Developed by Marty Green, GLBRC RET participant, Summer 2012
Water Usage and Movement in Two Biofuel CropsEstablished Goals:
* Hydrogeology Fresh water moves over time between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.
Understandings: / Essential Questions:
Students will understand that water is essential to biofuel crop production. / * What provocative questions will foster inquiry, understanding, and transfer of learning?
What role does water play in plant production?
How does water movement and availability effect crop production?
What is transpiration and why is it necessary for growth?
What is residence time in soils and why does it matter?
To irrigate or not to irrigate crops?
What happens to cropping systems when water is in short supply?
* Water amounts and infiltration into the soils
are critical to plant growth.
* Residence time and soil type are important
for water availability for plants.
* Plant types are specialized for water use.
* Changes in water systems will impact
quality, quantity, and movement of water.
* What specific understandings about them are desired? Students need to explain the features and processes of water movement in biofuel cropping systems and how the sustainability is affected based on the drought of 2012?
* What misunderstandings are predictable?
All plants function the same way. All crops are equal in water use. Transpiration is a process necessary for production in cropping systems. (98% of plant water intake is lost to transpiration on average in corn)
Students will know . . . / Students will be able to
* What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?
The students will be able to explain water infiltration and availability to plants in soils.
The students will gain understanding in the process that plants use water.
The students will compare data sets from two growing seasons from two separate biofuel crops to draw conclusions about productivity based on water availability and use.
* What should they eventually be able to do as a result of such knowledge and skill?
Students will be able to draw conclusions based on the data presented as to which biofuel crop to plant based on water availability.
Stage 2 - Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks: / Other Evidence:
* Students will be given an overall inquiry question to answer based on data and understanding gained by completing activities and evaluating data sets on water availability and production of biofuel crops. / * Through what other evidence (e.g. quizzes, tests, academic prompts, observations, homework, journals) will students demonstrate achievement of the desired results? Student’s observations and data collection for activities for transpiration, infiltration and water availability in the field.
* By what criteria will performances of understanding be judged? Students will be asked to draw conclusions about which biofuel crop would be better in water efficiency based upon data that is given for crops. / * How will students reflect upon on self-assess their learning? Students will be given the opportunity to put together facts to explain which crop will be best for water conservation based upon production and availability.
Stage 3 - Learning Plan
Learning Activities:
What learning experiences and instruction will enable students to achieve the desired results?
Prior Knowledge
Groundwater is a significant reservoir and source of freshwater on Earth. The recharge and movement of groundwater depends on porosity, permeability, and the shape of the water table. The movement of groundwater occurs over a long period time. Groundwater and surface water are often interconnected.
Describe that the water cycle includes evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, surface runoff, groundwater, and absorption.
Plants are producers; they use the energy from light to make sugar molecules from the atoms of carbon dioxide and water. Plants use these sugars, along with minerals from the soil, to form fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
Hook for students
Use 2012 pictures of the drought that is affecting the United States and then make the connection to biofuel crop production.
Activities for lesson
Taking soils samples and seeing the different make up of soils
Use an infiltration measure to compare soils and water movement in the soils.
Measuring transpiration rate of a plant to observe and understand water use in plants.
Use data sets to compare graphs of two cropping systems during a two year period of time and look at production yields and water percentage amounts available
Essential guided inquiry question:
You and your team will be put into the role of a cooperative farmer in the Midwest with some marginal land that has been in set aside. Your team is interested in planting for cellulosic biofuel crops. Your task will be to decide between Switchgrass and Miscanthus to plant based upon climatic changes focused on water availability factors. (Remember this is a business and even though you think green you want to make a profit.)
Ideas for tasked based upon lesson
- Background work on the two types of biofuel crop
- Yields per acre comparison
- Climatic factors
- Use of Data analysis for soil moisture
- Hydrologic cycle knowledge of ground water movement
- Transpiration knowledge and plant water use
Water Cycle - Groundwater Movement and Infiltration
Overview
http://www.cns-eoc.colostate.edu/msp-nrel.html Lesson is taken from here as part of a large packet taken from Pathways to Environmental Science Literacy from Colorado State University based on the water cycle.
