Prepared by the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain in partnership with the MDMR Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve through a

Transcription

1 Connecting Students to the Pascagoula River A Coastal Watershed Curriculum Prepared by the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain in partnership with the MDMR Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve through a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association B-WET grant

2 Lesson Plans, Activities and Tests This group of lesson plans was compiled by the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association to the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain would like to thank Cherie Schadler of BayouTown Productions for her assistance compiling and/or creating the lesson plans, activities and tests. The sources from which the lesson plans or activities were acquired are listed at the bottom of each plan and activity. Listed in the Index below are over 80 lessons with corresponding test modules written for students of grades 3-5, and have been aligned with the 4th Grade Mississippi Curriculum Framework for Subjects for these lessons include Science, Math, Social Studies, and Language. The plans may be used together as a water unit or individually for topical study. Each lesson builds upon the next helping the student to understand the importance of water quality stewardship. Lesson plans also include a vocabulary list, quizzes, test, answer key, enrichment activities, outreach activities, a certificate, and a resource list. Vocabulary words are in bold print throughout the lesson plans and activities. All resources needed to complete lessons and activities are provided in the Tools, Maps & Facts folder. You may also link to the Mississippi Curriculum Framework through the Tools for Study web page Table of Contents All lesson plans and activities are in alignment with the Mississippi Curriculum Framework for Science. PAGE # LESSON PLAN ACTIVITY 1 DID YOU KNOW? Introduction to Students 2 WATER - A VALUABLE RESOURCE Activity - Globe 3-4 WHAT IS WATER? Lesson Plan 5 PROPERTIES OF WATER Student Lesson Page 6 WATER CARNIVAL Properties of Water 7 DROPS ON A PENNY Activity - Surface Tension 8 WATER STRETCH Activity - Cohesion/Adhesion 9 ABSORPTION Lesson Plan 10 PAPER TOWEL ABSORPTION RACE Activity - Cohesion/Adhesion 11 SPILL THRILL Activity - Water Molecules 12 WATER QUALITY CHECKPOINT #1 Student Quiz GROUNDWATER/WATER CYCLE Lesson Plan 15 WATER CYCLE Student Lesson - Water Cycle 16 BUILD A WATER CYCLE Activity - Hydrologic Cycle i

3 Table of Contents (continued) 17 WATER CYCLE WORD SEARCH Activity - Review 17 WATER QUALITY CHECKPOINT #2 Student Quiz 18 PERCOLATOR Lesson Plan 19 GROUNDWATER Activity - Build a Percolator 20 EDIBLE AQUIFER Lesson Plan 21 EDIBLE AQUIFER Activity - Build an Aquifer 22 WATER WISE WORD SCRAMBLE Activity - Review 22 WATER QUALITY CHECKPOINT #3 Student Quiz 23 WATERSHED Lesson Plan 24 WHAT IS A WATERSHED? Student Lesson Page 25 COLOR THE WATERSHED Activity - Watershed 26 BUILD A WATERSHED Activity - Watershed 27 BUILD A WATERSHED Activity Questions 28 WATER QUALITY STEWARD Activity - Checklist 29 WHERE IS YOUR WATERSHED? Activity - Topography Map WHAT IS YOUR WATER SOURCE? Activity- Water Source 32 WATER QUALITY CHECKPOINT #4 Student Quiz 33 WHAT LIVES IN OR NEAR WATER? Student Lesson Page MACROINVERTEBRATES Student Lesson Page MACROINVERTEBRATES Lesson Plan 38 WATER BUGS Lesson Plan INTERESTING INSECTS Lesson Plan IN THE AIR - BIRDS! Lesson Plan CAMOUFLAGE CRITTERS Lesson Plan WHAT S FOR LUNCH? Lesson Plan 48 WHAT S FOR LUNCH? Activity - Food Web Game 49 WHAT IS STORM WATER? Student Lesson Page 50 BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES Student Lesson Page MARINE DEBRIS Lesson Plan 54 EROSION Student Lesson Page 55 EROSION ACTIVITY Activity Build a Watershed 56 NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION Student Lesson Page 57 HOW DID IT GET THERE? Student Activity Page RECYCLING Student Lesson Page IMPORTANCE OF WATER QUALITY Lesson Plan ii

4 Table of Contents (continued) THE WATERSHED HARMONY GAME Activity - Review 72 WATER QUALITY QUIZ Unit Test 73 WATERSHEDS NEED YOUR HELP! Activity - Outreach 74 WHAT IS A LAND TRUST? Student Lesson Page STREAM ORDER CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA LEVEL RISE VOCABULARY LIST ANSWER KEY 95 WATERSHED HARMONY CERTIFICATE 96 BIOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES iii

5 1 DID YOU KNOW? Did you know...that the water from your faucet could contain molecules that dinosaurs drank? The Earth has the same amount of water today that it has had since its formation. Since we can not make any more water, we say that water is a non-renewable natural resource. That is why it is important to keep our drinking water clean and free of pollutants, because clean water is necessary for every living thing. Consider for a moment all the ways people use water: washing our bodies, our clothes, our vehicles, and even our pets. We use water for drinking, cooking, and washing dishes. Plants, and animals need water to produce the food we eat every day. Aquatic plants and animals live in our rivers, lakes, and other water bodies and provide many of the foods we eat. However, most people don t realize that much of our drinking water comes from rivers, lakes, and underground water. These water bodies may be affected by the substances we throw on the ground or dump into the water every day! Clean water is necessary for every living thing! Did You Also Know 3/4 (75%) of the earth s surface is covered by water. The oceans hold 97% of all the water on the earth. Only 1% of all the water on the earth is drinkable. The human body is made up of about 65% water. An average person uses 70 gallons of water per day. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater and Study Guide, please visit

6 WATER - A VALUABLE RESOURCE Can you imagine what life would be like without clean water? Each day, man-made and natural pollutants collect on the surface of the land. Anything we dump or spill on the ground may be carried over or through the ground by moving water. When it rains, pollutants are washed into streams, rivers and other water bodies. Storm water is a powerful force washing loose soil, excess fertilizers and pesticides, automobile fluids, soap, animal waste, and even litter into streams and rivers. Careless behavior like this causes drinking water sources to become contaminated, thus wildlife habitat may be destroyed. Since the amount of water we have is the same since the earth s formation, and we can not make any more, we say that water is a non-renewable natural resource. 2 SURFACE WATER Using a globe, answer the following questions. 1) The blue parts of the globe show that % of the earth s surface is covered by water. 2) Water located on the earth s surface is called surface water. List 5 different kinds of bodies of water that would be considered surface water. 3) What is the largest river in North America that begins in Minnesota and flows south to the G u l f o f Mexico? 4) What group of American lakes contains 20% of the earth s fresh, surface water? 5) Where would you find 2% of earth s fresh, surface water in a solid form? 6) People, animals and plants need to consume fresh water to live. What percent of earth s surface water is salt water? In what large bodies of water is most of this salt water located? This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater and Study Guide, please visit

7 WHAT IS WATER? Lesson Objective: 1. Investigate and graph the freezing points of different solutions. 2. Make flat models of water molecules. 3 Teacher background: Water equals life. Where there is no water at all, there is no life and therefore water may be the most important substance of earth. Each water molecule consists of one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms. In shape, a water molecule resembles a Mickey Mouse head. In its pure form, water is a good solvent, i.e., it can dissolve or mix with many substances. In fact, water has been called the universal solvent because of its ability to dissolve other substances. It is found everywhere and covers three-quarters of the planet. Water is found in our atmosphere, in our soil, and underneath the ground. The human body is about 65 percent water. The total amount of water on earth stays the same, and the same water that exists now has always existed. Water can be found in all three states of matter (liquid, solid, and gas) on earth, most often in the liquid state. At 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees F) and normal atmospheric pressure, water freezes. Terms: Freezing point: the temperature at which a substance begins to change from a liquid to a solid Gas: a state of matter; a gas expands to take the shape of the container it fills Liquid: a state of matter; a liquid takes the same shape as its container but maintains a definite volume. Solid: a state of matter; a solid generally has a shape of its own Materials: 3 clear plastic milk jugs measuring spoons hole punch pitcher measuring cup glue sticks cup of ice blue construction paper scissors water red construction paper paper salt clear plastic cups (3 per team) pencils vinegar thermometer (1 per team) graph paper masking tape Preparation: Prepare mystery liquids ahead of time so they are ready for the activity. Use plastic milk jugs to prepare and store liquids. 1. Liquid A is tap water 2. Liquid B is a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water 3. Liquid C is salt water. Use 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of salt per cup (240 ml) of water. Have on hand a pitcher of water and a cup of ice. Cut a large number of circles from blue construction paper. Cut twice as many smaller circles from the red construction paper. (NOTE: You may use a hole punch to cut the red circles and make the blue circles about the size of a dime or, if you think it would be easier for students to work with larger pieces, use dimes to cut out the red pieces and quarters for the blue ones.)

8 Procedure: 1. Show the students a cup of ice and ask them to describe it. 2. Fill the cup of ice with water from the pitcher. Discuss the fact that liquid water and ice are both water though they look and feel different. 3. Take a sip of the ice water and discuss with students that water is essential to life. Ask students to list ways water can be used. Activities: A. Water Properties 1. Show students the three liquids you have prepared. a. Ask them to compare them. Can they guess what they are? b. Tell the students what they are; explain that water can mix with many substances as well as dissolve many substances. c. Have students suggest other things that are soluble or mixable with water. d. (extension) Allow students to test various substances solubility or ability to mix with water. B. Water Investigation 2. Divide the students into teams and have each team complete the following investigations: a. Give each team three cups and have them label the cups A, B and C. Fill up A one-third full with liquid A, cup B one-third full with liquid B, and cup C one-third full with liquid C. Give each team a thermometer. b. Have the teams record temperature of each liquid. c. Choose one cup of each liquid (A,B,C) and put them (with thermometers in them) in the freezer. Have students record every 15 minutes until all three are frozen. (Liquid A tap water will freeze first. The salt water in cup C will freeze next and the 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water in cup B will freeze last. This 50/50 mixture works like the antifreeze solutions we use in automobiles.) Have students make a graph showing temperature change over time and freezing point. Ask the students the following questions: 1. How did the temperatures change? (gradually lowered until freezing took place) 2. At what temperature did each liquid freeze? (Results will vary somewhat, but the tap water will freeze at 0 degrees C.) 3. Liquid A is water; B is water and vinegar; and C is salt water. How do vinegar and salt affect the freezing temperature of water? (They lower it.) 4. Antifreeze lowers the freezing temperature of water. Why is it added to a car radiator in winter? (Hopefully this will be low enough to keep the liquid in the radiator from freezing and cracking it.) C. Water Molecules 1. Introduce the students to water s chemical formula H2O. Explain that a glass of water has millions and millions of tiny water particles---called molecules. a. Draw a large water molecule outline ( Mickey Mouse head ) on the board. The ears are the two hydrogen atoms and the face is the oxygen atom. Relate this to the formula H 2 O. D. Additional Activities 1. Read pages 1, 2, and 5 and complete pages 1 and 2 of this lesson plan. 2. Play and complete the Water Carnival activities on pages 6-11, and Checkpoint 1 quiz on pages 12. (Answer key on page ) This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit Resources: Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Environmental Protection Agency, USDA Soil Conservation Service 4

9 PROPERTIES OF WATER by Cherie Schadler 5 You have a unique personality. Everything about you makes you special. In a similar way, water has unique abilities. Water molecules can stick to themselves (cohesion) or to other substances (adhesion), pull themselves (cohesion) and other substances (adhesion) along, dissolve or break down substances, and carry substances on its surface (surface tension). These properties of water help us every day. Did you know that one glass of water contains millions of molecules that are sticking together? We call this sticky property of water cohesion. It is what makes great bodies of water such as creeks, rivers, gulfs, or oceans. All of those water molecules are sticking and flowing together. Without cohesion, you wouldn t be able to take a bath, swim, or drink fluids. Because water molecules like to stick together, (cohesion), they form a high degree of surface tension on top of the water almost like a skin. Unless the surface film is broken, heavier objects than water can float on the surface of the water. Can you imagine what would happen if boats couldn t float? You may have witnessed surface tension on a rainy day when you saw a bug or maybe a leaf float on the surface of water. Surface tension was holding up each item. Water not only likes to stick to itself, but through its ability called adhesion it is attracted to solid objects as well. You experience adhesion every time you take a bath, wash your hands, or wash a dish. When you wash, water droplets stick to you or to the dish. This is why you use a towel to remove the droplets through absorption, or let your dishes dry through evaporation. Adhesion keeps water molecules from falling off your hands to the ground. Every time you mix water with a drink powder, you are experiencing water s ability to dissolve. When water is mixed with certain substances, such as hot cocoa powder, water breaks the powder down or dissolves it into much smaller particles. The particles become so small that it is difficult to see them. When you take a sip of the drink, you probably don t realize that water is working all of its abilities to quench your thirst. First, it is cohering to itself to form the body of liquid. Second, it has created a surface tension or skin over the top of the liquid. Third, the liquid molecules adhere to the inside of the cup. After you stir in the drink powder, the tiny particles dissolve. When you take a sip, all of the properties of water work together to help you to be healthy and grow. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

10 WATER CARNIVAL Water has unique abilities or properties that cause it to be the most effective substance for moving pollution from one place to another. Water molecules can stick to themselves or other substances, pull them along, and even dissolve them. The properties of water cause water molecules to perform some amazing tricks. Try the following activities to see how this works. Each activity has a measurement that should be recorded on the scoreboard below. 6 WHAT IS WATER? Water is essential to life. Water, (H 2 O), is composed of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom in a special way. The shape of the molecule resembles a Mickey Mouse head - a big head (oxygen atom) with two ears (hydrogen atoms). This gives the molecule two areas of charge. One molecule s ears are attracted to the next molecule s face, sticking the molecules together (cohesion). One glass of water contains millions of molecules. The attraction of water for other solid objects is called adhesion. Some substances that are attracted to water come apart (dissolve) in it. Hydrogen In the box below, draw and label a water molecule. Oxygen WATER CARNIVAL SCOREBOARD EXERCISE PREDICTION RESULTS Drops on a Penny # Of drops # Of drops Water Stretch cm cm Paper Towel Absorption Towel #1 Towel #2 Towel #1 Towel #2 Spill Thrill Above slit Above slit This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

11 DROPS ON A PENNY (Surface Tension) See how many drops of water the face of a penny can hold. 7 Because water molecules like to stick together, (cohesion), they create a high degree of surface tension on top of the water almost like a skin. Unless the surface film is broken, slightly heavier objects than water can float on the surface of the water. In this activity, notice how cohesion and adhesion work together to create surface tension holding the drop of water onto the penny. Predict: How many drops of water you will be able to put on a penny. You Will Need: one penny eye dropper small cup of water Instructions: Place the penny on a firm, flat table or desk, making sure that it is level and not tilting to one side. Using the eye dropper, squeeze the bulb and draw up a full dropper of water from the cup. Begin by slowly dropping one drop of water at a time onto the penny. Continue dropping drops, as many as possible without spilling over the edge. Count the drops as you go, keeping track of how many drops you ve placed on the penny. Continue dropping drops onto the penny until the water spills over or the water drop collapses. Record your results on the Water Carnival Score Board. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

12 WATER STRETCH (Cohesion/Adhesion) Guide a water drop through a maze. 8 Predict: How fast can you move a drop of water across waxed paper? You Will Need: water maze piece of waxed paper cellophane tape drop of water toothpick time keeper/stopwatch Instructions: 1. Tape the wax paper on top of the Water Stretch Maze. 2. Place a small drop of water inside the start box completely filling it. 3. Using the toothpick, pull the water drop along the leaf veins to the finish. If the drop separates, go back and collect all of it. 4. Time each race from start to stop. 5. Record your time on the Water Carnival Score Board. WATER STRETCH MAZE Think About It! Did your prediction match your results? Did your water drop separate into two or more parts? Explain why the water drop stretched. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

13 ABSORPTION 9 Identify the positive and negative aspects of man s impact on the environment and its effect on living things. Identify the interdependence of organisms in food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids. Teacher Background: In Mississippi, some of the major food crops grown are soybeans, corn and sweet potatoes. Farmers use fertilizers for better yields and pesticides and herbicides to control pests. Other landowners and homeowners also use these products. Water runoff from land either leaches into the soil or runs off into nearby lakes and streams. Materials: Stalks of celery Food coloring (red and blue) Water Glass Sample Questions: 1. What does contaminate mean? 2. Why are chemicals used in farming? 3. What are ways run-off can be prevented or slowed down? Procedures: 1. Display a piece of celery. Ask students, How does the celery get to the grocery store? Who grows celery? Why? Note: This is to stimulate students to think about agriculture. 2. Place celery in a glass of water. Note: Cut off end of celery for better absorption. Add several drops of red or blue food coloring and pollute the water celery is in. 3. Let the celery stand for one or two days. 4. Then follow up and explain that the celery has turned dirty colors. Explain that many things are added to our water from runoff that we cannot see. Examples: fertilizers, chemicals, pesticides. When we eat the colored celery, we see the food coloring, we are eating, but many times we cannot see the contaminants. These chemicals go into our bodies. If our bodies are not able to break the chemicals down and get rid of them they can accumulate and make us sick. 5. For evaluation students should explain in a short paragraph or verbally how chemicals can enter food chain from runoff water and how we will gradually be affected by these chemicals when eating food or drinking water. Supplemental Activities: 1. Use vinegar instead of food coloring and let students take a bite of the celery after absorption has taken place. 2. Take a field trip to a farm where conservation is practiced. View terraces, grassed waterways, and other methods used to prevent or slow down water runoff. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit Resources: Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Environmental Protection Agency, USDA Soil Conservation Service

14 PAPER TOWEL ABSORPTION RACE (Cohesion/Adhesion) Watch water molecules pull themselves up a paper towel as they stick to each other, and stick to the paper towel. 10 Predict: Which brand of paper soaks up water more quickly? You Will Need: 1 square of 2 different brands of paper towel (2 total) 1 clear plastic cup (6 to 8 oz. size) 1 cup of water 1 - ruler 1 pencil 1 - stop watch/time keeper 1 food coloring color Instructions: Measure and cut the strips of paper towel 3 cm x 20 cm. Label each strip (at the top) to be able to tell the difference between the brands. With a pencil, draw a line across each strip at 10 cm. Fold each strip in half, lengthwise. Pour water into the plastic cup to a depth of 1 cm. Add a drop of food coloring. At the same time, submerge the bottom end of each paper towel, allowing the bottom of the towel to barely touch the bottom of the cup. Record the start time. Hold the paper towels upright, and watch closely as water climbs up the paper towels. Record the time when the water reaches the 10 cm line for each towel: this is the stop time. Subtract the start time from the stop time for each towel to find the amount of time it took for the water to travel up each of the paper towels. Record your results on the scoreboard. Think About It! Water can carry dissolved substances with it. Plants and trees absorb dissolved pollutants in the water they take in. They effectively filter some of the pollutants out of the water, and store them in their plant tissues. How do you think fish and wildlife, or fruits and vegetables would be affected by polluted water? This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

