Water Systems: Grade 8 Science

1. Water Systems:Grade 8 Science

2. Lesson 1: IntroductionDiscussion:- What comes to mind when you think about water?- Where do you use water? -What issues surround the use of water? -What have you heard in the media lately about water?

3. Water... An Economic? Social? Political? Or Environmental issue?1 issue? 2 issues? Or all?Why?

4. Culminating Task: World Water Conference presenting a research article related to local, national and/or global water issues. Students will be working in pre-chosen groups of 3 or 4 Students identify the economic, political, social and environmental cause and effect relationships. Students will have to problem solve and present solutions for their water issue. Students will present their work in the form of a creative poster board and handout in their presentation booth in the water conference. These conferences will be open to classrooms in the school and other community members.

5. Possible Topics for Culminating: Research Topics for Students: Contamination Pesticides Oil Spills Wells in other global areas Native Water Resources Climate change Natural Disasters (floods in India, Hurricane Katrina) Biodiversity (northern climates, polar bears) Consumption Water bottles Various countries consumption Water Rights Exporting Water *Any other topic approved by the teacher

6. Rubric Creation:

7. Possible Criteria: Professional and Knowledgeable Identification of Issues (Content) Group Work Organization (poster and presentation) Handout

8. Commercial De-brief: http://bit.ly/e1Tqil (Brita Commercial about city vs. nature) http://bit.ly/eDAn9F (Africa Charity Commercial) http://bit.ly/i7jqYB (Nestle Pure Life Commercial) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEnlrE4iMBU&NR=1&feature=fvwp (Charity: Water) -How does that affect our thinking? Who is producing the ad? What perspectives are shown in this ad?

9. Sustainability:-Is the ability of something to exist or be used at the same level for a long period of time without being damaged, harmed, or reduced for future use Task: Brainstorm a list of things that we can do to treat water sustainably. -Why is this important? Remember, water is a local, national and global issue!

10. Lesson 2: States of Water“Get out your textbooks!” Review pages 281-284 in textbook regarding states of water -Liquid (surface water, underground water) Solid (mountain glaciers, ice sheets, polar icecap) -Gas (water vapour, clouds) Review pages 285 in text regarding “Cycling Nature of Water”

11. Liquid Water: Surface water- oceans, rivers, streams, lakes  planet’s water reservoir Underground water- as rain water falls, it soaks into the soil and flows down between the soil particles (the water sits on the upper surface which is the Water Table, the remainder sits in a reservoir called an aquifer)

12. Solid Water: Glaciers- mass of ice and overlying snow that moves slowly down a mountain slope under the influence of gravity Ice Sheets- particularly large glacier that covers the land Polar Icecap- refers to the big ice masses at the poles Gaseous Water Water vapour- when liquid evaporates from oceans, lakes and rivers Clouds- made up of condensed droplets of water vapour

13. Thermal Energy: Thermal energy- As thermal (heat) energy increases, molecules increase and water can change state. As thermal energy increases, liquids can become a gas (molecules move faster and spread out) – as thermal energy decreases, molecules come closer together and move slower.

14. An Aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, silt, or clay) from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well.

15. Hydrologic Cycle Key Words: Condensation Precipitation Groundwater Flow Evaporation Sublimation (gas to solid) Deposition (solid to gas)

16. Continued... TASK: Think/Pair/Share: Explain this cycle to a partner... And then share with the class!

17. Photo Essay: Social Justice images of Water Use: http://on.natgeo.com/hcfNc2 Discussion: 1) What places in the world do not have equal access (distribution) to water? 2) If we know water works in cycles and in systems, why do we have to be conscious about our pollution here?

18. Lesson 3: Watersheds Watersheds- pages 285-287 A watershed is an area of land where all the water eventually drains into one main water body, such as a stream, wetland, lake, or ocean (p. 286) Activities that affect water in one part of the watershed therefore have an effect downstream in the watershed

19. Virtual Tour and Poster Creation: Ollie the Otter Virtual Tour: http://www.crd.bc.ca/watersheds/kidscorner/index.htm# -Watershed World: Farm, Marina, Gas station, Shopping Centre, City, etc Awareness: How should you manage a watershed? What are some tips for awareness? Graphic Organizer: Complete 6 sections of the 8.

20. Factors Affecting Water Quality -The water that flows into your sink or bathtub has flowed through your local watershed. -Any human or natural activities in your watershed will affect the water that reaches your home. -All of these actions are connected to you because they have the potential to contaminate your water supply.

21. Contaminants: Contaminants are contents that are harmful to humans and wildlife. There are 3 main categories: Biological (microscopic organisms such as bacteria and viruses) Chemical (dissolved substances from human or natural processes) Physical (all materials that do not dissolve in water)

22. Natural Water Table Changes As water cycles from water bodies to the atmosphere and back again, water levels naturally rise and fall. Major natural changes to the water table include: Flooding (too much water) Drought (not enough water) Earthquakes (shift groundwater)

23. Human Causes of Water Table Change Humans sometimes overuse or misuse water, affecting water supply in these ways: Overuse of Wells (draining aquifers) Irrigation of Farms (moving water) Industrial Use (polluting water) Water Diversion (dams, locks, canals)

24. Lesson 4: Investigating Water Issues Close to Home Recall the commercials we watched about clean drinking water around the world Is all Canadian Water clean? Who doesn’t have clean water?