Objectives
At the conclusion of the lesson, students will be able to:
Identify that different surfaces have different porosity and permeability.
Collection of data using infiltration tubes
Draw conclusions from graphing data from different locations
Length of Lesson
Length 45 – 50 minutes
Grade Levels
Grade levels Middle and High School
Standards covered
Middle School
Water Cycle- Water circulates through the four spheres of the Earth in what is known as the “water cycle.”
Explain the water cycle and describe how evaporation, transpiration, condensation, cloud formation precipitation, infiltration, surface runoff, ground water, and absorption occur within the cycle.
Analyze the flow of water between the components of a watershed, including surface features and groundwater.
Water Cycle
Water circulates through the crust and atmosphere and in oceans, rivers, glaciers, and ice caps and connects all of the Earth systems. Groundwater is a significant reservoir and source of freshwater on Earth. The recharge and movement of groundwater depends on porosity, permeability, and the shape of the water table. The movement of groundwater occurs over a long period time. Groundwater and surface water are often interconnected.
Describe that the water cycle includes evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, surface runoff, groundwater, and absorption.
Analyze the flow of water between the elements of a watershed, including surface features and groundwater.
Materials – Prepare packets for data collection for each student group and clipboard
Student group materials
· Water containers (Gallon Jugs)
· Infiltrometers
· Student handouts and clipboards
· Scouted spaces for measurements
· Timer
· Impermeable surfaces need clay around base
Background
Web Sites
http://geology.com/teacher/water.shtml
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/waterdistribution.html
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/dwg/gw/education/groundwaterguide/Groundwater_Guide_FINAL_021306.pdf
http://edr1.educ.msu.edu/EnvironmentalLit/publicsite/html/wc_tm_10-11.html
http://www.cns-eoc.colostate.edu/msp-nrel.html
Activities of the session
1. Linkage to the Colorado state web site to download lesson 3.2 Infiltration
Resources
· Infiltrometers made from clear or white PVC pipe
Extensions and Modifications
How lesson could be modified up to teachers level (see attached documents)
Assessment
See attached sheets
Exploration 3.2: Testing Fundamental Processes: Infiltration
Taken from http://www.cns-eoc.colostate.edu/msp-nrel.html
Different surfaces have different porosity and permeability. Porosity is a way to describe how much pore space is in the substance. Permeability is a measure of how well the pores are connected to allow water to flow through the substance. For this activity we will use the terms permeability and infiltration. Other similar words are absorb and percolate.
Note: This activity will not work if the ground is frozen.
Steps
1. Administer formative assessment.
2. Have your students make a prediction by ranking the permeability’s of surfaces. (Highest permeability allows the most water to flow through it. Lowest permeability allows the least water to flow through it.)
3. Use the infiltrometers to measure the rate of infiltration of each different surface.
4. Have students compare their Rankings of Permeability’s, then combine student data from the infiltrometers onto an overhead transparency and discuss.
Examples of student work
Discussion or Science Notebook Writing Prompts
· Where does water that infiltrates go?
· Why does sand drain faster than soil?
· What are some ways that might allow water to return to the surface?
Infiltration Formative Assessment
1. Start by drawing and labeling what you think it looks like underground.
2. A plastic tube is pressed into the ground and water is poured in. Next, use a combination of arrows and labels to show where water goes if it were allowed to drain out the bottom of the tube.
Infiltrometer Instructions and Data Sheet
1. We need to place the infiltrometer on the surface you want to test and make a good seal. In sand or loose soil, simply push the tube into the ground. In hard packed soil or gravel, you may need to twist, push harder, or wet the soil a tiny bit. On concrete, asphalt, or roofing shingles you will need to create the seal with a 25 cm long ‘snake’ made out of the modeling clay. The snake should be about 1 cm in diameter.
2. Find a spot on the ground that is smooth and free of plants. Have someone in your group get ready to write down the numbers you read off once the experiment begins.
3. Use the gallon containers of water to fill the infiltrometers up to the 0 mL mark then quickly start the stopwatch. Every 15 seconds, read and record the water level.