15 SPILL THRILL This activity illustrates the strength of the stickiness of water molecules. 11 Predict: How much above the bottom of a slit can a cup be filled with water? What path will the overflowing water take? You Will Need: food coloring 1 clear plastic cup scissors a bowl or saucer to catch overflow two pennies a large container of water ruler marker Instructions: Notice the thickness of two pennies. In the plastic cup, mark and cut a slit the width of the 2 pennies (3 mm) in the top of the cup that should narrow to a point (approximately 3 cm) from the top. Put several drops of food coloring into the water to tint it. Notice how the water dissolves or dilutes (breaks apart) the food coloring. Insert a ruler into the cup and hold it vertically. Slowly and gently pour water into the cup. You will be able to fill the cup with water to a level considerably above the bottom of the slit! Continue to fill the cup having someone else observe the height on the ruler at which the water finally spills out of the slit. (Subtract the measurement to the bottom of the slit to determine the distance above the bottom of the slit water was able to rise.) Record your findings on the scoreboard. Think About It! Water is always moving through the water cycle and through the watershed. Gravity pulls water down, just as it causes a ball to fall from the air. As the rain falls to the earth, it will take the path of least resistance and continue to flow downhill, eventually reaching the Gulf of M exico. When there is a strong rainstorm, the vast amounts of water moving through the watershed become a powerful force carrying pollutants and even large objects along its path. Imagine that your cup represents a ditch or small pond. Imagine that your ditch or pond was located near a shopping center, industrial plant, or farm. On a separate sheet of paper, tell what kinds of pollutants you think might impact your body of water if it is near to one of those locations. Then describe how you think cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension would impact your body of water on a rainy day. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

16 12 WATER QUALITY STEWARD CHECKPOINT 1 Matching Write the correct number beside each description. 1) Adhesive 2) Surface Tension 3) Dissolution 4) Cohesion 5) Surface Water 6) Pollutant 7) 75% Water 8) 65% Water A property of water that separates substances into their component parts at the molecule level. The molecular attraction of water to other surfaces such as glass and plastic. The force of gravity on large amounts of water causes floods, not the intermolecular forces between individual water molecules. The human body Any chemical substance or organic waste that contaminates air, soil, or water A property of water causing a skin on the surface of water allowing lightweight objects to float on it. The earth s surface Bay, bayou, creek, gulf, lake, pond, ocean, river This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

17 GROUNDWATER and the WATER CYCLE Learning objectives: 1. List the steps of the water cycle in correct sequence. 2. Define appropriate groundwater terms. 3. Explain where groundwater is found. 4. Identify sources of groundwater pollution and possible solutions. 13 Water Cycle/Hydrologic Cycle Background Information: Seventy-five percent of our earth s surface is covered with water. The water is not only located on the surface of the ground (surface water), but under the ground as well (groundwater). All of earth s water is the same water that has been recycled through the hydrologic cycle since the formation of earth. The earth continuously moves water through evaporation, transpiration, condensation, and precipitation. The four-forms of precipitation being rain, snow, sleet, and hail. Water is the most powerful force for spreading pollution, because its unique properties are sticking, pulling, dissolving, and carrying pollutants through the watershed which is continuously recharged by the hydrologic cycle. Because the hydrologic cycle is continuously moving water through the watershed (over and under the ground), large amounts of pollutants that are dumped or poured onto the ground are carried into water bodies. Groundwater Background Information: Every day, people all over the world depend on a hidden resource groundwater. Only 3 percent of the earth s water supply is fresh water and almost 2 percent of that is groundwater. In fact, more than 50 percent of the people in the United States get their drinking water from groundwater, including almost all who live in rural areas. There is really nothing mysterious about groundwater. We just can t see it like we can see a pond, a stream, or the ocean. This water collects below the earth s surface in aquifers, (spaces between soil and rock particles). It is also found in cracks and crevices and inside porous rocks. The top surface of groundwater is called the water table. When the water table is high enough, groundwater comes to the surface naturally in springs, lakes, ponds and rivers, and it can also be brought to the surface by drilling wells. But the top level of groundwater (the water table) is usually underground. Groundwater is a vital part of the water cycle and is replenished by rainfall. The amounts of groundwater in different areas of the world vary and the amount at any one place can change due to prolonged drought, heavy withdrawal for human use, or other factors. Groundwater quality is generally better than that of surface water because it is not as readily exposed to pollution sources. Also, the movement of groundwater through various layers of soil and rock filters out many impurities. However, some groundwater can be polluted by pesticides, chemicals, landfill leachate, and other materials that seep into groundwater supplies. Terms: Aquifer: an underground layer of unconsolidated rock, gravel or sand that is saturated with usable amounts of water. Filter: to remove contaminants by using a porous material such as paper or sand. Groundwater: water that infiltrates into the earth and is stored in usable amounts in the soil and rocks below the earth s surface; water in an aquifer. Impurities: substances that contaminate another substance. Pollution: contaminants in the air, water, or soil that cause harm to human health or the environment. Porous: having pores or cavities that can hold substances such as water.

18 Water cycle: the cycle of the earth s water supply from the atmosphere to the earth and back which includes precipitation, transpiration, evaporation, runoff, infiltration, and storage in water bodies and groundwater. Water table: the top of the water surface in the saturated area of an aquifer. Preparation: Construct model of the water cycle. Use poster board to make clouds and raindrops. Hang clouds with raindrops below them (use string or fishing line). In a clear container, such as a plastic sweater box, create the ground area. From the bottom up, layer the following: clay, gravel, or small rock, a plastic sandwich bag filled with water, layer of soil, small plastic bowl filled with water (sink the bowl into the soil so the top will be at surface level to simulate a pond or lake), grass, trees, and other figures. 14 Procedure: 1. Pour a small amount of water into the water cycle model. Ask students where the water went. Explain that since it soaked into the ground and will seep into underlying rock formations it is called groundwater. 2. Explain that the top surface of the groundwater is called water table. 3. Ask students which they think would be most easily polluted: surface water (Lakes, ponds, etc) or groundwater. 4. Point out the importance of groundwater as part of the water cycle. Activities: A. Water Cycle & Groundwater 1. Discuss the steps in the water cycle. Refer to model. a. Have students draw a picture and label the sequences, beginning and ending with evaporation. b. After students complete the activity, list the steps on the board as they call them out. c. Using the poster of River Town from the Tools for Study, have students identify the 13 potential sources of water pollution. d. Build a Water Cycle on page 15. e. Have students complete the Water Cycle Word Search on page 17. f. Have students take the Water Quality Steward Checkpoint 2 quiz on page 17. g. Have students build a percolator on page 18 & 19. h. Have students build and eat an edible aquifer on page 21. i. Have students complete the Water Wise Word Scramble review on page 22. j. Have students complete the Water Quality Steward Checkpoint 3 quiz on page 22. (Answer key on page 94.) This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

19 Resources: Mississippi Department WATER of Environmental CYCLE Quality, Environmental Protection Agency, USDA Soil Conservation Service (Hydrologic Cycle) In the water cycle, water flows through several pathways between the earth and the atmosphere. Some of the key processes in the water cycle are evaporation, transpiration, condensation, and precipitation. The oceans, land, ground, sky, plants, animals, and humans are all involved in the water cycle. 1) The sun heats the earth and water. The heat excites the water molecules. As they become energized the cohesive bonds are broken and individual molecules break free from their neighbors, leaving the river to enter the atmosphere (aka evaporation). 2) When the molecules rise into the atmosphere, away from the warm earth, the water molecules cool down and begin to stick together (condensation). 3) The water molecules become heavy and fall to earth in the form of precipitation (rain, sleet, snow, or hail). Condensation 15 TRANSPIRATION Trees and plants have a unique way that they contribute to the water cycle and to the environment. They draw water up from the ground through their roots, under the bark, and into their leaves, flowers, and fruit. Stomata are microscopic pores or holes primarily located on the underside of the leaves. The water vapor they release makes up 10% of the moisture in the atmosphere. Trees and plants are very important to a healthy environment. Their roots hold onto the soil, keeping it from washing away during storms. The roots also take up the water from the ground. The plants can remove pollutants from this water storing it in the plant tissue. Trees and other plants need clean water to produce healthy fruit, vegetables, grains, and beans. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

20 BUILD A WATER CYCLE (Hydrologic Cycle) Observe stages of the water cycle including transpiration. 16 You Will Need: Instructions: ~ soil ~ small rocks or gravel ~ sand ~ small plants with roots ~ mason or mayonnaise jar with lid ~ bottle cap or shell to contain water Fill the jar with small rocks or gravel. Add a layer of sand (about 1 inch.) Add a layer of soil (about 1 inch.) Add plants, covering all roots with soil. Fill the bottle cap or shell with water. Place cap on top of the soil. Cap the jar and place it in a sunny location. Observe: How transpiration and evaporation return water to the ground as rain. Think About It! Air pollution mixed with water vapor forms acids which fall to the ground as acid rain, snow, fog or dew. Acid rain can damage buildings, cars, forests, and crops. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

21 WATER CYCLE WORD SEARCH Find and circle the words from the list below. Can you find extra words? W X T R A N S P I R A T I O N A A T M O S P H E R E I R T M T L T Q R T N S A V W S B O H E P R E C I P I T A T I O N Y 17 Rain Hail R E Z V R E P L E N I S H E D S R S A W C X T W R O T A A R Molecule Hydrogen Oxygen Water Cycle Evaporation Precipitation Atmosphere Transpiration Condensation H C X P X T Y R I A Z R I T O E O B O H Q G C C I R E L Z G D L D R A I N I L N B A R S E S A B A S O X Y G E N M O D N L T O T Q O Z W A S T E S X R T E O I T R S A S B Q U I Z U O Q M O L E C U L E D S O I L A C O N D E N S A T I O N V E WATER QUALITY STEWARD CHECKPOINT 2 Circle the correct answers, and fill in the blanks. 1.) Condensation, precipitation, and evaporation are three parts of the rain weather cycle water cycle 2.) A glass of water contains millions of. molecules particles elements 3.) The three parts of a water molecule are. 4.) What percent of earth s water is drinkable? 100% 63% less 1% 5.) From the items below, circle the one you think is the main source of water pollution. weather people the atmosphere This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

22 PERCOLATOR Learning Objective: Students will be able to describe how soils filter pollutants from water. 18 Background: As water passes through soil, suspended particles are filtered out. The makeup of the soil determines how well it will act as a filter. For instance, a sieve with large holes will trap only particles that are larger than the holes. A coffee filter which has very tiny pore spaces will filter out very fine particles. Likewise, finer textured soil with small pore spaces will trap more sizes of pollutants than course-textured, loosely packed soil. If flowing water is slowed, it is more likely to penetrate the surface of the ground and percolate down through the soil. The more slowly water percolates, the greater the filtration. Soil covered by plants and trees will slow water speed. Vegetation helps to filter pollutants through absorption and transpiration. Bare soil either erodes with rain water, or becomes so hard that water cannot penetrate it. Buffer zones, or planted strips of land alongside waterways, help to filter pollutants from rain water before it drains into the water body. Materials: Pebbles top soil duct tape Coarse sand fine sand bucket An airtight plastic lid plastic cup scissors Coffee can, both ends open ruler A piece of window screen to fit the lid of the can Procedure: Carefully cut a square hole in the middle of the plastic lid. Cut a round piece of the screen to fit the lid. Fasten the lid to the bottom of the can. Add one inch of pebbles to the can. Add coarse sand on top of the pebbles until the can is half full. Add fine sand on top of the pebbles until the can is full. Mix two tablespoons of soil into a cup of water. Holding the can over a bucket, slowly pour the water into the can. Observe the slow percolation process. Notice the clean bucket water. Discuss with students their observations. Have students speculate based on their observations where percolation takes place most effectively. Wetland areas serve as effective percolation areas. Extension: Allow students to research wetlands and the effects that filtered pollutants have on wetlands and its inhabitants. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit Resources: Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Environmental Protection Agency, USDA Soil Conservation Service

23 19 GROUNDWATER Groundwater is water located under the surface of the ground. This water is stored in an underground body of porous sand, gravel, and fractured rock called an aquifer. Aquifer layers are usually separated from each other by a nonporous layer of clay or chalk called a confining layer. Most people in Mississippi receive their drinking water from groundwater aquifers. Usually groundwater is pumped out of the ground through a well pipe and is stored in a community water tower or household storage tank. From there it travels through pipes to homes, businesses, and industries. Farmers use groundwater to irrigate their crops, or to fill catfish ponds. THE PERCOLATOR The earth is continually filtering or percolating water through its many layers of sand, gravel, rock, and clay. As the water slowly seeps through these layers, water is cleaned much like a filtration system on a fish tank. In this activity, you will filter unclean water through layers of earth and observe how the layers purify or clean the water. You Will Need: pebbles top soil duct tape coarse sand fine sand bucket an air-tight plastic lid plastic cup scissors coffee can, both ends open ruler a piece of window screen to fit the lid of the can Instructions: Carefully cut a square hole in the middle of the plastic lid. Cut a round piece of the screen to fit the lid. Tape the screen to the inside of the lid. Fasten the lid to the bottom of the can. Add one inch of pebbles to the can. Add coarse sand on top of the pebbles until the can is half full. Add fine sand on top of the coarse sand until the can is 3/4 full. Mix two tablespoons of soil into a cup of water. Holding the can over a bucket, slowly pour the water into the can. Observe the slow percolation process. Notice the clean water. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

24 EDIBLE AQUIFER Learning Objective: To illustrate how water is stored in an aquifer, how groundwater can become contaminated, and how this contamination ends up in a drinking water source. Ultimately, students should get a clear understanding of how careless use and disposal of harmful contaminants above the ground can potentially end up in the drinking water below the ground. Background: Many communities obtain their drinking water from underground sources called aquifers. Water well drillers drill wells through soil and rock into aquifers to supply the public with drinking water. Homeowners who cannot obtain drinking water from a public water supply have private wells that tap the groundwater supply. Unfortunately, groundwater can become contaminated by improper use or disposal of harmful chemicals such as motor oil, lawn care products, and household cleaners. Failing septic systems and animals can also contribute to ground water contamination. These chemicals and wastes can percolate down through the soil and rock into an aquifer, and eventually flow into the wells. Such contamination can pose a significant threat to human health. The measures that must be taken by well owners and operators to either protect or clean up contaminated aquifers are quite costly. 20 Materials: Blue or red food coloring Clear soda pop Crushed cookies or ice Colored cake decoration Sprinkles and sugars vanilla ice cream drinking straw clear plastic cup & spoon small gummy bears or chocolate chips Procedures: Fill a clear plastic cup 1/3 full with gummy bears, chocolate chips or crushed ice. (represent gravel and soil) Add soda, just covering the candy or ice. Add a layer of ice cream (confining layer) over the water-filled aquifer. Add more crushed ice on top of the confining layer. Add food coloring to the soda to represent contamination. Watch what happens when it is poured over the top of the aquifer. The same thing happens when contaminates are spilled on the earth s surface. Drill a drinking straw into the center of the aquifer to represent a well. Slowly begin to pump the well by sucking on the straw. Watch the water table decline. Notice how contaminates can leak through the confining layer and end up in the ground water and the area of the aquifer where the well is and are sucked out to the surface. Now recharge your aquifer by adding more soda which represents a rain shower. Discuss student observations and how this ultimately affects our drinking water. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit Resources: Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Environmental Protection Agency, USDA Soil Conservation Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Region VIII U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation

25 EDIBLE AQUIFER See how pollution can be absorbed into ground water. 21 You Will Need: blue or red food coloring vanilla ice cream clear soda pop drinking straw crushed cookies or ice clear plastic cup & spoon colored cake decoration small gummy bears or chocolate chips sprinkles and sugars Instructions: Fill a clear plastic cup 1/3 full with gummy bears, chocolate chips, or crushed ice. (These represent gravel and soils.) Add soda, just covering the candy or ice. Add a layer of ice cream, (confining layer) over the water-filled aquifer (soda). Add more crushed ice on top of the confining layer. Sprinkle colored sugars over the top representing soils and porous layers. Add food coloring to the soda to represent pollutants. Notice how the water in the soda dissolves the pollutants. Watch what happens when it is poured over the top of the aquifer. The same thing happens when pollutants are spilled on the earth s surface. Drill a drinking straw into the center of the aquifer to represent a well. Slowly begin to pump the well by sucking on the straw. Watch the water table decline. Notice how the pollutants can get sucked into the well ending up in the groundwater by leaking through the confining layer. Now recharge your aquifer by adding more soda which represents a rain shower. Think About It! Did you know that one drop of motor oil spilled on the ground can pollute several hundred gallons of drinking water? What other household substances could harm a well if spilled on the ground? This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

26 22 WATER WISE WORD SCRAMBLE Unscramble the words to make complete thoughts. Keeping the water clean and pure is Clean water is important to every (eeeryvno s) responsibility. (ginilv) thing. To keep the water clean, people should never dump pollutants on the (ratwe). (dlan) or in the Two ways to keep litter from entering the waterways is to put litter in the (hatrs nca) and to (celryec). WATER QUALITY STEWARD CHECKPOINT 3 Match the word with its definition. 1) Groundwater A) a layer of underground sand and gravel that contains large amounts of water 2) Aquifer B) water located under the ground 3) Pollutant C) a hole made in the earth to reach ground water 4) Filter D) water slowly being absorbed and filtered through layers of soil, sand and rock 5) Well E) an impurity that causes an undesirable change in the quality of water 6) Percolation F) to soak up or take in 7) Absorption G) to separate pollutants from water This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

27 WATERSHED Lesson Objectives: Students will recognize human-influenced features and activities that affect water quality. 23 Teacher Background: Water in wetlands is connected to the landscape around it. All of the land that drains water into aquifers, lakes, and streams between ridges (topographic high points) is called a watershed. Harmful human activities in the watershed ultimately affect the water, particularly through runoff. Wetlands filter out and absorb many pollutants from runoff as it travels across the land. These pollutants include soil (sediments), fertilizer, chemicals, trash, gasoline, and oil. Our survival depends upon having a clean water supply, and the protection of wetlands is vital to sustaining good water quality. Materials: To make a watershed: Large plastic tub several large rocks a bucket full of clay a watering can a bucket full of soil Procedures: Introduce watershed concept. Note that gravity causes precipitation to run downhill and eventually into waterways, the heart of a watershed. In fact, most waterways and wetlands lie downhill from the land around them. Because wetlands receive water after it flows over land, what activities on land will affect the water quality of wetlands? Make a watershed: Divide the class into groups and give each group the following directions and materials. Directions: 1. Pile the rocks into the center of the tub. 2. Cover the rocks with clay packing it down tightly to form the shape of a hill or mountain 3. Make a ridge along the top of the mound. 4. Loosely spread the soil onto the rock and clay mound. 5. Fill the watering can with water 6. Slowly sprinkle water to simulate rain across your watershed. Ask students what effects there would be if the water became polluted in the watershed. You may add grape powdered drink mix to the water to show clearly the effects of polluted runoff. Additional Activities: What Is A Watershed (Student Lesson Page) Pg. 24, Color The Watershed Pg. 25, Build A Watershed Pg. 26, Where Is Your Watershed Pg. 29 This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit Resources: Adapted from: Wow! The Wonders of Wetlands, Environmental Protection Agency, Region VIII, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.

