Introduction to Earth Force's KIC-NET (Sept 2015)

Keep It Clean-Neighborhood Environmental Trios (KIC-NET)

A Toolkit for Civic Engagement, Environmental Education, and STEM in the South Platte River Urban Watershed

Colorado edition

Keep It Clean-Neighborhood Environmental Trios (KIC-NET)

A Toolkit for Civic Engagement, Environmental Education, and STEM in the South Platte River Urban Watershed

Co P y R I g h T © 2015 by E A R T h F o R C E I N C .

S E Co N D E D I T I o N , 2015

K I C - N E T | a T o o l K I T f o r C I v I C E N g a g E m E N T , E N v I r o N m E N T a l E d u C a T I o N , a N d s T E m I N T h E s o u T h p l a T T E r I v E r u r b a N w a T E r s h E d

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Table of Contents IntroductionW h AT I S K I C - N E T ?

l E S S o N o v E R v I E W

launch - go Team KIC-NET!l E S S o N l .1 | bucket brigade (K-5)

l E S S o N l .2 | Clean-up Crew (6-8)

l E S S o N l .3 | Create a Watershed (K-5)

l E S S o N l .4 | Watershed Tarp (6-8)

Step one - Inventory your NETl E S S o N 1.1 | Watershed Walkabout (K-8)

l E S S o N 1.2 | Watery Inspection: Field Work (K-5)

l E S S o N 1.3 | Watery Inspection: Water Quality Testing (6-8)

l E S S o N 1.4 | Watery Inspection: Macroinvertebrate Sampling (6-8)

Step Two - KIC-NET Issue Selectionl E S S o N 2.1 | Downriver Community (K-5)

l E S S o N 2.2 | Watershed Connections (6-8)

l E S S o N 2.3 | Ripple Effect (K-5)

l E S S o N 2.4 | What Did We Find? (6-8)

l E S S o N 2.5 | Water Pick (K-8)

l E S S o N 2.6 | Design a Storm Drain (K-5)

Step Three - KIC-NET Discoveryl E S S o N 3.1 | Know Where It goes: Stormwater game (K-5)

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5 - 1

1112

15

18

20

2425

28

38

42

4748

50

54

60

64

68

7172

l E S S o N 3.2 A | Stormwater Pollution Audit: Mapping and Retrofitting (6-8)

l E S S o N 3.2 b | Stormwater Pollution Audit: Water Quality Testing (6-8

l E S S o N 3.3 | Who Polluted our KIC-NET Site? (K-5)

l E S S o N 3.4 | how Much of our Neighborhood is Impervious? (6-8)

l E S S o N 3.5 | one in 100 (6-8)

l E S S o N 3.6 | Made-up Macros (6-8)

l E S S o N 3.7 | What Should We Change? (K-8)

Step Four - goal and Strategy Selectionl E S S o N 4.1 | ground Truthing through Field Work and Experts (6-8)

l E S S o N 4.2 | Stating a goal and Choosing a Strategy (K-8)

Step Five - your KIC-NET Projectl E S S o N 5.1 | how To Put on Waders (K-8)

l E S S o N 5.2 | Make your KIC-NET Action Plan (K-8)

l E S S o N 5.3 | Do your KIC-NET Project (K-8)

Step Six - Telling your Storyl E S S o N 6.1 | KIC-NET Story Template (K-8)

l E S S o N 6.2 | looking back, looking Ahead (K-8)

Appendixg lo S S A R y

K I C - N E T Co N N E C T I o N S To E D U C AT I o N A l S TA N DA R D S

S o U R C E S A N D AC K N o W l E D g E M E N T S

S To R M WAT E R I N U R b A N E N v I R o N M E N T S

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102103

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114115

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125126

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Keep It Clean – Neighborhood Environmental Trios, or KIC-NET, is Earth Force’s stormwater partnership. KIC-NET applies Earth Force’s award-winning Community Action and Problem-Solving Process to address local environmental challenges related to stormwater.

