d) Driving question: What does pollution do to the Edwards Aquifer?

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1 Introduction to the Project a) The name of the project is Solutions to Pollution. b) This project is intended for high school biology students. c) Over a three week period, students will be learning about how much humans impact the environment, especially concerning drinking water that comes from the Edwards Aquifer. During the unit, students will be learning about pollution, the properties of water, the water cycle, using scientific models to study natural phenomena, dynamic equilibrium, using statistics, and develop an understanding of porosity and permeability. At the end of the unit, the students will present a proposal to give to the (mock) Texas Parks and Wildlife Department panel concerning polluting the Edwards Aquifer. It will consist of a multimedia presentation and models of environmental phenomena. d) Driving question: What does pollution do to the Edwards Aquifer? e) There are a few goals for the "Solutions to Pollution" project. The students will start out by learning the different kinds and sources of pollution. This will come in handy since the students can transfer these principles to their everyday lives, in addition to the project presentation. Next, the students will be learning about the properties of water and the water cycle. These ideas will be useful since water is the "universal solvent" for most pollutants, and learning how pollutants get into the aquifer could be a way of mediating its influx. The students will then be learning about scientific models. Scientists use models to make predictions about the world, so this will give the students a chance to learn how work like research scientists. After that, the students will learn about porosity and permeability and what an aquifer is. Next, they will be introduced to the concept of dynamic equilibrium. This will help to further instill the ideas of pollutant influx and discharge. Finally, the students will learn how to use a handful of statistical tests. This is yet another chance for the students to be research scientists and to learn how to determine how strong the evidence is for an experiment. f) Students will be able to: 1. Identify and discuss different kinds of pollution. 2. Identify and discuss sources of pollution. 3. Discuss and explain why it is important to keep the environment free of pollution. 4. Present their finding about pollution to the class. 5. Identify one fact from each students presentation. 6. Describe the structure of water. 7. Describe how water s structure gives its properties. 8. Explain the properties of water. 9. Illustrate the water cycle. 10. Demonstrate an effect of the water cycle. 11. Construct a model about the natural world.

2 12. Identify advantages and disadvantages of using a model. 13. Define porosity and relate it to the capacity of a common object's ability to hold a fluid. 14. Define permeability and relate it to the capacity of a common object to transmit fluids. 15. Describe the function of sediment in an aquifer and identify the best sediment to use in one. 16. Describe the function of an aquifer, what it is and why it is important. 17. Define dynamic equilibrium and explain why it is important to aquifers. 18. Use statistical tests to interpret data. 19. Use statistical tests to predict trends. g) The Solutions to Pollution project will have students to think about how much humans have changed the world around them, and what the students, and their families, can do to help reduce their impact on the environment. In order to do this as best as possible, the help of geologists would be very much appreciated when the properties of aquifers are discussed. The students will also be learning how to model water flow and how statistics can be used to verify observations. h)teachers will need to know: causes and effects of pollution, properties of water, the water cycle, aquifers, dynamic equilibrium, modeling, and using statistical tests. Students will need to understand: the causes and effects of pollution on an aquifer, the water cycle, what a model is and how scientists use them, the properties of an aquifer, the concept of dynamic equilibrium, and how to use statistical tests to interpret data. i)teks Covered: Aquatic Science (3) Scientific processes. The student uses critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem solving to make informed decisions within and outside the classroom. The student is expected to: (A) in all fields of science, analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing, including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations, so as to encourage critical thinking by the student;and (D) evaluate the impact of research and technology on scientific thought, society, and the environment; (4) Science concepts. Students know that aquatic environments are the product of Earth systems interactions. The student is expected to: (A) identify key features and characteristics of atmospheric, geological, hydrological, and biological systems as they relate to aquatic environments. (5) Science concepts. The student conducts long-term studies on local aquatic environments. Local natural environments are to be preferred over artificial

3 or virtual environments. The student is expected to: (C) analyze interrelationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in a local aquatic ecosystem; and (D) identify the interdependence of organisms in an aquatic environment such as in a pond, river, lake, ocean, or aquifer and the biosphere. (6) Science concepts. The student knows the role of cycles in an aquatic environment. The student is expected to: (A) identify the role of carbon, nitrogen, water, and nutrient cycles in an aquatic environment, including upwellings and turnovers. (7) Science concepts. The student knows the origin and use of water in a watershed. The student is expected to: (A) identify sources and determine the amounts of water in a watershed, including rainfall, groundwater, and surface water; (B) identify factors that contribute to how water flows through a watershed; and (C) identify water quantity and quality in a local watershed. (9) Science concepts. The student knows the types and components of aquatic ecosystems. The student is expected to: (C) identify biological, chemical, geological, and physical components of an aquatic life zone as they relate to the organisms in it. (10) Science concepts. The student knows that biological systems are composed of multiple levels. The student is expected to: (C) analyze the levels of organization in biological systems and relate the levels to each other and to the whole system. (12) Science concepts. The student understands how human activities impact aquatic environments. The student is expected to: (A) predict effects of chemical, organic, physical, and thermal changes from humans on the living and nonliving components of an aquatic ecosystem; and (D) analyze and discuss how human activities such as fishing, transportation, dams, and recreation influence aquatic environments Biology (c) Knowledge and skills (3) Scientific processes. The student uses critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem solving to make informed decisions within and outside the classroom. The student is expected to: (E) evaluate models according to their limitations in representing biological objects or events. (10) Science concepts. The student knows that biological systems are composed of multiple levels. The student is expected to: (A) describe the interactions that occur among systems that perform the functions of regulation, nutrient absorption, reproduction, and defense from injury or illness in animals; and (B) investigate and analyze how organisms, populations, and communities respond to external factors.

