TEACHER MATERIALS
How does nutrient pollution affect the water in my community?
“Discovering the Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycles”
In this activity, the students will learn about the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles by watching and reflecting on videos. As they watch the two videos listed below, they should fill out the corresponding handouts.
“Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycles” video
“Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycles” handout
“Chemical Reaction that Feeds the World” video
“Chemical Reaction that Feeds the World” handout
“Nutrient Pollution – Demonstration Labs”
In this activity, the students will complete experiments that demonstrate how nutrient pollution occurs. As part of completing the first experiment, they will need to watch “Contamination Clues” – a video created by Awesome Aquifer. Both a teacher’s guide and a student’s handout are provided for the second experiment.
“Watershed in a Pan” teacher’s guide
“Watershed in a Pan” student’s handout
“Creative Choices – Nitrogen Cycle”
In this activity, the students will represent the nitrogen cycle in a creative way. At the end of the activity, the students will explore each other’s work by completing a gallery walk.
“Nutrient Pollution – Harming Humans”
In this activity, the students will learn about the direct harm that nutrient pollution can do to human health. They will read one of the articles listed below, and then share what they learned with a partner (who read the other article). Later, they will demonstrate what they have learned by taking a pop quiz.
Creative Choices – Eutrophication
In this activity, the students will learn about the process of eutrophication. First, they will watch a video about it and take notes. Then, they will make creative representations of the process. Finally, they will have a gallery walk to explore what their classmates created, during which they should fill out the provided handout.
Eutrophication gallery walk handout
Nutrient Pollution – Global Trends
In this activity, the students will study and discuss global maps that show the amount of fertilizer that different countries use. First, they will analyze and discuss the maps in small groups. Then, they will read the article from which they were taken.
“Testing Your Private Well – Nebraska Extension”
In this activity, the students will learn about the process of testing well water. They will watch a video about well testing and fill out a corresponding handout.
“Testing Your Private Well for Nitrate” video
“Testing Your Private Well for Nitrate” handout
“Citizen Science Data from Nebraska – The SuWell Community Water Project”
In this activity, the students will learn about the mission of the SuWell Community Water Project and analyze the data they have collected about Nebraska water. First, they will explore the SuWell Community Water Project webpage to learn more about the project. Then, they will analyze the data-based map.
SuWell Community Water Project webpage
SuWell Community Water Project map
“Testing for Nutrient Pollution – Creating a Procedure with the SuWell Community Water Project”
In this activity, the students will create a procedure for testing nutrient levels in water. Before writing their procedure, they should watch the “How to test for phosphate” and “How to test for nitrate and nitrite” videos provided on the SuWell Community Water Project webpage, as well as a video created by the Arkansas Division of Agriculture.