Intro to Watersheds and Water Pollution
Provided by: Grand Valley State University|Published on: December 12, 2024
Grades: 6, 7, 8
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Engineering
Authors: Groundswell Stewardship Initiative
Region: Southwest Michigan
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this lesson, students will understand what a watershed is and how nonpoint source pollution travels through a watershed.
- Students will test pervious and impervious surfaces, create watershed models, and adapt and test the models.
- Students will explore Michigan watersheds like the Lower Grand River Watershed, Lake Michigan Basin, and The Great Lakes Basin.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This lesson includes many student handouts to enrich the learning experience.
- Students will enjoy getting outside to see how water moves through different surfaces on the school grounds.
Prerequisites
- The first link for the Lesson sources is broken.
- It may help students to see a picture of a downspout or storm drain before their exploration to help them better answer questions related to them.
- The lesson refers to a How Watersheds Work resource sheet for students to use to understand watersheds. This resource appears to be missing, but teachers can pull some resources from Raindrop to Sea if students need them to supplement. This resource is intended for Oregon students, but much of the information is widely applicable.
- The link for the optional activity in the What's Your Watershed handout is broken.
- The Lower Grand River Watershed student activity map also appears to be missing.
- Many of the links under Extensions and Additional Resources are broken.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Language arts classes can analyze and discuss the two analogies to watersheds used in the background information, the shower and puzzle piece similes, and write their own analogies that convey the meaning of the term watershed.
- To help students differentiate between point and nonpoint source pollution, students can read an article, like this one about a 2021 oil spill off the coast of Southern California, or watch a video detailing a point source pollution event or problem.
- To demonstrate understanding, students can write a story that illustrates the path of a pollutant through a watershed.
This lesson introduces watersheds and discusses water pollution. The lesson focuses on how to identify and describe a watershed, how pollution enters the watershed, and the difference between point and non-point pollution. Students will also create a model of a watershed. Understanding watersheds and water pollution helps students understand the impact of human activities on our environment, as well as gain a deeper understanding of the earth’s water cycle. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
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