4 (11) Science concepts. The student knows that biological systems work to achieve and maintain balance. The student is expected to: (B) investigate and analyze how organisms, populations, and communities respond to external factors; (C) summarize the role of microorganisms in both maintaining and disrupting the health of both organisms and ecosystems; and (D) describe how events and processes that occur during ecological succession can change populations and species diversity. (12) Science concepts. The student knows that interdependence and interactions occur within an environmental system. The student is expected to: (F) describe how environmental change can impact ecosystem stability Chemistry (4) Science concepts. The student knows the characteristics of matter and can analyze the relationships between chemical and physical changes and properties. The student is expected to: (A) differentiate between physical and chemical changes and properties. (10) Science concepts. The student understands and can apply the factors that influence the behavior of solutions. The student is expected to: (A) describe the unique role of water in chemical and biological systems; and (B) develop and use general rules regarding solubility through investigations with aqueous solutions Earth and Space Science (12) Solid Earth. The student knows that Earth contains energy, water, mineral, and rock resources and that use of these resources impacts Earth's subsystems. The student is expected to: (A) evaluate how the use of energy, water, mineral, and rock resources affects Earth's subsystems. (13) Fluid Earth. The student knows that the fluid Earth is composed of the hydrosphere, cryosphere, and atmosphere subsystems that interact on various time scales with the biosphere and geosphere. The student is expected to: (A) quantify the components and fluxes within the hydrosphere such as changes in polar ice caps and glaciers, salt water incursions, and groundwater levels in response to precipitation events or excessive pumping; (C) analyze the empirical relationship between the emissions of carbon dioxide, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and the average global temperature trends over the past 150 years; (15) Fluid Earth. The student knows that interactions among Earth's five subsystems influence climate and resource availability, which affect Earth's habitability. The student is expected to:

5 (C) quantify the dynamics of surface and groundwater movement such as recharge, discharge, evapotranspiration, storage, residence time, and sustainability Environmental Systems (c) Knowledge and skills (4) Science concepts. The student knows the relationships of biotic and abiotic factors within habitats, ecosystems, and biomes. The student is expected to: (C) diagram abiotic cycles, including the rock, hydrologic, carbon, and nitrogen cycles; (D) make observations and compile data about fluctuations in abiotic cycles and evaluate the effects of abiotic factors on local ecosystems and local biomes; (E) measure the concentration of solute, solvent, and solubility of dissolved substances such as dissolved oxygen, chlorides, and nitrates and describe their impact on an ecosystem. (5) Science concepts. The student knows the interrelationships among the resources within the local environmental system. The student is expected to: (B) identify source, use, quality, management, and conservation of water. (8) Science concepts. The student knows that environments change naturally. The student is expected to: (B) explain how regional changes in the environment may have a global effect; (C) examine how natural processes such as succession and feedback loops restore habitats and ecosystems. (9) Science concepts. The student knows the impact of human activities on the environment. The student is expected to: (A) identify causes of air, soil, and water pollution, including point and nonpoint sources; (B) investigate the types of air, soil, and water pollution such as chlorofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide, ph, pesticide runoff, thermal variations, metallic ions, heavy metals, and nuclear waste; (C) examine the concentrations of air, soil, and water pollutants using appropriate units; (J) research the advantages and disadvantages of "going green" such as organic gardening and farming, natural methods of pest control, hydroponics, xeriscaping, energy-efficient homes and appliances, and hybrid cars Mathematical Models with Applications (1) The student uses a variety of strategies and approaches to solve both routine and non-routine problems. The student is expected to: (A) compare and analyze various methods for solving a real-life problem; (C) select a method to solve a problem, defend the method, and justify the reasonableness of the results.

6 (2) The student uses graphical and numerical techniques to study patterns and analyze data. The student is expected to: (A) interpret information from various graphs, including line graphs, bar graphs, circle graphs, histograms, scatterplots, line plots, stem and leaf plots, and box and whisker plots to draw conclusions from the data; (B) analyze numerical data using measures of central tendency, variability, and correlation in order to make inferences; (C) analyze graphs from journals, newspapers, and other sources to determine the validity of stated arguments; and (D) use regression methods available through technology to describe various models for data such as linear, quadratic, exponential, etc., select the most appropriate model, and use the model to interpret information (3) The student develops and implements a plan for collecting and analyzing data (qualitative and quantitative) in order to make decisions. The student is expected to: (B) communicate methods used, analyses conducted, and conclusions drawn for a data-analysis project by written report, visual display, oral report, or multi-media presentation j) Final product: Develop a proposal to give to the (mock) Texas Parks and Wildlife Department panel concerning polluting the Edwards Aquifer. It will consist of a multimedia presentation and models of environmental phenomena.