A Clean Drink Activities: Water Purification System

Water Purification System

Purpose:

The students will be introduced to the steps that water must go through to become safe for use in our homes. This activity should take approximately 3 days to complete.

Objectives:

1. Design and create a mural of the steps of water treatment.

2. Research a step in the water treatment process.

3. Write a brief report on a step in the water treatment process.

4. Present oral report to class.

Materials:

* A long strip of butcher paper for mural.

* Construction paper of assorted colors.

* Markers

* Crayons

* Map Pencils

* Tempera Paint

* Glue

* Scissors

TEKS:

3.1A,B 3.2A,E 3.3A,B,C,D 3.11A,B

Procedure:

1. Read The Magic School Bus at the Water Works by Joanna Cole.

2. Discuss and review how the water cycle works and how water travels through the water treatment system.

3. Assign students to a group and give each group a section of the water cycle and systems to each of the groups. Several steps may be assigned to each group.

4. Allow each group to research information about their particular section. Students must create a report to share with the class.

5. After reports are done, each group must illustrate their section.

6. Place the sections in order on the butcher paper.

7. Have each group label the components of their section.

8. Share reports with the class.

Note: There is an excellent example of a mural on pgs. 34-35 in the book.

Questions:

1. What are the steps in the water cycle?

2. Explain what a reservoir is.

3. Should you drink water right out of lakes and streams? Why not?

4. What type of things are filtered out of water at a water treatment plant?

5. Is anything added to water to make it better for us?

Some suggested sites for research:

http://nyelabs.kcts.org/nyeverse/episode/e45.html

http://nyelabs.kcts/org.nyeverse/episode/e61.html

http://www.severntrent.co.uk/schools/waterfacts.htm

http://www.severntrent.co.uk/schools/sewage.htm

http://www.severntrent.co.uk/schools/treatment.html

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