28 WHAT IS A WATERSHED? by Cherie Schadler 24 When you hear the word watershed, you might think that it sounds like a shed that contains water. However, the kind of shed we will be considering has a different meaning. Suppose you have a cat or a dog for a pet. When they lose their fur, you say that they are shedding. That s because the fur is falling away from your pet. It is the same way we think of water shedding or draining away from the ridges (high places of earth) to the valleys (low places). Even though you might live in an area where the land appears to be very flat, all land has ridges and valleys. The rainwater will shed or drain from even the smallest ridges to the smallest valleys. A watershed is an area of land where precipitation sheds (or drains) from the ridges to a common body of water in the valley, which would be a stream, creek, river, or even a gulf or ocean. When gravity pulls water to the earth in the form of precipitation, (rain, snow, sleet, or hail), the precipitation does not stay in one place. Gravity pulls water down to the lowest place it can go. Imagine standing at your bathroom sink. When you spill water on the ridges or top edges of your sink, where does the water go? Gravity pulls the water droplets down the drain. In the same way, imagine the land around your home or school on a rainy day. The land also has ridges and valleys. On a rainy day, the water will run downhill from your school to the storm drain or ditch, just as the water in your sink went down the drain. The stormwater will flow from your school s ditch, to a local stream or creek, and then to a river, which will eventually drain all the way down to a gulf or ocean. Wherever you live or travel to, you are in a watershed. Your home or school is located in a small watershed, which is located inside of a larger one in your town or county. This larger watershed will eventually drain all the water to a gulf or ocean. This is why it is important to keep the water free from pollutants. Clean water depends upon your actions, for whoever lives upstream affects the water quality for those who live downstream. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

29 COLOR THE WATERSHED A watershed is all the land area that drains to a common point along a stream or other water body. The borders of each are the ridges and all hilltops that separate it from neighboring watersheds. Watersheds can be as large as the great Mississippi River watershed, which contains 31 states, or as small as your school playground, which drains its rainwater to a local creek. The land area may contain homes, farms, forests, small towns, large cities, and industrial areas. We all live in a watershed. Animals and plants live there with us.! Everyone affects what happens in a watershed by what we put on the ground or how we treat our natural resources, such as soil, trees, air, and water.!! We can protect our watershed by preventing pollutants from getting into the stormwater runoff. 25 This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

30 BUILD A WATERSHED Watch what happens to a watershed when it rains. 26 You Will Need: paper cups scissors clay gallon of water a plastic water jug or milk carton rectangular pan red, blue, and yellow drink powder aluminum foil Instructions: Cut the paper cups different heights. Place cups upside down in the pan to represent mountains. Cut a large piece of aluminum foil and lay it over the cups, pressing the foil around cups to make rises and dips in your watershed. Crimp aluminum foil tightly over the pan. Mold trees, ponds, lakes, buildings, animals, etc., with your clay and place on your watershed. These features represent components of the watershed. Punch 5 small holes in the upper corner of the jug. Fill the jug with water and tilt it to make it rain on your watershed. Notice how the water moves through the watershed. Next, sprinkle the drink powder on several features in your watershed to represent pollutants. For example, sprinkle red drink powder near a building or farm to represent where red clay soil is eroded during construction or tilling. Use blue powder to represent fertilizer, or mix colors together to represent black motor fluids in parking lots. Tilt your jug again and make it rain on your watershed. Watch how water carries the pollutants downstream. Think About It! Answer these questions on a separate sheet of paper. How many watersheds are there in your model? Where is the dividing line between watersheds? Observe how the draining water affects the red clay soil. Can you see how draining water can form gullies? Do you think that all of the water drained to the bottom of the watershed? Where do you think the rest of the water went? How is your model different from a real watershed? How would grass, trees, roads, rivers with dams, lakes, or a large city affect your watershed? This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

31 BUILD A WATERSHED How many smaller watersheds are within the larger one? 2. Where is the dividing line between watersheds? 3. Notice that the water tends to form gullies or streams. Observe how the shedding (draining) water affects the pollutants. Do you think that all of the water has drained to the bottom of the watershed? Where do you think the rest of the water went? 4. How is your model different from a real watershed? 5. How would grass, trees, roads, rivers, dams, lakes, or a large city affect your watershed? This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

32 28 WATER QUALITY STEWARD CHECKLIST Put litter in its place in the trash can. Never dump trash or chemicals into the water. Never dump anything down the storm drain. (Only let rain go down the drain) Wash cars at a car wash or on grass using a minimum of chemicals. Plant ground cover in bare spots or use mulch to prevent erosion. Plant hardy trees, shrubs and flowers that require little watering or chemical use. Don t cut shrubs and trees along stream banks. Recycle and dispose of household chemicals at a collection center. Repair auto leaks. Report chemical leaks and spills. Help with neighborhood cleanups. Tell others what they can do to lessen polluted runoff. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

33 WHERE IS YOUR WATERSHED? 29 Everyone lives in a watershed. Every local watershed is part of a larger watershed. Walk around the ground of your school or neighborhood and try to identify where the rainwater drains. Using a detailed local map, topographical, or raised relief map, find your location. On the map, try to find the larger watershed of which your local watershed is a part. Are there smaller watersheds in your watershed? Can you identify the surface water bodies in your watershed? Using a county or state map, or google maps or the like, follow the flow of the water from your watershed to the Gulf of Mexico. Will water from your watershed have much effect on water quality in the Gulf? Why or why not? Here are some fun web sites to locate your watershed and learn more about topographical maps: FIND YOUR TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP USGS SCIENCE RESOURCES FOR PRIMARY GRADES Geography Map Studies PLAY TOPO BINGO! Topo.Bingo.cards.pdf This activity provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. This activity To learn provided more by about special the Watershed permission from Harmony The Mississippi Environmental Department Puppet Theater of Environmental or Study Guide, Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony please visit Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

34 WHAT IS YOUR WATER SOURCE? by Cherie Schadler Learn where your drinking water comes from and build a model water filtration system. 30 Have you ever wondered where the drinking water comes from when you turn on the faucet? Does it come from an aquifer via a well, a reservoir, or a natural spring? With the help of your parent or teacher, locate your drinking water source, then make a visit to your local public water works department that maintains your water supply system to learn how water is purified for drinking. You may also want to find out if your school or your family uses a water filtration system. There are many different kinds of water filtration systems. Some of them only filter out harmful bacteria where others filter out sand, iron and other minerals and chemicals. Water filtration systems may be large enough to clean the water in your entire school or may be as small as an attachment on your kitchen water faucet at home. To see how a filtration system might work, try this activity. You will need: 3-4 poles or sticks at least 1 in diameter 3 of twine a large cotton t-shirt 5 or 6 broken up pieces of charcoal (not Match Light) 2 cups of clean sand Hand full of pine straw, hay, or leaves 1 large cup of pond water, standing water, or tea as a substitute A bowl or pan to catch the filtered water Scissors Instructions: Lash or tie the 3 poles together about 6 from the top to form a free standing tripod. Cut 3 sizes of triangles out of the t-shirt. Tie each corner of the smallest fabric triangle to one of the poles about 1 down from the lashing. Tie each corner of the next largest fabric triangle to each of the poles about 1 down from the smallest triangle. Tie each corner of the largest fabric triangle to each of the poles about 1 down from the middle triangle. This will create 3 fabric baskets to hold the filtration materials. Make sure that the tripod is standing firmly on the ground, that it is

35 sturdy enough to hold materials and water, and that all 3 triangle baskets are firmly tied. In the smallest triangle basket at the top, spread the pine needles, hay, or leaves. Pour the sand into the middle triangle basket. Place the pieces of charcoal in the largest triangle basket at the bottom. Place the bowl or pan on the ground below the third layer. It will catch the filtered water. Begin to pour the pond water into the top triangle basket. It will not take long for the water to begin to trickle through each layer and begin to drip into the bowl or pan. Notice how the straw or leaves help to filter out large material from the pond water. The sand filters out fine particles, and the charcoal helps to filter out some chemicals and organic matter, improving the taste of the water. Once the water has completely filtered through the three baskets into the bowl or pan, again pour the pan water i n t o t h e t o p t r i a n g l e b a s k e t. C o n t i n u e t h i s p r o c e s s, filtering the water through the filtration system 3-5 cycles. Compare some of the original pond water to the purified water. You will notice how clean the pan water appears compared to the pond water. This is a very primitive way to filter out chemicals and organic matter. However, although the water now looks clean enough to drink, it may still contain harmful bacteria. Many filtration systems use additional ways, including chemicals, to clean out the remaining bacteria. Think About It! How could polluted water potentially harm your drinking water source? 31 This activity page provided by special permission from BAYOU TOWN Productions

36 WATER QUALITY STEWARD CROSSWORD CHECKPOINT 4 32 Across 2. Never dump anything down the storm. 5. The largest single part of the water molecule. 6. is important to every living thing. 7. When water flows from high places to low places it travels through the. 10. Evaporation, condensation and precipitation are part of the. 11. A water molecule is made up of two parts and one part oxygen. 12. Rain, snow, and sleet are 3 forms of. 13. When you drink a glass of water you are drinking of water molecules. 14. are impurities that get washed into streams during storms, making the water unclean for people and animals. Down 1. The average person uses 70 of water a day. 3. It is everyone s responsibility to be a Water Steward and help keep the water clean and pure. 4. Every time you drink a glass of water you are drinking billions of % of the water on the is too salty to use. 9. The process of water in a lake changing into a vapor is called This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

37 WHAT LIVES IN OR NEAR THE WATER? By Cherie Schadler 33 When you are splashing in a creek, or boating on a river, do you ever consider what lives in or near the water? There are various forms of life around you every moment. Some forms you can clearly see, or hear, such as birds flying overhead, and dogs barking in the distance. However, there are many forms that you can t see without the help of a magnifying lens, a microscope, or binoculars. Many creatures are so small, or so well camouflaged that they almost seem invisible. However, even though you can t see them, they may be watching you from a safe hideout in the water, up in a tree, or behind a bush. An aquatic environment provides many different habitats that are home to bugs, birds, fish, reptiles, and mammals. In the water live thousands of microscopic life forms as well as macroinvertebrates. Many different varieties of birds feed on the bugs they find in the air, in the forest, and in the water. Fish, frogs, turtles, snakes, and sometimes even alligators, feed and breed in and around the waters, on the sandy banks, or in the lush, green forest. Snakes glide across the water from one side of the creek to the other in search of food. You may be surprised to know that beavers sometimes build dams in our creeks and rivers, and that bats fly overhead to supper on flying mosquitoes and other insects. Deer, opossum, raccoons, and bobcats come to the water to drink and hunt. The next time you visit your local creek or river, you may want to sit very quietly and observe how many different forms of wildlife are around you. The health of your creek or river may be essential to their livelihood. Take along a notebook and write down your observations. You will be amazed at how much activity is going on! This activity page provided by special permission from BAYOU TOWN Productions

38 MACROINVERTEBRATES 34 There is a whole world of life in healthy steams, rivers and lakes. Some of the tiny animals living in the water are benthic, meaning they live in the bottom of the waterbody. Some are macroinvertebrates because they are large and easy to see (macro) and because they have no backbone (invertebrate). The most common of these creatures include insects, clams, snails, crayfish, and worms. Some live their whole lives in the water, and others leave the water as adults to feed and reproduce. Macroinvertebrates are important as food to other creatures living in the water. Some are considered by scientists to be indicator species and are a way of telling whether or not a river or lake is polluted. In rivers, some macroinvertebrates live attached to rocks and plants where there is fast-flowing water. They are good indicators of water quality because they do not move around and are easy to collect. The moving water gives them food and oxygen. If the water is polluted, there is less food and oxygen for the aquatic macroinvertebrates. If the water has pollutant-intolerant macroinvertebrate species in it, that is a good indication that the water is clean and of high quality. If there are mostly pollutant-tolerant macroinvertebrates in the water, there is a chance that the water is polluted and only those types of species can survive. In lakes, where there is not fast-flowing water, the dynamics are slightly different. Indicator species in rivers are not necessarily as telling as in lakes, where the waters are relatively still. METAMORPHOSIS Most macroinvertebrates, especially insects, look completely different as young than as adults. Many go through several changes in looks before adulthood. This cycle of changes is called metamorphosis. Simple Metamorphosis Juvenile (young) insects look much like what they will look like as adults. Insect eggs hatch to become nymphs. Nymphs may look a lot like what the adult insect will look like. STONEFLY MAYFLY DRAGONFLY

39 35 Complex Metamorphosis in Aquatic Insects Juvenile insects that undergo complex metamorphosis look very much UNLIKE their adult counterparts. They will undergo many changes before taking an adult form. There are 4 stages in this change: egg > larvae > pupae > adult. Usually, none of the juvenile (young) stages look like adults. BLACKFLY CADDISFLY WATER PENNY DOBSONFLY CRAN EFLY RIFFLE BEETLE This activity page provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

40 MACROINVERTEBRATES Graph macroinvertebrates to identify good or poor water quality. 36 SUBJECT: DURATION: SETTING: Science minutes Classroom PURPOSE: To describe and identify the quality of a stream site by analyzing its aquatic macroinvertebrates. SUMMARY: Students will learn about water quality indicators through the use of candy representing a macroinvertebrate sample. Sorting the candy and evaluating what is found will tell the students about the quality of water. BACKGROUND: Sometimes it is easy to tell if a stream is polluted. Strange colors and dead fish are indicators of poor water quality. But, biologists need to know about water quality problems long before they reach this point. Some of their most effective partners in detecting declining trends in water quality are aquatic macroinvertebrates because they respond rapidly to changes in water quality. To evaluate the health and productivity of a stream, biologists look at the types of macroinvertebrate species who live there. Different species have different tolerance levels to pollution. If many pollution-intolerant species, such as stonefly or caddisfly nymphs are present the water quality is probably good. Although the presence of certain species indicates good water quality, the absence of these species does not necessarily indicate bad water quality. Other factors besides pollution may have accounted for their absence. Sensitive or Intolerant Species: Organisms easily killed, impaired or driven off by bad water quality, include stonefly, dobsonfly and mayfly nymphs, caddisfly larvae, and water pennies. Somewhat Tolerant Species: Organisms have the ability to live under varying conditions. You may find them in good or poor quality water. These organisms include amphipods, scuds, beetle and crane fly larva, crayfish and dragonfly nymphs. Tolerant Species: Organisms are capable of withstanding poor water quality. These include leeches, aquatic worms, midge larvae and sow bugs.

41 MATERIALS: 37 Candy (i.e., Skittles or M&M s) Small Plastic Bags (1 per group of students) Graph Paper Colored Pencils Macroinvertebrate I.D. Charts from the Tools for Study web page of this web site PROCEDURE: 1. Divide the candy into the bags. You may have 1 bag per student or 1 bag per group of students. You should have about 30 pieces of candy per bag. Each bag represents aquatic macroinvertebrates collected from a study site. 2. Have the class assign an aquatic macroinvertebrate to each color of candy (or do this beforehand if you have visual displays). For example, red = stonefly nymph, yellow = crane fly larva, green = leeches. See chart below for an idea. 3. Distribute the graph paper to each student (or group). Have students set up a bar graph for the aquatic macroinvertebrate sample. Label the x-axis with the names of the candy colors that correlate to the macroinvertebrates. Label the y-axis with the numbers of macros. 4. Give each student or group a bag of candy. Have the students separate and count the number of candy they have in each color group and graph them on the paper. Use the colored pencils or crayons to fill in the bars. Have the students try to determine the quality of the water in their sample. Example: Macroinvertebrate Sample Analysis COLOR (M&M s) Red Orange Yellow Green Dark Brown Blue MACROINVERTEBRATE Stonefly (Intolerant) Caddisfly Larva (Intolerant) Beetles (Somewhat Tolerant) Crane fly Larva (Somewhat Tolerant) Leeches (Tolerant) Midge Larva (Tolerant) EXTENSION: Discuss how each sample site is different. While some sites may indicate poor water quality, there may be other factors involved. Have the students hypothesize possible pollutants. Activity S-2: Use your Head, Protect Your Watershed! by Dr. Kitt *This activity is adapted from Farrell Poe, with information also taken from the Utah Stream Manual by USU Extension Utah State University Cooperative Extension

42 WATER BUGS Lesson Objective: Identify at least three animals that live in the water and at the least three animals that live on land. Identify the interdependence of in food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids. Know characteristics of the major classifications groups: monera, protest, fungi, plant and animal kingdoms. Learning Objectives: Students will examine water samples to evaluate water quality. Teacher Tip: A small ice pack in a cooler will help the water samples survive. Organisms can live up to two days in a sealed plastic bag if conditions are right. Teacher Background: Conducting a stream quality survey can help you determine how clean a stream is. Counting and identifying insects in a stream can help you answer this question. Insect absence or presence can serve as indicators of environmental conditions. Macroinvertebrates (visible spineless animals) are easy to find. Materials Water samples from various places Old screen mesh, or dip net Pans Tweezers Magnifying glass Zipper bags for sealing Stream insects and crustaceans chart (see macroinvertebrate chart on Tools for Study web page on this site) Samples Questions: 1. What is water quality? 2. How does water quality affect insects that live in the water? Learning Procedures: 1. Display poster of stream insects and crustaceans. Point out organisms that live in different types of water quality. Discuss likeness and differences of each organism. 2. Divide students in groups and have students choose an organism to study. Have them make an oral presentation of the likeness and differences of their organisms. 3. After students become familiar with the organisms, the poster can be used to categorize them into the different water types that are their habitats. To reinforce, prepare various cut out pictures and distribute to the students. 4. Using identification poster, the student will name the organism and state the type of water quality it can live in. 5. A day in advance, collect water samples from nearby streams, ponds, and rivers. Put samples in sealed bags or clear jars. Divide students in small groups. Provide pans for each group. 6. Pour water samples into pans. Let students look for organisms and evaluate the quality of the water 7. Given three different water samples, students will observe organisms to determine the quality of the water. 38 This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit Resources: Water Quality Indicator Guide: Surface Waters, US Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service SCS-TP-161 (1988) Save our Stream Program, Izzac Walton League of America 1401 Wilson Blvd., Level B Arlington, VA 22209

43 INTERESTING AND IRRITATING INSECTS 39 SUBJECT: DURATION: LOCATION: Science 1 hour (each activity) Classroom and Outdoors OBJECTIVES: To teach students about insects, their structure, behavior, and usefulness. MATERIALS: hand lenses jars wooden beads spools clothespins pipe cleaners sequins or beads glue METHOD: Discuss with the students the parts of an insect. Explain the role insects play in the environment. Have students examine insects using hand lenses. Students will also build their own insects and write stories about them. BACKGROUND: Insects, whether we like it or not, make up over half of the known living things on this planet. They are, at times, considered great pests, but their ecological importance is vast. Not only do they represent a huge proportion of the food source for other animals, but their pollination services are invaluable. Many vegetables, flowers, trees, and other plants are pollinated by insects. Birds consume gigantic numbers of insects, as do fish, reptiles, amphibians, and certain mammals. Insects also create products that people use: silk, honey, beeswax, and shellac. What exactly is an insect? It is a cold-blooded invertebrate of the phylum arthropoda, class insecta. From the time that insects begin life as eggs, they go through many changes, some gradual, others radical. Each change is referred to as a metamorphosis. Once the insect becomes an adult, it has three major body parts: the head, the thorax (the middle body part), and the abdomen. Three sets of legs attach to the thorax. Spiders, which have only two body parts and four pairs of legs are not insects. Many adult insects have one or two pairs of wings, which are also attached to the thorax. Most have antennae which are attached to the head. In immature stages, insects come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are much harder to identify than adults. There are eight common groups of insects to which most species belong: bees, wasps, and ants; flies, mosquitoes, and gnats; moths and butterflies; beetles; crickets, locusts, and grasshoppers; dragonflies and damselflies; aphids, cicadas, and leafhoppers; and (true) bugs, backswimmers, and water striders.

