ICLE Lesson Plan

		Gold Seal Lesson: The Effect Of A Chemical Spill On Groundwater

Copernicus Education Gateway

Subject:			Science
Grade:			9-12

ICLE Standards:			Resources - identify, organize, plan, and allocate resources Interpersonal - work with others Informational - acquire and use information Systems - understand complex inter-relationships Technology - work with a variety of technologies Basic Skills - read, write, listen, and speak

Performance Task:			Willis lives in a rural area and helps his parents operate a dairy farm. The source of the water supply for the farm is a large spring near the house, with 200 acres of crop land behind it. Recently Willis detected an odor in the drinking water. His father did not waste any time in having it checked out. The family learned that the groundwater was contaminated from a manufacturing facility ten miles away. The contamination level was not serious at this point. However, if the pollution did not stop immediately, his family's livelihood would be in serious jeopardy. The purpose of this activity is to simulate a chemical spill and assess its effect on ground water. Students will have an understanding of how to apply knowledge of the pH scale and develop an appreciation for environmental science. Science Concepts The effects of a chemical spill on groundwater. Appreciation for environmental science. Procedure: Cut the plastic bottle in half. Invert the top part into the ring stand mount. Place the fine mesh wire screen in the bottom of the inverted bottle to prevent soil and gravel from falling through the hole. Place a beaker under the apparatus. Add a layer of gravel over the screen about five centimeters thick. Fill the remainder of the inverted bottle with soil. Pour 250 millimeters of rainwater or distilled water into a beaker. Test the water for pH either using a meter or pH paper and record the results. Slowly pour the water over the soil allowing it to pass downward through the neck of the bottle into the beaker below. Test the pH of the water again and record the results. Fill the burette with 25 milliliters of HCl (2.0N) at a rate of 3-5 drops per second. Allow the acid to pass through the soil and mix with the water caught in the beaker. Take the pH of the ground water and record the results. Repeat passing 25 milliliters of HCl (2.0N) four more times. Take the pH of the ground waste each time and record the results. Transfer your data to a computer spreadsheet and create a graph of the results. Place pH data on the vertical axis and number of trials data on the horizontal axis. Interpret the graph and write the conclusions. Write a laboratory report that contains: title of the report objective - the purpose for doing the report materials and equipment used procedures - precise procedures that you followed data - tables, graphs conclusions - must be based on the data recommendations - ideas on how to solve the problem in a real life situation Materials needed: pH paper or pH meter Gravel and soil Rainwater or distilled water HCl (2.0N) Graduated cylinder Beaker Graph paper Ruler Two-liter plastic bottle and fine mesh wire Ring stand with clamp, burette, and funnel

Knowledge / Skills:			Understand the human impact on the environment through pollution (air, water, and soil), and ways to improve it through education, research, laws, and conservation. S.10 Plan and apply real or hypothetical models and constructions to facilitate investigation and learning and the solution to practical problems.. S.115 Understand the best procedures for statistical data collection, organization, and display. M.5 Use writing as a tool for learning in formats such as learning logs, laboratory reports, note-taking, journals and portfolios. ELA.40

Rubric:			Rate each of the statements below using this scale: 4 POINTS: Excellent: The student worked above minimum requirements of the assignment and demonstrated mastery of the subject, topic, or principle with little or no help or coaching. 3 POINTS: Very good: The student worked above minimum requirements of the assignment and demonstrated mastery of the subject, topic, or principle with some coaching and help. 2 POINTS: Good but needs improvement: The student met only the minimum requirements of the assignment. He or she did not demonstrate mastery of the subject, topic, or principle and needed considerable coaching and help. 1 POINT: Poor: The student did not meet the minimum requirements for the assignment, even with considerable coaching and extra help. The student acquired, allocated, and used materials efficiently in completing the activity. The student acquired and evaluated information concerning groundwater and groundwater pollution. The student interpreted information collected during the activity. The student used a computer to process information collected from the activity. The student understood the social, political, economic and scientific significance of the interrelationship between manufacturing and farm communities. The student chose the appropriate procedure, materials, and equipment to demonstrate groundwater pollution. The student chose the appropriate hardware and software in completing the project. The student read with comprehension and interpreted information concerning ground water contamination. The student wrote thoughts, ideas, information and procedures in a laboratory report. The student discovered the interrelationship between maintaining a clean, safe environment and maintaining a strong economy.

Keywords:			LIFE SCIENCE ENVIRONMENT SIMULATIONS MODELS AND CONSTRUCTION POLLUTION TECHNICAL WRITING STATISTICS DATA ANALYSIS DATA COLLECTION GRAPHS TABLES DATA DISPLAY

Grades:			Kg [] - 1 [] - 2 [] -3 [] - 4 [] - 5 [] - 6 [] - 7 [] - 8 [] - 9 [x] - 10 [x] - 11 [x] - 12 [x]

ICLE Application:			D

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