Seattle Public Schools, Middle School Science

Investigating Wastewater: Solutions & Pollution (SEPUP) Curriculum Workshop

Activity 1: Lost and (Puget) Sound DVD

Activity 1(1-2 class sessions)

Lost and (Puget) Sound DVD

Activity Overview

WA STATE 6-8 SCIENCE STANDARDS

SYSF: Societal Issues & Systems

ES2C(2): Water Cycle

ES2D: Water as a Solvent

S2E,ES2F

LS2D: Changes in Ecosystems

LS2E: Problems in Ecosystems

ESE1 (Environmental &Sustainability Standards):Ecological, Social, and Economic Systems

CONCEPTS, PROCESSES, AND ISSUES

Watershed

Pollution

Storm Drain

Stormwater runoff

Pervious

Impervious

OBJECTIVES

Students will learn:

  • That they live in a watershed
  • Precipitation that falls onto impervious surfaces in our watershed becomes stormwater runoff that enters local waterbodies
  • About sources of pollution in their community that can enter waterbodies via stormwater runoff
  • Areas where families and students can make behavioral changes that result in improving the health of Puget Sound

MATERIALS

  • Copy of “Lost and (Puget) Sound: Restore Our Waters”DVD
  • To access graphics referenced in this lesson plan, open the supplemental folder of materials on the DVD titled “Helpful Graphics”. Important graphics are consolidated into a PowerPoint file titled “misc helpful graphics ppt format”.
  • Student handouts

Advanced Preparation

Rationale & Context: Lost in Puget Sound and Solutions and Pollution

Students learn best when there is a reason for them to learn and putting the need to learn into a context they can relate to increases learning even more. The Solutions and Pollution module gives a context for learning a number of chemistry concepts in the fictional Acme Metal Cleaning Company dumping effluent into the fictional Lake Barksdale. This new video, Lost in Puget Sound, can give your students a more relevant context.

While the video focuses on the 75% of pollution that is caused by ordinary citizens rather than industrial pollution, (a conversation worth having!) it gives a local look at how pollution gets into Puget Sound, the center of our watershed. The story follows three young people who have lost a key down a storm drain and discover how other things might get into the storm drain as well. The storm drain system in our community flows directly into local water ways and is not treated as is the water that goes down the drains in our homes.As storm water and the pollutants that may contaminate it are not treated, the lessons from S&P can be applied. The concepts of dissolving and dilution are particularly applicable.

Teaching Suggestions

GETTING STARTED

Background: What are pollutants and how do they harm plants and animals?

Pollutants are anything thatdamages our water, air, and soil.Pollutants are often harmful tohumans, plants, and animals. Mostpollution is caused by people, butsome pollutants are natural. Somepollutants are easily seen. For

example, it is easy to spot litter oran oil slick on a pond. However,many pollutants cannot be seen. It isimportant to realize that clear waterisn’t necessarily free of pollutants.The pollutants can only be detectedby testing the water.Pollutants can cause many typesof problems for humans, plants, andanimals. When pollutants like oilenter our rivers, lakes, and streams,the oil can kill fish and make thewater undrinkable for animals. Anotherexample of a pollutant is dirt,which enters the storm drains fromconstruction sites. The dirt makesthe water muddy, and fish cannotlive in muddy water! Fertilizersentering our water system can causeplants like algae to grow in excess.Thealgae uses up lots of oxygen inthe water, leaving very little oxygen for the fish.Some pollutants cancause tumors and growth defects infish and amphibians

Video Content / mins / Discussion / Student Sheet
Connection
Before watching video / Ask students:
  • “Do you know where Puget Sound is?”
  • “Where do you think most of the pollution in Puget Sound comes from?”
  • “Why should you be concerned if Puget Sound is polluted?”
/ N/A

INVESTIGATING: LOST & (PUGET) SOUND DVD

Discovery
Show movie from the beginning until the scene where the brother is washing his car and Aaron says, “you should say something.”
End: 8:00 / 8 /
  1. InSeattle and the Puget Sound region, wastewater from sinks and toilets go in one set of drains, and stormwater goes in another set of drains. Hand outgraphic *Where Water Goesgraphic and have them trace with finger.
  2. Hand out Activity 1Student Sheet. What is a watershed? Define/demonstrate the area of land where the rain drains to a particular body of water. Reference the graphic, *What is a Watershed
  3. Have you heard the term watershed before? When/ where?
  4. Do you think people really don’t know what a watershed is?
  5. Turn worksheet face down, resume video
/
  • What is a watershed?
  • What watershed do we live in?... more than one? What other one?

Information
End this section at the end of the population cartoon and the voice says, “75% of pollution comes bit by tiny bit from all of us.”
End: 15:37 / 8 /
  1. Turn over work sheet. What does impervious mean?
  2. Name some examples of things that are impervious?
  3. What is it called when the water can soak in? (permeable, pervious)
  4. Have you heard these terms before? When? Remember Land and Water?
  5. Show*Puget Sound from Space. Can you find Seattle? What clues did you use?
  6. Most people talk about oil spills, cutting down rain forests… these kids are noticing pollution right in their neighborhood. When you think of pollution, what do you think of?
  7. Example, oil splotches on street or on a parking lot)? Review percentage from people (75%)
  8. Turn worksheet face down, resume video
/
  • Define Impervious.
  • Name two examples.

Solutions
  • Car care/ lawn care/ pet waste
  • Talking to neighbors
  • Other solutions for kids
/ 11 /
  1. What other forms of pollution in Puget Sound that caused by people?
  2. Is pollution coming from your school? How about your family?
  3. What does **“Puget Sound Starts Here” mean?
  4. Nastasjia said “if the problem is caused by all of us doing a little polluting maybe it will help if we all do a little preventing”. What does “you have a voice” mean? Does this video make you want to do something to help? Would you consider doing what they did? Why /why not?
  5. They talked to adults, but what if talking to adults is not your thing? Who else needs to know? What are some other ideas for what you or other kids can do?
/
  • Name three problems affecting Puget Sound?
  • Are you going to do something or tell someone about this?
  • What will you do?
  • Who will you tell?

*To access graphics referenced in this lesson plan, open the supplemental folder of materials on the DVD titled “Helpful Graphics”. For additional graphics, including watershed graphics, see the PowerPoint file titled “misc helpful graphics ppt format”.

**The graphic Puget Sound from Space, is only available in poster format and is distributed with the S&P module. Please contact Science Materials Center if you did not receive one.

SYNTHESIZING

  • Have students read Reading 2 “Pollution Prevention at Home”
  • Have students complete the MSP-style Application item (Student Sheet 2)
  • Have students complete the “Lost and Sound Home Extension” interview sheet