| 1. |
The Fruitvale Story, Part One |
|
1-2 CLASS SESSIONS |
Students are introduced to Fruitvale’s water problem by reading “The Mystery of Fruitvale’s
Water,” and examining a map of Fruitvale.
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| Concepts, Processes, Issues |
|
NSES 5-8 Content Standards |
| 1. |
Solving a problem requires gathering information and generating questions to investigate. |
|
Inquiry: 1 |
| 2. |
Water can be contaminated by both human actions and natural environmental conditions. |
|
Perspectives: 1, 2, 3 |
| 3. |
Maps are tools that can be used to find information.
|
|
Inquiry: 1, 2 |
| 2. |
Understanding Groundwater |
|
2 CLASS SESSIONS |
Students investigate the ability of gravel, sand and clay to both absorb and release water.
In Thinking More about Investigation 2, students learn more about the earth’s groundwater supply in a reading.
|
| Concepts, Processes, Issues |
|
NSES 5-8 Content Standards |
| 1. |
Solid materials absorb and store groundwater differently. |
|
PhysSci: 1; EarthSci: 1 |
| 2. |
Particle size and shape affect the porosity and permeability of earth materials. |
|
PhysSci: 1 |
| 3. |
The properties of earth layers determine whether or not an aquifer or aquitard may exist. |
|
EarthSci:1 |
| 4. |
There are many sources of surface and groundwater pollution. |
|
Inquiry: 1; Perspectives: 1, 2, 3 |
| 5. |
Graduated cylinders can be used to measure liquid volume.
|
|
Inquiry: 1 |
| 3. |
Exploring the Water Cycle |
|
1-2 CLASS SESSIONS |
Students learn about the water cycle by playing a game that simulates traveling with a drop
of water in Fruitvale. Students then write a story that describes traveling through the water cycle.
|
| Concepts, Processes, Issues |
|
NSES 5-8 Content Standards |
| 1. |
Water moves through the crust, oceans, and atmosphere of Earth in what’s known as the “water cycle.” |
|
EarthSci: 1 |
| 2. |
Melting, freezing, evaporation, condensation, and transpiration are the processes by which water changes
phase. |
|
EarthSci: 1; PhysSci: 3 |
| 3. |
The sun is a major source of energy for driving the water cycle.
|
|
PhysSci:3 |
| 4. |
Interpreting Maps |
|
1-2 CLASS SESSIONS |
Students learn to interpret the information contained on a street map, topographic map,
and geologic cross- section of Fruitvale.
|
| Concepts, Processes, Issues |
|
NSES 5-8 Content Standards |
| 1. |
There are many types of maps, and each provides different kinds of information – topographic maps show
the shape of the land; street maps identify streets, parks, and other human-made features; geologic cross-sections
provide subsurface information about the earth’s layers. |
|
Inquiry: 1 |
| 2. |
An understanding of map keys-symbols and scales-is important to reading maps.
|
|
Inquiry: 1 |
| 5. |
Modeling Groundwater Contamination |
|
2 CLASS SESSIONS |
Students model the spread of groundwater contamination in an aquifer. In Thinking More About
Investigation 5, students predict the extent of groundwater contamination from various sources
using
geologic cross-sections of Fruitvale.
|
| Concepts, Processes, Issues |
|
NSES 5-8 Content Standards |
| 1. |
There are many contaminants with varying health affects. |
|
Perspectives: 1, 2, 3 |
| 2. |
Models aid scientists in understanding science concepts. |
|
History: 2 |
| 3. |
Finding the source’ of contamination is important for determining the scope of the problem
and identifying
possible solutions. |
|
Inquiry: 1 |
| 4. |
Point source contamination tends to produce smaller more concentrated plume than non-point source contamination |
|
|
| 5. |
Earth material and structure affect groundwater flow and there fore the direction and size of contamination
plumes.
|
|
PhysSci: 1, EarthSci: 1 |
| 6. |
Understanding Concentration |
|
1 CLASS SESSION |
Students simulate the process of diluting contaminated water by performing a serial dilution.