A kick net is a low-tech, time-honored tool of aquatic ecologists used to capture bottom-dwelling stream organisms. It’s versatile, easy-to-use, and has no batteries that can run out of power. A kick net is an exciting device to introduce children to their watersheds and hyper- local environmental health conditions. Collecting critters from a stream and checking them out – up close for the first time – is, without fail, a joyful and unforgettable educational experience.

K I C - N E T I S . . .

• An E v o lU T I o N of Denver Public Works’ stormwater education and outreach programs that stem from a campaign to "Keep It Clean...from Drain to Stream," which is part of the city’s requirements for its municipal separate stormwater sewer system (MS4) permit under the Clean Water Act.

• A Co l l A b o R AT I v E E F F o R T where agency goals are braided together. Public schools get integrated instruction fostering twenty-first century problem-solvers, Public Works benefits from behavior changes that improve water quality, and other watershed stakeholders benefit from better stewardship.

• A lo C AT I o N where a public school, a waterway or body of water, and a city park (ideally with a recreation center) are within such close proximity that they become a shared learning space for students and their adult guides (known as a KIC-NET site).

• A C I v I C AC T I o N by young people who scan their neighborhood’s environment, select an issue to investigate, discover cause-and-effect information about that issue, devise a solution to it, and then apply that strategy to impact their community – in meaningful, lasting, and positive ways.

Introduction

W h y K I C - N E T ?

There may be no more powerful a unifier than water. In an educational setting, water is more than a theme. Water ties all disciplines together, drives a need to know in students, dissolves the often-artificial boundaries between social and environmental components of communities, and – as D.h. lawrence reminded us a century ago – contains hydrogen, oxygen, and also magic. Water is wonder-full, that is, full of wonder. Why not harness wonder and magic, and make them part of learning?

There is incredible power in returning to the same place many times. Repeated experience with a spot compels one to delve past mere awareness and prompts one to action on behalf of this well-known place. It enriches your mental landscape. you learn there’s a name for everything, but that just knowing names is far from understanding how any place works, as a whole, as a collection of intertwined systems. labels don’t explain how the parts fit together to perform the work of an ecosystem. or, a city for that matter.

When one starts to tease out detailed explanations and construct an appreciation of systems at work, one begins to build knowledge that can be applied. Application is the truest test of education.

KIC-NET is designed to help you as an educator as you guide your students to apply learning locally and relevantly. KIC- NET relates water quality and land use with quality of life and environmental health. KIC-NET challenges young people to examine their immediate surroundings, assess conditions they find, focus on something found wanting, and – this is the clincher – do something about it.

What is KIC-NET?


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launch | go Team KIC-NET!lesson name learning objectives time handouts page

l.1 bucket brigade (K-5) • While cooperating on a team, experience the volume-weight ratio of water, through the hard work of hauling water. • Consider the difficulty of supplying water in places lacking indoor plumbing.

• Appreciate the convenience of easily accessed water, as well as cascading social issues when access is difficult.

20-45 min. 12

l.2 Clean-up Crew (6-8) •Cooperateasasmallgrouptoengineerasolutiontoachallengingproblem.• Infer the real-world challenges inherent in cleaning up polluted waters.

20-45 min. 15

l.3

l.4

Create a Watershed (K-5)

•visualize a watershed and how it works. •Recognize ways in which human behaviors and natural forces affect the overall health of a watershed.

•Construct a three-dimensional model of a watershed, complete with topography, human-made and natural landscape elements, pollutants, and best management practices. •Differentiate between point and non-point sources of pollution. •Evaluate best management practices (or even propose better ones) for reducing non-point source pollutant loads in the learners’ urban watershed.

45-75 min. 18

20Watershed Tarp (6-8) 45-75 min.

Introduction

Community Action and Problem-Solving Process: lesson overview

ST oRM WA TER MANAgEMENT

WA TER Q UA lITy

CoMMUNITy hEA lT h

MoNIT oRINg URb AN ENvIRoNMEN T


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Step one | Inventory your NETlesson name learning objectives time handouts page

1.1 Watershed Walkabout (K-8)

•observe conditions of the KIC-NET site with care, then record observations with attention to details. •Analyze data to assess watershed conditions.