44 SUGGESTED PROCEDURE: 1) Discuss insect structure with the students. Draw and identify the parts of an insect. Include the three body parts: the head, the thorax (in the middle), and the abdomen. Insects have three sets of legs, which attach to the thorax. Wings (either one or two pairs) also attach to the thorax. Eyes and antennae attach to the head. Ask the students to give examples of insects, and discuss the good things that insects do. 40 2) Biting and stinging insects can be extremely troublesome to human beings. One thing to keep in mind is that we are not the only animals plagued by these creatures in search of blood - all mammals are affected. Certain methods help reduce the amount of biting and stinging that actually take place. When going into areas that have heavy concentrations of biting insects, wear lightweight, long sleeved shirts and long pants. Spraying bug repellent on shoes, socks, and cuffs of pants helps to discourage chiggers. It is best to spray bug repellent on clothing instead of skin. Hats are not only good sun protection, but they also offer shielding from irritating insects. 3) Have the students go on an insect hunt. Look around the school yard for different and interesting insects. Avoid stinging and biting insects. Observe the behavior of insects. What are some of the things the students see the insects doing? Carefully capture a couple insects and put them in separate jars. In the classroom, the insects can be viewed directly through the jars. Hand lenses can be used to enlarge them. Have the students pass the jars around, and notice the basic parts of the insect that were discussed earlier: head, thorax, abdomen, legs, wings (if present), antennae (if present), and eyes. Can any of the insects mouthparts be seen? Can any of the insects be identified as to the groups they belong to? Have the class bring the insects back outside for a release ceremony. 4) Have the students build their own insects (real or imaginary) using any or all of the following items: large wooden beads, empty spools of thread, wooden clothespins (especially the single piece type), pipe cleaners, sequins or beads (for eyes), and glue. Many other items could be used also. The wooden parts make great bodies, and the pipe cleaners can be used to attach body parts and to make legs, wings, and antennae. Have the students write a short story about their insects. Information that could be included in the stories would be food preference, habitat, interesting features, and survival skills. Did each student name his or her type of insect? This activity page is from Activity Guide for Teachers, which has been provided by special permission from The Gulf Islands National Seashore.

45 IN THE AIR - BIRDS! 41 Subject: Duration: Location: Science 1 hour (each activity) Classroom and Outdoors Objectives: To teach students basic bird structure, classification, and behavior. Materials: Paper, Pencils, and a bird identification guide Method: Discuss with the students the parts of a bird and the different types of birds that exist. Interesting design factors of birds and behavior will be discussed also. Take the students outside for a bird observation walk. Background: Birds are the lords and ladies of the air, able to feel the wind flowing freely past their wings as they head skyward, moving from one destination to another. Some of these birds are the most beautifully colored animals in all of nature. Birds are designed in an array of color and their syrinx allows superb vocalization. Songbirds sing lovely and melodious songs during courtship and as territorial warnings. Birds eat a variety of foods including berries, seeds, grasses, nectar, insects, fish, other birds, and mammals. Birds have features that allow them to feed in different ways. They may have long bills, short bills, thin bills, wide bills, hooked bills, straight bills, big bills, or little bills. Other adaptations are long legs, short legs, tiny claws, big claws, round wings, pointed wings, stiff feathers, and soft feathers. All these parts combine to make very different types of birds. Birds can be categorized into about 8 groups: swimming birds (duck, geese, loons, etc.), aerial divers (pelicans, gulls, terns, etc.), wading birds (egrets, herons, ibises, etc.), shore birds (plovers, sandpipers, etc.), chicken-like birds (grouse, quail, turkey, etc.), birds of prey (eagles, falcons, hawks, owls, etc.), passerines -- song birds and perching birds (warblers, thrushes, finches, sparrows, etc.), non-passerines -- non-singers and non-perchers (doves, hummingbirds, kingfishers, woodpeckers, etc.). Within each group, birds are further divided by family, and by species. Bird watching has become an international hobby, and books are available for identifying birds anywhere in the world. SUGGESTED PROCEDURE: 1) Discuss with the students the parts of a bird. Draw a picture of a bird and label the following parts: bill (upper and lower mandible), forehead, crown (top of the head), nape (back of the neck), back, rump, tail, eyes, throat, breast, belly, side, wings, legs, toes, and claws. Discuss these features with the class, and ask them what similar features humans have. Everything on a bird would have a counter part on a human, except the tail.

46 Ask the students what the functions are for the different parts of a bird. Wings are used for flight and for covering things up (like young in the nest, or a recently caught meal); the tail is used as a rudder, and for stabilizing the bird; the bill is used to capture and eat food; the feet are used for grasping and clinging. 2) Discuss the different types of birds with the students. What birds have they seen? Try categorizing some of the birds seen by the students. Ask the students to describe the most beautiful birds they have seen, the most interesting behaviors they have observed, and the bird songs and calls they have heard. Discuss design factors of birds with the class. Ask them what purposes coloration may serve. Coloration helps some birds to camouflage themselves (e.g. sparrows), while it may help other birds (such as the brightly colored cardinal) to attract mates. Ask the students how they think the shape or size of a bill affects what the bird eats. Long and thin bills are used for probing the mud and sand for invertebrates, tiny bills are used for picking insects out from under bark and leaves, wide and short bills are used for cracking seeds, wide and long bills are used for catching fish, and hooked bills are used for tearing flesh. Ask the students about different types of feathers. Discuss the long flight feathers, called primaries, the stiff tail feathers, and the small contour and down feathers that cover the body. Some birds have softer flight feathers than others. Ask the students why they think t h i s might be so. Explain that some birds, like owls, need to sneak up very quietly on their prey so they have soft feathers that don t make any noise. Other birds, like pelicans, gulls, or vultures, have stiff feathers that make a lot of noise when they fly. It is not important for them to sneak up quietly, because their food is either under water or dead. Hummingbirds have stiff noisy wings that actually hum because they are moving so fast! This is fine for the hummingbird, whose principal foods are nectar and insects. Hummingbirds have speed on their side and can move in any direction, even backward, to catch an insect, visit a new flower, or avoid a predator. 3) Take the students outside for a bird observation walk. Tell them that being quiet is very important in order to see birds. Have them listen for birds as well as look for them. When a bird is seen, have the students note as many different features as possible. Bill shape, body shape, size, tail type and length, leg length, color, stripes, song, and behavior are important factors in determining what type of bird it is. Unless the species of bird is obvious, don t try to identify the bird, but rather try to determine what group of birds it is part of. If no birds are seen or heard, ask the students why the birds aren t around. A predator may be around, and the birds could be hiding. Loud noises may have scared the birds off. If there isn t sufficient cover or food, birds may not be in the area. Early in the morning and late in the day are best times to see birds. They usually keep cool during the heat of the day. Ask the students what birds do in bad weather. They seek protection. Cavities in trees, dense foliage, or thickly clumped branches, shady places underneath roofs, and the insides of abandoned buildings are all good hideouts when shelter is needed. 42

47 4) Have students observe bird behavior on their own. Assign as homework a bird observation journal on one particular bird. Each student will pick a bird that can be seen around his or her home and watch it. In their journals, the students will write down identifying features about their bird. The following parts of the bird can be noted: size of bird (compared to a known object), bill type, color(s) of a bird, distinguishing marks or features (stripes, eye rings, breasts, colorful patches, etc.), leg length, body length, tail length, shape of wings, and shape of tail. Then have the students write down observations of the bird s behavior. Was it eating, preening (cleaning its feathers), taking a bath, flying, climbing trees, swimming, or walking? Ask them to draw the birds in their journals. When they bring their journals into class, have the students share their observations with their classmates. If a bird identification book is available, try to look up the bird and identify it. If not, have the student choose the category that they think the bird belongs to. Ask each student, What did you learn by watching the bird? 5) An additional activity, which can be done in the classroom, is to learn about the habits of a migratory bird. Before scientists knew that birds migrated in the fall, people were mystified that birds would be around one day, and the next day they would be gone. One popular theory said that birds simply burrowed in the mud and hibernated through the winter like amphibians. This theory seems silly today but in that time, no one had the capabilities needed to track birds and learn about their long flights. Have the class choose a bird that visits the Gulf Coast in the spring and summer, and migrates south in the fall for the winter. Study the habits of this bird. What food does it eat while it lives on the coast? Where does it build its nest? What type of habit does the bird prefer? These questions can be answered through research and bird identification and bird behavior books. Good examples: The Prothonotary Warbler, which winters from southeastern Mexico to Columbia and Venezuela; The Summer Tanager, which winters from Mexico to Brazil; The Blue Grosbeak, which winters from Mexico to Panama; The Purple Martin, which winters in South America; The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, which winters from Mexico to Central America; The Yellow-Billed Cuckoo, which winters in Argentina; The Swallow - Tailed Kite, which winters south of the United States; and The Least Tern (also called the little tern), which winters south of the United States, off the coast of Brazil. These birds come to the Gulf Coast to raise their young, and then they spend the winter in countries south of the United States where the food supply is greater and the weather milder. This is one of the reasons why conservation groups are trying to save land not only in the United States, but also in the tropics, where many birds winter. Many migratory birds spend time on the barrier islands of Gulf Islands National Seashore, resting and feeding before making that long flight across the Gulf to reach their southern destinations. These birds are referred to as neo-tropical migrants, because they migrate between North America and the neo-(or new world) tropics. 43 This activity page is from Activity Guide for Teachers, which has been provided by special permission from The Gulf Islands National Seashore.

48 CAMOUFLAGE CRITTERS 44 SUBJECT: DURATION: LOCATION: Science 1 hour (each activity) Classroom and Outdoors OBJECTIVES: To teach students about camouflage and how it can be useful in protecting creatures from predators. MATERIALS: sticks and bark leaves and grass feathers and rocks clay animal list METHOD: Discuss with the students the definition of camouflage. Explain how coloration and behavior can combine to make a prey animal almost invisible to predators. Discover what camouflaging animals live in your watershed. Students will create a camouflage critter from natural materials. BACKGROUND: Camouflage is both an external appearance and a behavior-pattern that helps an animal become indistinguishable from its surroundings. An animal s coloration, or a particular body part, allows it to blend in with its environment. Behavior assists in the animal s ploy. It may freeze, twist a part of its body in a particular way, or flatten out to avoid detection. Finding an animal that is trying to be invisible is quite an accomplishment. Many animals use camouflage as a defensive action against predators, and some predators use it to remain unseen by their prey. A common lizard, the green anole (sometimes incorrectly called a chameleon) is a master at blending in with its surroundings. It changes its color to match the environment it is in - brown or green. Anoles accomplish this with migrating pigment cells. A bittern (a bird similar to a heron) is not only colored like its marsh habitat; it also sticks its head and its long pointed bill straight up in the air when disturbed, making it appear like a blade of grass. This trick must work very well, as bitterns are one of the hardest type of birds to see. Ghost crabs are so called because they blend in so well with their white, sandy surroundings that when they are seen, they look like little ghosts running to and fro in the night. They are perfectly colored to match the sand in which they live. The mullet, like many other fish, uses the bi-color trick. Mullet are darkly colored on top, so when seen from above, they blend into the darkness of the water, and when seen from below, their light undersides are indistinguishable from the sky.

49 SUGGESTED PROCEDURE: Discuss with the students what camouflage means. Ask them to describe a good example of camouflage. Explain that camouflage is not just coloration, but behavior also. If a cryptically colored (camouflaged) animal moves around, it will probably be detected. Usually animals freeze when they are trying to remain hidden. Some animals even have parts of their bodies designed to help camouflage them. The great horned owl is an excellent example. A researcher wanted to find out if the horns on the owl were used for hearing and in order to study this, clipped the horns off a few great horned owls. The results of the study were that the horns did not improve hearing, but that they were most likely for camouflage. The irregular horns on the top of great horned owl heads help to make the birds look like broken off branches. This is very useful during the daytime when the owls roost in trees. With the additional coloration of brown earth tones, the owls just seem like part of the woodwork. Some animals change color at will. The green anole may be green or brown depending upon its current location. Some fish will have spots or stripes one minute, and none the next. Certain creatures even have eye spots on their bodies so they appear to be looking in one direction, when in reality, they are facing in another. Prey animals are not the only ones trying to remain undetected. The more a predator blends into its environment, the better its chances are of catching a meal. The alligator is a great imitator of part of its environment, the floating log. Its coloration, rough skin, and ability to float motionlessly has probably been the undoing of many unsuspecting animals. ACTIVITY: Using the animal list for your watershed identify the kinds of animals that live in your watershed that might exhibit camouflage characteristics. Discuss the kinds of animals and the ways in which they might camouflage themselves around your watershed area. Then, using natural elements found outside, such as leaves, grass, sticks, stones, and feathers, have the students create critters that will blend in around the school yard. Clay can be used for holding the natural objects together. Once the students have created their critters, bring the students outside and give them a few minutes to hide their critters (not bury them) where they will be visible from at least one side. Once the class has hidden all the creatures, let the students try to find them. Then the owners can collect and identify their creatures. Were they all found? 45 This activity page has been adapted for this study from Activity Guide for Teachers, which has been provided by special permission from The Gulf Islands National Seashore.

50 WHAT S FOR LUNCH? 46 Objective: Students will appreciate the interdependence of the organisms, including humans, involved in a food web. Students will make connection between the importance of natural resources and the ways we impact them. Materials: Ball of yarn Signs with these items on them for players to wear: sun, algae, aquatic plants, macroinvertebrate, bluegill, largemouth bass, mouse, mockingbird, snake, beaver, deer, human Index cards labeled: Erosion - storm eroded the construction site-clouded water, sunlight blocked, gills clogged Emission from chemical plant-hot water and chemicals released into river-possible fish kill Polluted runoff - wide varieties of pollution flow into river after a strong storm-erosion, chemicals, litter, and floating debris resembling living organisms (Discuss above possibilities and other possible occurrences) Background Information: A wetland is a great marketplace of food sources. The vast number of plants growing in a healthy wetland form the basis of this food web. (The food web is a complex system of many food chains.) Resident and visiting animals can find a wide array of food choices in a wetland, whether they eat plants, animals, or both. A wetland with a great diversity of plant life will attract higher numbers and more species of animals. Plants are called primary producers because they supply food at the lowest level of a food chain. It takes an enormous number of individual plants to support the other parts of the web. Wetland habitats are extremely productive in terms of plant life. Primary consumers are eaten by secondary consumers, or carnivores (meat-eaters). This group includes predators such as birds of prey, some snakes, foxes, wild cats and people. Secondary consumers are eaten by tertiary consumers, which may be predators or scavengers such as turkey vultures, crabs, and sometimes people. Any of the food components mentioned above can be broken down by decomposers, organisms such as bacteria and fungi that reduce dead plant or animal matter into smaller particles. A decaying plant, for example, will be broken down into nutrients that enrich the soil. This process supports the growth of more plants. People are also part of the wetland food web! Many regional economies depend upon wetland foods. Are you a seafood lover? Oysters, shrimp, bluefish, flounder, and other popular, commercially important fish and shellfish are produced in the wetlands, especially coastal marshes. Waterfowl, deer, and other game species that visit wetlands provide a source of food and income. Wetland mammals such as beaver, mink, and muskrat are valued for their fur. Muskrat is even becoming a popular

51 gourmet dish. Cattail shoots, wild rice, and many other wetland plants that grow in wetlands are edible. Next time you get the munchies, visit a wetland for a snack! Procedure: Have the class discuss the concept of a food web - what animals eat and who eats them. Introduce or review the terms herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, insectivore, predator, prey, producer, and consumer. Have older students discuss the flow of energy from primary producers through tertiary consumers and decomposers. Activity: 1. Make a list of plants and animals. 2. Write the name of each plant on signs for students to wear. 3. Have the class stand in a circle. Select the sun to begin the web and give that student a ball of yarn. Ask him to wrap the end once around his hand, the pass the ball to a plant. Then have the plant pass the ball to an organism that eats his plant, (wrapping the string around his hand), connecting the one who consumed to the consumer. This student should wrap the string around their hand and pass the ball either to an organism or to her own organism s food source. 4. Once the web is complete have students shift around until the web is taut. Have students discuss the fact that sometimes a plant or animal s role in the web may change, or disappear entirely. What effect would this have on the web? Use the following scenarios to describe what can happen to parts of the web when the wetland habitat is disturbed. With each description, have the students decide which organism would be affected by the change first. Have the students wearing this sign tug on the string. Anyone who feels the tug should raise her or his free hand. Have each of these students tug on the string, and so on. When the third scenario has been covered, have the class sit down and discuss the web. Scenarios: 1. It is raining. A lawn-care company s truck skids and crashes near the wetland, spilling hundreds of gallons of weed killer. The rain washes the chemicals into the wetland (plants). 2. A stream is blocked by a huge pile of dumped garbage. The part of the stream that usually flows through the wetland dries up. (fish) 3. The wetland is destroyed when someone buys the land and builds a shopping mall there (everything affected). 47 Ask students to describe ways that the food web might be affected by a change in one of its links. Help students understand that a change in the availability of even one food source could affect many wetland residents. Stress that parts of an ecosystem are interconnected and interdependent, and every link is vital to the health of the whole. Resources: Adapted from: Wow! The Wonders of Wetlands, Environmental Protection Agency, Region VIII, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.

52 WHAT S FOR LUNCH? In the food web, every living organism is affected by polluted water. When the polluted water is absorbed by plants, aquatic life, and animals, the consumer of those living things also digests the pollution. It is important to keep the water clean so that food sources will be free of pollution. Can you imagine what happens when an owl eats a snake that has eaten many mice whom have been feeding off of the grass near a polluted body of water? The owl consumes all the toxins of the snake, the mouse and the grass. Eventually, this process harms the ability for creatures to reproduce and, in some cases, even causes extinction. FOOD WEB GAME Learn how the food web is affected in a polluted body of water. Food Web Games Online: You Will Need: 12 or more players (add organisms to add players) Ball of yarn Signs with these items on them for players to wear: sun, algae, aquatic plants, macroinvetebrate, bluegill, largemouth bass, mouse, mockingbird, snake, beaver, deer, and human Index card with these items on them: EROSION - storm eroded the construction site causing clouded water, which blocked the sunlight in stream - fish gills clogged EMISSION from CHEMICAL PLANT - hot water and chemicals were released into the river - possible fish kill POLLUTED RUNOFF - varieties of pollution flow into the river after the storm: erosion, chemicals, litter, and floating debris Instructions: Have all players stand in a circle with the sun in the middle. Discuss which organisms the sun would affect. (For example, the sun s energy would feed the algae.) The sun holds the end of the string, passing the ball to the algae, who grabs the string and passes the ball to the macroinvertebrate. Continue linking string to each chain of the food web. Some organisms will link to more than one organism or plant. Once your web is complete, have the sun call out one of the items on the index card. For example, the sun will call out erosion. Because sunlight has been blocked, the sun should tug on the string. Every organism that feels the tug should fall down. Continue this play discussing a variety of events that could have a negative impact on the body of water. 48 Resources: Adapted from: Wow! The Wonders of Wetlands, Environmental Protection Agency, Region VIII, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.

