Project WET Kit - Albany County Stormwater Coalition
Contents
1. Answer Mississippi Hudson Normans Kill Krum Kill Salt Kill Patroon Creek and Kromma Kill etc Question Do you think that some of these rivers run through many cities The countryside Many neighborhoods Answer Yes Question Is that land used around these rivers used in different ways How Answer Yes agricultural residential and industrial uses Question Do you think that how the land is used can affect the river Answer Yes sediment fertilizer chemical waste runoff into the river and pollute it Question What do you think people living downstream would think about the water they get from their upstream neighbors if the land was being used to do all of these things Answer They probably wouldn t like it because it would be full of pollutants Question What kind pollutants point source or nonpoint source are people who own land more responsible for Answer Nonpoint source pollution this kind of pollution is caused by the things we do in our own backyards including fertilize wash cars mow our lawns etc Question Did anyone do anything to their land that polluted or added materials to the waterway Answer Yes sediment pet waste fertilizer chemicals etc Question How did the land owners towards the middle and end of the river or stream feel Page 28 of 31 Answer Disgusted all the pollutants are in the river or stream right next to my house and I didn t even do it Question Can a land owner downstrea2. Activity Lesson Plan Project WET Curriculum Book Macroinvertebrate Mayhem Page 322 Age Grade Level Upper Elementary Middle School Fun loving Adults Subject Areas Ecology Environmental Science Mathematics Duration Prep Time 50 mins Activity Time 50 mins NEED AT LEAST 7 PARTICIPANTS FOR THIS TO WORK ONE PARTICIPANT PER GROUP IF THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH PARTICIPANTS FOR ALL OF THE TAGS A TOTAL OF 35 TRY TO INCLUDE AS MANY OF EACH GROUP AS POSSIBLE THE DIRECTIONS ARE WRITTEN FOR 35 PARTICIPANTS MATERIALS 100ft rope to set the playing field boundaries Name Tags 4 Environmental Stressor 4 Damselfly side 1 rat tailed or midge side 2 4 Stonefly side 1 rat tailed or midge side 2 5 Dragonfly side 1 rat tailed or midge side 2 5 Mayfly side 1 rat tailed or midge side 2 5 Caddisfly side 1 rat tailed or midge side 2 and 8 Rat tailed Midge Rat tailed Midge are interchangeable because they both have a high pollution tolerance Burlap bags are for the caddisflies Macroinvertebrate Poster to show each organism s environmental role OBJECTIVE Illustrate how tolerance to water quality conditions varies among macroinvertebrate organisms explain how population diversity provides insight into the health of an ecosystem BACKGROUND Project WET Curriculum Book Macroinvertebrates organisms that lack an internal skeleton and are large enough to be seen with the naked eye are an integral part of wetland and stre
3. LINE THIS REPRESENTS THE POLLUTION THAT IS IN STORMWATER IN GENERAL THIS TIME WHEN YOU FLUSH THE RAINDROPS BLUE TOKEN GO INTO THE PIPE AS WELL IN THIS TRIAL IT IS ONLY LIGHTLY RAINING Script Flush One Page 14 of 31 FOR THE SECOND FLUSH EXPLAIN THAT THE RAIN HAS STOPPED AND IT IS SUNNY AGAIN SINCE THERE IS ONLY TWO PARTICIPANTS LEFT PER HOUSE YOU WILL ONLY SAY Flush Two ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS SHOULD MAKE IT THROUGH THE TREATMENT PLANT Script Flush Two Question Answer Script Question Does anyone have any pollution chips Where are they Answer No in the treatment plant Question So what does that mean about the water that just went into the River Answer It s clean Question Did the treatment plant do its job Answer Yes DIRECTIONS HAVE THE PARTICIPANTS RETURN TO THEIR HOUSES AND THE RAINDROPS POLLUTED STORMWATER BACK TO THEIR SPOTS AND GIVE BACK THEIR CHIPS THIS NEXT TRIAL WILL BE A HEAVY RAIN HAVE THE PARTICIPANTS WITH THE NUMBER 2 COME FORWARD THEY GET A BLUE CHIP AND WILL NOW ALSO BE RAINDROPS THIS TIME WHEN YOU SAY FLUSH EVERYONE WILL GO INTO THE SYSTEM THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF WATER THE TREATMENT PLANT CAN TAKE BEFORE IT OVERFLOWS IS THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS THAT WERE LET THROUGH DURING THE Flush Two three OF TRIAL ONE THIS NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS SHOULD BE TWICE THE NUMBER OF HOUSES EXAMPLE 4 HOUSES ONLY 8 PEOPLE INCLUDING THOSE ACTING AS RAINDROPS CAN GO THROU
4. UNDERGROUND AND THE SHORTER ROPE REPRESENTS THE OVERFLOW PIPE THAT LEADS TO THE RIVER YOU THE INSTRUCTOR WILL STAND AT THE END OF THE LONG ROPE PAST THE OVERFLOW PIPE YOU WILL REPRESENT THE TREATMENT PLANT YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTING TOKENS AND COUNTING OFF 3 SECONDS RED TOKENS WILL REPRESENT SANITARY WASTEWATER AND BLUE TOKENS WILL REPRESENT STORMWATER Page 13 of 31 RUNOFF IT TAKES 3 SECONDS FOR THE TREATMENT PLANT TO CLEAN WASTE FROM EACH HOUSEHOLD ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LONG ROPE ARRANGE CHAIRS BOOKS OR OTHER OBJECTS THAT WILL REPRESENT HOUSES IF OUTSIDE A STANDING INDIVIDUAL CAN REPRESENT A HOUSE MAKE ENOUGH HOUSES SO THAT EACH HOUSE WILL HAVE EXACTLY 3 PARTICIPANTS FOR EXAMPLE IF THERE ARE 15 PARTICIPANTS THEN THERE WILL BE 5 HOUSES IF THERE ARE EXTRA PARTICIPANTS THEY CAN BE THE TREATMENT PLANT ONE CAN COUNT ONE CAN COLLECT TOKENS OR ONE CAN DO BOTH CONNECT A SHORT ROPE FROM THE MAIN SEWER PIPE TO EACH HOUSE ON THE GROUND EACH OF THE SHORTER ROPES REPRESENTS THE PIPE THAT CONNECTS TO THE LARGE SEWER PIPE THAT GOES TO THE TREATMENT FACILITY SEE DIAGRAM BELOW GIVE EACH PARTICIPANT IN EACH HOUSE A RED TOKEN WASTE MATERIAL ASK 3 PARTICIPANTS TO LINE UP AT EACH HOUSE ASSIGN THE STUDENTS NUMBERS 1 THROUGH 3 AS YOU SAY FLUSH AND A NUMBER THE PARTICIPANT WITH THAT NUMBER PICKS UP A TOKEN LEAVES HIS HER HOME AND WALKS DOWN THE PIPES TOWARDS THE SEWAGE PLANT EACH PARTICIPANT STANDS AN ARMS LENGTH AWAY F
5. does that mean Answer The water was relatively healthy The pollution sensitive organisms were present Question What can we do to make sure that the water stays healthy Answer Do not pollute do not use lawn fertilizers or chemicals that can get in the waterways do not litter do not promote erosion sedimentation etc we can clean up after ourselves and plant vegetation near stream edges to make the water a nice place for all living things Page 12 of 31 d Activity Lesson Plan Project WET Curriculum Book Overflow Adapted from Super Bowl Surge Page 353 Age Grade Level Upper Elementary Middle School High School Fun loving Adults Subject Areas Government Environmental Science Health Duration Prep Time 15 mins Activity Time 30 mins MATERIALS 100 ft rope to represent the underground sewer pipe Short pieces of white rope 1 to represent the overflow pipe and the rest to connect the houses to the main sewer pipe Red tokens represent waste materials coming from each house Blue tokens represent pollution picked up from stormwater runoff when it rains and stormwater runoff in general OBJECTIVE Illustrate how demands on some sewage treatment plants cause an overflow of combined stormwater runoff and sanitary waste into waterways explain water quality issues and propose solutions to this water management problem BACKGROUND Project WET Curriculum Book Most urban communities depend on wastewater treatment plant
6. down Question What does the smaller streams getting bigger and connecting to the larger streams look like Answer The way tree branches look a nervous system in a human Page 21 of 31 Question How does where water flows impact drainage Answer Water cannot be absorbed into the ground it will flow over the land If there is a lot of water and nowhere for it to drain there will be an increase in the amount of flooding in the area Also flooding can be caused when the rivers and streams overflow their natural channels If the water is in a more open watershed it can drain more easily Question Did everyone notice that the color that was used to color the high points drained into the low areas What does this mean Answer Yes if there are a lot of places that water is coming from into one low point there might be drainage problems because of the amount of water Page 22 of 31 g Activity Lesson Plan Project WET Curriculum Book Just Passing Through Page 166 Age Grade Level Upper Elementary Middle School Fun loving Adults Subject Areas Earth Science Environmental Science Ecology Duration Prep Time 50 mins Activity Time 1 5 hours MATERIALS 100ft rope to represent the river in this activity Tokens are used to represent pollution or debris Poster Vegetation Helps Prevent Erosion OBJECTIVE Compare how fast water flows down slopes with and without plant cover identify Best Management Practices th