60-90 min. 1A 25

1.2 Watery Inspection: Field Work (K-5)

•Explain how to conduct a watershed inventory. •Conduct a thoughtful inventory of your KIC-NET site. •Identify environmental issues and strengths at your KIC-NET site.

60-90 min. booklet, 1b

28

1.3

1.4

Watery Inspection: Water Quality Testing (6-8)

•Explain how to conduct water quality tests as part of a watershed inventory. •Conduct precise and accurate water quality tests at your KIC-NET site.

•Understand that macroinvertebrate populations depend on water quality and serve as indicators of that water quality.•Calculate Pollution Tolerance Index (PTI) for a stream by identifying macroinvertebrates in a substrate sample.

45-60 min. 1C

1D, 1E

38

42Watery Inspection: Macroinvertebrate Sampling (6-8)

30-90 min.

Introduction



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Step Two | KIC-NET Issue Selectionlesson name learning objectives time handouts page

2.1 Downriver Community (K-5)

•Distinguishvariousphysicalelements of a community. •Categorize strengths and issues, and make connections between them. •Reflect on the impact of pollution on downstream communities.

30-60 min. 48

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

2.6

Watershed Connections (6-8)

Ripple Effect (K-5)

What Did We Find? (6-8)

Water Pick (K-8)

Design a Storm Drain (K-5)

• Describe aspects of your own community. •Explain how watershed health and communities of people are interrelated.

•Describe the issues at your KIC-NET site, using the concepts of community, stakeholders, interdependence, and cause and effect. •Analyze your KIC-NET site’s issues in sufficient depth to prepare students to make an informed issue selection.

•Analyze water issues related to your KIC-NET site. •Categorize policies and practices related to your KIC-NET site.

•Select an issue to address at your KIC-NET site. •Use criteria-based decision making and at least one other democratic process. •Participate in respectful consensus-building.

•Design a device to filter trash from entering a model storm drain. •Compare inventions’ efficiency and usability within the group. •Assess ways of reducing one form of pollution in stormwater.

45-60 min.

60-90 min.

45-60 min.

45-60 min.

30-60 min. (15-20 min. set up)

2A, 2b

2C, 2D, 2E

2F, 2g

2h

50

54

60

64

68

Introduction



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Step Three | KIC-NET Discoverylesson name learning objectives time handouts page

3.1 Know Where It goes Stormwater game (K-5)

• Explain definitions of “runoff” and “stormwater.” •Demonstrate how small, individual amounts of wastes accumulate in runoff. •Listpracticestopreventpollutantsfromenteringwaterways.

30-60 min. pollutant cards

72

3.2a

3.2b

Stormwater Pollution Audit: Mapping and Retrofitting (6-8)

Stormwater Pollution Audit: Water Quality Testing (6-8)

• Identify pollutants in local stormwaters using multiple methods of water quality monitoring. • Assess the quality of water at your KIC-NET site using data from these tests. • Describe environmental impacts from any identified impairments. • Evaluate a variety of green infrastructure options for improving conditions at your KIC-NET site. • Identify pollutants in local stormwaters using multiple methods of water quality monitoring. • Measure and collect data on the physical, chemical, and biological parameters of your KIC-NET site. • Assess the quality of water at your KIC-NET site using data from these tests. • Associate water quality data with possible sources of pollutants in the watershed.

1.5 to 4 hrs/day for 5+ days

1.5 to 4 hrs/test (plus transport)

3A 76

82

3.3 Who Polluted our KIC-NET Site? (K-5)

•list multiple sources of pollutants from a variety of users of site’s watershed. •Identify behavioral changes users can make to lessen their impact.

30-45 min. charactercards

86

3.4

3.5

3.6

3.7

how Much of our Neighborhood is Impervious? (6-8)

one in 100 (6-8)

Made-up Macros (6-8)

What Should We Change? (K-8)

• Differentiate between pervious and impervious surfaces. •Calculate the percentage of impervious surface in your KIC-NET site’s watershed.

•Conduct a statistical sample to reflect a 1% annual probability of flooding.•Connect chances of selecting one particular item in 100 to the concept of a 100-year flood.