53 WHAT IS POLLUTED OR STORM WATER RUNOFF? 49 Have you ever been driving along with your parents, rolled down your car window, and thrown out a piece of trash? Every day people dump pollutants onto the land or into the water without thinking. Ninety-five percent of all the pollutants that end up on the ground are carried by water into water bodies such as streams, creeks, lakes, rivers, and eventually gulfs and oceans.. Water is the most powerful force for spreading pollution! Polluted runoff or contaminated storm water runoff contains pollutants such as soil from erosion, fertilizer, pesticides, motor fluids, soap, food, beverages, glass, plastic, aluminum drink cans, toys, batteries, clothing, paper, gum, cigarette butts, and even dirty diapers. Water that drains into a storm drain or ditch flows to a nearby river and eventually into the Gulf of Mexico. Rivers, lakes, and natural storage tanks underground called aquifers are all places where many of us receive our drinking water. These bodies of water may be directly impacted by the polluted runoff. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

54 BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPs) 50 Best Management Practices, or BMPs, are practical solutions that help keep pollutants from entering streams, rivers, and other water bodies. 1. Let trees and shrubs grow along river banks. This will create a buffer zone along the stream bank or river bank that will keep the soil from eroding into the water. Also, water flowing through the buffer strip will be filtered. 2. Plant grass or mulch bare, loose soil. 3. Fence cows away from the river. This helps to keep animal waste out of the water and reduces stream bank and channel erosion. 4. Build a catch-pond, or catch-water basin to capture loose soil during construction and, later, car leakage from parking lot runoff. Many such basins are positioned next to shopping centers. 5. Install a silt fence to capture loose soil from construction sites. 6. Fence around trees during construction to preserve them. Trees provide shade, hold soil with their roots, filter polluted runoff. cool the water, and provide food and cover for wildlife. They are very important for preserving a healthy environment. 7. Protect drinking water! Seal up water wells and make sure to keep the ground clean around a well. Don t mix chemicals near a well. Wash cars on grass with a minimum of chemicals. 8. Repair failing septic systems. 9. Plant crops in contour rows (around the hill.) Use no-till planting when possible (tilling only the rows to be planted and not in between them.) 10. Recycle motor oil, paper, plastics, cans, etc. 11. Dispose of household chemicals at a collection center. 12. Report chemical leaks or spills. 13. Pick up litter and dispose of it properly. Help with neighborhood cleanups. 14. Tell others what they can do to lessen polluted runoff. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

55 MARINE DEBRIS 51 Subject: Duration: Location: Science, Ecology 1 hour Classroom OBJECTIVES: To teach students the importance of keeping our waters clean and free from debris. To learn about recycling and why it is so valuable. MATERIALS: six pack ring empty soda can plastic bag bottle plastic containers lunch box thermos lunch bag plastic (or wax) wrap juice box (disposable dessert in wrapper drink container) METHOD: Discuss marine debris with students and its effects on the environment. A recyclable lunch demonstration shows the students how they can participate in helping to reduce litter. A children s and teacher s pledge is enclosed to join the movement to keep the Gulf clean. Helping with a beach clean-up or starting a recycling program at school are additional ways to keep America green! BACKGROUND: Marine debris is a major issue with many environmentalists these days and with good cause. Marine debris is not only unsightly and unhealthy, it can be fatal to marine life. Many whales, turtles, dolphins, fish, and seabirds become entangled in floating trash, or sometimes mistake it for food and end up dying from blocked intestines. Why does this happen? When balloons and plastic bags end up in the water, they soon loose color and become transparent. At this stage, they look a lot like jellyfish, a common food item for many marine creatures. They attempt to eat the jellyfish by taking bites out of it or sometimes swallowing it completely. As a result, this plastic may clog their intestines either partially or completely, resulting in death. Six-pack rings and fishing lines are other deadly items in the seas. They get caught around necks of birds, gills of fish, and fins of marine mammals. All types of marine debris are collected and surveyed during coastal beach cleanups: cans, bottles, plastic bags, six-pack rings, rope, fishing line, crates, oil cans, light bulbs, styrofoam and many, many other items. The trash is counted and catalogued. From these surveys it has been determined that the trash is coming from recreational boats, commercial fishing boats, cruise ships, merchant ships, military vessels, oil rigs, and beach goers. The garbage that ends up in the oceans takes many years to disintegrate. Rope takes about 1 year, a tin can about 100 years, an aluminum can between 200 and 500 years, plastic about 450 years, and glass is unknown. Another major problem in our oceans are oil spills. These have more immediate results. If we all do our part

56 to conserve energy, recycle, and keep our coasts clean, we will help our environment to be healthy and beautiful. 52 SUGGESTED PROCEDURE: 1) Discuss with the students what marine debris is and how it gets into the water. Show them empty soda cans, bottles, six-pack rings, candy wrappers, plastic bags, fishing line, etc. Ask the students who they think is putting garbage such as this into the water? What do they think can be done about it? 2) Have the students (and teacher) fill out the enclosed Concerned Citizen s Pledge for keeping garbage out of the water, and cleaning up other trash when possible. Explain to students about releasing balloons, and how they can travel many miles out to sea, even if released from interior states. This creates problems when marine animals try to eat these jellyfish. It s okay to have balloons, just try not to let them go. If the students are interested, they can bring home copies of the Concerned Citizen s Pledge and have their parents and siblings sign them. 3) Six-pack rings, plastic bags, and fishing lines are deadly to many sea creatures. Have each student find a six-pack ring and some other type of garbage that has been discarded carelessly by someone. Have them bring this garbage into the classroom. Discuss with the students that every six-pack ring, or other piece of dangerous garbage that they pick up is one less that could end up harming a bird, turtle, dolphin, or other marine animal. Have the students cut the loops off the six pack rings and throw them into the garbage along with the other trash they have collected. Suggest that they cut up all six-pack rings at home before throwing them away, because sometimes animals get into the landfills where the garbage is dumped, and this would prevent an animal from getting caught in it! 4) Have a recyclable lunch demonstration. Bring in two lunches to show the class. Make one totally recyclable using plastic containers, a reusable lunch box, and a reusable drinking container. Make the other totally disposable, with excess packaging, in a brown bag. Tell the class this experiment will take two days. The first day, eat the lunch in the brown bag and put all of the garbage in a pile. The second day, eat the lunch in the containers and put any garbage left from it in another pile (perhaps just a paper napkin). Discuss with the class how reducing the amount of waste is the first step to solving the garbage crisis. If every students reduced the amount of garbage generated by their lunches, how much less garbage would there be? 5) Other activities that feel good to do and are good for the environment are to get involved in a beach cleanup and to recycle in school. Beach clean-ups are fun, and almost every coastal community has one. The Take Pride in the Gulf cleanup is always scheduled on the next to the last Saturday in September. This could be a possible field trip or exercise for extra credit. The materials found could be surveyed by the class,

57 and the results charted on a graph. Recycling can help reduce the amount of littler around our coasts, and it saves energy and natural resources too. If the school currently has a recycling program, set aside a place to store recyclables (labeled cardboard boxes work great), and then once a week, have the class take their items to the place where the recycled materials are gathered in the school. Tell them that the bigger the piles are in the boxes, the cleaner they are making their environment. The students can also collect items that were littered by other people and recycle them too. Encourage students to recycle at home and to ask their parents to buy recycled products or products with less packaging. CONCERNED CITIZEN S PLEDGE I am a concerned citizen, and I feel that the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and all associated waters and coastlines, are important public and environmental resources. I want to help to protect our coast and be an Environmental Ranger. AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL RANGER, I will not throw trash anywhere except in a garbage can. I will recycle whenever possible. I will help pick up other peoples garbage whenever possible. I will try to prevent accidental loss of garbage, fishing supplies, or balloons. I will help my coast to stay clean and healthy. 53 NAME DATE CONGRATULATIONS! You are now an Environmental Ranger! This activity page is from Activity Guide for Teachers, which has been provided by special permission from The Gulf Islands National Seashore.

58 EROSION by Cherie Schadler 54 Water Erosion is the process of breaking rocks and soils down into smaller particles, and the washing them away by precipitation, usually rain. Wind, water and ice break down large boulders into smaller rocks. Those rocks split into smaller pieces of rock. The tiny pieces break down into sand. Soils are made up of decaying material from rocks, plants, and animals. When the soil is unprotected where trees and plants have been stripped away, the soil has nothing to hold it or bind it together. When a heavy rain beats down upon the soil, it may be washed away by the rain water into a stream, creek, or river, which will eventually carry it all the way out to a gulf or ocean. It s hard to imagine that soil is the number one pollutant in the state of Mississippi, yet it is! Mississippi communities are steadily growing with many new construction projects taking place. When trees are cut down from a forested area, and soil is turned up and disturbed for new construction, it doesn t take much rain water to wash the soil into the waterways. If the soil is unprotected and Best Management Practices (BMPs) are not being practiced (practical solutions that help keep pollutants from entering streams, rivers, and other waterbodies), then the soil will move with the rain water. Eroded soil in waterways disturbs the natural course of wildlife. Turbid or cloudy creeks prevent sunlight from penetrating the water. Aquatice vegetation consequencly produces less dissolved oxygen in the water and aquatic life either suffocates or moves on. Clogged gills cause fish to gasp for breath. Eventually, the food supply will be reduced for fish and other wildlife such as turtles and ducks. Clear cutting the land (cutting away all trees and brush) and ATV traffic are other ways soil is disturbed, making a creek turbid or cloudy. Construction sites often leave large amounts of bare soil to wash away or erode at the first rain storm. ATV traffic through the creeks disturbs fish beds and stirs up the sediment on the bottom of the creek. It can take several days for the sediment in a creek to settle back down to the bottom after a rainstorm or ATV disturbance. Sometimes, the eroded soil moves from one place to another further downhill. The eroded area looses its nutrient rich top soil and lays several layers of top soil, clay, and sand over a different area of land possibly runoff wetland. This silting in process changes the natural characteristics of a landscape and can even end up redirecting the water in the watershed. Cypress trees and other wetland species of plants and trees loose their natural habitat and begin to die off. Environmental stewardship means taking personal responsibility for our actions concerning our natural resources, including soil and water, because whatever happens upstream in the watershed affects the water quality for those who live downstream. This activity page provided by special permission from BAYOU TOWN Productions

59 EROSION ACTIVITY BUILD A WATERSHED Watch soil erode in a watershed when it rains. 55 You Will Need: paper cups scissors clay gallon of water a plastic water jug or milk carton rectangular pan a quart container of loose soil aluminum foil Instructions: Cut the paper cups different heights. Place cups upside down in the pan to represent hills. Cut a large piece of aluminum foil and lay it over the cups, pressing the foil around cups to make rises and dips in your watershed. Crimp aluminum foil tightly over the pan. Mold several trees with the clay and place them near to each other in one section of the watershed to represent a forest. and place on your watershed. Press soil into the clay around the base of the trees. This will show how the roots of trees hold onto soil. SLIGHTLY dampen the soil with water, press patties of soil over the hill tops. Punch 5 small holes in the upper corner of the jug. Fill the jug with water and tilt it to make it rain on your watershed. Notice how the water moves through the watershed. Watch how water sticks, pulls, and dissolves the soil as it moved it through the watershed. Think About It! Answer these questions on a separate sheet of paper. How many watersheds are there in your model? Where is the dividing line between watersheds? Observe how the draining water affects the soil. Can you see how draining water can form streams? Has the soil moved? If so, where has it moved to? How has the eroding soil changed your watershed? This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

60 WHAT IS NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION? by Cherie Schadler 56 Although we often see pollution in various forms, it is classified into two groups - point source pollution and non-point source pollution. Point source pollution is a direct form of pollution that can be traced to its point of origin (where it started) such as a hot water discharge into a creek from a manufacturing plant, or an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico from a ship. These pollutants can be traced back to their points of origin by following the pollution trail. The pollution often enters the water body at a distinct location and is a continuous source of the same kind of pollution. Because of these traits, point source pollution is easier to identify and control. However, unlike point source pollution, non-point source pollution cannot be traced to its point of origin, as it has diverse origins. Rainwater washes soil, fertilizer, and pesticides from farm fields as well as urban areas. Litter is a universal problem. It is nearly impossible to trace the origins of all the litter we see beside the road. Ninety-five percent of the pollution that is thrown or dumped onto the ground ends up in the waterways. People often don t realize that many of us get our drinking water from the very rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers that we are polluting. It s amazing to realize that some of the items we throw out of the window can take up to six hundred years to break down in the environment, yet we continue to litter anyway. Can you imagine how much gum, candy wrappers, cigarette butts, soda cans, plastic bottles, and dirty diapers are floating in our rivers? It is everyone s responsibility to help keep the water clean and healthy. The best way to help stop non-point source pollution is to not throw or dump anything on the ground and to pick up litter that you see. It s just as easy to throw your gum paper into a litter bag in the car than it is to throw it out of the window. Then, when you go to the filling station or when you get home, you can empty the trash from your litter bag. Remember, whatever happens upstream, affects the water quality for every living thing downstream. If we all work together we can have clean waterways where we fish and swim. This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

61 HOW DID IT GET THERE? by Cherie Schadler Demonstrate that non-point source pollution cannot be traced. 57 Play a game to determine how difficult it is to trace non-point source pollution. You Will Need: Instructions: 7 signs made from poster board to hang around the neck. Write Factory on 1 of the signs, Citizen on 3 of them, and Investigator on the last 3. Waste basket with sign that reads creek. 12 wads of black construction paper in a paper lunch sack. Write chemical discharge on each piece of black paper. 4 wads of one of these colors of construction paper in a paper lunch sack: red, blue, or yellow. Make 3 sacks total (12 wads total). Write types of litter on each piece, such as plastic bottle, soil, fertilizer, car shampoo, animal waste, food, beverage, paper, batteries, motor oil, cigarette butt, aluminum can, and gum. Choose a student to be the Factory. Student wears Factory sign and stands facing the waste basket creek. Student holds sack with black wads of construction paper without Investigators knowing what s in the sack. Choose 3 students to be the Citizens. Students wear Citizen signs and stand facing the waste basket from the same direction as the Factory student. Students each hold a sack with 4 wads of the same colored paper without the Investigators seeing what is in the sacks. Choose 3 students to be the Investigators. Students wear Investigator signs and stand facing the Factory and Citizens with the creek between them. Investigators close their eyes. Teacher directs the Factory and Citizens to Pollute! The Factory and Citizens each throw a wad of paper at the creek. Teacher then directs the Investigators to Investigate! Investigators open their eyes and try to determine who threw which wad. After a few turns, it will become evident that the black wads are coming from the factory and the colored wads are difficult to trace. After all wads are thrown, open up each wad and read aloud the items written on each paper. Discuss: Were the investigators able to identify the sources of each form of pollution? Why not? What can citizens do to help keep the community clean? This activity page provided by special permission from BAYOU TOWN Productions

62 RECYCLING 58 Recycling is very important for many very good reasons: 1) it conserves natural resources; 2) it conserves energy; 3) it conserves landfill space; and 4) it creates jobs. We turn our trash into a resource to make something useful. Recycling can also reduce our need to import such large amounts of oil, gas, and minerals. Many people think that our trash can be sent somewhere - Out of sight, out of mind. But it is not that easy. Others think it is all right to just dump their trash on the side of the road in remote areas. However, trash should be sent to a landfill if it can t be recycled. In its most simple terms, a landfill is nothing more than a big hole dug in the ground and lined with plastic to keep it from leaking. When it gets full, it will be covered with more plastic, soil, and then grass. When this landfill is full, the same process will start again with another hole being dug. Before we know it, we will run out of landfill space. The landfills will get closer and closer to our homes, restaurants, schools, and shopping centers. Remember, the average person in Mississippi throws away about 4 pounds of garbage every day. This amounts to over 3 million tons of garbage each year in Mississippi alone. That is enough trash to fill 550 football fields, 6 feet deep, compacted! Recycling will help us conserve landfill space. On average, a person or family is able to recycle and compost about 1/3 to 1/2 of their trash. As you will see, just about anything can be recycled if there is a market for it. PAPER Office paper, newspaper, and cardboard are the 3 most recycled forms of paper. They will all be recycled into other paper products. We all know that paper comes from trees. We want to conserve our trees. The more paper products we need, the more trees we must cut down. Instead, we can recycle old newspapers into new newspapers, egg cartons, cereal boxes, and even ceiling tiles. We can recycle old office paper into more office paper. It can also be incorporated into other paper products like wallboard, ceiling tiles, and insulation used in construction projects. Cardboard can be recycled into new cardboard products. Nearly all paper towels are made from recycled paper. In addition, phone books are printed on recycled paper. If they were not, imagine the amount of paper that would be needed to print new phone books. Phone books can also be recycled. Consider this: A phone book from Jackson, Mississippi, is over 3 inch thick, and several thousand are printed every year. A large quantity of landfill space is taken up when phone books are not recycled. Now imagine the amount of space that phone books would consume from large cities such as Chicago, Phoenix, Dallas, Orlando, Atlanta, Miami, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and New York. Millions of new phone books are printed and millions of phone books are disposed of every year in each of these cities. Phone books in these cities are all about inches thick!

63 ALUMINUM AND STEEL CANS Did you know that you can earn money recycling aluminum and steel cans? Aluminum comes from a rock in the ground called bauxite. Steel comes from a combination of minerals. But into what can they be recycled? Aluminum is recycled into other aluminum products. A piece of steel could have many recycled uses: it could originally be used to make part of a car; after the car ends up in a junk yard, it can be recycled into steel office furniture; when that steel office furniture is worn out and discarded, it could be recycled into steel soup cans; those cans can be recycled into paper clips. We keep some of our trash out of the landfill, and we turn our trash into something useful. But remember, before you recycle these cans, rinse them out with water so they won t smell bad and attract mice, roaches, ants, and flies. School classes can recycle the aluminum and steel cans all year and have enough money to pay for a field trip, class party, or make a charitable donation. GLASS Glass is made from sand, limestone, and soda ash. It is also made from cullet, which is glass broken into smaller pieces. Recycled glass can be ground up, essentially back into sand, and be used as an additive to products like paint and asphalt. Glass is used in the paint for road signs to help the signs shine and sparkle when headlights hit them. Have you ever noticed how certain streets look as if someone has spread silver glitter all over them if the sun hits them just right? That s recycled glass used as an additive and filler in the asphalt. USED MOTOR OIL If you or someone you know changes their own motor oil, what do you do with the old oil? Do you pour it down the sink, down a storm drain, or on the ground? Remember that most people in Mississippi get their drinking water from wells in the ground. The more oil poured on the ground - the better chance that our drinking water will get contaminated. Storm drains and rainwater will carry oil to our streams, rivers, and lakes and make them unfit for fish and other wildlife. Instead, collect the used motor oil in an old gallon milk jug, put the cap on, and take it to your nearest full-service gas station, or auto parts store. The oil will be recycled by re-refining it into lubricating oils or be used as an industrial boiler fuel. It can even be used in manufacturing tires. Just don t pour it on the ground or down the drain. PLASTICS Plastics, to put it simply, are made from chemicals. These chemicals are made from oil and natural gas. So when we recycle plastics, we are conserving a vital, natural resource, and we are turning our trash into some interesting things. Number 1 plastics, like soft drink bottles and water bottles, and number 2 plastic, like milk jugs, are the most common plastics products recycled at this time. To recycle a plastic bottle, you first throw the caps away. The caps are a different type of plastic that is difficult to recycle. If it mixes with the other plastic in the molding process it will create weak spots and blemishes in the final plastic bottle. After you throw the caps away, rinse the bottle and then stomp it flat or crush it. 59

