We have talked a lot about what water pollution is, and the causes of water pollution. We know that water pollution has happened in the past, and that it is progressively getting worse.
The question is: Why do we care if water pollution is occuring?
Who is it harming, anyway?
In this WebQuest, we will find out what is affected when water pollution takes place.
The news station has hired you and a partner to cover a new story on the affects of water pollution. They have assigned you to travel the world, where you are going to observe some of the most polluted water resources there are. Your job is to find out who is being affected by water pollution. As you are visiting each area, make sure you are recording your observations in your handy dandy journal. You will need a lot of details in your journal so you are prepared when you report back to the news station. Now, plug your nose! Things are about to get stinky!
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The news station sends you off on your way to research knowing one thing: The ENVIRONMENT is affected by water pollution. They want you to figure out the details. What does the “environment” consist of?
The first stop is the Pacific Garbage Patch. As you tour the area, pay attention to your surroundings. Is there a lot of plant life, or are there very few plants in the area. Are there a lot of bugs in the area? What about animals?
Who exactly is affected by water pollution? After you watch the video, answer some of these questions with your partner. Make sure to write down your answers in your journal.
The news station likes your discussion. They now want you to start getting more specific. They are sending you to a new place, inside a lake! They want you to start focusing on the aquatic life that lives in this polluted water.
The news station wants you to start at the bottom of the food chain. Can you guess what that might be? Record this hypothesis in your journal, and then visit the link.
http://education.seattlepi.com/water-pollution-affect-plants-life-cycle-4815.html
Why do you think that plants are important to a lake’s ecosystem? Discuss this with your partner.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/shorelandmgmt/apg/value.html
Were these reasons similar to what you and your partner came up with?
Next on the food chain are animals.
The news station is shipping you off to a specific body of water to look more at the affects of animals and water pollution. You will be taking a trip to the Gulf of Mexico. You will be witnessing the aftermath of an oil spill. Draw a picture estimating how far oil spreads in water. Do you think that oil can contaminate a lot of wildlife?
http://www.nwf.org/kids/ranger-rick/ranger-rick-on-the-big-oil-spill.aspx
The news station wants to test your writing skills. They want you to watch the video below, and then write a story where you are one of the animals trying to get out of the contaminated water. Include in your story: Was it hard, or easy to leave the water? What happened when the oil dried to your body? Was it hard, or easy to breathe? Did someone help you, or did you have to survive on your own?
It is sad to see animals being injured from pollutants, but the news station wants to know why is it so important? Hypothesize: Why do you think that it is important for aquatic animals to survive? Then click on the link to play the game.
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame.html
Can you make the connection?
The news station wants to make sure you know your stuff! Turn to your partner and give them an example of a food chain. Make it personal by including yourself in the food chain example. Make sure to write your example in your journal as well.
Who do you think is at the top of the food chain? That’s right, us! We now know that we need plants and animals to survive, because we are at the top of the food chain. Our new question is: How else are we affected by water pollution? Discuss some possibilities with your partner. List them in your journal as well.
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http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Effects_of_Water_Pollution
Did you mention any of these effects in your discussion? Write down any effects that you did not mention earlier.
The news station is sending you to the most polluted place in the world: Lake Karachay in Russia. This area shows many severe affects that contaminated water has on people. Compare your local lake to that of this lake in Russia. Do you think that your local lake could become that contaminated? Write this comparision in your journal.
http://grist.org/list/meet-the-lake-so-polluted-that-spending-an-hour-there-would-kill-you/
Do you think that Michigan has a lot of water pollution effects? Make a list of possible bodies of water that have affected the state of Michigan, then visit the website below.
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/section5group1/introduction_and_background
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Make a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the water pollution effects of Lake Karachay in Russia, vs. the Great Lakes in Michigan.
The news station is satisfied with your research! They are ready for you to write your story.
Now it is time to put your story together. Write a non-fiction story about the effects of water pollution. The news station wants you to include the following informtion:
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The environment is gravely affected by water pollution. Once chemicals, garbage, and other materials enter the water, the ecosystem of the water changes. Plants start to die off due to lack of oxygen, and discomposure. With the plants gone, the animals in the water have nothing to eat. The animals not only starve, but also start to develop diseases due to exposure. Animals lose a food, a place to live, and eventually their life. Humans need animals in order to survive. Many aquatic animals are a good source of food for people, but this food is not good if it is contaminated. Humans often do not know that they are eating contaminated animals, and get diseases from eating these animals. Humans also rely on water a lot for drinking water and hygiene. If humans use contaminated water to consume or cleanse with, they will form diseases. Polluted water is a major issue. In order to stop all of these effects from happening, we must take action._0.jpeg)
Google images
http://www.nwf.org/kids/ranger-rick/ranger-rick-on-the-big-oil-spill.as…
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/shorelandmgmt/apg/value.html
http://education.seattlepi.com/water-pollution-affect-plants-life-cycle-4815.html
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/foodch…
http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Effects_of_Water_Pollution
http://grist.org/list/meet-the-lake-so-polluted-that-spending-an-hour-there-would-kill-you/
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/section5group1/introduction_and_background
Unit: Water Pollution
Grade: 3rd
Unit Goal: Students will learn Michigan's fresh water ecosystem and how it is sustained.
The students have been studying water pollution for the past week. They have learned what the definition of water pollution is, when water pollution was considered a problem, and the causes of water pollution. This WebQuest addresses the effects that go along with water pollution.