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Nitrogen and Water

Team Members: Ron Feltes Cheryl Brumett
Bismarck-Henning CUSD # 1, Bismarck,IL
Table of Contents:
  1. Overview
  2. Objectives
  3. Materials and/or Software Required
  4. Prerequisites
  5. Module Description
  6. National Standards Addressed
  7. Assessment Techniques
  8. Areas of Focus
  9. Appropriate Grade Level(s)
  10. Relevant Links and Related Resources

Overview:

The purpose of this module is to help students learn how nitrogen becomes a pollutant in our water supplies and the affects it can have on our water quality. Students will discover how various conditions such as temperature, water flow, evaporation, absorption, etc., affect the nitrogen level in water as it travels throughout the watershed.

Objectives:

Materials:

Activity 1) Ground water simulator, dye to represent nitrogen or other contaminants Activity 2) Eight – 10 Gal aquariums complete with water and rock Four – Goldfish and food Four – Aquarium Plants Two – Aquarium pumps Nitrogen Nitrogen test strips Chemicals for dissolved oxygen experiment (See below) Excel software for recording and graphing data Activity 3) Needed for each model watershed to be built: Plastic tubs Plastic tubing Activity 4)

Prerequisites:

Module Description:

There are three different activities to this module: 1) (Developed for grades 3-5) Study the water cycle using the Ground Water Stimulator showing how nitrogen put onto farm ground is absorbed into the ground and travels through the water and soil to contaminate water supplies. The ground water simulator can also show how water is contaminated by other means such as septic system leakage. 2) (Developed for grades 6-8 Grade Students) Set up controlled aquariums to show how nitrogen levels in water can be affected by plant life, animal life, and water flow. In this activity 8 identical aquariums will be set up. The first set of 4 aquariums will be set up so each of the aquariums have the following: 1 – Contains fish 2 – Contains plant 3 – Contains plant and fish 4 – Contains plant and fish with pump circulating water An additional set of 4 aquariums will be set up to match the first set, however, the second set of aquariums will have nitrogen added to increase the nitrogen level in each aquarium to a level of ?.?? at the start of the activity. Records will be kept on a bi-weekly basis to record the nitrogen level, dissolved oxygen level, temperature, and evaporation. Students will also want to note any changes in the plant or animal life in each aquarium. Data from this activity will be accumulated and viewed using graphs in Excel. 3) (Developed for 9-12 Grade Students) Models will be constructed in the classroom using containers filled with soil and connected with plastic tubing to create a model watershed. Students will take water samples from the model watershed at various locations to test for nitrogen and dissolved oxygen levels. Results from these tests will be recorded and studied to see how variables such as water flow and plant growth affect the nitrogen level in the water. Multiple watershed models can be created with variables such as plant growth or temperature added to compare the how these factors affect the nitrogen level. 4) (Developed for 7-12 Grade Students) This activity was set to help students visualize and compare their controlled activities 2 & 3 listed above and actual field data. Students will compare the results and observations they have accumulated in the classroom activities with actual test results from actual water testing stations. This can be accomplished by obtaining data from the Internet. In our area students were able to go with a representative of the Water Agency when he was taking these water samples and

National Standards Addressed:

NS.5-8.5 Science and Technology • Understandings about science and technology NS.K-12.3 Technology Productivity Tools • Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity. • Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works. NS.K-12.5 Technology Research Tools • Students use technology tools to process data and report results

Assessment Techniques:

Areas of Focus:

Biology, Life Science

Appropriate Grade Level(s):

4-12

Relevant Links and Related Resources:

http://pine.ncsa.uiuc.edu/condoruser/GK12/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=WaterQuality
http://gk12.ncsa.uiuc.edu/resources/winkler.pdf
http://gk12.ncsa.uiuc.edu/resources/field_data.pdf
http://gk12.ncsa.uiuc.edu/resources/mod_nitrate.pdf

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