7. is a link to the New York State DEC website which offers general information about the booklet as well as how to obtain a copy of it e http www dec ny gov environmentdec 62720 html b About the Lesson Plans The following is a link to a section of the New York State DEC website that contains lesson plans about the Hudson River in various subject areas e http www dec ny gov education 25386 html Page 31 of 31
8. kill aquatic life Page 24 of 31 Question Compare how many tokens are at the end of the stream in simulations 3 and 4 Which simulation had more sediment in the stream Why Answer There was more sediment in the stream in simulation 4 than in simulation 3 This happened because there was no vegetation to filter the sediment out of the water drops The raindrops that were not absorbed by the vegetation made their way to the end of the stream with the sediment Eventually this sediment could build up in the waterways Question What are some Best Management Practices that people can do to stop erosion Answer Make sure not to cut away all vegetation from an area replant trees or make rain gardens small gardens that are placed in areas where there is a lot of water flow over the land to slow the water down and absorb it do not over water areas with a limited amount of vegetation SEE DIAGRAMS ON THE NEXT PAGE Page 25 of 31 DIAGRAMS OF ACTIVITY 1 Set up for simulation 1 and 3 Participants are representing vegetation Slope With Plant Cover mw RAINDROPS 2 Set up for simulation 2 and 4 Participants are representing small rocks Barren Slope T SMALL ROCKS Page 26 of 31 h Activity Lesson Plan Project WET Curriculum Book Sum of the Parts Page 267 Age Grade Level Upper Elementary Middle School Fun loving Adults Subject Areas Environmental Science Government Duration Prep Time 50 mi
9. landscaping areas to promote plant cover replanting areas cleared by logging monitoring water that enters and leaves cut areas building terraces catch basins and natural filters to mitigate sediment deposition in lakes streams etc and leaving a green or planted zone in riparian areas ACTIVITY DIRECTIONS MAKE A MEANDERING STREAM ON THE FLOOR WITH THE LONG ROPE Simulation 1 Plant Cover HALF OF THE PARTICIPANTS STAND AT THE TOP OF THE STREAM TO REPRESENT RAINDROPS EVERYONE ELSE IS GOING TO BE VEGETATION SEE DIAGRAM 1 BELOW THEY CAN STAND ANYWHERE AS LONG AS IT IS BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS AND THE STREAM WHEN YOU SAY RAIN THE RAINDROPS START TO WALK DOWN FROM THE TOP THROUGH THE VEGETATION THOSE REPRESENTING VEGETATION TRY TO TAG THE RAINDROPS AS THEY WALK PAST THEM VEGETATION CAN PIVOT AROUND ONE FOOT BUT CANNOT WALK AROUND IF A RAINDROP IS TAGGED HE SHE MUST WALK AROUND THE VEGETATION 5 TIMES THIS REPRESENTS THE WATER GETTING ABSORBED INTO THE GROUND AFTER THAT THE RAINDROPS CRAWL THE REST OF THE WAY TO THE STREAM THIS SHOWS HOW THE WATER MOVES UNDERGROUND TOWARDS THE STREAM ONCE IT IS ABSORBED ONCE IN THE STREAM PARTICIPANTS CAN WALK TO REST OF ITS LENGTH TIME HOW LONG IT TAKES VARIOUS PARTICIPANTS TO GET TO THE END OF THE STREAM Script Ready Rain DIRECTIONS START TIMING RECORD THE TIMES OF VARIOUS PARTICIPANTS ON A PIECE OF PAPER THIS SIMULATION TAKES THE LONGEST BECAUSE THE RAINDROPS ARE GETTING ST
10. sediment catch basins to collect construction runoff build earth berms and filter runoff before water enters stream use nonchemical deicers sand and ai on residential driveways and sidewalks read labels prior to using pesticides and fertilizers consider xeriscaping use nonchemical fertilizers compost on gardens dispose of household hazardous waste at approved disposal sites maintain septic tanks if sewers are not available Page 29 of 31 This page is intentionally left blank Page 30 of 31 V Discover the Hudson River The Hudson River is a highly valuable biological economic and scenic resource for New York State It provides habitat for numerous species of birds fish and other wildlife recreational opportunities such as boating and fishing is important for shipping and it is right in our own back yard In Albany County most of the water from streams as well as from stormwater runoff drains into the Hudson River Reasons like these demonstrate the importance of protecting this resource One way to accomplish this is through education Below we have provided links to innovative educational material regarding the Hudson River provided by the New York State DEC Project WET and the Hudson River Estuary Program We hope that you and your students will find these materials enjoyable as well as informative a About the Booklet This is an Project WET educational activity booklet about the Hudson River and the following
11. stream flows over time to protect fisheries to regulate floods or to meet seasonal demands Other studies determine the best method of protecting a river or lake from pollutants One aim of a researcher might be to determine which areas of a watershed contribute the highest percentage of contaminants This information is vital to policymakers and water managers when determining how to spend money for improvements For example most lake improvement projects address problems in the watershed as well as those of the lake It would prove fruitless to spend thousands or even millions of dollars to clean up a lake if problems in the watershed will only pollute the lake again When watershed managers investigate land use practices that might affect the quality of water they are concerned with two general sources of pollutants point and nonpoint Point source pollution involves pollutants that are discharged from and can be traced back to an identifiable point or source such as a factory s discharge pipe or a sewage ditch Nonpoint source NPS pollution occurs when the source of a contaminant is unidentifiable that is the pollutant can come from one of many places Examples of nonpoint source pollution include runoff from agricultural fields containing fertilizers and pesticides motor oil filtering from urban areas and sediments from eroded stream banks Surface runoff and ground water can transport both point and nonpoint source pollutants Since
12. the plant to the leaf surface When water reaches the leaves it is exposed to the air and the sun s energy and is easily evaporated This process is called transpiration All these processes work together to move water around through and over the Earth ACTIVITY Question Answer Script Let s start by talking about all of the different places water can go as it moves through the water cycle Question Can you name some of the different places water can go through the water cycle Answer Clouds ocean lakes rivers animals plants soil groundwater and glaciers DIRECTIONS PUT ALL OF THE STATIONS THE 9 PLACES WATER CAN MOVE TO AROUND THE ROOM PUT THE RESPECTIVE DIE AT EACH STATION PUT ONE CONTAINER OF BEADS AT EACH STATION Page 17 of 31 DIVIDE THE PARTICIPANTS EVENLY THROUGHOUT THE STATIONS EVERYONE PARTICIPATING IS GOING TO BECOME A WATER MOLECULE MOVING THROUGH THE WATER CYCLE Question Answer Script Question Where can water go from each station Answer From Soil To 2Plants water is absorbed by plant roots DRivers soil is saturated so water runs off Groundwater water is pulled up by gravity and filters down into the soil Clouds heat energy is added to the water so it evaporates Stay remains on the surface From Plants To Clouds water leaves the plant through transpiration Stay the water can be used by the plant in the cells From River To 2Lake water flows into the lake Groundwater water is pulled