25. 2) A Water Contamination Clip- Pollutants http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqNUTlY5foQ 3) Think/Pair/Share -Create a list of examples where water has been contaminated on a global, national and local level

26. 4) Kashechwan vs. Walkerton Water Crisis (Articles) What are the main issues? What are the causes? What are the solutions? -What are the similarities? Differences?

27. Follow-Up Discussion: 5) Debate: Should access to clean water be considered a human right and why? 6) Why are we studying water? Why is this such an important topic?

28. Remember: Clean drinking water is not only an international problem- there are issues close to home! There are inequality issues in regards to water Why care? We need to create positive changes within our own communities We need to become informed citizens

29. Lesson 5: Creating a Water Filtration System What are some water issues we have been discussing? What have we discussed so far in the unit in terms of contaminants?

30. Media Clip Demonstration on why water contamination has become such an epidemic within our world http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2009/world/video-no-reason/ *The video highlights these challenges for global economic leaders. The message: Do not forget the role water plays in every aspect of the global economy.

31. Media Clip Recap: The video describes in surprising images and unlikely pacing the roles water and water scarcity play in the global economy “We took a different approach to illuminating the topic,” said Eric Daigh, the film’s producer. “In the video we step sideways and do something that connects with people in new ways. We all know how many people lack access to safe fresh water. We all know how many die each year from dirty water. But we need to have the epiphany moment, to grasp the interaction between water and agriculture, the economy, culture and conflict.”

32. Experiment: You have been hired by a water treatment plant to build the most efficient water filtration system *Hypothesis, Procedure, Observations, Debrief for discussion, Reflection

33. Experiment De-brief: 1)Why was the water contaminated with dirt effectively filtered using their filtration systems, while the water with food colouring still remained unclear? 2) What does the food colouring represent?

34. De-brief Continued... 3) Why would/wouldn’t you drink the water from your water filtration system? 4) What connections can we make from this experiment to what we have been discussing so far?

35. Experiment: Reflection What would you change if you could re-build your system? What can you do to improve our water system? What ideas can you propose to stop the contamination of water? *Remember to relate your answers to today's discussions and experiment!

36. Lesson 6: Human Influences on Water Something to think about: How much water do you think you consume or use on a daily basis? (How many liters?)

37. The amount of water consumed in the world is currently: 550, 386 billion liters and growing by the minute

38. Water Articles/Research: Outline 6-10 interesting facts in regards to each brochure or reading. List this information on chart paper to share with the class.

39. Your Water Footprint! -Complete the water foot print quiz at http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=cal/WaterFootprintCalculator -record the size of your water footprint on your piece of paper

40. Water Around the World!

41. Canada’s Footprint -Video outlining how Canada is attempting to lessen their water footprint http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcb4db7_xbI Lesson Debrief: -Brainstorm ways you can individually consume and use less water and create a mind map.

42. Let’s Get Creative! -You are expected to create an action plan (commercial, skit, song, etc) within your group in which you share information with the class on what you read -Refer to the rubric!

43. Lesson 7: Guest Speaker

44. Lesson 8: The Impact of Fluid Spills “Not every oil spill is the same”

45. Disaster • In March of 1989, a huge ocean tanker called the Exxon Valdez bottomed out as it struck a reef near Alaska, dumping more than 50 million liters of crude oil into the ocean • This spill is widely known as one of the worst disasters of all time, killing thousands of birds, fish and other marine life.

46. Oil Spills on Water • When oil is added to water, it floats on top of the surface and spreads out, making it easier to find. • This happens because oil is less dense than water • Oil Density: 0.88g/cm3 • Water Density: 1.0g/cm3

47. Impact on the Environment • Waves and wind can have an effect on the amount of environmental damage. • There are many methods that can be used to clean up oil spills, including: • Booms (contain the spill) • Skimmers (act like vacuums to remove oil) • Sorbents (sponge-like materials soak up oil) • Dispersants (break down the oil) • Burning (using fire to burn off the oil)

48. Oil Spills on Land • Since the oil does not spread as quickly on land, the spill is usually more localized. • Sometimes, contaminated soil must be removed after a spill is cleaned up • The average cost of cleaning up an oil spill is between $20 and $200 for every liter spilled. • If we manage oil carefully, we can reduce the chance of spills.

49. Lesson 9: The Water Treatment Plant • First, the raw water must pass through filters to remove solid contaminants. • Chemicals are then added to kill any microorganisms that were not already filtered. • This water now is ready to be pumped into homes and businesses. • The process can be very expensive.

50. Testing Water Quality • In many places, people use to be unaware that they could become sick or die from drinking contaminated water. • Today, water samples from treatment plants are sent to scientists in laboratories to test. • Sometimes, the problem could be the water itself, but it could also be a problem with the pipes, holding tanks, or radioactivity.