Is the Water Safe for People or Aquatic Life?

A step toward literacy through discussion of Primary Water Contaminant Sources

Introduction - In this lesson students will read Internet-based materials concerning the degradation of North Carolina’s public trust water resources. Students will analyze the content through guided small group and whole group discussion protocols. Students will identify and evaluate problems and solutions for North Carolina’s river basins, wetlands and tidal environments while developing scientific literacy through reading and peer discussions.

Learning Outcomes

1. Students will analyze reports on environmental issues from a literate viewpoint through reading and group discussion.
2. Students will generate a cohesive paragraph explaining a point of view toward a selected environmental issue.

National Standards Alignment

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
• Abilities of technological design
• Understandings about science and technology
• Personal and community health
• Environmental quality
• Natural and human-induced hazards
• Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges

Curriculum Alignment

• High School Science Goal 1.05 – Analyze reports of scientific investigations and issues from an informed scientifically literate viewpoint
• High School Science Goal 1.06 – Identify and evaluate a range of possible solutions to science issues at the local, national, and global level
• Earth Science Goal 4.01 - Evaluate Erosion and Depositional processes: effects of human choices on the rate of erosion
• Earth Science Goal 4.04 – Evaluate water resources
• Earth Science Goal 4.05 – Investigate and analyze environmental issues and solutions for North Carolina’s river basins, wetlands, and tidal environments
• Introductory Mathematics Goal 3 – The learner will understand and use graphs and data analysis
• Integrated Mathematics II Goal 3 – The learner will collect, organize, and interpret data to solve problems

8th Grade Science Alignment

• 3.05 – Analyze hydrospheric data over time to predict the health of a water system
• 3.06 – Evaluate technologies and information systems used to monitor the hydrosphere
• 3.07 – Describe how humans affect the quality of water
• 3.08 – Recognize that the good health of environments and organisms

8th Grade Math alignment

• 4.01 – Collect, organize, analyze, and display data to solve problems
• 4.03 – Identify misuses of statistical and numerical data

Classroom Time Required

1-2 blocks (a block could be 75-90 minutes)

Materials

copies of resource articles on a selected environmental issue for students, construction paper, glue sticks, chart paper/ mural/ board paper, and markers Technology board and computer if teacher wanted to use technology integration.

Technology Resources – optional

Computers may be used to look at the resource articles. Also, web based interviews from the Frontline Poisoned Waters website (see resources) may be added to enhance content. Websites like those from the Neuse Riverkeepers Association may be viewed to do a whole class reading of the resource article or to bring a visual element into the lesson. A shared class reading can cover the article in 10-15 minutes. Also, if individual computers are available, student groups may be asked to expand the writing portion of the assignment to include supporting examples, facts and statistics for the position they choose.

Pre-activities

One strength of this lesson is that it can be taught without any pre-activities. This lesson easily supplements the teaching of surface and groundwater resources (Earth/Env Science goals 4.01 and 4.04.) This lesson develops the concept of human impact on environmental resources. If a teacher has chosen to develop the concept of sustainability, then this lesson can easily be joined to that foundation. Students will be led to understand how sustainability looks with respect to water resources. The lesson makes opportunities for students to exercise and develop higher-order thinking skills that they possess. Teachers may want to review the articles they chose to use in the activity for vocabulary content that is challenging and cover those terms depending on the grade level and needs of their particular classroom.

Activities

Two articles that cover the effects of human impact are explored. The first article looks at hog waste in NC. The second article investigates the impact of urbanization and human wastes on beaches. The article websites can be found in the resource section.

If technology resources are not available, it is best for students to be given copies of the resource articles a few nights before class to read for homework to save class time. When it is difficult to motivate students to read outside the room, the teacher may choose to put the students in their groups and do small group literacy circles to complete the reading.

Alternatively, articles may be read quickly with an on-line or technology board version during class and reviewed to make sure all students are familiar with the material. (If needed, the discussion time can be shortened.)

(For a quick version of this activity: students may also be assigned the “brief editorial’’ as an out-of-class writing assignment. The article can be brought to class in the required format and then the cooperative learning group work can begin there.)

This assignment should consist of the following: Write a 16-20 half-line (fold your paper in half lengthwise and write only on half of the page such as in a newspaper column) editorial stating your position on a given environmental issue (for example, swine waste effluents contaminating streams) and what actions the state’s General Assembly should take on the issue. Please write in complete sentences, be clear and use specific examples from the article.

Students should be placed in cooperative learning groups for the rest of the activity. Groups of four work well. Each group should have a designated discussion leader and delivery service person.

When all students have completed his/her editorial, each group will piece them together onto a “newspaper” page using a few pieces of computer paper or construction paper. Other creative details may be added to the paper as the teacher would determine. When each group is finished creating the product, the delivery person will deliver the “newspaper” to another group in the class.