13. wetlands to hold water is one reason they are valuable for watershed management Many wetlands store water and slowly release it over time Although all wetlands capture store and release water significant differences exist among wetlands One of the primary variables is soil type If a wetland forms on clay or other semi impervious soil a small amount of water infiltrates the ground standing water will be present Most of the water in such a wetland will be released into the atmosphere through evaporation At the other extreme is a wetland located on sandy ground Water moves into the soil at a rapid pace and unless the ground water level is above the surface most of the water will filter underground ACTIVITY DIRECTIONS SET UP THE 3 BINS ON A FLAT SURFACE WITH ONE SIDE PROPPED UP 45 THE STORAGE BIN LIDS WORK WELL FOR THIS AND THEIR APPROPRIATE LABELS 1 EMPTY TO REPRESENT PAVEMENT 2 WASHCLOTH ONE PIECE TO REPRESENT TURF 3 SPONGES COVER THE BOTTOM TO REPRESENT WETLANDS SEE DIAGRAM BELOW MAKE SURE THE LOWER END IS THE SIDE WITH THE HOLE FILL THREE OF THE MEASURING CUPS WITH WATER PUT ONE NEXT TO EACH BIN PUT THE OTHER THREE MEASURING CUPS EMPTY NEAR THE HOLES AT THE END OF EACH BIN TO CATCH THE WATER ONE FOR EACH TYPE OF SURFACE Page 7 of 31 POUR THE WATER INTO THE FIRST BIN PACEMENT SLOWLY COLLECT THE WATER THAT COMES OUT OF THE BIN IN ANOTHER MEASURING CUP DO NOT GET RID OF THE WATER POUR THE WATER INTO THE S
14. 10 Multicolored tokens also for 7 100 Incredible Journey Activity Lesson Card 1 Dice 9 Stations of Water Cycle 9 Beads 9 colors Containers for Beads 9 Pipe Cleaners 30 Hydrologic Cycle Poster 1 Branching Out Activity Lesson Card 1 Freezer Paper Sheet 6 x6 30 pc Water Base Pens 60 Spray Bottle 3 Container for Water also for 1 amp 2 1 Water Supply Just Passing Through Activity Lesson Card 1 100ft rope also for 3 amp 4 1 Tokens also for 4 100 Veg Helps Prevent Erosion Poster 1 Sum of the Parts Activity Lesson Card 1 Paper with Blue line 30 Final Page River Lake 1 Page 6 of 31 IV ACTIVITIES a Activity Lesson Plan Project WET Curriculum Book Capture Store Release Page 133 Age Grade Level Upper Elementary Fun loving Adults Subject Areas Earth Science Geography Duration Prep Time 20ins Activity Time 1hour MATERIALS Container with water enough for demonstration 3 Plastic Storage Bins with hole at one end one each for paved surface turf and wetland 3 Bin Tags one each for paved surface turf and wetland 3 Lids for Bins Poster about How Wetlands Work Poster surface water ground water precipitation Set of sponges for the wetland bin Green rag for the turf bin 6 1 Liter measuring cups each bin uses two cups one with starting water and one to catch the water Table top to put bins on OBJECTIVE Recognize that ground water surface water and precipitation ca
15. E DIAGRAM BELOW FOR WATER DISTRIBUTION Question Answer Script Question Does everyone understand that there is only a small amount of water available for humans Answer Yes Review how all of the water is being used Salt Water 970mL 1000mL 97 Glaciers Ice Caps 24mL 1000mL 2 4 Unavailable Underground Polluted Freshwater 6mL 1000mL 0 6 There is only 0 003 of the Earth s water available for human consumption Question This precious drop must be managed properly How can we do that Answer We can manage water better by not polluting litter oil fertilizers conservation efforts use less water when we shower telling other people how to be water conscious etc Question Is enough water currently available for people Answer Theoretically there is enough water for the people on the planet right now to have enough for their lifetime This does not include future generations Question Why does more than 1 3 of the population not have access to clean water Answer Land forms vegetation and distance inhibit getting water for some Drought contamination and flooding affect availability Also other organisms use water not only humans DIAGRAM OF ACTIVITY The amount of water that is available for humans after accounting for oceans ice caps and unavailable fresh water Almost _ Gmi POTABLE FRESH WATER SALT WATER GLACIERS AND UNAVAILABLE ICECAPS FRESH WATER Page 10 of 31 c
16. ECOND BIN TURF COLLECT THE WATER THAT COMES OUT OF THE BIN IN ANOTHER MEASURING CUP DO NOT GET RID OF THE WATER POUR THE WATER INTO THE LAST BIN WETLANDS COLLECT THE WATER THAT COMES OUT OF THE BIN IN ANOTHER MEASURING CUP DO NOT GET RID OF THE WATER Question Answer Script Question Compare how much water came out of each bin Which form of land cover absorbed the most amount of water HOLD UP MEASURING CUPS FOR EACH Why What does this mean Answer Wetlands this happened because wetlands are capable to storing a lot of water and then releasing it Slowly This means that there is water that can be used by plants and animals This also means that the water was slowed down enough so it cannot erode the land Question Which form of land cover absorbed the least amount of water Why What does this mean Answer Pavement None of the water was absorbed into the ground because there was no vegetation It cannot be used by plants or animals When water flows over the land like this it picks up pollutants like litter and oil along the way All of this ends up in our rivers because the storm drains on the sides of the roads go straight to the rivers When it rains a lot the water is flowing over paved surfaces it cannot be absorbed into the ground and the storm drains get backed up This causes flooding Question Which form of land cover falls in between Answer Turf some of the water was absorbed by the grass but most of it came out o
17. END OF THE PLAYING AREA THEY ALL HAVE TO TRY TO GET ACROSS THE FIELD WITHOUT GETTING TAGGED BY THE STRESSORS IN THE MIDDLE IF A PARTICIPANT GETS TAGGED HE SHE HAS TO FLIP HIS HER IDENTIFICATION TAG OVER TO THE RAT TAILED MIDGE SIDE ONCE IT IS FLIPPED TO THE OTHER SIDE IT CANNOT BE FLIPPED AGAIN TELL PARTICIPANTS TO MAKE SURE THEY DO ANY ASSIGNED MOVEMENTS START THE FIRST ROUND A ROUND ENDS WHEN ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE PLAYING FIELD FROM WHERE THEY STARTED RECORD THE NEW NUMBERS OF EACH MACROINVERTEBRATE AT THE END OF THE FIRST ROUND REPEAT THIS PROCESS FOR 3 ROUNDS TOTAL Question Answer Script Question What are different ways that the stream can become polluted Answer Sedimentation sewage fertilizer etc Question Compare how many of each group was present at the beginning of the activity compared to the end Answer At the end of each round there were more and more rat tailed maggots and midge larvae There were much less of the other macroinvertebrates caddisfly mayfly stonefly dragonfly nymph damselfly nymph Question What does this mean Answer The pollution was killing off the other macroinvertebrates this causes less biodiversity rat tailed maggots and midge larvae are more pollution tolerant they can live in bad water conditions environmental stressors really take a toll on the intolerant species Question In the beginning there were a lot of different types of macroinvertebrates What
18. GH THE TREATMENT PLANT BEFORE IT OVERFLOWS AFTER THE DETERMINED OVERFLOW NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS PASS THROUGH THE SYSTEM STOP AND YELL Overflow THE REST OF THE PARTICIPANTS MUST GO DOWN THE OVERFLOW PIPE AND LEAVE THEIR POLLUTION CHIP IN THE RIVER Question Answer Script Question Where is the pollution Does the treatment plant have it all Answer Treatment plant and river No some is in the river Question What does that mean for the river Answer That dirty water is getting into the river and making the river polluted Question Compare how the different trials and whether the system worked or there was overflow Answer For Trial 1 there was no overflow because there was not too much waste for the plant to handle There was not a huge surge of waste water There was more waste water to handle as it began to rain and people were flushing their toilets but the plant could still handle it In the last trial there was so much waste running down the sewer pipes and stormwater entering the system because it was raining really hard that the treatment plant could not take all of it in Question Is it understandable that some treatment plants cannot handle all of the waste water and added stormwater Answer Yes there are times when there is a lot of waste water like when it is raining hard If there are a lot of people in one area and a lot of rain then it makes sense that the sewer line will overflow Question What happens when
