Water Quality Assessment

Module Summary
Water quality assessment is vital to determining the health of an ecosystem. Humans and local wildlife rely on clean water for drinking, living and recreating. This module is intended to help students assess the quality of a local aquatic environment through a series of interactive activities. At the end of the module students will have knowledge of several tools that can be
used to assess water quality. Students begin by assessing the biotic and abiotic factors of the water body. They then complete a leaf pack experiment that spans 2-3 months where they look at leaf decomposition in an aquatic environment and assess local macroinvertebrates. Additionally, students work to create a map of their local watershed and relate that to potential
sources of water pollution in the area.

Grade Levels
9-12                                                                                

Module Materials (view or download)
Abiotic Water Quality Testing
Biotic Water Quality Assessment
Leaf Pack Experiment
Where’s My Watershed?

Module Activity Overview	Estimated Class Time
Abiotic Water Quality Testing	1 (45 min) class
Biotic Water Quality Assessment	1 (45 min) class
Leaf Pack Experiment	3 (45 min) classes
Where’s My Watershed	1 (45 min) class

 

 

 

Last updated: 3/10/2015