Grungy Groundwater is a hands-on activity that challenges students to discover how water and pollutants move underground, and how pollutants impact drinking water supplies in their community. During the activity, students first explore how fluids travel through different soil types. In the second part of the activity, the students construct a model of the subsurface and use it to investigate the migration of water and pollutants underground.

The activity ends with a discussion of how a community might respond after discovering contamination in their drinking wells. The activity is offered through the MIT Edgerton Outreach Program, directed by Amy Fitzgerald. This center hosts over 2000 students a year from public schools and community groups. You can view a video clip of the Grungy Groundwater activity at http://web.mit.edu/edgerton/outreach/ACT_GAG.html