19. NS AT THE END OF THE STREAM THIS SIMULATION CAN BE REPEATED SO ROLES CAN BE SWITCHED Simulation 4 Barren and Sediment REPEAT THE PROCEDURES FOR SIMULATION 2 SCATTER SEVERAL TOKENS ON THE GROUND IN THE AREA BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS AND THE SMALL ROCKS TO REPRESENT LOOSE SEDIMENT RAINDROPS PICK UP TOKENS THAT ARE IN THEIR PATH TO THE STREAM WHEN A RAINDROP BUMPS INTO A ROCK PARTICIPANTS WALK AROUND THE ROCK AND GO INTO THE STREAM CARRYING THE TOKEN RECORD HOW MANY TOKENS ARE AT THE END OF THE STREAM Script Ready Rain DIRECTIONS THERE SHOULD BE MORE TOKENS AT THE END OF THE STREAM COMPARED TO SIMULATION 3 THIS SIMULATION CAN BE REPEATED SO ROLES CAN BE SWITCHED Question Answer Script Question Compare how long it took the raindrops to move from the top of the hill to the end of the stream in simulations 1 and 2 Which simulation had faster moving water Why Answer The water was moving faster in simulation 2 than in simulation 1 This happened because there was no vegetation on the hill in simulation 2 to slow the water by absorbing it Instead the raindrops that were not absorbed by the vegetation made their way to the end of the stream much faster Question What happens to the ground when rain water runs down a hill with no plants Answer The water would increase fast moving waters and flooding would start to erode the land sediments would end up in the lakes or oceans increase in erosion of the surrounding area can
20. OPPED BY THE VEGETATION THIS SIMULATION CAN BE REPEATED SO ROLES CAN BE SWITCHED Page 23 of 31 Simulation 2 Barren REPEAT THE PROCEDURES FOR SIMULATION 1 BUT ANYONE WHO WAS VEGETATION NOW SITS ON THE FLOOR TO REPRESENT A SMALL ROCK SEE DIAGRAM 2 BELOW THIS TIME WHEN A RAINDROP BUMPS INTO A ROCK PARTICIPANTS CAN WALK AROUND THE ROCK AND GO INTO THE STREAM TIME HOW LONG IT TAKES VARIOUS PARTICIPANTS TO GET TO THE END OF THE STREAM Script Ready Rain DIRECTIONS START TIMING RECORD THE TIMES OF VARIOUS PARTICIPANTS ON A PIECE OF PAPER IT TAKES LESS TIME THAN THE FIRST SIMULATION BECAUSE THE RAINDROPS ARE NOT GETTING STOPPED BY THE VEGETATION THIS SIMULATION CAN BE REPEATED SO ROLES CAN BE SWITCHED DIRECTIONS Simulation 3 Plant Cover and Sediment REPEAT THE PROCEDURES FOR SIMULATION 1 THIS TIME SCATTER SEVERAL TOKENS ON THE GROUND IN THE AREA BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS AND THE VEGETATION TO REPRESENT LOOSE SEDIMENT RAINDROPS PICK UP TOKENS THAT ARE IN THEIR PATH TO THE STREAM WHEN A RAINDROP IS TAGGED BY VEGETATION PARTICIPANTS LEAVE THE TOKENS AT THE BASE OF THE VEGETATION AND CONTINUE ONTO THE STREAM THIS SYMBOLIZES SOIL FILTERING RAINDROPS AND REMOVING SEDIMENT IF A PARTICIPANT DOES NOT ENCOUNTER VEGETATION HE SHE TAKES THE TOKENS INTO THE STREAM AND THEN LEAVES IT AT THE END OF THE STREAM RECORD HOW MANY TOKENS ARE AT THE END OF THE STREAM Script Ready Rain DIRECTIONS THERE SHOULD ONLY BE VERY FEW TOKE
21. Project WET Kit User Manual Stormwater Coalition of Albany County Source Project Wet Curriculum and Activity Guide Watercourse Project WET and the Council for Environmental Education 2005 Adaptation of Materials for Stormwater Coalition Christina Chiappetta Revised by Patricia Shultis 112 State Street Rm 720 Albany NY 12207 Special Thanks for Guidance and Support Diana Strisna NYS DEC Project WET Coordinator Five Rivers Environmental Education Center Date User Manual Completed March 19 2010 Revised January 5 2012 Stormwater Coalition of Albany County Albany County City of Albany Town of Bethlehem City of Cohoes Town of Colonie Village of Colonie Village of Green Island Village of Menands Town of New Scotland Village of Voorheesville City of Watervliet SUNY Albany II HI IV a b c d e 2 h PROJECT WET USER MANUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS General Information Page 3 Location and Stewardship of Project WET kits Page 4 Activity Inventory Check List Pages 5 6 Activities Capture Store and Release Pages 7 8 Drop in the Bucket Pages 9 10 Macroinvertebrate Mayhem Pages 11 12 Overflow Pages 13 16 Incredible Journey Pages 17 20 Branching Out Pages 21 22 Just Passing Through Pages 23 26 Sum of the Parts Pages 27 29 Discover the Hudson River Page 31 I GENERAL INFORMATION These activities are from the Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide In some cases th
22. ROM EACH OTHER AS THEY WALK DOWN THE MAIN PIPE WHEN THEY GET TO THE PLANT ASK THEM TO HAND THEIR TOKEN TO THE COLLECTOR THE TREATMENT PLANT COUNTS TO 3 AFTER THE FIRST TOKEN IS COLLECTED A SECOND TOKEN CANNOT BE TAKEN UNTIL 3 SECONDS HAS PASSED IF ALL THE STUDENTS IN THE LINE GET THEIR WASTE TREATED THE WASTE WATER SYSTEM HAS NOT OVERFLOWED FOR THE FIRST TRIAL THIS SHOULD BE DONE WITH ONLY ONE PARTICIPANT FROM EACH HOUSE Script Flush One DIRECTIONS PARTICIPANTS WITH THE NUMBER ONE SHOULD BE WALKING DOWN THE SEWER PIPE TO THE PLANT ALL OF THEIR WASTE SHOULD BE TREATED IN THE ALLOTTED TIME REPEAT THE SAME PROCEDURES AS THE FIRST TRIAL BUT FOR NUMBERS 2 AND 3IN THE SAME FLUSH E G Flush Two three ALL PARTICIPANTS SHOULD MAKE IT THROUGH THE TREATMENT PLANT Script Flush Two three Question Answer Script Question Does anyone have any pollution chips Where are they Answer No in the treatment plant Question So what does that mean about the water that just went into the River Answer It s clean Question Did the treatment plant do its job Answer Yes DIRECTIONS HAVE ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS RETURN TO THEIR HOUSES AND PUT THE RED TOKENS BACK IN FRONT OF THE HOUSES ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS WITH THE NUMBER 3 SHOULD COME FORWARD THEY ARE GOING TO BE POLLUTED STORMWATER RUNOFF RAINDROPS GIVE THEM EACH A BLUE TOKEN AND SPREAD THEM OUT BETWEEN THE HOUSES AND ALONG THE SIDES OF THE MAIN
23. T WILL GO NEXT SEE DIAGRAM BELOW AS THE PARTICIPANT MOVES TO EACH STATION HE SHE ADDS A BEAD FROM THAT STATION ONTO HIS HER PIPE CLEANER SO MOVEMENT THROUGH THE WATER CYCLE CAN BE TRACKED IF A PARTICIPANT ROLLS A STAY HE SHE Page 18 of 31 ADDS ANOTHER BEAD FROM THAT STATION TO HIS PIPE CLEANER LINE EVERYONE UP BEHIND THE DIE AT EACH STATION LET THE PARTICIPANTS ROLL THE DICE AND MOVE THROUGH THE WATER CYCLE UNTIL EACH STATION HAS ROLLED AT LEAST 10 TIMES Question Answer Script Question By looking at the beads on your pipe cleaners which station were you at the most Answer Cloud station most of the water on Earth turns into vapor at some point and ends up there Question What phase solid liquid or gas will water move in the most Answer Most of the movement will take place when water is in liquid form But when it moves to clouds it is in the form of vapor Question What conditions were necessary for water to move from station to station Answer Heat energy makes water move to the clouds as vapor Heat energy can also cause glaciers to melt and the water moves to the oceans or as round water in liquid form A change of phase due to heat energy being added water cooling and condensing transpiration evaporation water flowing water being used by plants or animals excretion gravity Question If there was water in a stream where could the water move What phases does it move in Answer To ground water if it fil
24. am ecosystems Examples of macroinvertebrates include mayflies stoneflies dragonflies rat tailed maggots scuds snails and leeches These organisms may spend all or part of their lives in water usually in their immature phases larvae and nymphs are spent entirely in water Larvae do not show wing buds and are usually very different in appearance from the adult versions of the insects Maggot is the term used for the larva of some flies Nymphs generally resemble adults but have no developed wings and are usually smaller A variety of environmental stressors can impact macroinvertebrate populations Urban and or agricultural runoff can produce conditions that some macroinvertebrates cannot tolerate Sewage and fertilizers added to streams induce the growth of algae and bacteria that consume oxygen and make it unavailable for macroinvertebrates Changes in land use from natural vegetation to a construction site or to poorly protected cropland may add sediment to the water Sedimentation destroys habitats by smothering the rocky areas of the streams where macroinvertebrates live The removal of trees along the banks of a river and alteration of stream velocity can both alter normal water temperature patterns in the stream Some organisms depend on certain temperature changes to regulate changes in their life cycles Other stressors include the introduction of alien species and stream channelization Some macroinvertebrates such as the mayfly and stonef
