Wetland Works Activities: Wetland Works

Wetland Works

Purpose:

This activity will help children discover the power wetlands have to help keep water clean. This activity will take two days to complete.

Objectives:

As a result of this activity, the student will:

1. Describe how wetlands purify water.

2. Access information on the internet about wetlands.

Materials:

a pitcher of water

a coffee filter

some mud, leaves, sand, and pebbles

a big glass bowl

a wire mesh strainer

a wooden spoon

TEKS: 3.1A,B 3.2A thru E 3.11A,B

Procedures:

1. Mix the sand, pebbles, mud, and leaves into the pitcher of water using the wooden spoon.

2. Put the coffee filter into the wire strainer.

3. Hold the wire strainer over the glass bowl.

4. Slowly pour the contents of the pitcher into the strainer, so they drain into the glass bowl below.

5. Have students discuss their observations.

6. Correlate the coffee filter to how wetlands work.

7. After the students have completed this experiment, have them access information on the internet about wetlands. Each student will write a short report about what wetlands are and the purpose that they serve in our world. These reports sould be shared with the class.

Questions:

1. What did the coffee filter do?

2. How is the coffee filter like a wetland?

3. Why is it important for wetlands to help keep water clean?

Websites:

http://www. epa.gov/region4/waterpgs/region04wet/other.regions.html

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jlmc/escan/WetUses.html

http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/vital/nature.html

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