•Using data from water quality testing and other observations from their KIC-NET inventory and/or discovery, envision how pollution affects a surface water ecosystem through the creation of an imagined macroinvertebrate creature. •Re-contextualize findings from their KIC-NET inventory and/or discovery through an artistic practice that distinguishes fact from fiction. •Determine which policies and/or practices are most in need of improvement related to your KIC-NET issue. •Assess benefits and costs of making a positive change to policy or practice related to your KIC-NET site.

45-60 min.

30-60 min.

series of 3-10 45-to-75-minute blocks45-60 min.

3b

3C

92

95

97

99

Introduction



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Step Four | Selecting a Strategylesson name learning objectives time handouts page

4.1 ground Truthing through Field Work and Experts (6-8)

Stating a goal and Choosing a Strategy (K-8)

•Confirm data and findings through review of environmental inventories and water quality testing at your KIC-NET site. •Contact KIC-NET site experts for support in honing strategies and goals of your KIC-NET action project.

•Select one policy or practice that needs to be improved. •Select the most appropriate strategy to achieve the desired improvement. •Develop and post a project goal and strategy statement.

two blocks of 90 min. ea.

60-90 min.

4A

4b, 4C, 4D, 4E

103

1074.2

Introduction


Step Five | your KIC-NET Projectlesson name learning objectives time handouts page

5.1 how To Put on Waders (K-8)

•Writeasequentialandclearprocedureforaseeminglysimpletask.

•Recognize the logical thinking and attention to detail needed for step-by-step planning.

45-60 min. 115

5.2

5.3

Make your KIC-NET Action Plan (K-8)

Do your KIC-NET Project (K-8)

•Collaborate to develop an action plan. •Form committees to carry out tasks on the action plan. •Schedule implementation of tasks of each committee.

•Carry out the tasks from the action plan, including gathering necessary resources. •Execute tasks (by the responsible committees). •Adjust the action plan if obstacles arise. •Compile artifacts along the way.

45 min. to two hours

varies by project

5A, 5b 117

123


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Step Six | Telling your Story lesson name learning objectives time handouts page

6.1 KIC-NET Story Template (K-8)

•Create a project story to share far and wide, as well as locally. •Recognize and appreciate the scope of their accomplishments.

two 45-minute blocks

6A 126

6.2 looking back and looking Ahead (K-8)

•Evaluate their overall experiences with the program. •Synthesize learning and identify ways to apply this knowledge in the future.

45-90 min. 6b, 6C 129

Introduction



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The Launch | Go Team KIC-NET!

purpose | to prepare for a KIC-NET experience

what needs to happen[1] Introduce the concept of environmental citizenship. � Share stories of environmental and civic engagement.

[2] Share the Community Action and Problem-Solving Process and purpose.

r e f l e c t i o n p r o m p t s f o r s t u d e n t s

• Do you feel young people can make a difference? Why or why not?

• What do you think KIC-NET is going to be like? (Write down these answers to revisit in Step Six!)

• Have you ever done service in your community before? Who came up with the project? What was the experience like?

• How do you think service would be different if you got to choose what you would be doing?

planning tips>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

b E f o r E yo u G E T S TA r T E D. . .- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

o Identify how much time you have for the whole project. Plan backwards from when you need to be totally finished, and find the right date for the Launch.

o Determine specific curricular or other requirements that must be met during the process. you can make that a focus of the Launch.

o Inform the principal.

o Consider posting a timeline in the classroom.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

T H I N K I N G A H E A D. . .- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

o How much time do you have set aside for future steps?

o Make sure you have set “milestone” dates for important activities, by step.

C Do…

… encourage the students to feel powerful and respected as a force for community change.

… post something in the classroom—the start of a timeline, a watershed map, park map, neighborhood map, a “contract” all the students sign stating they care about their community— something to remind the students of their connection to KIC-NET.

… tell your students what KIC-NET is. Say something like, “KIC-NET is an acronym that stands for ‘Keep It Clean – Neighborhood Environmental Trios.’ ‘It’ means stormwater – which is rain and snow moving through cities. The neighborhood trio of places includes our school, the park closest to it, and a creek/lake/river they share. If you aren’t familiar with the park or the creek/lake/river, you

will be soon, because we will be visiting them several times. During the KIC-NET experience, you will investigate urban waters and, then, decide how you can improve them.” Consult the background for your KIC-NET site provided by Earth force to identify your park and body of water.

