Lake Needwood Field Activity Day April 28, 2016 Your Name: Assigned Problem (After Trip) Your Block: Needwood Team #
Joint Magnets Ninth Grade Problem Solving Activity Day The Class of 2019 has been divided into Problem Solving Teams. Most teams will include members from both MCPS Magnet Programs, Blair and Poolesville. Each team will be provided with the same materials for solving the problems outlined in this packet. With your team members you will visit different stations at Lake Needwood Park to collect data, make observations and plan strategies to solve each problem. Record such information in your own packet. Remember while at Lake Needwood, unless otherwise indicated, you will be collecting data, not doing write-ups. Each person will be responsible to complete write-ups for two problems. After the trip, you will be informed which problems you must complete. You and your team must visit and collect data from all sites. We will collect your booklet as you leave the bus back at school. All completed problem write-ups will be collected at the end of lunch on Friday, May 13, 2016. You will receive two grades for Lake Needwood. One grade will be based on how many station activities you record in your packet that is turned in at the end of the day. The other, more important grade will be based on your problem write-ups. Both of these grades will be part of your fourth quarter s R&E grade. SCHEDULE Time Activity 7:25 Meet at the SAC (Blair) / Falcon Foyer (Poolesville) 7:30 Orientation at School 8:00 Leave for Lake Needwood 8:30 Orientation at Lake Needwood 8:45 Chem/R&E Collaboration Time 9:00 Problem Solving Time 12:00 Island Distance Data DUE to Ms. Piper 12:00 Lunch 12:30 Additional Problem Solving Time 1:30 Human Box Plot Activity 2:00 Board Buses 2:15 Leave Lake Needwood-Turn in Packets 2:50 Arrive back at school. Monday May 2nd Students receive Individual Problem Assignments Friday May 13 th Problem write-ups due 2
Problem Titles Student Name: I II III IV V VI VII VIII The Lonesome Pine A. Distance to Island B. Human Box Plot Can there be Life in this Water? Dock measurements of Temperature &Turbidity The Swing Triangulation - Triangle A or B Chem / R&E Project Activity Elevation Change Chaperones Mr. Hammond - The Lonesome Pine - Problem I Mr. Street & Mr. Lodal - Observation Point & Human Box Plot - Problem II Mr. Kingman, Mr. Gerard - Base of Iron Bridge Inlet Stream - Problem III Ms. Pavlik & Mr. Cappuccilli - Needwood Queen - Problem IV Mr. Schafer - Swing - Problem V Mr. Curran - Triangulation - Problem VI Ms. Piper - Pavilion Mr. Kaluta - Elevation Change - Problem VIII III. Water by bridge Observation Point Needwood Dock Observation Point Swing Swing Needwood Lunch Queen Dock Lunch Pine tree Map of Lake Needwood (not to scale) 3
Problem I: The Lonesome Pine Tree The Lonesome Pine is located near the south end of the lake by the earthen dam Using the tools provided at the site, determine the height of the lone pine tree to the nearest tenth of a foot. Field data: Field data diagram: In your final write-up you will need to answer these questions: 1. What was your measurement of the height of the tree? 2. Describe the method you used including all work to arrive at this answer. 3. Illustrate your problem solution with a diagram. 4
Problem II: The Island Determine the distance from Observation Point to the sign on the island by triangulation, using the transits at T #2, 3 & 4. Distance to island from Observation Point (nearest tenth of a foot): Team answer due to Ms. Piper by 12:00 >>>>> Field data diagram: Island Path transit Observation Point transit In your final write-up you will need to answer these questions: A. Data collection 1. Describe the method you used including all work to arrive at your answer. Show your stadia data. 2. Illustrate your data collection with a diagram B: Human Box Plot Activity Field Data: 3. What was your group s measurement of the distance to the island? 4. What was the five number summary for the entire ninth grade? 5. Draw the box plot we created. Be sure to include the proper scale. 6. What was the reported actual distance? 7. Write a few sentences discussing what the box plot tells you about your individual team s and the ninth grade s performance on the measurement activity. 5
Problem III: Can there be Life in this Water? At the inlet stream at the iron bridge, test the water for four common properties: I. ph (use the field ph meter provided) II. Oxygen content (use the O 2 kit provided) III. Nitrate concentration (use the NO 3 kit provided) IV. Phosphate concentration (use the PO 4 3- kit provided). Field Data: Read instructions for the kits carefully and follow the instructions to the letter. Record your findings below. Every team will determine the values only once but you may want to compare your results with other groups. Property ph Measurement (include units!) Oxygen Content Nitrate Content Phosphate Content 6
For the Final write up, you will be asked to answer the following questions: 1. If a clean lake has an oxygen level greater than 7.2 ppm and a ph greater than 6.0 and less than 8.5, assess the water quality of Lake Needwood based on these two criteria. 2. How many of the animal species listed in Figure 1 could survive and reproduce in Lake Needwood based on your data. Be specific and include your reasoning. 3. Aquatic animals get their nitrogen from the aquatic plants that they eat. Nitrate concentrations in excess of 10 mg/l can over-produce plants that strangle the waterways and prove toxic to animals. a. Based on this information, discuss the nitrate concentrations you found in the waters tested. b. Include in your discussion possible sources of NO 3 contamination at Lake Needwood. 4. Phosphorus in the form of phosphates (PO4 3- ) is essential for growth and other metabolic processes. In excess, however, cultural eutrophication occurs. a. From a web search (include the web address), determine the acceptable phosphate levels. b. Compare and contrast, in detail, the results above to those you measured in your testing. c. Does Lake Needwood seem to be threatened by phosphate contamination? d. What sources of phosphate pollution could occur in Lake Needwood? 7
