clean, I am colorless, odorless and tasteless, what am I? 3. I take up over half of your body, what am I? 4. I cover over 80% of the earth, what am I? 5. I fall from the sky. 6. I can be a solid, liquid or a gas * Second, discuss water with the class briefly. The following questions are to stimulate discussion. Will human beings survive longer without food or without water? (Food) What is your favorite form of water? Liquid, Solid (snow or ice) or Gas (steam)? What is your favorite activity that involves water? Skiing, swimming, hockey, fishing, boating, etc. Where does the water at your house come from? Why is it important that we have clean water? Third, visit several wetland web sites during technology time or in class Wetland Types http://www.cees.iupui.edu/education/wetlands/presentations/inland_wetland_types.ppt America s Wetlands http://www.americaswetland.com/custompage.cfm?pageid=4&cid=23 Ducks Unlimited Canada http://www.ducks.ca/resource/general/wetland/work1.html Visit the PBS Kids: EekoWorld Web site. Go to the Aquatic section of Environments. http://pbskids.org/eekoworld/index_flash.html Discuss this section as the students explore the site. Talk about the various points to explain concepts. Discuss the causes for water pollution. Water Pollution and Society http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/waterpollution.htm *Additional Sites - Discuss the different types of wetlands. Swamps, Marshes, Bogs, Etc. Why are wetlands so important? We are going to do an experiment (activity) to demonstrate how a wetland works. Materials: Cheesecloth or cotton batting (sewing supplies) Clay (modeling clay or natural clay) Potting soil or topsoil or dirt Small size or pea-gravel and/or a variety of small stones

Cooking oil (Vegetable) 2-large pitcher(s) (liters) Several large plastic or metal pans, boxes or tubes. (Clear if possible) Lesson: 1. Explain that the students will be creating a wetland/marsh filtration system 2. Describe the entire lab to the students and make sure to read all instructions to the class before dividing into teams and handing out the materials. a. *If cheesecloth or cotton batting is not available, coffee filters are a good substituted and you can substitute aquarium gravel for the pea-gravel. 3. Begin with dividing students into several teams. 4. When students are working in teams, the students will be given the opportunity to create their own filter system (what they think will work best) using the cheesecloth/batting, soil, and gravel. Students should create a list showing how they built their filter (See attachments). Have the teams present their wetland filter and explain why they built it the way that they did. Then have the team pour the contaminated water (with cooking oil and dirt) as the whole class observes to see if the filter works. Each student will record his or her observations for each team. Students will create a conclusion to explain which filter they felt worked best. Discuss why and/or why not? a. *If doing the lab as a teacher demonstration, have student input as to how to build the wetland filter and create a class list on the board (ask the students what each kind of material represents in the wetland, what order would it be in, why?). Have students take turns building the filter. Once the filter is assembled, pour the contaminated water into the filtration system and have students record their observations. b. What do you see? Did it work? Why or why not? What should we change? 5. Follow up by discussing Wetlands and marshes with the class to further stimulate background knowledge and reinforce learning. *Teachers Notes: The suggested order should be: Gravel/stones (representing bedrock) Bottom layer Clay (representing hydro soil) Middle layer Cheesecloth or cotton batting (represents wetland plant root system) Upper Layer Dirt or Topsoil (representing the A Horizon) Top layer Additional gravel (representing sedimentary material) *Allow students to think about the order on their own, but try to guide them by discussing what each material represents and to the order that is actually found in a wetland. Building a wetland filter Instructions for students: While working in student team, decide who will be the recorder. The recorder will log all observations and the decisions the team makes as they build the filter. Be sure the recorder knows to write down everything as it happens. The teams may want to create a