64 That way it won t take up quite so much room in your recycling bin. A plastic bottle starts out as a small plastic tube. These tubes are much easier to ship to the bottler than a full sized bottle that we would recognize. The bottler takes these tubes and heats them up, then blows them up like a balloon into a mold of a bottle that we recognize. These bottles are then filled with substances such as Coke, water, Lysol, and then sold to consumers - us. We use the contents of the bottles and then recycle the bottles. The recycler will send the bottles to a manufacturer who will grind the bottles into flakes that look like crumbled potato chips. These flakes will be melted into pellets that will in turn be melted and formed into other plastic products, maybe even the small plastic tubes. Then the whole process starts again. Our trash is being turned into something useful and we are conserving landfill space because the plastic bottle doesn t go to the landfill. Plastic bags like Wal-Mart bags and grocery bags can be recycled and made into plastic lumber. This plastic lumber is being used in many cases for park furniture and patio decks. It is weather resistant, which means it won t rot, and it doesn t have to be painted. Our recycled soft drink bottles can be used to make textiles like denim fabric, shirts, and athletic bags. Every soft drink bottle and water bottle (number 1 plastic) that is recycled in Mississippi eventually ends up in Summerville, Georgia, and is made into carpet. OLD TIRES Tires can also be recycled. They are typically shredded and chipped. They are then used in some instances as a boiler fuel in combination with, or as an alternative to, coal or natural gas. The steel belts are removed using large magnets and recycled as scrap steel. The crumb rubber remaining is used as an additive to asphalt. It is also used to manufacture other products made with rubber and plastics. It can be used as a playground surface or as a subsurface in soccer fields, running tracks, and horse arenas. COMPOST Compost is nothing more than organic material made from food waste, leaves, grass clippings, and small branches. Composting is simply allowing natural materials from your yard break down by a natural process using air, water, and sunlight. The only items to keep out of the compost pile are bones, meats, dairy products, grease, large pieces of wood, and dog and cat waste and litter. All that you do is simply to keep the composted material slightly moist, and to turn it with a pitch fork every 2 weeks. After sitting in the sun and cooking, the compost eventually turns into soil that is used as a fertilizer instead of the chemical fertilizer that is normally bought at the store. You can also use earthworms to compost your food waste into a nutrient-rich fertilizer. One pound of earthworms will eat one pound of food waste a day. SIX-PACK RINGS Six-pack rings can be recycled by sending them back to the manufacturer to be reprocessed and reused. If you throw them in the trash, be sure to cut them up first, so that small animals and fish won t get tangled in them and die. 60

65 HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE Other household hazardous waste includes such items as antifreeze, pesticides, paints, and thinners, automotive batteries, bug spray, drain opener, and similar products. Try to use all of the product for its intended purpose, give it to someone who will use it, or bring it to a household hazardous waste collection day held at different locations around the state at various times each year. Remember the R s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recharge, Repair, and Refuse, and always buy products made from recycled materials. Just about anything can be recycled, as crazy as that sounds. Old money is eventually taken out of circulation at the banks and replaced with brand new money. The old, worn out, used money must be destroyed. It is usually shredded and burned, but that creates a lot of smoke that neither looks nor smells good. Sometimes it is sold as a novelty in the gift shop of the U.S. Mint. Like blue jeans, it is also made into pencils. (No, you can t spend the pencils.) Please don t litter, regardless of the circumstances. Put a small bag in your car for collection of trash and put this in a trash container at your next stop. Use the free litter bags provided by Keep Mississippi Beautiful and the Mississippi Department of Transportation. Recycling questions can be directed to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality by calling (601) or consult our website at 61 This activity page provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Pollution Control. > Programs > Recycling

66 WATER QUALITY; WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? by Debra Veeder 62 OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to describe the relationship between chemical changes in a stream and the reasons these changes take place. METHOD: Students will; 1) Measure temperature, ph, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity on a water sample. 2) From the measurement obtained, students will determine the quality of the water. 3) Discuss the factors that would contribute to the water quality readings. MATERIALS: World Water Monitoring Day test kits Sample of stream water Chart to record results (Charts for water testing may be found by following the link Tools for Study on this site.) Grade Level: 3rd + (adjust as needed) Subject Areas: Science Duration: One 45 minute session Group Size: Small groups of 2-4 students Setting: Indoors Key Terms: temperature, ph, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, Clean Water Act, pollution, action, responsibility BACKGROUND: Water is extremely important for human life. We not only use it for drinking, cooking, and washing but also for recreation. Many people like to fish, swim and boat in it. Mississippi has certain water quality standards set forth under the Clean Water Act that specify criteria water bodies should meet for their designated use. Various forms of pollution can change the chemical make-up of streams and may prevent it from meeting the criteria for its designated use. One way to look at the quality of water in streams is to test four parameters; temperature, ph, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. These four parameters are tested because of their simplicity and usefulness in screening water for potential problems. They help answer the question What s in the water?.

67 Temperature is significant because it affects the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. The amount of oxygen that will dissolve in water increases as temperature decreases. For example, water at 0 degrees Celsius will hold up to 14.6 mg of oxygen per liter, while at 30 degrees Celsius it will hold only up to 7.6 mg/l. Temperature also affects chemical and biochemical reaction rates. As temperature increases, reaction rates speed up. Symbol ph is a numerical expression of the acidity or alkalinity of a substance. The ph of a water body is important because most organisms have a relatively narrow band of ph in which they can live and thrive. When the ph is outside those limits, the organisms cannot survive. The ph is also important because it is a factor in the amount of treatment necessary for water to be used for drinking or for industrial water supply and because the solubility of many other chemicals vary with ph. Photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and surrounding geology all affect ph, as do sources of pollution, including atmospheric deposition. Turbidity, or cloudiness in water, is caused by suspended solid matter, which scatters light passing through the water. Turbidity relates directly to rainfall, runoff, and man-made discharges. A hard, fast rain washes a great deal of soil and organic matter into the water. The turbid water that results absorbs more heat from the sun than does clear water, so muddy lakes and streams are often warmer than clear ones, but the direct affects of turbidity on the aquatic life are more important than the temperature affects. Turbidity reduces the amount of light that penetrates into the water, reducing the light available for algae and aquatic weeds to use in photosynthesis. High levels of turbidity may coat gill membranes of fish, making it difficult for them to breathe. Finally, the suspended (turbid) material eventually settles to the bottom, where it may cover food supplies for fish and macroinvertebrates and make fish spawning areas unsuitable. If the water is very turbid, it might be the result of soil erosion, urban runoff, algae blooms, or bottom sediment disturbances. Dissolved oxygen gas is important because it is the basis for most aquatic life. The oxygen contained in water molecules can t be used by the life forms in a stream or lake. It is locked in molecularly, and simply isn t available to them. The amount of dissolved oxygen gas is the single most important chemical variable affecting aquatic life. PROCEDURES: The World Water Monitoring Day kit is from LaMotte. Contents include; canister (for sampling and storage of the rest of the kit), ph tablets, dissolved oxygen test tablets, small sample tube, 10 ml test tube, thermometers (self-stick), Secchi disk icon (self-stick, to apply to the bottom of the canister), and a chart to read results. Also needed are timing devices/ stopwatches. Prior to using the kits, you need to apply the Secchi disk to the bottom of the canister and apply the thermometers to a plastic tube so that it can be inserted into the canister to read the water temperature. You can also purchase small thermometers that could be used in place of the self-stick ones. 63

68 To obtain the Temperature you will place the thermometer in the canister for one minute. Once you remove the thermometer from the water, read your temperature immediately. The thermometer that has the blue star will only display a temperature in very cold water. You will most likely use the thermometer with the numbers. You will record the temperature that is highlighted in green. The other colors around it show the range of the water temperature. The Dissolved Oxygen test is prepared in the small tube. The Dissolved Oxygen test measures how much oxygen is available in the water. This test takes about 9 minutes to complete, waiting for the tablets to dissolve and the color to develop. You can record the results as parts per million (ppm) or the test results can be combined with the current temperature to determine the saturation. a) Submerge the small tube into the water sample. Carefully remove the tube from the water sample, keeping the tube full to the top. b) Drop two dissolved oxygen testabs into the tube. Water will overflow when the tablets are added. c) Screw the cap on the tube. More water will overflow as the cap is tightened. Make sure no bubbles are present in the sample. d) Mix by inverting the tube over and over until the tablets have disintegrated. This will take about 4 minutes. e) Wait 5 minutes for the color to develop. f) Compare the color of the sample to the Dissolved Oxygen color chart. Record the result as ppm Dissolved Oxygen. 64

69 HOW TO DETERMINE % SATURATION: Locate the temperature of the water sample on the % Saturation chart. Locate the Dissolved Oxygen result of the water sample at the top of the chart. The % Saturation of the water sample is where the temperature row and the Dissolved Oxygen column intersect. For example: if the water sample temperature is 16C and the Dissolved Oxygen result is 4 ppm, then the % Saturation is Dissolved Oxygen 0 ppm 4 ppm 8 ppm Temperature Degrees Celsius The ph test is prepared in the longer 10ml test tube. There is a short waiting period for the ph tablets to disintegrate until the results can be read. a) Fill the large test tube to the 10ml line with the water sample. b) Add one ph wide range test tab. c) Cap and mix by inverting until the tablet has disintegrated. Bits of material may remain in the sample. d) Compare the color of the sample to the ph color chart. Record the result as ph.

70 Turbidity test is done by comparing the test chart to the view of the Secchi disk icon sticker at the bottom of the canister. Hold the Turbidity chart on the top edge of the canister. Looking down into the canister, compare the appearance of the Secchi disk icon in the canister to the chart. Record the result as Turbidity in JTU. EXTENSION: List reasons why the water quality is what it is. Students could make recommendations on what might be done to improve the water quality. Research the Clean Water Act. Research one of the four test parameters and explain what conditions affect its measurements. EVALUATION: 1) Have students identify what could affect the results for temperature, ph, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. 2) Have students identify different types of pollution that can affect their streams. 3) Have students list reasons it is important to protect our streams and keep the water clean. 66 This activity page provided by special permission from Debra Veeder, and The Mississippi Wildlife Federation.

71 THE WATERSHED HARMONY GAME Instructions 67 WATER QUALITY STEWAR D You Will Need: Object: Instructions: Game Pieces WATERSHED HARMONY Game Board Top and Bottom (see below) 12 WATERSHED HARMONY Game Cards Coin to flip for moving Game Pieces on Game Board To answer questions correctly and become the first player to enter the finish space earning the Water Quality Steward badge. Attach game board top and bottom and color it with crayons. Color and cut out game pieces, place on start box. Place the Water Quality Steward badge in the finish space. Cut out game cards. Stack face down beside the game board. Flip the coin to determine who moves first. (Heads moves first.) Flip the coin to move: Heads - 1 space, Tails - 2 spaces. When a player lands on a Draw space, he should pick up a card from the stack and pass it to another player without looking at the questions. The second player reads the question and three possible answers to the first player. If the first player chooses the correct answer (in bold), he is allowed to stay on the new space. If his answer is incorrect he must return to the space he occupied before flipping the coin. The second player places the card face down at the bottom of the stack and flips the coin to begin his turn. The play continues until finally a player moves into the finish box earning the Water Quality Steward badge, ending the game. When a player lands on a river space, the player should flow with the river and slide ahead 1 space. When a player lands on a Polluted Runoff space, he should move back 1 space because polluted runoff has entered the river and he must lose a turn to help clean it up. You may want to create a smart board program using this information This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

72 A is an are the main impurity that causes an source of water pollution. undesirable change in the water. A.) Pollutant B.) Molecule C.) Watershed Don t cut or along stream banks. A.) Bark or grass B.) Shrubs or trees C.) Worms or bait Plant hardy trees, shrubs, and plants requiring little. A.) Watering. B.) Pesticide and fertilizer. C.) All of the above. Name the 3 parts of the water molecule. A.) Fish B.) Atmospheric conditions C.) Humans What is a watershed? 2 parts hydrogen and 1 part A.) A small shed where oxygen, (H 2 O), or hydrogen, a water well is kept. hydrogen, and oxygen B.) All the land area that drains to a common point one stream or another water body. C.) A waterfall. To means to Wash cars on the separate pollutants from using a minimum of water.. A.) Absorb B.) Precipitate C.) Filter has the ability to dissolve harmful pollutants. A.) An aquifer B.) Water C.) A BMP A.) Cement, cloth B.) Grass, chemicals C.) Street, water Less than % of water is drinkable. A.) 97% B.) 50% C.) 1% An aquifer is Water molecules stick. together because of a property called A.) A fish tank. B.) Natural underground layers holding large amounts of water. C.) Hydration A.) Adhesion B.) Precipitation C.) Cohesion Bobby Bass Molly Mockingbird Blue Gill WATERSHED HARMONY GAME CARDS & MARKERS

73 A buffer zone is: To percolate means: A.) Vegetation (plants & A.) Form of precipitation. trees) that help to B.) Clean and filter filter polluted runoff water through and prevent erosion. layers of sand and B) A construction site. gravel. C) A pond to catch and C.) Measure layers of filter polluted water. soil. Name three kinds of polluted runoff. road salt; mining; erosion; car fluids; animal waste; fertilizer; pesticides; detergent; septic leakage; industry waste; toxic chemicals; land fill; construction; litter Name 3 parts of the water cycle. evaporation, condensation, precipitation transpiration overland flow infiltration EMERGENCY ACTION: What Would You Do If is the is a Mrs. Hope and her students Mrs. Hope s students attraction of water for skin on top of water that went on a field trip to the Clear made an inspection of the other substances such as allows light weight Bottom River. They found grounds and found that Bobby Bass river pool polluted the school s storm drains glass and plastic at the objects to float on water. and want to help. What is the were clogged with soil molecule level. first thing they should do? from the new construction. The concerned citizens A.) Cohesion A.) Surface Tension A.) Begin cleaning it up. should: B.) Surface Tension B.) Cohesion B.) Leave the area. A.) Report the problem to C.) Adhesion C.) Adhesion the construction manager in charge. C.) Report the problem to B.) Shovel out the soil. the proper authorities. C.) All of the above. A is a Never dump pollutants on volunteer citizen who helps the or in the. to keep the water in their community pure and clean. A.) Water Quality Steward B.) Mayor C.) Teacher A.) land, water B.) land, storm drain C.) All of the above. EMERGENCY ACTION: What Would You Do If... A manufacturing plant was You have just moved to being built along the bank of River Town and bought one the Clear Bottom River. After of Mr. Daniel s home sites. the land was cleared to begin Your site hasn t any trees or construction, a storm caused grass. How should you prothe loose soil to wash down tect your soil from washing the hill. What should you do? away during construction? A.) Plant trees. B.) Install a silt fence. C.) Move the plant. A.) Plant flowers. B.) Plant trees. C.) Install a silt fence around the property Lady Bug Water Quality Steward Badge Frog WATER QUALITY STEWARD WATERSHED HARMONY GAME CARDS & MARKERS

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76 WATER QUALITY STEWARD CERTIFICATION QUIZ 72 FILL IN THE BLANK 1) Every living thing needs pure, clean. 2) Water is always moving through the and the. 3) Every day people are dumping things onto the land and into the water that is the water. 4) Trees help to polluted runoff. Roots help to prevent the soil from. 5) Practical solutions that keep pollutants from entering waterways are called BMPs or. 6) is the contaminated water that flows over the land during storms moving soil, chemicals, motor oil, and pesticides, etc. MATCHING Match the items in the left column with the Best Management Practices (BMPs). 1) Erosion A) Plant in contour rows - till and plant rows only 2) Parking Lots B) Dispose of at a collection center 3) Construction Sites C) Keep a buffer zone of trees and bushes 4) Storm Drains D) Use plants that require less water and fertilizer 5) Farms E) Keep the land covered with plants and mulch 6) Car F) Catch water basins to filter the rainwater runoff 7) Chemicals G) Clean out leaves and debris 8) Stream Banks H) Repair to keep leaking fluids from dripping on streets 9) Lawns and Gardens I) Use silt fences to keep loose soil from eroding This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

77 Core Curriculum YOUR WATERSHED NEEDS YOUR HELP! 73 SCHOOL or HOME 1) Become a Water Quality Steward in your school or home. Make an inspection of the grounds for possible problems with erosion or polluted runoff. Make a detailed list or drawings of the problem sites along with some suggested BMPs. Show your findings to your teacher, principal, or parents. 2) Conduct a recycling project. Collect cans, newspapers, plastic bottles, and bags. Make arrangements to have them picked up or brought to the recycling center. Place a litter bag in your automobile and empty the garbage you collect in the trash bin at home. 3) Conduct a cleanup of the school grounds or yard of your home. Make sure to clean any debris away from storm drains and out of drainage ditches. 4) Plan a Water Quality Stewardship Day for your school or family to demonstrate all you ve learned and to share with them the importance of being a Water Quality Steward. 5) Construct a garden out of recycled materials using hardy plants that need less watering and chemical use (xeriscape). Use organic gardening techniques. Mulch your plants to hold moisture and reduce watering. Plant in bare patches of soil. COMMUNITY The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and other government agencies offer a wide variety of opportunities for citizens to become actively involved in cleaning up and maintaining the health of the state and national water bodies. We need your help! INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEAN UP This cleanup is held each year along the coasts and inland waters of the world. Volunteers fill out data cards identifying the debris they pick up along the coasts, islands and waterways. The event in the United States is usually held in September of each year. Mississippi: STORM DRAIN MARKING Volunteers mark storm drains and distribute flyers to the surrounding neighborhood. This program increases public awareness of urban runoff, and what citizens can do on their own property to reduce impacts on water quality. Mississippi: NPS Sectioin, MS Dept. Environmental Quality Phone: STREAM STEWARDSHIP This program is a volunteer stream monitoring program. Volunteers attend a 2-day workshop and then may adopt a section of a stream or river and monitor water quality, conduct clean-ups and/or improve stream habitat. Mississippi: dveeder@mswf.org This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

78 WHAT IS A LAND TRUST? by Cherie Schadler 74 Do you help to mow the grass or keep the yard clean and groomed at home? Do you help to keep your neighbor s yard clean and groomed? Have you ever helped with a neighborhood cleanup? If you are helping to maintain a green space, you are participating in the kinds of activities a land trust engages in, which helps to preserve particular pieces of land for the benefit of the public. A land trust is an organization of people that helps to preserve and protect land, or green spaces for the people of a community to enjoy. The land is either given to or purchased by a land trust. The green spaces are then protected permanently, which means that no land developers will ever be able to build any buildings upon it. These green spaces are kept in their natural state. A land trust might maintain a trail through a particular piece of land to help the people have a way to enjoy it, or in some cases, even create a kayak trail along the waterway that runs through the green space. However, they will not cut down trees or build playgrounds on the land. Many times land trust properties are located right in the middle of a town. It has been proven that communities that have more trees and green spaces in them tend to have a healthier population. People gain a sense of wellness as they move around a town where there are trees and green spaces. These spaces provide cleaner air for the town, attract a variety of wildlife species, and moderate high temperatures. They add beauty to the environment. Think about driving through your town. Is there a particular part of town that you enjoy driving through more than another? Does that part of town have a green space? Throughout our United States, there are more than 1,600 land trusts that have protected more than 37 million acres of green spaces. A land trust works with local government, civic groups, volunteers, and even local industry to help provide education to students and citizens about the green spaces they are protecting. All of these activities that are provided by a land trust are paid for by individual donations, government grants, and donations from industry partnerships. You may want to adopt a green space of your own and protect it for the enjoyment of others. Is there a green space at your school, church, or home that you would like to preserve? This may include creating a rain garden, recycled garden, or xeriscape (garden that requires little water). You can include plants that are native to your location that require very little maintenance but attract a variety of wildlife, including butterflies and hummingbirds. This activity page provided by special permission from BAYOU TOWN Productions

79 75 STREAM ORDER CLASSIFICATION Learning Objectives: Students will study Pascagoula River stream order map and discuss human impacts on stream flow. Lesson Objectives: Number stream orders on map of Pascagoula River. Circle streams more likely to dry up at certain times of the year and explain why. Identify human impacts that affect stream flow and state what can be done to prevent human impacts. Materials Stream order map (see attached) Materials for water quality survey (see lesson plan on Water Bugs) Lessons: Bodies of water that flow across the earth s surface via a current and are contained within a narrow channel and banks are referred to as rivers, creeks, or streams. A tributary is a stream that flows into a main stem river not flowing directly into the ocean. Activity: Identify streams, rivers and tributaries on the map of the Pascagoula River Stream order is a common classification system used to study and measure the size of the world s waterways: the further downstream the stream is, the higher the order; the further upstream the stream, the more likely it is to dry up during parts of the year. When studying stream order, it is important to recognize the pattern associated with the movement of streams up the hierarchy of strength. Because the smallest tributaries are classified as first order, they are often given a value of one by scientists. It then takes a joining of two first order streams to form a second order stream. When two second order

80 76 streams combine, they form a third order stream, and when two third order streams join, they form a fourth and so on. If, however, two streams of different order join, neither increases in order. For example, if a second order stream joins a third order stream, the second order stream simply ends by flowing its contents into the third order stream, which then maintains its place in the hierarchy. This method of classifying stream size is important to geographers, geologists, hydrologists and other scientists because it gives them an idea of the size and strength of specific waterways within stream networks- an important component to water management. In addition, classifying stream order allows scientists to more easily study the amount of sediment in an area. Whether it is used by a geologist, a biogeographer, or a hydrologist, stream order is an effective way to classify the world s waterways and is a crucial step in understanding the many differences between streams of different sizes. Activity: Identify the first, second and third order streams on the map of the Pascagoula River.