4. Plot your results on the graph below.
5. Repeat test on two different types of surfaces.
6. Rank your three surfaces by permeability and be prepared to share with the class.
Water Cycle – Looking at soil types
Water Retention and Classification of soil types
Overview
Students will be sampling soils from two areas and completing a water retention activity and soil classification activity to understand about water retention and soil particles.
Objectives
At the conclusion of the lesson, students will be able to:
Identify that different soil types have different porosity and permeability.
Collection of data using water movement
Students will classify soils based on percentages of materials.
Length of Lesson
Length 45 – 50 minutes
Grade Levels
Standards covered
Water Cycle
Water circulates through the crust and atmosphere and in oceans, rivers, glaciers, and ice caps and connects all of the Earth systems.
Groundwater is a significant reservoir and source of freshwater on Earth.
The recharge and movement of groundwater depends on porosity, permeability, and the shape of the water table. The movement of groundwater occurs over a long period time.
Describe that the water cycle includes evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, surface runoff, groundwater, and absorption.
Materials – Prepare packets for data collection for each student group and clipboard
Student group materials- (2 soil samples from the field)
· 2 funnels
· Coffee filters
· 2 capture containers
· 1 graduate
· 20 0z container with lid
· Access to water
· Student handouts and clipboards
Background
Organic and inorganic materials that make up soil samples
Particle sizes of sediments in samples
Activities of the session
Soil Retention Rates and Types
Guiding Question
Which soil sample has greater water retention?
(Students will use there samples gathered in the field for this activity.)
Resources:
Watch the video to help with the process
http://www.blinkx.com/watch-video/soil-and-water-rettion/bMMEFmATEUtXsPej4Fm37A
http://www.tulsamastergardeners.org/blackbox/soil_clas_calc.htm
http://www.organicrosecare.org
http://www.challenger.org/lessons/18.pdf
http://organiclifestyles.tamu.edu/soilbasics/soilphysical.html
http://www.bu.edu/gk12/ryan/StampWeb-Lessons/soils.html
Materials
· 2 soil samples well mixed in ziplock bag
· 100 ml graduate
· 2 beakers
· 2 funnels
· 2 coffee filters
· Student Data collection sheet
· 2 20oz jar and lid
· Metric ruler
· Soil Type Chart
· scale
Soil Type Activity
Use your two samples of soil well mixed and remove all rocks and loose vegetative matter-twigs, etc. Mix up the remainder thoroughly. Place one sample in each container (remember labeling) up to three fourths full. Add water until the container is full of water and soil sample. Set jar aside and allow the material to settle into distinct layers.
Using a ruler and measure the total amount of A,B, and C.
Carefully measure each defined layer and determine the percentage of each layer in the sample.
(If any of the layers is missing use the reading from the lower sediment.)
Use your percentages of each layer and the soil classification pyramid to identify which class your soil sample fits into and record.
Water Retention Activity
(If soil samples are wet please dry samples before starting activity)
Make sure the sample is well mixed
Carefully place coffee filter on top of scale and then place 200 grams in each filter.
Record the mass of each sample in the coffee filter.
Transfer the coffee filter filled with soil into the funnel placed on top of the beaker.
http://www.scienceexperimentsforkids.us/soil-properties-experiments-for-kids/
Pour into each sample 200 ml of water. (Let them drain until water stops moving through soil)
Pour drained sample back into filter for one more time and then wait until soils are drained.
Measure the amount of filtered water from each sample and record.
Place the moist soil sample on the scale and record the new mass.
Student Observation Data Sheet and questions for soil type and retention of water
Pre and post discussion questions:
How does particle size and amount affect the movement of water?
Why is water retention important for crops?
Which soil sample will hold more water for plants to use?
Is particle size the only factor that affects water retention?
Student Data Sheets
Soil Sample A
Washed sample percentages
Total measure of all three layers ______
Sand ______%
Silt ______%
Clay ______% Soil type based on soil pyramid ______
Water retention amount
______
Soil Sample B
Washed sample percentages
Total measure of all three layers ______
Sand ______%