25. at Salt Lake in Utah water collects at a low point that lacks an outlet The only way water naturally leaves the system is through evaporating or seeping into the ground Most watersheds are open water that collects in smaller drainage basins overflows into outlet rivers and eventually empties into the sea ACTIVITY DIRECTIONS HAND OUT A PIECE OF FREEZER PAPER TO EACH PARTICIPANT ALONG WITH 2 MARKERS BLUE WATER GREEN RIDGES ALL PARTICIPANTS NEED TO CRUMPLE UP THE FREEZER PAPER ASK THEM TO UNWRINKLE IT BUT DO NOT FLATTEN IT OUT ALL THE WAY YOU WANT THEM TO HAVE HIGH PARTS LIKE MOUNTAINS AND LOW PARTS LIKE VALLEYS USE THE GREEN MARKER COLOR ON THE HIGH RIDGES AND USE THE BLUE MARKER TO COLOR IN THE LOW VALLEYS USE THE WATER BOTTLE TO SPRAY THE MODELS A FEW TIMES UNTIL WATER STARTS TO FLOW BE SURE TO SPRAY FROM ABOVE THE RIDGES Question Answer Script Question Where do you think the water would go in your model if there was a rainstorm Answer To the low points where there is water Question Does all of the water collect at one site What kind of watershed do you have open or closed Answer Yes open watershed because it is not contained No closed watershed because it is still contained in the paper at a low point Question Looking at the paper in front of you can everyone see that the smaller streams at the ridges eventually flow into larger waterbodies Answer Yes small streams where the water started out and then flowed
26. at can be used to reduce erosion BACKGROUND Project WET Curriculum Book As it flows over and through soil water filters through spaces among particles and around plant roots and vegetative matter This process slows the movement of water Sediment soil and other natural materials carried by water may be removed from the water as it is captured and stored by vegetation lakes ponds and wetlands Vegetation also helps hold soil in place When vegetation is removed by human or natural causes soil particles are more likely to be dislodged and carried away by water This is called erosion Soil being carried by water is a natural ongoing process Erosion has occurred since water appeared on the planet Consider the formation of the Grand Canyon or the gradual leveling of the Appalachian Mountains When soil and organic matter are carried by water from one location to another the destination site may be enriched and its surface area increased e g the floodplain of a river or delta However the effects of erosion are not always desirable Erosion of topsoil decreases the fertility of soil and sediment build up in streams and lakes can harm aquatic life Ensuring that the condition of a land area does not promote deleterious erosion and other water resource problems involves the use of Best Management Practices BMPs Watershed managers rely on BMPs that reduce erosion and nonpoint source pollution problems BMPs that prevent erosion include
27. bject Areas Earth Science Duration Prep Time 50 mins Activity Time 1 5 hours MATERIALS 9 Posters for each station of the water cycle 9 Dice for the students to roll to see where they move next in the water cycle there is one designated for each station what is written on dice corresponds to station 9 Colored beads to represent each of the stations in the water cycle Poster of the Hydrologic Cycle Pipe cleaners one for each student tracks where the student moved in the cycle OBJECTIVE Describe the movement of water within the water cycle identify the states of water as it moves through the water cycle BACKGROUND Project WET Curriculum Book While water does circulate from one point or state to another in the water cycle the paths it can take are variable Heat energy directly influences the rate of motion of water molecules When the motion of the molecule increases because of an increase in heat energy water will change from a solid to liquid to gas With each change in state physical movement from one location to another usually follows Glaciers melt to pools which overflow to streams where water may evaporate into the atmosphere Gravity further influences the ability of water to travel over under and above Earth s surface Water as a solid liquid or gas has mass and is subject to gravitational force Snow on mountaintops melts and descends through watersheds to the oceans of the world One of the most visible
28. demonstration Food coloring Blue to make the starting water is blue Measuring cup for all the Earth s water at the beginning and to hold water representing the ocean water 100mL graduated cylinder to hold the 30mL of water representing the fresh water 10mL graduated cylinder to hold the 6mL of water that represents the ice caps Eyedropper to drop the drop of water that is clean and usable into the bucket Bucket OBJECTIVE Calculate the percentage of freshwater available for human use explain why water is a limited resource BACKGROUND Project WET Curriculum Book Ironically on a planet extensively 71 covered with water this resource is one of the main limiting factors for life on Earth If all the clean fresh water were distributed equally among people there would be about 1 82 million gallons 7 million liters per person This is only about 0 003 of the total water on Earth On a global scale only a small percentage of water is available but this percentage represents a large amount per individual The paradox is that for some water may appear plentiful but for others it is a scarce commodity Why are some people in need of more water Geography climate and weather affect water distribution Agriculture industry and domestic use also affect availability ACTIVITY DIRECTIONS FILL THE MEASURING CUP WITH WATER THIS REPRESENTS ALL OF THE WATER ON EARTH Question Answer Script Question Does anyone know where most of t
29. e oxygen levels and temperatures conducive to growth all characterize a healthy stream ACTIVITY DIRECTIONS SET UP BOUNDARIES TO AREA USING ROPE MAKE A LARGE SQUARE SHOW THE PARTICIPANTS THE PLAYING FIELD SET BOUNDARIES PICK FOUR PARTICIPANTS TO BE THE ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS LIKE POLLUTION Page 11 of 31 DIVIDE THE REST OF THE CLASS INTO 6 GROUPS ASSIGN EACH GROUP A MACROINVERTEBRATE CADDISFLY MAYFLY STONEFLY DRAGONFLY DAMSELFLY AND RAT TAILED MAGGOT MIDGE LARVAE DISTRIBUTE IDENTIFICATION LABELS THE TAGS SHOULD BE FLIPPED TO THE SIDE WITH THE INTOLERANT OR FACULTATIVE ORGANISM CADDISFLY MAYFLY STONEFLY DAMSELFLY DRAGONFLY FACING OUT FOR THE RAT TAILED MIDGE TAG EITHER SIDE IS FINE RECORD HOW MANY OF EACH MACROINVERTEBRATE ARE PRESENT OXYGEN LEVELS IN THE WATER DECREASE WHEN THERE IS A LOT OF POLLUTION FOR THE PARTICIPANTS REPRESENTING CADDISFLIES THEY HAVE TO HOP IN THE PLAYING FIELD IN A POTATO SAC EVERY 5 HOPS THEY HAVE TO STOP FOR A BREATH BECAUSE THE CADDISFLY HAS A HARD TIME LIVING IN WATER THAT HAS LOW OXYGEN STONEFLIES HAVE TO DO A PUSH UP EVERY 10 STEPS BECAUSE WHEN THERE IS LOW OXYGEN IN THE WATER THEY UNDULATE ROLL THEIR ABDOMENS TO INCREASE THE FLOW OF WATER OVER THEIR BODIES THIS HELPS THEM BREATHE ALL MAYFLIES HAVE TO FLAP THEIR ARMS AND SPIN IN CIRCLES WHILE CROSSING PLAYING AREA BECAUSE MAYFLIES NEED TO INCREASE OXYGEN ABSORPTION BY MOVING THEIR GILLS ALL THE MACROINVERTEBRATES START AT ONE
30. ey have been adapted to fit the needs of the Stormwater Coalition 1 This particular Project WET kit contains the following activities and materials a Capture Store and Release Plastic storage bins with holes 3 Lids for the Bins 3 Sponges Green Rags 1 Liter measuring cups 6 Container for water Identification Tags for bins 3 Poster about How Wetlands Work b Drop in the Bucket Liter measuring cup 100mL graduated cylinder 10mL graduated cylinder Bucket Eyedropper Food coloring Container for water c Macroinvertebrate Mayhem 100ft rope Environmental stressor tags 4 Dragonfly tags 5 Damselfly Tags 4 Stonefly tags 4 Mayfly tags 5 Caddisfly tags 5 rat tailed maggot midge larvae tags 8 Burlap Sacks 5 Macroinvertebrate Poster d Overflow 100ft rope Pieces of white rope 10 Multicolored tokens 100 e Incredible Journey Laminated stations of the water cycle 9 Dice 9 Colored beads 9 Pipe cleaners 30 Poster The Hydrologic Cycle f Branching Out Freezer paper 1 roll Water base pens 60 Spray Bottles 3 Container for water g Just Passing Through 100ft rope Tokens 100 Poster Vegetation Helps Prevent Erosion h Sum of the Parts Paper with blue line 30 Final page with lake drawn 2 There are Activity Lesson Plans for all of the activities a table cloth with the Stormwater Coalition logo on it if there is a table set up and a table t
31. he water is located Answer Most of the water on Earth is in the oceans DIRECTIONS POUR 30ML FROM THE MEASURING CUP INTO THE 100ML GRADUATED CYLINDER THIS WATER REPRESENTS THE AMOUNT OF FRESH WATER ON THE PLANET IT IS ONLY ABOUT 3 OF ALL THE WATER ON EARTH SHAKE SALT INTO THE REST OF THE WATER LEFT IN THE MEASURING CUP THIS WATER REPRESENTS THE WATER IN THE OCEANS SALT WATER HUMANS CANNOT DRINK THIS WATER THAT MEANS THAT 97 OF THE WATER ON EARTH IS ALREADY UNUSABLE FOR HUMANS IT IS NOT GOING TO BE USED AGAIN IN THIS ACTIVITY Question Answer Script Question What is at the Earth s poles Answer The ice caps DIRECTIONS POUR 6ML FROM THE 100ML CYLINDER INTO A 10ML GRADUATED CYLINDER THE WATER LEFT IN THE LARGER CYLINDER 24ML REPRESENTS HOW MUCH OF THE EARTH S FRESH WATER IS FROZEN IN THE POLES IT IS ABOUT 2 4 OF THE WATER ON EARTH Question Answer Script Question Can humans use water if it is frozen in the ice caps Answer No Page 9 of 31 DIRECTIONS THE WATER IN THIS SMALL CYLINDER 6ML REPRESENTS THE NON FROZEN FRESH WATER OF THIS ONLY ABOUT 1 5ML IS SURFACE WATER THE REST IS UNDERGROUND SO WE STILL CANNOT USE IT TAKE AN EYDROPPER AND A BUCKET TAKE ONE DROP OUT OF THE WATER AND DROP IT INTO THE BUCKET MAKE SURE EVERYONE CAN HEAR IT HIT THE BOTTOM THIS DROP REPRESENTS HOW MUCH WATER IS CLEAN FRESH WATER THAT IS NOT POLLUTED OR UNAVAILABLE FOR USE THAT IS ONLY ABOUT 0 003 OF ALL THE WATER ON EARTH SE
32. ly nymphs and caddisfly larvae are sensitive intolerant to changes in stream conditions brought about by pollutants Some of these organisms will leave to find more favorable habitats but others will be killed or will be unable to reproduce Macroinvertebrates e g rat tailed maggots and midge larvae that may thrive in polluted conditions are called tolerant organisms Other organisms called facultative organisms e g dragonfly and damselfly nymphs prefer good stream quality but can survive polluted conditions Water quality researchers often sample macroinvertebrate populations to monitor changes in stream conditions over time and to assess the cumulative effects of environmental stressors Environmental degradation will likely decrease the diversity of a community by eliminating intolerant organisms and increasing the number of tolerant organisms If the environmental stress if severe enough species of intolerant macroinvertebrates may disappear altogether For example if a sample of macroinvertebrates in a stream consists of rat tailed maggots snails and dragonfly nymphs the water quality conditions of that stream are probably poor i e low oxygen level increased sediment contaminants If on the other hand the sample contains a diversity of organisms the stream conditions are likely good However baseline data is essential because some healthy streams may contain only a few macroinvertebrate species A variety of food sources adequat
33. m be affected by the actions of someone upstream Answer Yes all the upstream pollutants flow down the river downstream plots will have the poorest water quality because that is where all of the pollution ends up Question What about the property use plans Could they be better Answer Generally anything done to a plot of land is going to cause some sort of water pollution However land owners can use some BMPs to care for the waterbodies near their land Question What kind of BMPs could be used to alleviate the water pollution downstream SEE BELOW Answer BMPs include erosion control pick up pet waste make sure septic system is not leaking do not overuse fertilizers and pesticides fix oil leaks etc Source Major Sources of NPS Pollution and BMPs Best Management Practices Roads and Streets Agriculture Logging Mining Construction Residential monitor all water entering and leaving mine sites ons gt o plant ground cover to reduce erosion use strip cropping livestock prevent sediments from reaching streams and lakes by building terraces implement a plan to reduce erosion from roads dispose of paints solvents and petroleum products at approved disposal sites not in storm drains or street gutters fix automobile oil and fuel leaks stop oil dumping on rural roads use nonchemical deicers sand and ash on roads sidewalks and driveways construct a sediment catch ba
34. n contribute water to wetlands describe how wetlands capture store and release water BACKGROUND Project WET Curriculum Book Wetlands form a variety of places under myriad conditions along edges of rivers streams lakes and ponds in low lying woods in highway ditches built to collect rainwater draining from the road in low areas or fields even on mountains and hillsides where snowmelt and rainwater constantly run Although the definition of wetlands is still debated most agree they are areas where the soil is saturated for all or parts of the year Wetlands have qualities of both aquatic and terrestrial habitats Many variables contribute to the formation of wetlands including soil type elevation and water source The main determinant however is always water Surface water ground water and precipitation can each contribute water to wetlands When it rains much of the water that hits the ground runs over the surface of the land until it eventually collects in low spots e g ponds rivers or lake If it saturates the surrounding land wetlands may form Wetlands are also formed and fed by ground water seepage from uplands and from waterways Some wetlands are located where the ground water level is above the surface When the ground water level drops the wetland seems to disappear unless fed by surface water In this circumstance any water that enters the now dry wetland will be absorbed by the ground below The ability of
35. n the other side This means that a little of the water can be used by plants and sometimes animals but not much of it Question What type of land cover would collect pollutants the best Answer Turf or Wetlands Question What sources of water feed wetlands Answer Surface water ground water precipitation Question How do wetlands regulate surface water runoff Answer Surface water runoff is absorbed by wetlands to prevent erosion Also wetlands filter the pollutants out of the water runoff Question What can happen if the amount of water flowing over the land increases like when there is a huge downpour in one hour Answer Not all of the water can be absorbed and it can erode the ground Question What happens if it only rains a little Answer The water will probably all be absorbed by the wetlands There will not be much if any erosion Question Which type of land cover is best able to absorb a lot of water maybe if there is a flood Answer Wetlands they absorbed the most water in the activity DIAGRAM OF ACTIVITY How to set up each bin This diagram shows the bin with sponges which represents wetlands Page 8 of 31 b Activity Lesson Plan Project WET Curriculum Book Drop in the Bucket Page 238 Age Grade Level Middle School Fun loving Adults Subject Areas Earth Science Mathematics Geography Duration Prep Time 30 mins Activity Time 30 mins MATERIALS Container with water enough for
36. ns Activity Time 50 mins MATERIALS Pieces of paper with a blue line are the plots of land on the river that the participants are going to draw on The final page with a lake goes on the end of all the other papers after they are connected OBJECTIVE Distinguish between point and nonpoint source pollution recognize that everyone contributes to is responsible for a river or lakes water quality identify Best Management Practices to reduce pollution BACKGROUND Project WET Curriculum Book The quality of water in a river or lake is to a large extent a reflection of land uses and natural factors found in its watershed If soil near a river or lake naturally erodes chances are the river has sediment and turbidity problems If the land has stable vegetative cover erosion is kept in check When humans settle and develop land water quality is affected Breaking sod cutting forests building cities mining and other land uses make an impact upon water quality Everyone bears responsibility for the health of a watershed and the water systems rivers lakes wetlands etc within a drainage basin Individual actions both negative and positive add up Understanding a river or lake s water quality and quantity involves investigating the condition of the contributing watershed If the watershed is polluted the river will likely be polluted Watershed investigations are conducted for many reasons Some investigations monitor changes in river and