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82 Samples Questions: 1. What human impacts might affect water quality? 2. How might water quality impact the free flow of water? 3. What can we do to prevent human impacts from slowing the free flow of water? 78

83 79 GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA LEVEL RISE Learning Objectives: In this lesson, students will 1. learn that ice formations on land will cause a rise in sea level when they melt, whereas ice formations on water will not cause a rise in sea level when they melt. 2. learn that ice is less dense than water. 3. learn that ice displaces water equal to the mass of the ice. 4. practice some of the steps involved in a science investigation. Materials - two identical clear food storage boxes (approximately 6 inches square) per group - 8 sticks of classroom modeling clay per group - 1 ruler per group - 1 tray of ice cubes per group (may need to start storing ice cubes ahead of time) - 1 liter of water per group - Sea Level Rise Worksheets (1 per student) Teacher Background: Global climate change is becoming a threat to our current way of life on Earth. One consequence of climate change is the melting of ice caps, glaciers, and sea ice, including polar ice in Greenland and Antarctica. Substantial melt of these massive glaciers will cause a rise in sea level along coastlines throughout the globe. This activity will explore how melting ice impacts sea level. Water is an unusual liquid because it expands when it freezes. In general, liquids do not expand upon freezing, but rather contract and become denser as temperature drops. Like other liquids, as water begins to cool, it becomes more and more dense. But, because of the physical structure of the water molecule, it continues to become denser until just before freezing, when it expands. This expansion occurs at the point that freezing begins (around 4 C). At this temperature water molecules arrange themselves into a crystal lattice structure that is significantly less dense than the liquid form. Because of this decrease in density at the point of freezing, ice always floats on water. This lesson plan was developed by the California Academy of Sciences.

84 80 When objects are totally submerged in water, they displace an amount of water equal to their volume. However, because ice floats on water and is not completely submerged, ice does not displace an amount of water equal to its volume. Instead, it displaces less than its total volume of water. The water that floating ice displaces is equal to the volume that the ice would take up if it melted and became water again. In other words, floating ice displaces water equal to the mass of the ice. When ice melts, the mass of the ice is conserved, but the crystal lattice structure of ice disappears and the volume decreases and becomes equal to the volume of water it displaced in its ice form. Therefore, when floating ice melts, the melted water is equal only to the volume of the ice that was submerged. This means that when floating ice melts, it contributes no additional volume to the body of water. We see this phenomenon when we let ice melt in a glass of water. The water does not overflow because the ice has already displaced water equal to the volume it will take up upon melting. Ice cube floating in water Ice cube melts into water, becoming denser. The melted water fills in the space where the ice had previously displaced water. The total volume of water does not change. Ice already in the oceans does not contribute to sea level rise, but ice covering land will contribute to sea level rise upon melting. Greenland, for example, is covered by vast quantities of continental ice. The melting of this ice will contribute to sea level rise. The sea ice in the area of the North Pole is floating in water and thus the melting of this ice will not contribute to sea level rise. This lesson plan was developed by the California Academy of Sciences.

85 81 In this activity, students will learn which masses of ice pose the biggest threat for rising global sea level and why. Activity: This activity can be performed as a demonstration or in student groups. Introduction Have a discussion about global climate change and its impact on sea level rise. Ask students where there is a lot of ice in the world. Is the ice on land or on water? Does it matter whether the ice is on land or water? Will one or both cause sea level to rise when they melt? Give each student the Sea Level Rise worksheet. Guide students through the development of a question about the melting of ice and sea level rise. Which type of melting will cause a greater increase in sea level? Have each student make a prediction. Explain the steps in the activity and, in the methods section of the worksheet, have each student write down, in their own words, the steps involved in this investigation. Go over the steps slowly and in stages. Tell students they have to write clearly and with enough detail so another student could follow the same steps. Or give students written instructions. Tell students that they will need to record their measurements and write down their results, so to pay attention as they perform the investigation. Procedure 1. Place half of the clay into one side of each box. Form the clay to represent land rising out of the ocean. In one box, form a level place at the highest part as shown below. Make rivers on the land if you like. This lesson plan was developed by the California Academy of Sciences.

86 82 2. Place as many ice cubes as possible on the level place formed with the clay in the first box. 3. Place the same number of ice cubes next to the clay in the second box, so that they are resting on the bottom of the container. This lesson plan was developed by the California Academy of Sciences.

87 83 4. Pour water into the container where the ice is resting on the bottom until the ice floats. Be sure the ice is floating, not resting on the bottom. If this occurs, add more water. 5. Pour water into the second container with the ice resting on the clay (be careful not to disturb the ice cubes) until the water levels in the two containers are approximately equal. 6. On their Sea Level Rise Worksheets, have students record initial measurements of water height (in mm) using a ruler. For visual impression you may wish to draw a line in the clay where the water height begins for each container. 7. Leave the setup. If possible, have students take measurements every hour and record the results on their worksheets. You can also leave the setup for several hours or overnight and just record the final measurement after the ice has melted. This lesson plan was developed by the California Academy of Sciences.

88 84 9. Have students measure new water heights and make observations about what occurred once the ice melted. Make sure students enter their measurements on their worksheets. 10. Have students include the answers to the following questions in their conclusions on the worksheet. In which situation did the water level rise more? How do the results compare with your predictions? Why do you think this happened? Use the information in the teacher background section to help students understand their results. Have another discussion about global climate change. Why might we be concerned about sea level rise? (Coastal areas will be flooded. People will lose their homes. Some fresh water resources will become too salty to use. Habitat loss will occur.) What can we do to help slow this process by using less fossil fuel? (Take public transit instead of driving, eat local foods, turn off lights and electrical equipment when not in use, plant a tree, reduce, reuse and recycle.) This lesson plan was developed by the California Academy of Sciences.

89 85 VOCABULARY LIST Words that appear throughout the text in bold print are words defined on the vocabulary list. Absorb Take in or soak up a liquid Acidity The quality of being acid or sour (having a ph of less than 7) Acid Rain Adaptation Adhesion Algae Alkaline Amphibians Aquatic Aquifer Atmosphere Benthic Best Management Practices (BMP) Blue Gill Buffer Zone Air pollution mixed with vapor causing acids that mix with precipitation A change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment The attraction of water for other solid objects (such as glass % plastic) at the molecular level. Tiny, aquatic, one-celled plants Non-acidic or neutral The quality of substance to be basic, i.e. having a ph of greater than 7 A cold-blooded vertebrate animals such as frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders Of the water Underground layers of sand, gravel or rock that hold large amounts of water The air surrounding the earth Pertaining to plants and animals that are found in or on the bottom sediments of a water body Solutions that keep pollutants from entering water bodies such as silt fences, grass and trees, catch ponds, and litter cleanup A type of sun fish A strip of trees and bushes planted along streams and rivers

90 86 Camouflage Carnivore Catch-Water Basin Cohesion Complex Metamorphosis Compost Condensation Confining Layer Conserve Conservation Consumer Contaminant Contaminate Cullet Debris Decomposer Dissolve Dissolution Dissolved Oxygen Ecology Ecosystem An animal's natural coloring or form that enables it to blend in with its surroundings An animal that feeds on flesh A small basin that usually catches rainwater The molecular attraction by which the particles of a substance such as water are united throughout The complete change in form that juvenile insects will undergo before taking an adult form Decayed organic material used as a plant fertilizer The change from a vapor (such as water vapor) to a liquid usually due to a reduction in temperature Layer if clay or chalk in the earth that prevents surface contaminants from entering an aquifer Protect from harm or destruction Preservation, protection or restoration of the natural environment One who uses something, or one who eats An impurity such as a pollutant Make impure Recycled, broken, or waste glass used in glass making litter scattered remains of something An organism or invertebrate that breaks down organic mater To come apart; to pass into solution as sugar in water The process of forming a liquid solution The concentration of oxygen dissolved in water The Branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings A Biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment

91 Emission Endangered Environment A Substance discharged into the environment A Species seriously at risk of extinction Surroundings including air, land, forests, and water 87 Erosion Estuary Evaporation Extinction Fertilizer Filter Filtration Food Web Gravity Ground Water Habitat Hazardous Waste Herbivore Hibernate Hydrologic Cycle Hypothesis Impact Impaired Impervious The process where soil is washed away by rain or carried away by wind An area of shallow water which is a mixture of salt water and fresh water near the shore of an ocean The process of converting a liquid into a vapor such as water evaporating from a pond and joining the atmosphere as water vapor No longer existing Natural or man-made materials worked into the soil as plant food To purify, to remove objectionable material The process of purifying water The connection between organisms that feed upon each other A force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth Water under the ground that fills spaces between particles of sand, gravel, and cracks in rock The environment where an animal lives swamp, forest, ocean, etc. Dangerous pollutants An animal that feeds on plants To spend the winter in a dormant state Water Cycle (see water cycle on next page) A proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation To have an effect on something A waterway that has been made unhealthy by pollutants Not permitting penetration or passage

92 88 Impurity Indicators Indicator Species Insectivore A substance that contaminates something A thing of a fact used to show the level or state of something An animal or plant species that can be used to infer conditions in a particular habitat A plant or animal that eats insects Invertebrate Irrigate An animal lacking a backbone To water a particular area of land Landfill Land Trust Larva Leachate Litter A place to dispose of waste material by burying it between layers of soil to build up low lying land An organization of people that acquire and protect land or green spaces for the benefit of the public The active immature form of an insect A solution resulting from the action of water percolating through another substance Trash on the found or in the water Macroinvertebrate A small animal or water bug without a backbone that can be seen with the naked eye often used as an indicator of water quality Manure Marine Animal waste used to fertilize land Of, found it, or produced by the sea or ocean Metamorphosis Migratory Molecules Monitor The process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form in two or more distinct stages used to describe insect development A bird, animal, or fish that moves from on region or habitat to another The smallest particle of a substance that retains the properties of that substance and contain, 2 or more items, as a H 2 O water molecule To check regularly

93 89 Mulch Organic matter loosely laid over soil to hold soil and keep soil Natural Resources Natural substances we use like plants. Air, and soil Non-Point Source Pollution Non-Porous Non-Renewable Natural Resource Nutrient Nymph Organic Organism Origin Passerines Percolate Pervious Pesticide ph Photosynthesis Point Source Pollination Polluted Polluted Runoff Pollution Pollution Intolerant Species Contamination coming from a non-localized source Not allowing a liquid to pass through Natural substances that cannon to be replaced A substance that provides a nourishment essential for the growth and the maintenance of life An immature form of an insect that does not change form greatly as it grows Natural, such as a fertilizer of plant or animal origin Any living being The place from which something comes Perching birds To seep through a permeable substance as water soaking into the ground Admitting of passage or entrance A chemical used to kill insects or rodents The acidity or alkalinity of a solution The process by which plants use sunlight to make food A localized and stationary pollution source The process of pollen being deposited on a flower that provides fertilization Contaminated by chemical or organic waste, litter, etc Storm water awash with pollutants Chemical or organic waste, litter, etc. on the land or in the water Organisms that cannot live in an impaired water body

94 90 Pollution Tolerant Species Population Porous Organisms that can live in an impaired water body All the inhabitants of a particular species or group living in a particular area Permeable, allowing a liquid to pass through Precipitation Rain, snow, sleet or hail Predator An animal that naturally preys on others Predict Guess Prey And animal that is hunted and killed by another for food Producers Properties In the food web, the organisms that typically use photosynthesis to make products others consume Qualities like personality traits Pupae An insect in its immature form between larva and adult Purify Recycle To make clean Regulations To reuse Reservoir Ridge Rules, laws A stored body of water or usually man-made lake River Pool Elevated places of land Runoff Deep, slow moving water at the edges of a rive Saturation Scavenger Rainwater traveling over the land after a storm; storm water

95 91 Sediment Septic System Shed Silt Fence Simple Metamorphosis Solution Species Stream Stream Order Stomata Storm water Substances Surface Tension Surface Water Topography Matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid A treatment method for processing human housedhold sewer waste on the landowners property Drain A fence of strong fabric placed around construction sites to reduce erosion Insects look much like what they will look like as adults An evenly dispersed (homogenous) mixture such as the result of dissolving sugar in water A group of similar living organisms usually separated reproductively from other organisms A body of water that flows across the earth s surface via a current and is contained within a narrow channel and banks A common classification system used to study and measure the size of the world s waterways; the further downstream the stream is, the higher the order Microscopic pores or usually holes on the underside of leaves from which gaseous interchange take place Surface water runoff from precipitation Matter including chemicals, soil, motor fluids, etc. The property of the surface of a liquid that allows it resist an external force (i.e. gravity), due to the cohesive nature of the (water) molecules Water located on the earth s surface The curves, rises and dips of land often represented on a relief map

96 Toxin Transpiration Tributary Turbid Urban Valley Poison that is uusually from a bacterial origin The process of trees releasing water vapor into the air through their leaves A stream that flows into a main stem river; does not flow directly into the ocean Clousy, opaque or thick with suspended mater City Low areas of land 92 Water Cycle Water Quality Water Quality Steward Watershed Water Table Wetland Xeriscape Water moving through the environment among plants, animals, the atmosphere, water bodies, land and underground aquifers. (evaporation, transpiration, precipitation, overland flow, percolation, etc.) The condition or state of water in regard to the amount of additional substances contained in it A volunteer citizen who helps keep water clean All the area of land that drains to a particular point along a stream river or other water body; precipitation collector The level below which the land is saturated with water; the top surface of water in an aquifer An area that is wet most of the year, grows wetland plants and has soil that is saturated with water (hydric soil) marshes, swamps, bogs, bayous, etc. Landscape designed to minimize the need for watering

97 ANSWER KEY Pg W T R A N S P I R A T I O N A A T M O S P H E R E T T A H E P R E C I P I T A T I O N Y R E V R E P L E N I S H E D S R A C R T A R H C P Y A R I O E O O H C I E L G D L D R A I N L N B A R E S A B A S O X Y G E N M O N T O T W A S T E X R E O I S Q U I Z U M O L E C U L E S O I L C O N D E N S A T I O N E (Activity found on page 17) G D R A I N L L M O Q O X Y G E N L U N W A T E R W A T E R S H E D C L A V U I R W A T E R C Y C L E T T P E Y H Y D R O G E N S R P R E C I P I T A T I O N T M I L L I O N S O P O L L U T A N T S (Activity found on page 32)

98 ANSWER KEY Pg SURFACE WATER 75%; bayou, creek, gulf, lake, ocean, pond, river, sea, stream, swamp; the Mississippi River; the Great Lakes; ice bergs, polar ice caps, or glaciers; 97%; oceans (Activity found on page 2) CHECKPOINT 1 3, 1, 4, 8, 6, 2, 7, 5 (Activity found on page 12) CHECKPOINT 2 1) water cycle; 2) molecules; 3) 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom; 4) less than 1%; 5) people (Activity found on page 17) WATER WISE WORD SCRAMBLE everyone s; living; land; water; trash can; recycle (Activity found on page 22) CHECKPOINT 3 1-B; 2-A; 3-E; 4-G; 5-C; 6-D; 7-F (Activity found on page 22) WATER QUALITY STEWARD CERTIFICATION QUIZ 1) water; 2) water cycle, watershed; 3) polluting; 4) filter, eroding; 5) Best Management Practices; 6) polluted runoff MATCHING: 1-E; 2-F; 3-I; 4-G; 5-A; 6-H; 7-B; 8-C; 9-D (Activity found on page 72) This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

99 This certificate is presented to For completing the WATERSHED HARMONY Water Quality Steward Study -\,l->f\ \{1)-r \ V1-Vv.J-4if--..\!JL 95

100 96 BIOGRAPHY AND RESOURCE LIST Activities from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality were selected and adapted from the following resources: ADOPT-A-STREAM Stream Stewardship Program Mississippi Wildlife Federation WOW! WONDERS OF WETLANDS Environmental Concern Inc. and The Water Course P.O. Box P, St. Michaels, MD Funding provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency THE GROUNDWATER FOUNDATION KID S CORNER Co-Publisher the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency PROJECT WET Montana State University P.O. Box , Bozeman, MT (406) COASTAL NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION U.S. Environmental Protection Agency & NOAA

101 NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION Problems and Solutions Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Office of Pollution Control P.O. Box 2261, Jackson, MS (601) MAKE A MODEL WATERSHED A Georgia-Pacific activity adapted from the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland WHEN IT RAINS, IT DRAINS What Everyone Should Know About Storm Water U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 345 Courtland St. N.E., Atlanta, GA WHAT IS A WATERSHED? United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D. C WATER SOURCE BOOK Water Environment Federation 601 Wythe St., Alexandria, VA Published in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency A CITIZEN S GUIDE TO REDUCING NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION Mississippi Soil & Water Conservation District (601)354-SOIL TOPS Cohesion/Adhesion This activity page was provided by special permission from The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. To learn more about the Watershed Harmony Environmental Puppet Theater or Study Guide, please visit

102 Pascagoula River Teacher Resources The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain believes that part of our mission to conserve, promote and protect open spaces and green places includes fostering watershed stewardship in others starting with our children. South Mississippi s forests and waterways are fun to explore; however, most people don t realize that the health of these resources depends largely upon those who live near or play in them. Land Trust s Bennet Bayou Conservation Property Moss Point, Mississippi Pascagoula River Student Stewardship Your students can be the key to healthy natural resources. By understanding the science behind the natural balance within a watershed, we hope to inspire in your students a true commitment of stewardship for the great treasures of coastal Mississippi communities, including a love for nature and a desire to protect the delicate balance necessary to maintain healthy and sustainable habitats. Resource CD Water testing training Ramsey Springs, Mississippi This resource center has been provided for you, the educator, to investigate and explore the natural characteristics of the watershed unique to your community, the Pascagoula River. These resources include: LESSON PLANS FACT SHEETS ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES MAPS OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES These resources are designed to inspire more learning about your local watershed. The LESSON PLANS provide over 80 general lessons with corresponding test modules targeted to compliment elementary curricula. A listing of local, state and federal extended learning opportunities is listed as ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES, whereas a listing of student stewardship opportunities is listed as OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES. Watershed-specific MAPS, STUDY GUIDES and FACT SHEETS are also provided specifically for the Pascagoula River watershed. P.O. Box 245, Biloxi, MS For more information, contact: Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain (office) judyltmcp@aol.com ( )

103 STUDENT OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES The Land Trust often partners with local communities to provide outreach opportunities for students and adults, alike. Those have included: Creek Cleanup Day Nature Festivals Raingarden Installation Nature Trail Construction Tree Planting Watershed Model Industry Workshops Blueway Development Cleanup Day Old Fort Bayou Blueway Stormwater Workshop Earth Day Festival If you are interested in partnering with the Land Trust to sponsor one of these or other student outreach opportunities, please contact us we are excited to help you achieve your goals! Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain P.O. Box 245, Biloxi, MS (office) ( ) Additional Outreach Opportunities The following is a listing of student outreach opportunities. This compilation includes extra projects, games and activities that will enhance the student s understanding of a watershed in general, and will hopefully foster a sense of stewardship for their local watershed. The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain would like to thank Cherie Schadler of BayouTown Productions for compiling the following list of Student Outreach Opportunities. 1 STUDENT OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES

104 ABOUT THE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES APPROACH Learn how to help your particular watershed. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) ADOPT YOUR WATERSHED Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) BE A JUNIOR RANGER Gulf Islands National Seashore DO S AND DON TS AROUND THE HOME Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EARTH TEAM VOLUNTEERS Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA) ENVIRONMENTAL KIDS CLUB Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA KIDS CLUB Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) GIVE WATER A HAND - Activity Guide INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEAN UP This cleanup is held each year along the coasts and inland waters of the United States. Volunteers fill out data cards identifying the debris they pick up along the coasts, islands and waterways. The event is usually held in September or October of each year. Mississippi: MISSISSIPPI COASTAL AUDUBON SOCIETY PROJECT LEARNING TREE American Forest Foundation 2 STUDENT OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES

105 PRESIDENT S ENVIRONMENTAL YOUTH AWARD Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) STORM DRAIN MARKING Volunteers mark storm drains and distribute flyers in the surrounding neighborhood. This program increases public awareness of urban runoff and educates citizens about what they can do on their own property to reduce impacts on water quality. Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Johnny_Biggert@deq.state.ms.us STREAM STEWARDSHIP This program is a volunteer stream monitoring program. Volunteers attend a 2-day workshop and then may adopt a section of a stream or river and monitor water quality, conduct cleanups and/or improve stream habitat. The Mississippi Wildlife Federation dveeder@mswf.org THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY NEWSLETTER The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) WATERSHED HARMONY Environmental Puppet Theater This interactive performance/program travels to schools and special events throughout the state of Mississippi, educating students about water quality in their specific communities. Funding is provided through The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). WEB RANGERS National Park Foundation WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WORLD WATER MONITORING DAY 3 STUDENT OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES

106 WATER STEWARD ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES The Land Trust often partners with local schools to provide environmental enrichment activities, including: Watershed Harmony Puppet Show Youth Fishing Clinic Conservation Field Trips NatureFest Tree planting Water Testing Training Conservation Field Trip Water Testing Training Youth Fishing Clinic Watershed Puppet Show If you are interested in partnering with the Land Trust to implement one of these or other enrichment activities for your students, please contact us we are excited to help you achieve your goals! Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain P.O. Box 245, Biloxi, MS (office) ( ) Additional Water Steward Enrichment Activities The following is a listing of additional enrichment opportunities. This compilation includes extra projects, games and activities that will enhance the student s understanding of a watershed in general, and will hopefully foster a sense of stewardship for their local watershed. The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain would like to thank Cherie Schadler of BayouTown Productions for compiling the following list of Enrichment Activities. A GREENER MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST WLOX - Channel 13 Biloxi, Mississippi 1 WATER STEWARD ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

107 Additional Water Steward Enrichment Activities (continued) CONSERVATION EDUCATION Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES KIDS Mississippi Department of Marine Resources ENVIRONMENTAL KIDS CLUB Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA KIDS CLUB - Projects, Games, & Activities Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) GREAT LAKES KIDS Morphie s Great Water Ride Adventure (water cycle & watershed) GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE Educational Programs J.L. SCOTT MARINE EDUCATION CENTER The University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory KIDS CLUB Mississippi Museum of Natural Science 2 WATER STEWARD ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

108 Additional Water Steward Enrichment Activities (continued) KIDS KLUB Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries, & Parks KNOW YOUR WATERSHED Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) MISSISSIPPI COAST AUDUBON SOCIETY MISSISSIPPI CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SERVICE Environmental Education =FORID%3A11&ie=UTF-8&q=environmental+education&sa=Search NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Interpretation and Education NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION ACTIVITIES Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ument PROJECT LEARNING TREE American Forest Foundation PROJECT WET - World Wide Water Education RECYCLE CITY Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 3 WATER STEWARD ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

109 Additional Water Steward Enrichment Activities (continued) SCIENCE IN YOUR WATERSHED Pascagoula River Watershed Data United States Geological Survey - USGS (HUC Pascagoula River Watershed) SURF YOUR WATERSHED Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY NEWSLETTER The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) THIRSTIN S WACKY WATER ADVENTURE Printable Activity Book Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) THIRSTIN S WATER CYCLE ADVENTURE Print and Color Water Cycle Diagram Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WATER SENSE KIDS Water Preservation and Game Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WONDER FILLED WETLANDS Lynn Meadows Discovery Center WORLD IN OUR BACKYARD - Wetlands Curriculum Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 4 WATER STEWARD ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

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111 The Pascagoula River The Pascagoula River Basin is Mississippi s second largest basin draining an area of about 9,600 square miles before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. Major streams include the Pascagoula, Leaf, and Chickasawhay Rivers, as well as Black and Red Creeks. The Pascagoula River System is the last unregulated major river system in the lower 48 states. The Pascagoula River Basin is heavily forested throughout the entire river basin. The central portion of the basin is known as the Pine Belt because the Basin s forests consist mostly of pine forests with scattered hardwoods. Near the Gulf Coast, drainage areas are low-lying flatlands, forested wetlands, and marshlands. Farther inland, the basin consists primarily of gently rolling hills and broad, flat floodplains. The majority of the streams are deep to moderately deep, fast flowing perennial streams. Stream conditions are natural or unmodified in appearance with clear water. Some streams are considered blackwater streams because they are stained by tannic acid leached from vegetation. There are also several urban areas in the basin near population centers such as Meridian, Laurel, Hattiesburg, and Pascagoula. 17 endangered or threatened species that find room to survive in the 50,000 acres of protected lands along the free-flowing river. Among them are the bald eagle and the yellow-blotched sawback turtle, which is found only in the Pascagoula or its tributaries. As with other members of the genus, this turtle, typically about five inches long, has been driven close to extinction from demand for it by collectors. One creature that has survived with little change for at least 63 million years, according to fossil records, is the gulf sturgeon. Biologists call it an anadromous fish because it migrates from the oceans to fresh water or marshes for spawning. Reaching seven feet or more from its long snout to its swept-back tail, the sturgeon was fished almost to extinction for its prized roe and meat. Today, the fish is protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. Source: Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Pascagoula River Basin Status Report, 2001 The Pascagoula River Drawing by Joe Jewell 2010 Fill in the blank The Pascagoula River, also known as the (proper name), has many different (noun) types. Traveling down the river system, one can see pine forest, (noun), blackwater creeks and (noun). The Pascagoula River system is very large and is located in parts of (number) counties with a small part extending into southwestern Alabama. The river is named for the (proper name) tribe. Major streams of the river system include the Pascagoula, Leaf and (proper name) Rivers, as well as Black and (proper name) Creeks. This river is the last unimpeded river system in the lower 48 states. It eventually empties into the (proper name). The river system is home to many different kinds of critters including (noun), (noun), (noun), and (noun). The number of migratory birds that use this river corridor every year is said to be (number). One of these migratory birds is a raptor called a (proper name), and it is easily identified by its scissor-like black tail. Words: Habitat cypress swamps Water moccasin 327 tidal marsh Alligator snapping turtle Alligators 22 Pascagoula Raccoons Gulf of Mexico Singing River Clapper rails Red Gulf sturgeon Rainbow snake Swallowtailed kite Chickasawhay A portion of this publication is financed by a grant from the U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Watershed Management Branch, under the provisions of Section 319 (h) of the Clean Water Act. Word Search: Words are across, down, diagonal, and backwards SWALLOWTAILED NATURE RIVER CYPRESS WATER QUIET DARK ORCHID MARSH STURGEON SWAMP FOREST PINE BEAR TURTLE ALLIGATOR MOSQUITO BIRDS D O P L U M B I R D S L O F B S S E T U R T L E O I P I F E T W W O Z S W A M R R A T O A D N A A R R T I L T V C Y P R E S S L M S K A C O W H H I V E R O M L P W M L S E E D I O N S T O Q O A O A L C A O K D T R T T I L W R R T I I M D A R K I I T T A T A H U G E E E O U T F R E M S A M A W A C R H E Q S E L I U N I D B E T E R F S R C S F U I M L I A W O C O W H O R Y R Q E F E L K T R P L N O E G R U T S M D WORD JUMBLE: Unscramble the letters. 1. RTILTE 2. ERNVOCSE 3. CERYLCE 4. EREVPERS 5. TURANAL CSEORURSE 6. NEMTRONIEVN 7. LUTOPLINO 8. ACELN WRATE 9. LCAEN RIA 10. HARTS 1. LITTER 2. CONSERVE 3. RECYCLE 4. PRESERVE 5. NATURAL RESOURCES 6. ENVIRONMENT 7. POLLUTION 8.CLEAN WATER 9.CLEAN AIR 10. TRASH

112 The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain presents WATERSHED HARMONY A Musical Puppet Play by Bayou Town Productions WATERSHED HARMONY is a musical puppet performance aligning with the Mississippi Curriculum Framework and National Science Standards. Audiences of all ages will delight as Bobby Bass and his River Town friends share their experiences in environmental stewardship through this toe-tapping musical. Performances are enjoyed not only by school groups, but also by adults attending teacher workshops, civic clubs, and conferences. This program serves to inform and enlist the help of citizens in an on-going effort to promote water quality in their communities. Everyone is needed to promote Watershed Harmony! River Town suddenly becomes a hustling and bustling community when a large manufacturing company builds a plant next to Clear Bottom River. Practically overnight, this progressive town begins building more schools, homes, roads, and stores. Citizens are very happy that their town is thriving and there are jobs for nearly everyone. Because things happen so fast in River Town, the citizens don't consider a plan to protect their natural resources. One day, a terrific rain storm comes and washes large amounts of soil, litter, and pollutants into the river. Fish and other aquatic life suffer, and Bobby Bass vows to help his river friends. When the River Town citizens discover the polluted runoff, they seek help, and develop a plan to use Best Management Practices (BMPs) to keep pollution out of the river. The "Concerned Citizens" organize a Water Quality Steward action group. They pitch in and clean up the river, replanting trees and shrubs along the river's edge. Over time, the river regains its health, and the fish and other aquatic animals return to the river. Please join us on this musical adventure which demonstrates that its' everyone's responsibility to keep our water clean! To schedule the puppet show at your school, contact the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain at Watershed Harmony is financed by a grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Watershed Management Branch under the provisions of Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.

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114 WATERSHED HARMONY Environmental Puppet Theater Presented by BAYOU TOWN Productions 3166 Road 310, Kiln, MS Phone: (228) The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Performance Confirmation Form Please clearly print or type information in its entirety. Performance requirements are listed on the Watershed Harmony information sheet. Event Name: Event Purpose: Host/Hosting Group: /Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain_ Watershed: Funding Source: MDEQ Event Location: Event Date: Event Times: Number of Teachers: (MDEQ will provide 1 activity book per teacher.) Students Age/Grade: Number of Students: What counties will the students represent? Contact Person Information A host or hostess must accompany performers from arrival to departure. Contact Name: Contact Address: Work Phone Number: Cell Phone Number: Address: Alternate Contact Person: Alt. Contact Work Number: Alt. Contact Cell Number: Host/Hostess to Performers: / Laura Bowie, Land Trust Directions to Event/Special Instructions: Please fax this form to the Land Trust at or to judyltmcp@aol.com!

115 WATERSHED HARMONY Environmental Puppet Theater Presented by BAYOU TOWN Productions 3166 Road 310, Kiln, MS Phone: (228) Watershed Information Please clearly print or type the specific information requested about your watershed so that we can tailor your performance to the needs of your community. If possible, please include a map of contributing water bodies. (This may be hand drawn.) The performance(s) will be videotaped and given to your watershed team leader for distribution. What are the contributing water bodies to this watershed? List the major factors that are negatively impacting this watershed: List efforts being made to positively affect this watershed: Pertaining to this watershed, what specific behavioral changes would you like to impart to the students? Please fax this form to the Land Trust at or to judyltmcp@aol.com!

116 PASCAGOULA RIVER WATERSHED FACT SHEET The Watershed at a glance. The Pascagoula River originates in northwest George County at the confluence of the Leaf and the Chickasawhay Rivers. Black Creek and Red Creek also feed into the Pascagoula River as it flows southward through the heart of Mississippi s ancient swampy bottomlands in George and Jackson Counties and ends at the Mississippi Sound in the Gulf of Mexico. It has a drainage area of about 9,000 square miles. The Pascagoula River forms several channels and bayous at its lower course. Known as the Singing River, the Pascagoula is significant as one of the largest free-flowing rivers in the United States and the last unimpeded major river system in the continental United States. More than half of the watershed is forested and over 20% of the watershed is agricultural. The Pascagoula River provides critical habitat for the fish and wildlife along its corridors. As such, it is the focus of many conservation efforts. Natural Characteristics of the Pascagoula River Watershed The Pascagoula River Watershed is home to numerous plant and animal species, many of which are threatened or endangered. It is a state and national treasure and includes varied habitat types, including several types of marshes that support a variety of wildlife. Habitat Types / Plants Riverine muddy/sandy bottom with scattered sandbars. Estuarine partly enclosed body of water along the coast with the river flowing into it and a free connection to the salt waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Cypress forest Saltwater marsh dominated by salt-tolerant plants that trap and bind sediment (needlerush and cordgrass salt-meadow grass in the uplands). Brackish marsh both fresh and salt water with plants that can tolerate a mixture of fresh and salty water; dominated by needle rush with bulrush, spike-rush, cordgrass and saltmarsh hay Netted chain fern Freshwater marsh contains fresh water without tidal influence; bald cypress, black gum and sawgrass Gopher tortoise Riparian habitat on the edge of the river; mixed hardwood forests consisting of sweet bay magnolia, southern magnolia, pond cypress, water tupelo, live oak, water oak, slash pine and loblolly pine Great blue heron This fact sheet was produced by the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association to the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain has a mission to conserve, promote, and protect open spaces and green places of ecological, cultural, or scenic significance in the counties of the Mississippi Coastal Plain. For more information, please contact the LTMCP at or log on to

117 PASCAGOULA RIVER WATERSHED FACT SHEET Pascagoula River Basin Alliance The Pascagoula River Basin Alliance (PRBA) is a coordinated effort of private and public stakeholders working to protect the Pascagoula River system through education, stewardship and advocacy. The mission of PRBA is to promote the ecological, economic, and cultural health and viability of the Pascagoula, Leaf, Chickasawhay, and Escatawpa Rivers and their watersheds by fostering research, communication, and action. The need for such an alliance is clear: The Pascagoula is a world-class natural resource. Its bottomland forests, marshes, savannas and aquatic habitats support uncommon wildlife such as swallow-tailed kites and gulf sturgeon. Twenty-two threatened or endangered species reside in this river basin. The watershed, more than most places, is an archetype of the Native American landscape. Please join us! Check us out at pascagoula-river-basin-alliance Threats & Issues A primary threat to the Pascagoula River Watershed is increased development, both residential and industrial. Development impacts the tidal hydrology of the watershed, resulting in significant modifications to the natural flow of water and alterations of natural wildlife habitats. The consequences of increased developed both upland and riverside are apparent: Increased flooding as a result of increased impervious surfaces; and Increased boat traffic as a result of increased population densities. Increased sedimentation as a result of poor sedimentation controls during construction Increased trash and debris, a natural consequence of population increases Salt water intrusion at both surface and groundwater levels as a result of channelization and habitat loss. Because the Pascagoula River is an integral part of Mississippi s heritage and culture, damage to the watershed has a significant impact to critical habitats. What Can You Do? Best Management Practices (BMPs) - practice sustainable property maintenance and repair by: 1. Controlling runoff by improving drainage 2. Using permeable paving material for driveways and patios 3. Stabilize disturbed slopes 4. Minimize lawn care chemicals 5. Maximize native trees and shrubs 6. Replant bare soil as soon as possible. Streamside buffers maintaining a strip of vegetated land alongside and upslope of a waterbody or wetland will protect water quality, promote wildlife habitats, minimize flooding, and maximize groundwater recharge. Septic tank maintenance ensure a properly functioning septic system to avoid contamination of nearby waterbodies. Failing septic tanks are a source of impairment for the Pascagoula River. Conservation donation and/or bargain sale of property to accredited land conservation organizations. Tax benefits for landowners who conserve land are significant. Water testing Adopt-a-Stream water testing is available to any volunteer willing to take water samples on a regular basis in order to track important health indicators of the river. This fact sheet was produced by the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association to the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain has a mission to conserve, promote, and protect open spaces and green places of ecological, cultural, or scenic significance in the counties of the Mississippi Coastal Plain. For more information, please contact the LTMCP at or log on to

118 FLORA and FAUNA FACT SHEET Pascagoula River Watershed Did You Know? The entire drainage area of the Pascagoula River watershed is over 9,000 square miles? The Pascagoula is last unimpeded major river system in the Continental United States? It is also known as the Singing River getting its moniker from the legend of the Pascagoula Indian tribe who chose death by drowning over war with a neighboring tribe. Threatened or endangered species found within the watershed include: Gopher tortoise Red-cockaded woodpecker Sandhill crane Louisiana black bear Gulf sturgeon Louisiana quillwort Dragonfly Trees and Shrubs Slash Pine (Pinus flexilis) Titi (Cyrilla racemiflora) Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) Swamp Black Gum (Nyssa aquatica) Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) Sweet Bay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) Big Leaf Magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla) Wild (or Pink) azalea (Rhododendron canescens) Netted chain fern Mammals White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Raccoon (Procyon lotor) American beaver (Castor Canadensis) Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) Slash pine seedling Ferns and Grasses Cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamonmea) Royal fern (Osmunda regalis) Netted chain fern (Woodwardia aerolata) Sedge (Carex) Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia schredberi) Bulrush (Scirpus) Switchcane (Arundinaria) River Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) Common raccoon Insects Mayfly (Ephemeroptera spp.) Stonefly (Plecoptera spp.) Damselfly (Lestes disjunctus & Ischnura ramburii) Dragonfly Gulf Fritillary butterfly (Agraulis vanillae) Golden-Silk spider (Nephila clavipes)

119 FLORA and FAUNA FACT SHEET Pascagoula River Watershed What You Can Do To Protect the River Streamside buffers maintaining a strip of vegetated land alongside and upslope of a waterbody or wetland will protect water quality, promote wildlife habitats, minimize flooding, and maximize groundwater recharge. Conservation donation and/ or bargain sale of property to accredited land conservation organizations. Tax benefits for landowners who conserve land are significant. Water testing Adopt-a- Stream water testing is available to any volunteer willing to take water samples on a regular basis in order to track important health indicators of the river. Invasives Management learn to identify and remove invasive plant species such as cogon grass and Chinese privet. These invasive plants crowd out native vegetation that is needed as forage and nesting areas for wildlife. Birds Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias) Red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) Great Egret (Ardea alba) Bald Eagle Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) Barred owl (Strix varia) Gulf sturgeon Reptiles Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) Alligator (Alligator mississippienisis) Chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia) Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) Fish Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) Golden Shiner minnow (Notemigonus crysoleucas) Sunfish (Lepomis) Crappie (Pomoxis) Darters (Percina spp.) Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) Special thanks to Mrs. Shelly Parker and the Mississippi Museum of Science their help gathering the flora and fauna information. This fact sheet was produced by the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain through a B-WET grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. For more information, please contact the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain at or visit us at Gopher tortoise