team name for this project. Make sure to list all steps on the Data Collection Sheet. (see attached) Each team needs to collect the necessary materials: One pan or container (to build the wetland filter in) 12-inch x 12-inch square of cheesecloth or cotton batting (Several coffee filters) One piece or section of clay 2 cups of topsoil/potting soil 4 cups of gravel/ stones. 1. Remind students/teams that their wetland filter must only take up ½ of the container (adjustments may need to be made). This will allow the water to fill the container and filter through gradually. 2. As a team, they must now decide how to build the wetland filter. The filter should represent what occurs in a real wetland. 3. Each team must determine what each material represents in nature (e.g., what does the clay represent? the cotton batting?). 4. This must be recorded on the data collection sheet. 5. After deciding on the order and why, begin building the wetland. Remember to only use ½ of the container for the wetland water filtering. 6. Make sure the teams notify you when the team has completed their filter. Display every filter before proceeding. Once all teams have completed their filter, each team will present their filter to the class and explain the order they used. Prediction Every student will make a prediction as to which filter will work best and why? Finally, it is time to test each filter (one at a time, as the class observes). A designated team member will fill one of the pitchers with approx. 1 Liter of tap water. Then add a small amount of top soil and several capfuls of cooking oil and stir the mixture. 1. If necessary, a small block can be placed under one end of their container to create a slight slope, which will allow water to flow easily. This will defeat proper filtration. 2. As the class watches, slowly pour the contaminated water at the high end of the container. Each team will test their filter systems. All observations should be records by every student, for each team. 3. You may need to leave it over night. 4. Following the activity, answer these questions a. What happened to the contaminated water? b. Which filter system worked best? Why? c. Which filter systems did not work well? Why? d. Using this filter model, why are wetlands important in today s world? e. Why should we preserve wetland areas?

Important Notes If needed and depending on the availability of materials, the activity can be teacher demonstrated (with students assisting) or in larger teams of students, to create the wetland filter. Extensions: Time and Graph Water Flow (Is slower better?) Why or why not Decorate your wetland/marsh pan/container Math Activity Students can do this at home. Put 10 drops of food coloring in their toilet tank (back tank) at home and have students check it a half an hour later to see if their toilet bowl has changed color. If so, there is a leaky toilet. Ask students to share the results with the class. This information can be charted and the results on a class graph. Water Cycle Visit the Environmental Protection Agency's Web site to learn about the water cycle. Evaluation: To evaluate projects, have the students write a one-page report about there project. Make sure they discuss their model and what they learned and how this affects their everyday life. Allow them to use any resource, notes, and their notebooks to do this. Sentence starters What is ground water and why do we depend on it? What does it mean to regulate by law to protect ground water? Tell about aquifers. Resources: America s Wetlands. Retrieved on July 26, 2007, from http://www.americaswetland.com/custompage.cfm?pageid=4&cid=23 Ducks Unlimited Canada Retrieved on July 30, 2007 from http://www.ducks.ca/ resource/general/wetland/work1.html Education World. National Standards, Retrieved on July 30, 2007 from http://www.education-world.com/standards/national/ Environment: Aquatic. PBS Kids: EekoWorld. Retrieved on July 27, 2007 from http://pbskids.org/eekoworld Environmental Protection Agency: Water Cycle Retrieved on July 29, 2007 from http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/kids/flash/flash_watercycle.html Stevens, Edith. Groundwater: A Primer for Pennsylvanians. League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund, 226 Forster St., Harrisburg, PA 17102 and Penn State Cooperative Extension, 112 Armsby Building, University Park, PA 16802 Wetland Types Retrieved on July 27, 2007 from http://www.cees.iupui.edu/ Education/Wetlands/Presentations/Inland_Wetland_Types.ppt

Label your Container

Label your Container

Data Collection Sheet TEAM NAME: MEMBER NAMES: DATA:

Project Scoring Rubric Team Name Student Names Title of Project Circle the score next to each category. 0 = no evidence 1 = below average 2 = average 3 = above average 4 = superior I. Scientific Method 1. Stated the problem and gave predictions and/or a hypothesis 0 1 2 3 4 2. Described procedure and reported results (Stated what they did and what happened) 0 1 2 3 4 3. Stated conclusions (answered the problem) 0 1 2 3 4 4. Scientific facts and principals stated correctly and used accurately 0 1 2 3 4 II. Oral Presentation Demonstrated a thorough understanding 0 1 2 3 4 of the project III. Exhibit Visually appealing, neat, attractive 0 1 2 3 4 IV. Functional Project does what it was designed to do 0 1 2 3 4 Total Final Thought/Comments: Signature of Judge: