· Introduction
· Narrative
· Strategies
· Objectives
· Pittsburgh District Content Standards
· Lesson Plans
· Suggested Readings for Students
· Teacher Bibliography
· Material and Resource List

This unit is a combination of environmental science and social studies for educators who teach sixth or seventh graders. The students will create a fictional town with each student becoming a citizen of the town and adopting a personnel file that creates an occupation, salary, marriage status, age and family. Using the fictional characters as a background, the students will learn about various environmental problems that have occurred in their town and what solutions would be needed to solve these problems.

The students will be guided through the unit creating their town using a series of brainstorming activities to recognize the various services that are needed for a town to be attractive and livable. After deciding on the number of services needed for the town, the students will brainstorm what occupations are needed for those services. The students will be assigned an occupation and then create a personnel file to fit their occupation. The students will use the information from the U.S. Census Bureau to establish the number of occupations needed for the town.

Once the town and its citizens are established, the students will proceed through a number of different environmental problems that affect their town. The environmental problems will include water, air, and solid waste environmental situations. The students will be formed into community groups in order to help invent or create a possible solution to the environmental problem.

Walking down the main street of Anytown, U.S.A., you observe the number of businesses that have established a location in the town. You stroll by a hardware store, a bakery, bank, grocery store, movie theatre, pet parlor, drugstore, hair salon, tavern and a restaurant just to name a few. All of the businesses are open for their customers and are trying to make a profit in order to meet their standard of living in which they, the storeowners, are accustomed. Each of these establishments is open to serve the needs of their customers. If the customers no longer need the services or goods that the store provides, then the store will go bankrupt and close.

Each of these stores has one common problem. How do they deal with the waste products of their business? Whether it’s disposing of common trash (paper products, recyclable materials, and food products) or chemical products such as insecticides and fertilizers, these waste materials must be gathered and taken to a storage facility. Someone has the job of collecting the materials and disposing of it properly.

In 1753,when George Washington traveled to Western Pennsylvania to survey the countryside for his superior, he probably didn’t envision what would be transformed at the confluence of the three rivers. Washington knew that the high ground situated above the three rivers would make an excellent location for a fort. He observed that there were an abundance of natural resources in the immediate area that could be used by the soldiers for heat, shelter and food. With the water flowing from three rivers, there was a constant supply of fresh water for drinking and three rivers available for disposal of waste products.

Through the next five decades, the city of Pittsburgh grew from a small outpost that guarded English territory, to a thriving town that was establishing itself as the center for manufacturing of metal and glass products and shipbuilding. The Pittsburgh region was blessed with an abundance of natural resources, primarily bituminous coal.

Because the region was plentiful with coal, this became the primary heating source for all residents of the town. The price of coal was very inexpensive and served well as a heating source for both home and industry. However, the one problem that occurred from the burning of bituminous coal was the effects of air pollution.

As Pittsburgh grew from a frontier post to a town then a city, the problems of air pollution increased dramatically. A great number of foreigners immigrated to Pittsburgh because of the number of jobs available to them. As the number of citizens grew, so did the problem of air pollution. Many new immigrants lived close together in company owned houses with very few conveniences. All homes did contain a central fireplace used for heating the small-framed house. And all of the houses burned coal as a primary heat source.

In the 1880’s as the steel industry began in Pittsburgh, more and more bituminous coal was burned for energy. The coal was used in the process of making coke, which was needed to produce steel. Hundreds of coke ovens appeared in Western Pennsylvania and pollution from the burning off the by products of the coal poured into the sky. People working and living near the coke ovens and mills accepted this as part of their daily routine.

With the atmosphere filled with the chemical byproducts of burning coal, thousands of residents began experiencing respiratory problems. It was becoming common for local doctors to treat workers, housewives and children for a malady of problems such as bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia and cancer. The number of respiratory deaths increased dramatically with the number of people working and living in the mill towns. But nothing was being done to reduce the emissions of burning coal. The residents decided that they had to eat and stay warm rather than worry about long-range health problems.

Pittsburghers continued to think that the problems of air pollution would eventually go away. It didn’t seem to bother many people that the health problems were on the rise. It was more important to worry about how much time you worked in the mill and the amount of money that you were paid. Group health insurance was not available to the steelworkers and common laborers. Sickness from respiratory problems was to be shaken off and not to be worried about. It was an accepted way of life.

In 1948, influential businessmen and politicians decided that the image of Pittsburgh must and will be changed. No more must one think of Pittsburgh as "The Gateway to Hell" or Hell with the Lid Off". The members formed a task committee to begin the Renaissance of Pittsburgh. First on the agenda was to reduce air pollution emissions from the mills and factories. The image of the Smoky City must be discarded. Next came the removal of hundreds of buildings from the Golden Triangle area and in their place would raise an office complex and hotel building, plus a state park located at the Point.