After receiving the newspaper, each member of the cooperative group will take a turn reading one of the editorials to the group. The group leader will lead discussion and give each member of the group a turn to respond to the article and then offer a time for open discussion. Another student in the group will then write a brief letter to the editor stating the feedback from the group. This will be repeated 3-5 times depending on group numbers. Each student in the group should read an article and compose the group response. After all of the articles have been discussed and responded to, the group will select what they feel was the best editorial.

Depending on time constraints, each group will then have a turn to read to the larger group the editorial that their group chose as best.

Allow time during this large group discussion for at least one response to each “winner.”

Newspapers and letters to the editor are then to be collected and can be evaluated using the rubrics attached.

The second portion of this class uses an “around-the-world” open response in groups. This is also referred to as a gallery walk. Around the room on chart paper, or mural/butcher paper taped up, are questions inviting feedback related to the article on shoreline water quality. (This article is found in the June 2006 printing of Scientific American and can be accessed on-line or found and duplicated. See resource section)

The article can be examined centrally with a technology board or copied and distributed to the class for independent reading.

Ideas for Chart Questions:

1. How do impervious surfaces affect a landscape?
2. Who should be responsible for stopping storm water run-off?
3. Do you think people would change development patterns if they understood the problems behind bacterial contamination?
4. If stirring up sediment can increase bacterial counts near recreational areas, should standards be raised by the EPA?
5. What changes will there have to be in future planning to protect coastal waters?
6. What problems or obstacles exist for changing development patterns in coastal areas in the future to protect wetlands?
7. Should wetland areas be further protected, and how will this happen?
8. What should change about the way people use water resources near coastal areas?
9. What should be done to help the public learn about these problems?

After each of the groups has been designated with a starting area, they will then read and write a response to the prompt. After sufficient time, the teacher can ring a bell or make a signal for the groups to rotate to the next post. (For example, begin with two minutes and then extend to three or four minutes toward the end to allow for reading, with 20 minutes in total.) Student groups will read a question and previous responses, and then add responses. Groups will rotate through as many stations as time permits.

Eventually, all groups will be back to their original area. After reviewing the information for a minute or two, one person in each group will debrief their chart to the whole class.

Time in any of these activities can be adjusted, lengthened or shortened as needed for completion or to maintain engagement. It is important to allow for the analysis and debriefing portion of the activity.

Assessment

Each student is generating a piece of critical writing and participating in discussion which allows for assessment by teacher observation. Each group is also involved in generating critical responses. Almost all students can function or be assigned a role, either as leader, reader, writer, with everyone generating questions and responses. The attached rubrics can be used to assess writing, collaboration on group work, and presentation of material in both the first and second activity. An overall rubric for this activity has been provided.

A final individual assessment could be an exit ticket asking students to briefly discuss a higher order thinking question pertaining to the collective activity. For example:

Describe some problems central to the quality of surface water in North Carolina.

Modifications

• It is important to make group assignments based on a mixture of student ability. Allow for diverse groups. Teacher assigned groups will probably help with overall productivity in the many transitions in this lesson.

Cooperative learning group discussions help peers remediate students with less developed critical thinking skills. All students should be required to participate in the structured group question and discussion time.

Alternative Assessments

Many assessment methods are available to the teacher during the many transitions and teaching styles incorporated into this lesson.

Rubrics are attached that may be customized for many parts of this lesson. Often one strand of the rubric may be focused on for assessment.

Supplemental Information

In April 2009, a documentary called Poisoned Waters was released by PBS Frontline and the website is available for use to the public. The DVD resources and study guide may be purchased. Free for use on the website are interviews with very significant people related to issues in water quality. The interview with the CEO of Purdue focuses on large animal operations and waste materials being released into the water supply. The interview is only 2-3 minutes long and is a great integration of technology. There are also accompanying links with well written information revealing the problem. There are a number of other types of water quality problems located in the Poisoned Waters DVD and the excerpt DVD which would create a worthwhile media based extension to this lesson.

Critical Vocabulary

There is no substantially difficult vocabulary in either of the articles that cannot be decoded through use of context clues.

Websites and Resources –

www.neuseriverkeepers.org - The River keepers have provided the primary article which is on hog waste in North Carolina. It can be located by finding the link Hogs and CAFO’s under the Neuse Issues and Facts section on the site. Other topics can also be located that are more pertinent to other areas of North Carolina.

Wading in Waste. Michael A. Mallin in Scientific American, June 2006, pages 52-59. The article discusses the effects of human wastes and urbanization on beaches. This could be a second human impact approach. www.sciam.com

www.ncsu.edu/wq - The Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology has produced a video on storm water and its effects on the community. The link to the video can be found on the right of the homepage.

www.neuseriver.com - The site has general information on water quality issues in North Carolina. More information on hog wastes can be supplemented with the primary article.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/poisonedwaters/interviews/ The site provides a variety of interviews on water quality issues. Students may find an interest to hear these environmental and business leaders.

Comments

This lesson is best used in conjunction with the teaching of water quality. Students need basic background in water quality to fully appreciate the complexity of the environmental issue.