Problem IV: Needwood Dock Temperature and Turbidity From the dock collect data on lake temperature and turbidity. Find the deepest place you can access from the dock. Field Data A. Temperature: Follow the directions with the GLX and the water sampling device to collect data for the temperature of the lake at various levels. DON'T DROP THE GLX!!! Depth (meters) Temp (C) 0 1 2 3 4 You may add more data points if the lake is deeper than 4.5 meters. The string will accommodate up to 6 meters. Field Data B. Secchi Disk Transparency Secchi Disk Transparency is a measure of the clarity of water. Water clarity is important for wildlife habitat and it is important for the recreational user. A black and white disk, called a Secchi disk) is lowered into the water until it just disappears from sight, the deeper the measurement, the clearer the water. The Secchi disk was named after Italian astronomer, Father Pietro Angelo Secchi, scientific advisor to the Pope. The first measurement was taken in the Mediterranean Sea on April 1865 on the papal steam yacht, Immacolata Concezione. Figure 2 Secchi Disk Data Collection: Follow the directions provided with the Secchi disk and record the values that you measure from the Needwood Queen: 0 0.5 Hypereutrophic Swimming Severely Impaired 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 Eutrophic Swimming Moderately Impaired Mesotrophic Swimming Minimally Impaired 3.5 4 8
In your final write-up you will need to answer these questions: A. Water Temperature 1. Plot your temperature data using Good Graphing Techniques. a. Is the graph linear, nearly linear, or not linear? b. Does the data make sense in light of what you know to be true of water temperature? c. Assume your graph is linear, and find the mathematical relationship between the water depth and the temperature. ( Be aware of significant digits.) 3. On the graph you constructed in (1) above, use another color and draw a line graph to represent what your graph would look like if the data were collected in August. Explain why you drew the graph the way you did? B. Secchi Disk 1. Calculate mean Secchi Disk Transparency (SDT) 2. Classify Lake Needwood according to the clarity zones. What effects water clarity? 3. How would this measurement most probably compare to one taken on August 15th? Why 4. Use the information in Figure 2 to answer the following questions. a. Which years between 1977 and 1999 was swimming in Medicine Lake severely impaired? Suggest some things that could account for this condition. b. Identify at least 3 years when temperatures could have been below normal and rainfall plentiful. Why did you select the years that you did? c. Compare Lake Needwood 2007 to Medicine Lake 1997. Secchi Disk Measurement Disk just disappears Disk just reappears Meters 9
Problem V: A Swinging Good Time In the Field Proceed over to the swing set. There you will find a stopwatch, a meter stick, a bathroom scale. Use any or all of them to determine the length of the support chain. This is to be a derived determination. You are not allowed to measure the length directly. Note: Remember what you have learned about simple harmonic motion, both the formula and the conditions. Field Data: Problem Illustration: In your final write-up you will need to answer these questions: 1. Draw a neat diagram of this problem to illustrate the solution. 2. Determine the length of the support chain to the nearest centimeter. 3. Describe your solution procedure 10
Problem VI: Triangulation (Options A or B) Two triangles have been set up in the large field toward the dam. You may be assigned a triangle to measure, or select one. Note which one you are measuring. Place A or B in the box. There are two different triangles set up for you determine the following triangle measurements. Use the transits at the two corners and triangulation to determine the remaining sides and angles. All linear measurements are to the nearest tenth of a foot. Be sure to measure your assigned triangle. Not to scale, size or shape Field Data: Measures of the Angles: Measured in the field Calculated A B C Measures of the Sides: AB CB AC For the write up, you will be asked to answer the following questions: 1. Draw an accurate representation of your triangle. Label each point. 2. Complete the table. Record angles to the nearest degree and all linear measurements to the nearest tenth of a foot 3. Describe the method you used including all work to arrive at these answers. 4. Measure of the Altitude from B = 11
Problem VII: Chem/R&E Project Activity During your presentation you will be asked to share elements of your Chem/R&E Project with other teams with the same topic at your school and at the other school. To facilitate this, you and your Lake Needwood team members are asked to complete the following table in each member s booklet. (Yes, that means you will need to write the same information multiple times.) Chem/R&E Project Topic: Team # Block A B C D Contact Information Name School / Block Email address 1. Project data collection units 12
Problem VII: Chem/R&E Project Activity 2. Describe project progress so far? 3. Data from initial trials 13
Problem VIII: Elevation Change Use transit(s) at T #1 and the stadia poles at the dam, to determine the change in elevation between the lake surface and the top of the dam. You may presume that the stadia poles are equidistant from the transit. (Even though they are slightly offset). In your final write-up you will need to answer these questions: 1. Draw a neat diagram of this problem to illustrate the solution. 2. Determine the elevation between the lake surface and the top of the dam to the tenth of a foot. 3. Describe your solution procedure 14