Work began in the early fifties and within a decade the Renaissance was well under way. The Gateway Center complex was built consisting of three office building, each over twenty stories tall, plus an apartment complex and the Hilton Hotel. A dramatic change occurred at the Point. The land was cleared of dilapidated buildings and in their place was constructed a park, complete with a fountain.

The park was named Point State Park and is under the supervision of the State Park bureau. In the park are walkways, flower gardens, a stage for concerts, the outline of Fort Duquesne and the Fort Pitt Blockhouse. The Blockhouse is the oldest structure in the city. A museum was built next door to the Blockhouse and is open to the public. The park is a host for many civic events including the Three Rivers Arts Festival and the Three Rivers Regatta.

Air pollution wasn’t the only environmental problem that the city of Pittsburgh faced. The treatment of raw sewage was a problem from the beginning.

Since the town was built next to the rivers, it was a simple task to dump all raw sewage into the river, with the understanding that the natural cleansing of the river would treat the waste. However, as the population grew in size, the amount of raw sewage deposited into the river became impossible for the river’s natural cleansing to treat all of the waste properly. As more and more raw sewage was dumped into the rivers, more of the drinking water became contaminated.

By 1890, diseases from untreated water were common in the city. Typhoid, polio, and dysentery were common among residents of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh led the nation in typhoid deaths at the turn of the century. People were drinking untreated water from the river resulting in numerous diseases and sickness. Swimming in the rivers became unsafe due to the large amounts of untreated sewage.

Pittsburgh established the first water treatment system in 1908. The health community realized the seriousness of the situation and forced the city fathers to implement a treatment plant. It was common for many residents to still use an outhouse. Sewer lines were construct in the next few years and soon many residents had the use of indoor plumbing and were using treated drinking water from the rivers. The number of illnesses from raw sewage decreased after the water treatment plant was put into use.

Besides the problems of air and water pollution, Pittsburghers still face the problems of trash disposal. Before the air pollution controls were in effect, residents could burn their garbage in their backyards. Paper, food and metal products were burned in large containers and the by-products of the burnings drifted into the atmosphere. As the population grew, and more and more people were clustered together, burning garbage was outlawed. Curbside trash collection took the place of burning garbage. Landfills were created outside the city limits for the use of disposing hundreds of thousands of pounds of garbage. All types of garbage including metal, paper, plastic, glass, food, clothes and building and chemical supplies were dumped into the landfill. As the landfill grew to capacity, another landfill was needed to hold all of the trash from city residents.

In the late 1980’s recycling began in the city. Newspapers, glass containers and plastics were separated from the rest of the trash. Residents gathered the recyclables into blue plastic bags and then placed them on the curb for pickup. The city contracted to sell the recycled materials to be used again in the process of manufacturing.

In the fictional town created by the students, many problems will arise as they conceive their idea of the "idyllic town". Many different questions must be resolved. How many people should live in the town? What occupations are needed to maintain a normal lifestyle that Americans are accustomed to? What are the basics that are needed for the town? What are the extras that are needed? How should all of this be financed? What amount of taxes will the residents pay in order to maintain this lifestyle? How and who will solve the environmental problems that will arise?

In all towns, basic services such as water, electric, gas, phone, trash collection and others must be met. The students will learn that to provide all of the services will require an amount of money that most taxpayers will find unbearable. The debate will range whether it is cheaper for the town to have it’s own trash collection or to contract out the service through another company. Will the drinking water be supplied through the town’s treatment facility or should the town buy water from another venue? What should be done with the recyclable materials? Should your town build a recycling center or contract this service out to another town?

Many communities began as small towns and villages and then expanded as industry moved into the town. As the industry grew so did the population of the town. As the population of the town grew the services for the residents of the town also grew. For example, the drinking that was supplied to a village of one hundred came from an aquifer below the village. As the village grew into a town the aquifer was inadequate for supplying the amount of water necessary for the population. A decision had to be made. Should the town search for more water below the town’s surface or build a water treatment plant to purify the water from the river or to buy water from another community. Members of the town council had to decide what method would be the least expensive and still meet the water demands of the town’s population.

In this curriculum unit, the students guided by the teacher will act as members of the town council and help solve the problems that arise from everyday living. The students will learn that environmental issues that arise must be dealt with through research and investigation to arrive at an answer to their problems. In making hasty decisions, the future of the town could be in jeopardy.

In the fictional town that the students will create, the teacher and the students will have the opportunity to explore various types of environmental problems. As the teacher you can guide them through the series of environmental problems such as a chemical leak into the town’s drinking water or carbon dioxide emissions from a local factory. The students will learn about the cause and effect relationship between the industry and the environment.

One of the reasons for creating the town and the citizens of the town is to let the students learn about the concepts of nature as they deal with man and his environment. There are three concepts of nature that will be explained to the students.

The first concept is that nature is seen as "other". In this concept, nature is viewed as non-human. Nature may be viewed in the form of spirits, trolls, leprechauns, nymphs, and mythological gods. Nature may take the form of the mysterious or the divine. Nature may be viewed as a hostile environment such as a violent thunderstorm or hailstorm. The images of lightning striking the earth can be viewed as hostile. The awesome power of a hurricane or a tornado can destroy buildings and cause death and destruction. Nature can be viewed as a sacred place designated by religious groups. Mt. Sinai and the Ganges River are two examples of natural settings that are important to religious sects. These places reflect a divine power that is attributed to religion.

The second concept is nature is viewed as a resource or service. This is the dominant view among the population of the United States and Canada. The resources that nature has, such as oil, coal, natural gas, water and wood are there to be used by mankind. There is little thought in how much of these resources will be used and how they are to be reused. No one worries when the oil or natural gas will run out. People believe that there is an infinite supply of resources. Our history has shown that the earth was used as a toilet for all of our waste products. Raw sewage, chemicals, fertilizers were all dumped into our streams, rivers and lakes. There was never a need to worry about the effect on the environment or later generations. The thought was that nature would recycle and repair itself.

The third and final concept is nature as a community. The Native Americans who practiced this concept viewed this concept. They viewed nature as an equal partner. A partner that would share the resources that was available. The Native Americans took only the amount of resources needed to survive. They didn’t rape the land of all trees in order to build houses or to heat their shelters. They respected nature and made efforts to preserve it.

Once the students learn the three concepts of nature they can identify which point of view they will choose. Usually their point of view is based on their social position in the community. For example, a worker in the glass factory will view nature as a resource because nature keeps him employed. Without the natural resources the glass factory closes and the worker is unemployed. A schoolteacher might view nature as a partner, learning to preserve and protect the environment. The teacher’s job is not totally dependent on nature’s resources for employment. Depending on your job will determine your outlook on the environmental issues.

The objectives listed below are end level tasks. They will hereafter be referred to as TSWBAT(the student will be able to):

· Create a fictional town based on a population of 50,000

· Identify the topography of Pittsburgh and use the land features as the town setting

· Brainstorm the services and occupations needed for the town

· Read about the demographics of an American city using U.S. Census Bureau statistics

· Identify and define the three concepts of nature

· Work in cooperative learning groups to solve a problem

· Use the scientific process in solving problems

· Focus attention on an environmental issue in the community

· Identify verifiable evidence of air pollution in the community

· Introduce tests for water pollutants

· Identify the primary water quality indicators as acidity, salinity, dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide, nitrates and phosphates, suspended solids, algae, and bacteria

· Develop skill in collecting, interpreting, and summarizing field data

· Identify the various components of solid waste pollutants

 

This curriculum unit covers the following standards established by the Pittsburgh Public School District.

4. All students examine and evaluate problems facing citizens in their

Communities, state, nation and world by incorporating concepts and

methods of inquiry of the various social issues.

5. All students develop and defend a position on current issues, confronting

the United States and other nations, conducting research, analyzing

alternatives, organizing evidence and arguments, and making oral

presentations.

6. All students explain basic economic concepts and the development and

operation of economic systems in the United States, and other nations, and

make informed decisions about economic issues.

7. All students demonstrate their skills of communicating, negotiating and

cooperating with others.

8. All students demonstrate that they can work effectively with others.

9. All students demonstrate an understanding of the history and nature of

prejudice and relate their knowledge to current issues facing communities,

the United States and other nations.

Science and Technology

1. All students explain how scientific principles of chemical, physical and biological phenomena have developed and relate them to real world situations.

3. All students’ use and master materials, tools and processes of major technologies which are applied in economic and civic life.

4. All students explain the relationships among science, technology, and society.

5. All students construct and evaluate scientific and technological systems using models to explain and predict results.

6. All students develop and apply skills of observation, data collection, analysis, pattern recognition, prediction and scientific reasoning in designing and conducting experiments and solving technological problems.

7. All students evaluate advantages, disadvantages and ethical implications associated with the impact of science and technology on current and future life.

8. All students evaluate the impact on current and future life of the development and the use of varied energy forms, natural and synthetic materials, and the production and processing of food and other agricultural products.

Environment and Ecology

2. All students analyze the effects of social systems, behaviors and technologies on ecological systems and environmental quality.

3. All students think critically and generate potential solutions to environmental issues.

5. All students demonstrate an understanding of the local, national and international implications of environmental and ecological issues.

Communications

6. All students exchange information orally, including understanding and giving spoken instructions, asking and answering questions appropriately, and promoting effective group communications.

 

Day 1

Objective

· TSWBAT – identify the topography of the Pittsburgh region citing specific land features: ex: mountains, hills, rivers, creeks, etc.

· TSWBAT – recognize the importance of locating a town along a major waterway.

· TSWBAT – begin brainstorming a list of services needed for the town

Activities

The students will identify the various land forms found in the Pittsburgh area. The students should be able to use their prior knowledge to complete the list of various landforms.

Based on the list of landforms, have the students choose an area for their town based on access to water, natural resources, and transportation opportunities. For example, my class has chosen the town of Etna, located along the Allegheny River and with access to Pine Creek for a water supply.

Have the students decide on a fictional name for your town. My class has chosen Pine Meadows. Create a town slogan, which will help attract people who want to relocate to your town. My class has selected the slogan – "Pine Meadows – a real nice place to raise your kids."

Homework assignment – the students will name the various landforms located in their town. They can name the hills, mountains, river, creeks, lakes, swamps, etc.

The students can draw a street plan of the town and name the streets, roads, avenues, etc.

Day 2

Objectives

· TSWBAT -identify the various services needed for a town of 50,000 population

· TSWBAT – identify the occupations that are associated with the services provided in the town

 

 

Activities:

Have the students brainstorm a list of services that will be needed based on your town’s population. You can write the list of services that the student’s identify on the board. Listed below is an example of the services identified by my sixth grade class:

Water sewage phone company cable TV bank

Natural gas electricity auto repair restaurant hotel funeral home

Hospital law firm retail shops schools hairdresser

Car dealerships movie theater radio station church police

Fire department ambulance service gas station grocery store

You may continue to add to the list as many services as you want to include. You may also want to include any industry that may be in your town. For example, you may want to have a steel mill that employs a percentage of the town’s citizens. You could include a glass factory that employs hundreds of the town’s citizens. Be sure that any industry that is created can make use if the natural resources located in your town’s vicinity.

The next activity is for the students to compose a list of occupations based on the services and industries created in your town. Be sure to keep your list close to the demographics of a town of 50, 000 citizens. Have the list of occupations range in salaries from the highest (owner of the steel mill) to the lowest (unemployed). Remind students that most of the wage earners fall in the middle-income area ($35,000 - $65,000 annual income). Listed below is an example of occupations. Remember to base the number of occupations on the number of students in your class.

Doctor     nurse     fireman      police officer     waitress

Hairdresser     vice president of the bank      hotel manager     undertaker

Phone repairman     cable TV installer     gas meter reader     mayor

Water department serviceman     public works      foreman     lawyer

Garbage collector-driver     schoolteacher      principal     plumber

Car mechanic     car salesman     minister      pastry maker

Meat cutter     owner of the movie theater       assistant manger at K-Mart

Mailman      paramedic          unemployed steel worker

Once the occupations have been selected, write each occupation on a slip of paper anyplace the slips in a large bowl. Each student will select an occupation as a citizen of the town.

Homework – each student will create a personnel file based on his/her occupation. Included in the personnel file should be the student’s age, marital status, number of children, place of employment and income. Remind the students that the income of their occupation should be based on today’s wages. Remind them that everyone is not earning two hundred thousand a year.

Additional homework ideas: have some students volunteer to design and draw a map of the town labeling streets and points of geographic reference. Remind the students that the land area should be large enough for a population of ten thousand people. Students can decide on which streets they want to live and where their business will be located.

Day 3

Objectives

SWBAT – define the three concepts of nature – nature as "other", nature as a resource, and nature as a community.

SWBAT – identify how each concept works and selected which concept best describes each occupation in the town.

Activity – define each concept to the class with the students taking notes from the board. List examples of each concept and have the students suggest other examples. Once the concepts have been defined, have the students choose which concept would fit their chosen occupation.

Homework – have the students write a one-page essay on why they chose the concept and how it relates to their occupation. Have them list an example to in their essay.

Day 4

Objective

· TSWBAT – use the scientific process to determine the quality of drinking water by taste

Background information

There are many factors that affect the taste of drinking water. Some of these factors are the mineral content, the amount of dissolved oxygen, pollution, pH levels, level of chlorine, dissolved metals such as iron, lead, etc., and bacterial content. These factors are considered in the process of water purification. The water taken from various sources may be slightly different in composition. This difference can affect our taste. This activity is written to test a student’s ability to discriminate between different samples of water.

