Water Purification Department
Lesson 3 - Discovering the Water
Department on my Site!
Essential Questions:
What are the stages of the water cycle?
What is my watershed?
What is the pH of rainwater?
Concepts:
At a Glance:
 Water moves throughout are earth in different stages of
Learners are able to get active and learn about the stages of
the water cycle during Stage 1 of this lesson. In Stage 2,
learners will use a paper watershed model to observe the
affects of water running off the land into streams and rivers.
Stage 3‟s activity investigates pH of natural and manmade
sources of water on your site. Reflection, in Stage 4, allows
learners to write creatively about life as a water droplet in the
Water Purification Department.
the water cycle.
 Toxic substances or other pollutants often end up in our
rivers and lakes.
 Wetlands, some of the most productive habitats in the
world, can remove many harmful substances from
water and are threatened by destruction due to filling
and development.
 The area in which surface water flows downhill to one
common point is called a watershed.
 Any action in a watershed can impact the water quality
of that watershed.
Planet Caring
Objectives
Learners ...
Stage 1
Stage 4
Hook Interest
Stewardship
Reflection : Traveling with a
Drop of Water
Learners journal about the life of
a water droplet.
The Water Cycle Cha-Cha
Learners visit the stages of the
water cycle through interactive
dance moves.
15 minutes
Looking at Water pH
Learners use pH paper to collect data
on the pH of natural and manmade
sources of water on their site.
Stage 3
20 minutes
15 minutes
What’s Your Water’s
Address?
Learners will observe the affect of
water that runs off land and into
streams and rivers using a simple
paper watershed model. Next they
research the watershed that they
25 minutes
Investigate
Stage 2
Teach Content
Planet Knowing
1) identify the stages of the
water cycle.
2) observe how a
watershed functions in a
given area.
3) determine the effects of
pollution in a watershed.
4) locate the watershed
where they live.
5) collect data on the pH of
rainwater and the
personal use of the
water on the school site.
6) identify and understand
threats faced by the
Water Purification
Department on their
school site.
PROCEDURES IN BRIEF: Lesson 3– Discovering the Water Department on my Site!
Stage 1. The Water Cycle Cha-Cha
Stage 2. What’s Your Water’s Address?
Procedure:
Procedure:
1. Ask students what the stages of the water cycle are. Tell the group 1. Take the sheet of paper and crumple it; then Supplies
that we are going to do the Water Cycle Cha-Cha to review the
partially smooth it out, leaving some ridges.  sheet of white
stages water goes through around the Earth.
2. Use the markers to color along the edge of
paper
2. Have students get into a circle formation. The instructor will be in
the creases to represent different pollutants.
 shallow pan
the middle of the circle to show the „dance-steps‟.
3. Lay the paper out on the shallow pan and
 water-based
3. Demonstrate the steps or actions for each stage of the water cycle,
shape into a watershed. Use the creased
colored markers
as follows:
lines to show elevated land areas.

spray bottle with
Evaporation: Start from a crouching position close to the ground. Slowly 4. Spray the top of the watershed with water to
water
simulate
rain
until
the
colors
begin
to
flow.
come up in a swaying/waving fashion. Sway arms back and forth,
5. Point out how the water runs off the high
mimicking a haze of vapors rising.
 computer with
points and forms a stream in the valley.
internet access
Condensation: Groups of 3-5 students join together into „clouds‟ while
6. Ask: “Do you know your watershed
making tiny steps and shivering, as if cold.
address?” We each impact our watershed. Not only do you
Precipitation: If rain, students are to hold hands above head in closed
consume the water in your watershed, but you also can impact
fists, then move arms and body towards the ground, opening hands into
water flow and pollution through certain activities.
a splat/plop to signify rain. Sleet would be similar; however the action
more forceful and the student should shiver throughout. Snow could be 7. Explain that, like the paper watershed activity, a real watershed is
acted out more gracefully – same movement, but slow (ballerina-like).
the area of land that catches rain and snow and drains or seeps
Collection/Water Storage: Students act out their form of water storage as
into a marsh, stream, river, lake or groundwater.
they choose. A river could have a slow rippling motion with the arms.
8. Have learners shape their hands into a bowl. Mist water above
The ocean may be a more forceful body wave. Groundwater could lie on
their hands to demonstrate rainfall in a watershed area, the crevthe ground and gently shimmy. The lake could just stand still.
ice where their two hands come together being the stream.
4. Once the students feel comfortable with the motions, start the
9. Explain that watersheds are named after the main river or creek
Water Cycle Cha-Cha. You may have all learners start in one stage
that drains the water. Learners may name their “hand” watershed.
or let them choose their location „as water in the atmosphere‟. In
10. Have learners go to the following Environmental Protection
between each stage, students should do a „cha-cha‟ motion (1, 2, 3
Agency (EPA) web site to locate their watershed address : http://
shuffle with their feet) and move around in a circle.
cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm. Complete the Watershed
5. Continue through all stages of the water cycle.
Address Worksheet using information from the EPA website .
Stage 3. Looking a Water pH
Procedure:
1. Introduce the term pH (pondus
Supplies
hydrogenii--potential of Hydrogen).
 pens/pencils
Explain to learners that pH is a measure  clipboards
of the degree of the acidity of a solution.
 rain gauges
It is measured on a scale, called the pH
 pH paper
scale of 0 to 14. Less than 7 = acid.
Greater than 7 = base. A pH value of 7 is  cup/beaker
 labels
neutral.
 Standards
2. Ask: Why is pH important? [Possible
Checks Data
answers: fish cannot live in water if the
pH is too low or too high. Soil has to be
Sheet
a specific pH for plants to grow.]
 GEN Club Log
3. Explain to learners that they are going to
Book
test the pH of water.
4. Water will be collected from natural and manmade sources.
Natural sources: rainwater.
Manmade sources: different faucets, such as a water fountain, a bathroom or classroom faucet and/or outdoor faucet.
5. Place water samples in clean dry cups or beakers and label
the sources.
6. Remove a strip of pH paper and touch the paper to the water.
7. Remove the paper and let it stand for about one minute.
8. Compare the color of the paper to the colors on the package
of the pH paper. Record the value listed for the color that
matches your water sample on the Standards Checks Data
Sheet.
Stage 4. Traveling with a Drop of Water Journal
Reflection
Procedure:
1. Discuss the water cycle (as explained below) and human
activities that may affect water quality.
2. Give a brief overview of the „Traveling with a Drop of
Water‟ journal entry.
3. Allow students to find a quiet place outside with their
journals and/or „Traveling with a Drop of Water‟ worksheet.
4. Give students time to read through and complete the
journaling activity (15-20 minutes).
5. Gather students back together and allow those who want
to share to discuss their journal entries.
Did you know that water is constantly moving through the water
cycle? Water evaporates from bodies of water and transpires from
trees. It is in the gaseous state at this point. The water then
condenses in the clouds until the conditions are just right for
precipitation. The water then falls back to Earth and returns to
bodies of water or infiltrates into the ground. Wow! What a journey each drop of water takes. Now, can you imagine if there was
pollution at any stage of the water cycle? Air pollution, trash or
chemicals in a lake, fertilizers or pesticides in the soil - how do
you think this affects the water? Write a story about the life of a
water droplet. What are its experiences as it travels through the
water cycle? Does it encounter any pollution? How is the water
used while it is on land? (to swim, drink, water a plant) Have fun!
Background information, standards, worksheets, and complete activity write-ups are available in
the GEN manuals and also at www.gen.uga.edu