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| This activity is appropriate for children studying environmental conditions including aquifers and wells, and the issues of pollution. Recommended for children ages 10 and up. |
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Students creating the soil levels in the groundwater model. |
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In this activity, students first observe how water and "contaminants" (a groundwater dye) flow through different soils. Then, using provided scenarios, they create a groundwater model using a variety of soils in a plexiglass shell. (See the slideshow below for a demonstration.) Students contaminate their model (simulating road salt, fertilizer runoff, buried waste, chemical spills, etc.) and measure the concentration of the contaminant at different points in their model.
The scenario's storylines help further students' thinking about the ways in which groundwater contamination is tested, and health aspects related to contaminated groundwater. This activity stresses measurement, health and the recording of data. |
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| This model shows a number of pollutants as they run through a groundwater system. |
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| Teachers: To get details on how to create your own Groundwater Models and Tubes, Click Here! |
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| This activity has been funded by an NIEHS Core Center Award, P30-ES02109, under the direction of MIT Professors Heidi Nepf and Trish Culligan. |
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