Materials needed for lab:

1 gallon of tap water

1 gallon of distilled water

1 gallon of bottled water (spring)

1 gallon of bottled water (polar)

1 3 ounce paper cup for each student

1 box of unsalted crackers

1 science lab notebook

Procedure

1. Ask the class if they think they can tell the difference between bottled water and tap water.

2. Discuss water quality – a) hard water, b) clarity, c) chlorine) aeration (dissolved oxygen), e) taste.

3. Discuss the ways water is cleaned: a) filtration, b) chlorination

4. Explain to the class that they are going to be tasters. They will be sampling four different water samples – tap, distilled, spring, and polar. DO NOT tell the students what the samples are.

5. The students will rate the samples on a scale of 1 –10 with 10 being the best. Students may give two samples the same score if necessary.

6. Give each student a sample (4-8 ounces) of each kind of water, A, B, C, and D. Label the containers, and be sure not to mix them.

7. Have them write a hypothesis. Ex: I hypothesis that sample A will taste the best.

8. Allow each student in the row or group to taste the sample, and then record his or her scores on the data table. HINT – have the students wait until all of the class has been served. If you allow students to sample before the others, the student’s reaction may cause other students to change their rating.

9. Have each group total their score for each sample.

10. Have a spokesperson from each group read the total scores for each sample. The rest of the class records this shared data. Example: group 1 sample A = 10,7,8,6 = total for A of 31. Have all groups report their totals to the class.

11. Find the class totals and average the scores.

12. Complete the data analysis and graph.

Discussion Questions

1. Discuss the results and write conclusions.

2. Discuss error analysis. How could we have run the test to be sure we only tested one variable? Consider the order of the samples. Did everyone try Sample A first and Sample D last? Would this matter? What other variables could we consider?

3. What qualities to people look for in drinking water?

4. How is our water made suitable for drinking?

5. Can people tell the difference between water types?

Extended Activities

1. Research the ways distilled water is produced and used.

2. Using the same water put in food coloring and sees if the food coloring affects the taste.

3. Take water samples from several locations in your community and repeat the "taste test".

 

DAY 5– Purifying Water

Objective

TSWBAT

1. Identify the natural methods of purification, including evaporation, percolation, and aeration.

2. Identify and describe the biological and chemical processes used in sewage treatment plants.

3. Identify the volume of sewage produced by urban populations and the need for treatment to recycle water.

4. Describe the desalination processes and their high cost.

5. Further develop skill in designing and performing experiments.

6. Review legislation regulating the uses of water.

Background Information

Water is a vital necessity for all life in your community. Yet, members of the community show very little regard for the quality of the water supply. When water is used, very rarely is it put back into the hydrologic cycle as clean as it was before it was used. When sewage or wastewater is not properly treated it can kill fish, cause the overgrowth of algae, spread waterborne diseases, and create a foul odor caused by the lack of free oxygen.

The widespread use of pesticides and fertilizers used by farmers and gardeners pollutes the local water sources. Barnyard and feedlot wastes contaminate the lakes and streams. Water runoff from improper farming practices adds a heavy load of silt to the surface water supply.

Local industry uses large quantities of water that are dumped back into the water supply containing various industrial wastes. These industrial wastes may include oil, chemicals, and radioactive materials. Warm water dumped into the water supply after being used to cool machines can crate a thermal pollution that kills plants and animal life.

Selected Reading: Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, Chapter 4 (Surface Waters and Underground Seas) p. 39 –52.

Classroom activity

Introduce the investigation to the class by creating a pollution problem caused by the local industry. Have the students look a sample of contaminated water. Ask the students if they want to drink it. Explain to the class that water can be contaminated from natural processes as well as by human activities. Ask the class how they would purify the water naturally. List all of their ideas on the board.

Explain to the class that there are three different methods to treat sewage.

1. Primary Sewage Treatment

2. Secondary Sewage Treatment

3. Septic Tank

Place a drawing of the Primary Sewage Treatment plan on the board for the class to draw. Explain to the class the process of treating sewage. Explain to the class that the sewage entering the plant for treatment flows through a screen that removes large objects that may clog the sewage pumps. Tell them that some treatment plants use a device called a comminutor that also grinds up the large objects. After screening the sewage passes into a grit chambers, where sand, grit, cinders, and small stones settle out. Then the sewage goes to the sedimentation tank, where finer particles settle out.

Place a drawing of the secondary Sewage Treatment plan on the board for the class to draw. Tell the class that this is the second phase in treating the sewage and that this stage removes up to 90% of the organic matter in wastewater. This process allows bacteria to decompose into harmless substances. The organic matter is removed by using a trickling filter or an activated sludge process.