They also learn how to calculate the concentration of each successive, more dilute solution of the food
coloring.
|
| Concepts, Processes, Issues |
|
NSES 5-8 Content Standards |
| 1. |
Groundwater contaminants are measured in concentrations using units of parts per million and parts per
billion. |
|
|
| 2. |
Calculate concentration using ratios and percentages. |
|
Inquiry: 1 |
| 3. |
Dilution lowers the concentration of a contaminant or substance in a solution. |
|
Inquiry: 1 |
| 4. |
A very small concentration can have large effect on groundwater quality. |
|
|
| 5. |
Observations are directly observable phenomena; inferences are explanations for observable phenomena,
based on evidence.
|
|
Perspectives: 1 |
| 7. |
The Fruitvale Story, Part Two |
|
1 CLASS SESSION |
Students find out more information about Fruitvale’s water supply and predict the most probable
locations for the source of the pesticide contamination.
|
| Concepts, Processes, Issues |
|
NSES 5-8 Content Standards |
| |
Information and evidence is used to make predictions on contaminant source and plume location in Fruitvale.
|
|
Inquiry: 1 |
| 8. |
Testing for Pesticide Concentrations |
|
1-2 CLASS SESSIONS |
| |
Students design and revise a well testing plan by collecting data from some of Fruitvale’s wells.
|
|
|
| Concepts, Processes, Issues |
|
NSES 5-8 Content Standards |
| 1. |
Design and revise a testing protocol for Fruitvale’s wells. |
|
Inquiry: 1 |
| 2. |
Follow experimental design process in testing Fruitvale wells.
|
|
Inquiry: 1 |
| 9. |
Drawing Iso-maps |
|
1-2 CLASS SESSIONS |
Students learn about isomaps and how they show the extent of underground contamination plumes.
They learn how to draw iso-lines from a set of data and practice making iso-maps.
|
| Concepts, Processes, Issues |
|
NSES 5-8 Content Standards |
| 1. |
Iso-maps are similar to topographic maps and can be used for mapping contamination plumes. |
|
Inquiry: 1 |
| 2. |
Iso-lines connect similar contamination levels in the subsurface. |
|
|
| 3. |
Iso-maps with a bulls-eye pattern indicate a point source.
|
|
|
| 10. |
Making an Iso-concentration Map |
|
1-2 CLASS SESSIONS |
Students produce an iso-concentration map of the contamination in Fruitvale.
|
| Concepts, Processes, Issues |
|
NSES 5-8 Content Standards |
| 1. |
Data is used to make an iso-concentration map of Fruitvale. |
|
Inquiry: 1 |
| 2. |
The accuracy of the contaminant plume depends on the quality of the data.
|
|
Inquiry; 1 |
| 11. |
Damage Assessment |
|
1-2 CLASS SESSIONS |
Students compare two iso-concentration maps of Fruitvale that were made six months apart.
They estimate the spreading rate of the pesticide plume and use this information to help assess the potential
danger of the plume.
|
| Concepts, Processes, Issues |
|
NSES 5-8 Content Standards |
| 1. |
Spreading rate of contaminant plume is a ratio of change in distance overtime. |
|
Inquiry: 1 |
| 2. |
Weather and yearly climate cycles affect spreading rates. |
|
|
| 3. |
Determining priorities and the process for cleaning up sites involves assessing risk
|
|
Perspectives: 4 |
| 12. |
Decision Making |
|
1-2 CLASS SESSIONS |
Students consider the options for cleaning up ground water by participating in a role playing
simulation as members of the Fruitvale community.
|
| Concepts, Processes, Issues |
|
NSES 5-8 Content Standards |
| 1. |
Weighing a variety of factors and evidence is involved in making a decision about Fruitvale’s water
issue. |
|
Inquiry: 1 |
| 2. |
Policy decisions depend on economic, social, and scientific evidence. |
|
Inquiry: 1, 2; Perspectives: 4 |
