One way for children to understand human’s impact on the environment is to investigate the quality of water on a national and local level. Water quality can be investigated even without a lot of sophisticated science equipment. Water quality testing is being conducted every day in thousands of rivers and streams in every state across the country. The organization conducting this water quality testing are the United States Geological Society (USGS).
The USGS uses monitor stations which provide data 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is accomplished through the use of electronic data feeds, sending the information in real time to the USGS. They in turn place the data on their website for all interested parties to view.
USGS Water Quality Testing
The USGS instruments not only collect surface water quality data, they also collect ground water quality data, such as:
- pH – acidity level
- Specific Conductance – how well water can conduct electricity
- Temperature – water temperature
- Dissolved Oxygen – oxygen content of water
- Air Temperature – selected sites
- Barometric Pressure – selected sites
- Stream Flow Rate – amount of water flowing through the river, stream, etc.
- Nitrogen – fertilizer and animal waste runoff
- Turbidity – clarity of the water
Quality of Water Inquiry Based Investigation
The advantage of using the USGS Online Data Base is the ability to collect real time data from several parts of the United States and compare the data with local stream or river data. Children can design their own experiment based on the available USGS data base and data they collect themselves. This investigation is designed for grades 8 – 12. Parental supervision is recommended when collecting local stream or river data.
The best inquiry based investigations (visit Understanding Scientific Inquiry for more information) are those designed by children themselves. This is fine because they are acting like real scientists.
Typical investigations of water quality they can investigate include:
- Water quality changes over time – over a 3 month period for example or longer
- Comparing local water quality with other parts of the state
- Comparing local water quality with surrounding states
- Comparing local water quality with states in other regions of the country
- Comparing water quality in state of residence with other states across the country (no local data collected)
- Comparing water quality at selected sites across the country based on air temperature
- Comparing water quality at selected sites across the country based on stream flow rate
- Comparing water quality at selected sites across the country based on barometric pressure
- Comparing water quality at specific sites with local human activity – predominately farming, many industries, power plants nearby, and more
These are just examples children can design their investigation around. Their investigation must focus on the following to act as scientists:
- Asking Questions
- Formulating a Hypothesis
- Designing an Investigation
- Investigating
- Formulating Explanations
- Presenting Findings
- Reflecting on Their Findings
Water Quality Test Kits
Water quality test kits can be purchased for as little as $20 to conduct the following tests in a local streams or rivers:
- Nitrate/Nitrite – amount of fertilizer and animal waste in the water
- pH – acidity of water
- Dissolved Oxygen – 5.0 mg/L is the threshold of aquatic life
- Temperature – high or wide temperature variations may cause water quality to decrease
This integration of online real time data base technology with locally collected water quality data will allow children to act and think as scientists. They also develop an inquiry based investigation similar to the way scientists conduct investigations. Finally they develop a deeper understanding of water quality and human impact.
David R. Wetzel - Dr. David Wetzel's experience includes more than 25 years in continuing, adult, and teacher education.
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