Explain to the class that a trickling filter is a bed of stones 3 to 6 feet deep through which the sewage passes. Bacteria gathered on the stones consume much of the organic matter. Cleaner water trickles through the pipes in the bottom of the filter.

Explain to the class that the activated sludge process is more commonly used today because it speeds decomposition by pumping air into the sewage The extra air makes the bacteria and other tiny organisms grow and rapidly reproduce, decomposing sewage faster. The activated sludge process takes less land space than the trickling filter, and it is free of flies and odors, but is more costly to operate.

Another choice for sewage treatment is tertiary treatment. This type of treatment requires a sophisticated process that uses absorbents, chemical exchange, reverse osmosis, and ozone treatment. These processes remove chemicals that entered the water from pesticides, fertilizers, and industrial products. The treated water, called effluent, is released back into the water system.

Septic Tank

Residents that live outside a community sewage treatment system use a septic tank to treat household sewage. The tank is buried in the ground away from the house. The wastewater flows from the home into the tank, where the bacteria in the sewage breaks down into organic matter. The cleaner water flows out of the tank into the ground through subsurface drains. The sludge in the bottom of the tank must be cleaned on a regular basis. (Make sure that you have a diagram of a septic tank on the board for the student to view.)

DAY 6& 7

Water Purification Activity

Explain to the class that there are three different methods to purify water: filtration, distillation, and a solar still. Each group will choose one method of purifying the water for the town. The group will look at a basic design, build the model and attempt to purify a sample of contaminated water. Listed below are the materials needed for each model, a diagram of each model, and the directions for the activity.

Filtration

Materials

Large tin coffee can or large plastic container

Fine sand

Coarse sand

Gravel

Collection pan for the clean water

Directions – Have the students poke small holes in the bottom of the container to allow for the water to drip through. Place 1 – 2 inches of gravel at the bottom of the container. On top of the gravel place 1 –2 inches of coarse sand. On top of the coarse sand, place 3 inches of fine sand. Place the container on the water collection plate. Have the students pour a small beaker full of impure water in the filtration system and observe what happens. The impure water will pass through the layers and remove any solids that are in the impure water. If the collection plate begins to overflow, lift up the filtration container to allow water to collect on the plate. Collect the clean water and pour it into a clean beaker and observe the changes.

Questions to ask:

1. How clean is the water?

2. Is it safe for drinking?

3. Are they still impurities in the water?

4. Is this an effective way to treat impure water?

5. What modifications can be made to improve the design?

Distillation

Materials

Stand to hold the test tube

Test tube or small beaker of impure water

Rubber stopper

Heat source

Pyrex tube

Cold water beaker

Small beaker to collect clean water

Explanation – Explain to the group that distillation purifies water through evaporation. The clean water is collected by the condensing water vapor, which leaves the impurities behind in the heating chamber.

Directions – Have the group attach the test tube of impure water to the stand so that a heat source can be placed underneath the tube. Insert a rubber stopper into the test tube. Place a pyrex pipe into the rubber stopper so that the water vapor can pass through the pyrex pipe into the small container that will collect the clean water. Place the small collection jar inside a large beaker filled with cold water.

Have the students refer to the diagram for help. Light the heat source and observe what happens.

Questions

1. How clean is the water?

2. Is it safe for drinking?

3. Are there any impurities in the water?

4. Is this an effective way to treat water?

5. What improvements can be made on the design?

Solar Still

Materials

Three containers of the same size

Plastic wrap

Small stone

Explanation

Inform the class that in dry areas of the world a solar still is method used to purify water. Water collects on the plastic wrap and drips into the container to collect the clean water.

Directions – Place the three containers in the sunlight. Put the empty container that will collect the clean water in the middle between the two containers of impure water. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over all of the containers. Place a small stone in the middle of the plastic wrap directly over the collection can.

The small stone will make a dent in the plastic wrap. The clean water will evaporate from the impure water; collect on the plastic wrap, run to the lowest point of the plastic wrap, then drip into the collection can. Observe what happens.

Questions

1. How clean is the water?

2. Is it safe for drinking?

3. Are there any impurities in the water?

4. Is this an effective way to treat water?

5. What improvements can be made on this design?

Once all the groups have designed and tested their treatment models have them compare and discuss the results. Have each group answer the following questions.

1. Which design was more effective?

2. Which model is cost effective for the community?

3. Is there a better model that could be designed to improve the water treatment?

 

Day 8

Identifying the Sources of Air Pollution in the Community

The students will begin a discussion about the air pollution problems in their town. The students will discuss methods used to identify air pollution and ways to measure the air pollution.