37. op easel for the visuals 3 The supplies provided in this kit are enough for groups of up to 30 participants If there are supposed to be more participants please contact Nancy Heinzen 518 447 5645 for additional materials 4 Some activities will not work with very small groups Please read about the activity before trying to execute it 5 Please return all items to the kit there is an Activity Inventory Check List in the kit As items are returned check them against this inventory list If any items are missing or need to be replenished contact Nancy Heinzen 6 If you would like more information about Project WET go to www projectwet org Page 3 of 31 Il LOCATION AND STEWARDSHIP OF PROJECT WET KITS The following is a list of the municipalities organizations that have one of the Project Wet kits Organization Code Town of Bethlehem Brian Kise Stormwater Town of 445 Delaware Delmar NY 12054 518 439 4955 bkise townofbethlehem org Program Bethlehem Avenue Ext 1141 Coordinator Village of Colonie Carl Fleshman Supt of Village of 2 Thunder Road Colonie NY 12205 518 869 0312 DPW colonievillage org Public Works Colonie Asst to the Island Street NY Mayor Water Conservation Martin Rd NY District ACSWCD SW Coalition of Nancy Heinzen SW Coalition SW Coalition of 112 State Street Albany NY 1220 518 447 5645 nheinzen albanycounty com Albany County Program Albany County Rm 720 Coordinator If you w
38. ould like to borrow a kit contact one of the municipalities organizations listed above or Nancy Heinzen Page 4 of 31 IIl ACTIVITY INVENTORY CHECK LIST Project Wet Kit Borrowed By Assume Group of 30 Date Borrowed Activity Inventory Check List Date Returned Starting Needs to be Activity Materials Amount Missing re stocked Capture Store Release Activity Lesson Card 1 Plastic Storage Bin 3 Lid for bin 3 Sponges Wetland Bin 1 set Green Rag Turf Bin 1 1 Liter Measuring Cup 6 Container for water also for 2 amp 6 1 Bin Tags 3 How a wetland works Poster 1 Water Suply 1 Drop in the Bucket Activity Lesson Card 1 Food Coloring 1 set Container for Water also for 1 amp 6 1 1 Liter Measuring Cup 2 100mL Graduated Cylinder 1 10mL Graduated Cylinder 1 Bucket 1 Eyedropper 1 Water Supply Macroinvertebrate Mayhem Activity Lesson Card 1 100ft rope also for 4 amp 7 1 Envi Stressor Tag 4 Dragonfly 5 Damselfly 4 Stonefly 4 Mayfly 5 Caddisfly 5 Rat tailed Midge Tag 8 Burlap Bags 5 Macroinvertebrate Poster 1 Page 5 of 31 Overflow Activity Lesson Card 1 100ft rope also for 3 amp 7 1 Pieces of White rope
39. perty A house 2What did you do with your toilet water gt If you have a septic tank do you check it regularly for leaks 2 Do you have a dog gt Where does it poop A farm 2Do you have animals 2 Do you let them walk in the stream gt If you do then they probably poop in the stream Do you want to drink that 2Are you growing things Using fertilizers pesticides A factory gt Where does the waste from the factory go 2Do you treat any waste from the factory before it goes into the river 2 Do you have a parking lot 2 Are there any oil spots on the parking lot They can run off when it rains An amusement park 2 Do you have a parking lot 2 Are there any oil spots on the parking lot They can run off when it rains gt What do you do with food waste containers gt What about garbage litter from the park making its way to the river No development Natural 2 Your land is absorbing pollutants and filtering them 2 Is there anything flowing past your land in the river that you didn t put there gt Where is it coming from 2 Do you like that DIRECTIONS TO SUMMARIZE MOVE THE ITMES DOWN THE RIVER FROM THE FIRST POSTER TO THE LAKE OR POND SHOW THE PARTICIPANTS THE LAKE POND PAGE PARTICIPANTS ARE ABLE TO VISUALIZE THE ACCUMULATION OF THE POLLUTANTS THAT CAME DOWN THE RIVER AND ENDED UP IN THE LAKE Question Answer Script Question Can we name major rivers in the United States local steams in Albany County or in your town
40. point source pollutants are identifiable they are easier to monitor The protection of surface and ground water resources from NPS pollution presents an enormous challenge because of the widespread and diverse nature of the problem Land and water managers rely on methods called Best Management Practices or BMPs to describe land use measures designed to reduce or eliminate NPS pollution problems ACTIVITY DIRECTIONS PARTICIPANTS WILL PRETEND THEY HAVE JUST INHERITED A PIECE OF RIVERFRONT PROPERTY AND A MILLION DOLLARS HAND OUT THE PIECES OF PAPER WITH A SECTION OF RIVER DRAWN ON EACH THE BLUE LINE IS WATER AND THE BLANK IS THE LAND EACH PARTICIPANT OWNS AS THE OWNER OF THE LAND EACH PARTICIPANT CAN DEVELOP THE LAND HOWEVER HE SHE GIVE THEM TIME TO DRAW WHEN EVERYONE IS FINISHED LINE UP THE PIECES PF THE RIVER OR A PORTION IF IT IS A LARGE GROUP PRETEND THAT THEY ARE ALL ALONG THE SAME RIVER START WITH POSTER 1 THE FARTHEST UPSTREAM PARCEL ASK THE PARTICIPANT TO TELL EVERYONE ABOUT THE PARCEL THAT HE SHE JUST DEVELOPED ASK LEADING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PARCEL SINCE EVERYONE DRAWS SOMETHING DIFFERENT SEE BELOW TRY TO Page 27 of 31 KEEP TRACK OF SOME OF THE THINGS ENDING UP IN THE RIVER BY WRITING THEM DOWN ON THE LAST PAGE THE LAKE POND AS EACH PARTICIPANT TALKS ABOUT THE POLLUTION HE SHE IS ADDING TO THE RIVER HAVE HIM HER PLACE AN ITEM E G A PENCIL ON THE PARCEL Leading Questions based on what was built on pro
41. s of humans and other animals Waterborne diseases such as dysentery and hepatitis are transmitted by contaminated water Organic waste promotes the growth of many microorganisms When populations of bacteria and other single celled organisms increase dramatically bloom they use more than their share of oxygen and nutrients Toxins produced by the microorganisms and reduced oxygen levels endanger plants and animals When sewage ends up in waterways humans are warned not to eat shellfish and other aquatic life because the may harbor poisons released by the microorganisms To treat increased amounts of waste and stormwater several alternatives are evaluated by managers Options include building larger treatment plants building green infrastructure to help absorb the stormwater before it gets into the system or separating the stormwater and sewage systems Residents can conserve water by limiting daily toilet flushes placing a bottle in their tanks to reduce the water used per flush and installing toilets that use very little water Sometimes water management policies must change This involves government planning boards consulting experts on methods to alleviate the problem Boards evaluate plans based on available funds and on the needs and expectations of their communities ACTIVITY DIRECTIONS RUN LONG ROPE DOWN CENTER OF ROOM AND ATTACH ANOTHER SHORT ROPE PERPENDICULAR TO IT TOWARDS ONE END THE LONG ROPE REPRESENTS A SEWER PIPE RUNNING
42. s start to run OBJECTIVE Predict where water will flow in watersheds describe drainage patterns in watersheds BACKGROUND Project WET Curriculum Book When the ground is saturated or impermeable to water during heavy rains or snowmelt excess water flows over the surface of the land as runoff Eventually this water collects in channels such as streams The land area that drains water into the channels is called the watershed or drainage basin Watersheds are separated from each other by areas of higher elevation called ridge lines or divides Near the divided of a watershed water channels are narrow and can contain fast moving water At lower elevations the slope of the land decreases causing water to flow more slowly As smaller streams merge together the width of the channel increases Eventually water collects in a wide river that empties into a body of water such as a lake or ocean From an aerial view drainage patterns in watersheds resemble a network similar to the branching pattern of a tree Tributaries similar to twigs and small branches flow into stream the main branches of the tree Streams eventually empty into a large river comparable to the trunk Like other branching patterns e g road maps veins in a leaf the human nervous system the drainage pattern consists of smaller channels merging into larger ones Watersheds are either closed or open systems In closed systems such as Crater Lake in southwest Oregon or the Gre
