by Naomi White, Science Teacher, Jefferson High School, LAUSD

LESSSON SHEET

[ Student Handout ]

Time Frame: one period

Concept:
Humans have a responsibility to treat water after polluting it. While water treatment mainly involves simple techniques, removing heavy metals is a difficult and often impossible task. Industry must find ways to keep chemicals out of the water supply.

Objective:
Students will use critical thinking skills to try to clean a sample of dirty water. There is no wrong or right way. Students should use their own ideas to develop technology of sewage treatment.

Materials:

Per Group:

jar of dirty water

pail

Available should students request it (but out of sight):

paper towels, funnels, cotton, other containers, gravel, paper cups, charcoal, screens, hot plate, pot, glass tubing, test tubes, stoppers.

Procedure:

Give students a sample of dirty water including mud, rocks, and perhaps some paint. Tell them that they are to find a way to clean it. If they need other equipment, they can request it if available. After they have had a chance to solve the problem, discuss with the class the techniques that they used. Discuss what was hardest to get out of the water (mud, rock, paint). Explain actual sewage treatment techniques and discuss problems that water pollution and in particular chemical pollutants pose.