1. Identifying sources of air pollution

a. Who is causing air pollution?

b. Map of the community identifying pollution hotspots

The students will brainstorm a list of possible pollution problems in the community. These sources will be listed on the board. Once a list has been established, the students will draw a map of the community identifying the sources of air pollution. Use colored pins or other symbols to represent the kind of sources identified, such as trucks, cars, industries, etc.

The U.S. government classifies the sources of pollutants into these categories:

Motor vehicles Refuse disposal (solid waste)

Other Transportation Agricultural burning

Power plants Space heating

Other Stationary sources Miscellaneous

The student’s map should show stationary sources (businesses) and movable sources (automobiles and airplanes) and sources that are visible and invisible.

Color-code the map to point out each of these sources.

DAY 9

Identifying the major air pollutants

Now that the students have identified the sources of pollution in their community, ask them what they think a pollutant is and which pollutants are in the air. Write their suggestions on the board. Once they are out of ideas, list the six major air pollutants on the board.

Carbon Monoxide

Sulfur Dioxide

Ozone

Particulates

Nitrogen Dioxide

PAN (peroxyacetyl nitrate)

Other sources of air pollutants

Lead, beryllium, asbestos, fluoride, methane, ethylene, radioisotopes, and pesticides

Explain to the class that an air pollutant is a substance present in a sample of dry air in higher concentrations than in a standard sample of clean, dry air.

The predominant sources of each of the major pollutants are

Carbon monoxide: cars

Hydrocarbons: cars

Nitrogen dioxide: industry, cars

PAN and ozone: photochemical reactions in the atmosphere among nitrogen dioxide, hydrocarbons, and oxygen

Particulates: industry, burning

Sulfur dioxide: burning of fossil fuel

Remind the students that only two of the major pollutants are visible: nitrogen dioxide and particulates. Nitrogen dioxide is a reddish-brown gas. But when it is sufficiently diluted with air, nitrogen dioxide may not be detectable to the eye. Particulates include dust, particles, fumes, and aerosols of microscopic size.

Explain to the class that the visible pollution called smog that hovers over cities usually contains sulfur dioxide dissolved in water droplets that have condensed on tiny particulates.

Ask the class if air pollution has a noticeable odor. Listen to any responses that the students might offer. Explain to the class that sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide have sharp, disagreeable odors. Tell the class that ozone has a subtle, sweetish odor in low concentrations but is irritating in higher concentrations. Sometimes you can smell ozone when there is a thunderstorm. Remind students that carbon monoxide is the most dangerous because it is odorless, tasteless, and colorless.

Activity

Materials

10 – 15 healthy, young potted plants

10 – 15 1 gallon glass jars with lids

10 – 15 pinch clamps

10 thermometers

10 6 cm lengths of glass tubing

10 6 cm lengths of rubber tubing

Electric drill

Medicine dropper

10 - 15 container of volatile liquid

Explain to the class that the experiment will test whether plants can grow when affected by air pollutants.

Directions – Place a potted plant in the glass jar along with a container of a volatile liquid. Screw the cap on the jar and place the containers on the windowsill by the sun. Keep a daily journal of the growth or non-growth of the plant.

Students should be able to explain why the plants are growing or not growing based on the record keeping from their daily journals.

DAY 10

Air Pollution alert from the aluminum factory.

Explain to the class that the glass factory has been releasing harmful chemicals into the atmosphere of the town. The residents are beginning to show signs of respiratory problems. The EPA has posted an alert for the elderly and people with asthma. The problem posed to the class is how does the town limit the number of harmful emissions from the aluminum factory without risking an economic situation.

Activity

Begin by having the class read an account of the Donora air pollution episode where fluoride was released into the atmosphere above the town.

After the reading have the class identify why fluoride is harmful to all living creatures. Ask the class for suggestions on how to solve this problem. You can have the students break down into small committees to discuss the problem and offer some type of short and long term solution. Accept all reasonable answers.

DAY 11

Creating a mini-dump and a mini-sanitary landfill

In the town of Pine Meadows, garbage is collected everyday and hauled to the local landfill. Explain to the class that the town landfill is full. The town council must find a suitable site for the new landfill. Have the class look at a map of the town and recommend which area would be able to sustain a landfill. Have the class cite their reasoning for choosing the area and finally have the site approved by vote from the townspeople.

Explain to the class that they are going to construct a mini-dump and a mini-sanitary landfill. Both of the projects will be built in the classroom and remain in the classroom. After the dumps have been filled with solid waste materials the dumps will be compare over a long period of time.

Materials:

2 deep, plastic pans

Samples of solid waste: apple slices, banana peels or pieces, aluminum foil, cardboard, newspaper strips, glass, plastic bags, steel wool and fabric pieces

Soil to fill both containers

2 plastic sheets or bags

Activity

The students will fill one of the pans half full of soil. The students place each kind of solid waste on the top of the soil in the container. Place the container in an area where it will not be disturbed. This is the mini-dump.