43. s to ensure that water used by residences and businesses returns to nature clean Engineers and city planners consider many factors when they design wastewater treatment plants These considerations include current and projected population growth types of businesses high usage periods financial resources available to build appropriate treatment systems and government regulations laws and standards In addition to this some systems also have stormwater runoff going into them This is a combined sewage stormwater system However as an area becomes more urbanized with more houses and impervious surfaces like roads being built stormwater is less likely to be absorbed into the ground and instead is washed over the ground and ends up in the storm drains As populations grow sometimes far exceeding the expectations of planners and as the infrastructure of plants age treatment plants may be unable to handle the increased output of residential waste combined with increasing amounts of stormwater In heavy rain events the excess amount of stormwater going into the system combined with the wastewater can cause the wastewater treatment plant to back up During times of overflow some plants must dump excess waste directly into a body of water such as a river or an overflow pond Unsightly and odorous untreated waste leads to multiple health hazards for humans and wildlife Sewage contains bacteria protozoa and viruses that normally live in the intestine
44. sin to collect storm water runoff reduce road construction runoff by building terraces and catch basins and by planting cover crops read and follow all labels and ask for application directions before using chemicals fertilizers and pesticides use conservation tillage use contour farming leave filter strips and field borders along wetlands and streams us cover crop to protect exposed soil rotate crops plant shelter belts and windbreaks institute pasture management terrace areas prone to erosion construct livestock waste collection and treatment ponds for confined use grassed waterways mE seal abandoned or waste disposal wells fence waterways to reduce riparian zone impact by livestock monitor water entering and leaving cut areas catch basins and natural filters leave a vegetative buffer zone in riparian areas maintain and restore effective watersheds intercept and r route uncontaminated water away from contaminated areas keep clean water clean construct catch basins and terraces and plant cover crops to catch sediment and prevent erosion catch and treat contaminated water clean contaminated water stabilize stream channels stabilize mining waste areas to prevent release of materials to streams maintain buffer strips atong streams implement a sediment contro plan dispose of solvent paint and other wastes at approved disposal sites build temporary small dikes to slow and catch runoff build
45. states in which water moves is the liquid form Water is seen flowing in streams and rivers and tumbling in ocean waves Water travels slowly underground seeping and filtering through particles of soil and pores within rocks Although unseen water s most dramatic movements take place during its gaseous phase Water is constantly evaporating changing from a liquid to a gas As a vapor it can travel through the atmosphere over Earth s surface In fact water vapor surrounds us all the time Where it condenses and returns to Earth depends upon loss of heat energy gravity and the structure of the Earth s surface Water condensation can be seen as dew on plants or water droplets on the outside of a glass of cold water In clouds water molecules collect on tiny dust particles Eventually the water droplets become too heavy and gravity pulls the water to Earth Living organisms also help move water Humans and other animals carry water within their bodies transporting it from one location to another Water is either directly consumed by animals or is removed from foods during digestion Water is excreted as a liquid or leaves as a gas usually through respiration When water is present on the skin of an animal for example as perspiration evaporation may occur The greatest movers of water among living organisms are plants The roots of plants absorb water Some of this water is used within the body of the plant but most of it travels up through
46. ters into the soil as a liquid into an animal if it drinks it as a liquid to an ocean if it flows into an ocean as a liquid to the clouds if it evaporates as vapor Question Did any of you go back to the same station that you started at Answer Yes the water was cycling Even though the water changed phases and moved to different places it is possible for water to move through all of the stations repeatedly DIRECTIONS RETURN BEADS AND PIPE CLEANERS TO KIT SEE DIAGRAM ON THE NEXT PAGE Page 19 of 31 DIAGRAM OF ACTIVITY How the participants move from station to station The activity varies from the one in the curriculum book as it does not call for participants moving in pairs between stations PARTICIPANTS MOVING ANIMALS r3 UND WATER e GRO Page 20 of 31 f Activity Lesson Plan Project WET Curriculum Book Branching Out Page 129 Age Grade Level Middle School Fun loving Adults Subject Areas Earth Science Geography Duration Prep Time 50 mins Activity Time 1 5 hours MATERIALS Container of water enough for demonstration Freezer paper there needs to be enough so each person can have one Sheet 6 x6 Water based pens are used to draw on the freezer paper each person need two colors preferably blue for water and green for land Spray bottles are used to spray the freezer paper after it has been drawn on so everyone can see the flow of water in the watershed when the color
47. up by gravity and filters down into the soil Ocean water flows into the ocean 2Animal an animal drinks the water Clouds heat energy is added to the water so it evaporates Stay water stays in the current of the river From Clouds To Soil water condenses and falls on soil Glacier water condenses and falls as snow onto a glacier Lake water condenses and falls into a lake Ocean water condenses and falls into the ocean Stay water remains as a water droplet clinging to a dust particle in the sky From Ocean To Clouds heat energy is added to the water so it evaporates Stay water remains in the ocean From Lake To Ground water water is pulled up by gravity and filters down into the soil 2Animal an animal drinks the water 2River water flows into a river Clouds heat energy is added to the water so it evaporates Stay water remains within the lake or estuary From Animal To Soil water is excreted through feces and urine Clouds water is respired or evaporated from the body Stay water is incorporated into the body From Ground Water To River water filters into a river Lake water filters into a lake Stay water stays underground From Glacier To Ground water ice melts and water filters into the ground Clouds ice evaporates and water goes to the clouds sublimation 2River ice melts and flows into a river Stay ice stays frozen in the glacier DIRECTIONS IN THIS GAME A ROLL OF THE DIE AT THE STATION DETERMINES WHERE THE PARTICIPAN
48. wastewater combined with stormwater enters the river untreated Answer Bacteria grows and can infect humans and wildlife the bacteria uses up a lot of oxygen that other organisms in the water need smells bad etc Question The second time we went through the system there was a little rain and the system still worked How can we make it more like that Answer We use design practices so that more stormwater runoff goes into the ground rather than enter the combined wastewater and stormwater system These practices are called green infrastructure and include rain gardens stormwater planters tree plantings porous pavement etc We can also separate the stormwater and sewage systems so that we don t have that much water going to the treatment plant Page 15 of 31 DIAGRAM OF ACTIVITY How to set up the houses pipes and treatment plant HOUSEHOLD SEWER LINE COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW LINE Houses Y Overflow Pipe Trial 1 4 1 Treatment Plant 1 2 3 1 2 3 Houses M 2 1 2 1 7 Overflow Pipe Raindrops Treatment Plant Trial 3 Houses Y l bE 1i 4 d Raindrops Overflow Pipe a a E Treatment Plant Page 16 of 31 e Activity Lesson Plan Project WET Curriculum Book The Incredible Journey Page 161 Age Grade Level Upper Elementary Middle School Fun loving Adults Su
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