To construct a mini sanitary landfill, have the students place a small amount of soil in the bottom of the second pan. Place a plastic sheet or bag over the soil. Place each kind of solid waste on top of the plastic in the container. Over the solid waste, sprinkle sand, pat the sand down, and then cover with another sheet of plastic. Have the students cover the plastic with a layer of soil. Pat the soil firmly around the plastic to form a solid seal. Place the container in an area where it will not be disturbed.

From time to time, sprinkle the same amount of water over both the dump and the landfill. Explain to the class that the sprinkling represents rainfall.

After one month, have the children empty the sanitary landfill pan into a big box lined with a plastic bag. Have the students look at the objects to see if they have changed. Record all observations. Empty the mini-dump into a lined box and see if any changes occurred. Record all observations.

On a large sheet of paper record all observations and the date. Discuss how some items in the mini-dump deteriorated, while others did not. Discuss why the landfill items do not deteriorate. Discuss why landfills are sealed (to protect our water supply from leakage of toxic materials- chemicals in batteries, household cleaners, and so on). Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a dump and a sanitary landfill.

This curriculum unit is designed to branch off in many directions. You can expand each lesson plan into complex issues depending upon grade level and academic ability of your class. You can focus on just one environmental issue or on many environmental issues. This unit is designed to make students aware of the changes that man brings to the environment just by trying to maintain a high standard of living.

Assessment of the knowledge that the students have learned can be obtained in a variety of methods. You may choose a standard test of multiple choice or matching questions based on the vocabulary and concepts learned throughout the unit. You may assess in the form of essay questions asking the students to relate the information in a writing activity.

Water pollution

Water Resources Education Network in Pennsylvania

http:// www.libertynet.org/wren

Drinking Water – Kids Stuff

http:// www.epa.gov/OGWDW/kids

Global Water Sampling Collaborative Science Education Project

http://k12science.ati.stevens-tech.edu/curriculum/water…

Water in the City

http://www.fi.edu/city/water

U.S. Geological Survey water Resources Education

http:// water.usgs.gov/education.html

Water Pollution and Society

http:// www. Umich.edu/~gs265/society/waterpollution.htm

Curriculum: Water: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

http://www.epa.gov/teachers/curriculumwater.htm

Creek Connections

http://creekconnections.allegheny.edu

Air Pollution

The Donora Fluoride Fog –Secret History of America’s Worst Air Pollution Disaster

http://www.fluoridation.com/donora.htm

Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division

http://www.epa.gov/docs/crb

http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfr-table-search.html

Environmental Protection Agency

http://www.epa.gov/epahome/resource.htm

Solid Waste Pollution

Our Ecological Footprint

http://www.lead.org./leadnet/footprint/food.cfm

The Local Environment, Foundation Approaches in Science Teaching, Francis M. Pottenger III and Donald B. Young, University of Hawaii, 1978

The Weather Book, USA Today, Vintage Books, 1992

Only in Pittsburgh, S. Trevor Hadley, Educational Publishing Resources, 1994

Pollution, Recycling, Trash, and Litter Using Nonfiction to Promote Literacy Across the Curriculum, Doris Roettger, Fearon Teacher Aids, 1991

50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save the Earth, The EarthWorks Group, Andrews and McMeel, 1990

Good Planets Are Hard To Find, Roma Dehr and Ronald M. Bazar, Earth Bea Press, 1989

Let’s Be Nature’s Friend, Jack Stokes, Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 1977

Trash, Charlotte Wilcox, Carolrhoda Books, Inc., 1988

Twentieth – Century Pittsburgh Volume I: Government, Business, and Environment Change, Roy Lubove, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1995

The Legacy of Penn’s Woods: A History of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, Lester A. DeCoster, PHMC and the PA Department of Environmental Resources, 1995

Out of This Furnace: a Novel of Immigrant Labor in America, Thomas Bell, University of Pittsburgh, 1976( originally published in 1941)

Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth, Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees, New Society Publishers, 1996

Pittsburgh- The Story of an American City, Stefan Lorant, Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1964

Department of Health, County of Allegheny, Rules and Regulations, 1960

Report for Consultation of the Metropolitan Pittsburgh Intrastate Air Quality Control Region, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and welfare, 1969

Singing the City, Laurie Graham, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1998

History of Pittsburgh, Neville B. Craig, Esq., J.R. Weldin Company, 1917

A Short History of Pittsburgh 1758 – 1908, Samuel Harden Church, The DeVinne Press, 1908