D DoN' T…

… ever skip the Launch, if you can help it. It is a critical relationship builder between KIC-NET and the class.

… encourage the kids to start thinking about projects they want to do yet. Stay true to the six-step Community Action and Problem-Solving Process.


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L.1 | bucket brigade (K-5)l e a r n i n g o b j e c t i v e s | While cooperating on a team, experience the volume-weight ratio of water, through the hard work of hauling water. Consider the difficulty of supplying water in places lacking indoor plumbing. Appreciate the convenience of easily accessed water, as well as cascading social issues when access is difficult.

Lesson L.1 Snapshot

>> m at e r i a l s >>>> ¨Source for water, such as an outdoor spigot with garden hose or, better yet, your site’s stream or lake

¨buckets (at least one per team; can be of different sizes or the same)

¨Tubs (one per team; or similar large receptacle for holding at least 30 gallons of water)

>> t i m e >>>> n20-45 minutes

summarYrelay teams retrieve a supply of water from a distant source, one bucket at a time. They simulate a daily chore for millions of women and children, both historically and in many places around the world today. Through kinesthetic interactions, students experience water’s properties: it’s heavy, it’s liquid, and it’s an absolute necessity for all.

The Launch | Go Team KIC-NET! Ü L.1 bucket brigade (K-5)

This activity was inspired by "The Long Haul" from Project WET, "Carry My bucket" from CrS' food fast, and water relays at field days at many schools.


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1� S E T u P

find a clear area, preferably at your KIC-NET park site. you can also use a hallway or playing field, if it allows for a useable rectangle of space. Depending on the age of learners and size of groups, length of the course can be anywhere from 25’ to 300’ with a width of at least 6’, preferably more. Groups should be able to see each other, but not cross paths while using their respective courses. Stage materials to establish one course per group. on the starting end, place buckets (at least one per team) near the source of water. Place an empty tub at the other end of each team’s course.

2� I N T r o D u C E T H E C H A L L E N G E

Divide your whole group into at least two smaller teams. Help them understand that they will be role-playing as extended families who need to work together to secure their domestic supply of water for a typical day. Set the scene:

“Every family around the world needs water for their home – for cooking, cleaning and sanitation. for most people in the united States, accessing this water is as easy as turning on faucets or flushing toilets. but, for tens of millions of other people getting water is much harder work.

“We’re going to simulate the hauling of water done every day by lots of children and women around the world. your team will pretend to be an extended family trying to get the water you need for today, moving it

3� S TA r T T H E r E L Ay

Guide the groups to organize themselves in their starting area. Give teams a moment to plan how they can best work together. State how many buckets at a time can be used as each team carries water (one may be enough for small groups; keeping larger groups engaged might call for more than one).

Then, start the relay. And, for the sake of debriefs and extensions, time each team as they work to move 30 gallons of water from their source to where their family needs it. Consider multiple iterations to generate more timing data to work with later.

4� vA r I AT I o N S A N D T I P S

As facilitator, be prepared to offer encouragement, notices, and ideas as the teams haul water. Excited students may move too quickly and spill much of their water; encourage them to slow down, which ultimately will save trips. Suggest two students work together to carry one bucket, to see if that works better. Hint at passing buckets hand-to-hand, as suggested by the activity name. Increase the challenge by lengthening the course, adding obstacles to the course, taking away buckets, or decreasing the size of buckets.

L.1 | lesson detail

l e a r n i n g o b j e c t i v e s | While cooperating on a team, experience the volume-weight ratio of water, through the hard work of hauling water. Consider the difficulty of supplying water in places lacking indoor plumbing. Appreciate the convenience of easily accessed water, as well as cascading social issues when access is difficult.

from the source [point out the source] to your home, way over there [point down the course to the tub].

“How much water do you think that is?”

Elicit answers from the students, working with them toward these estimates of daily per capita water use (according to united Nations’ data from 2006-13):

united States = 151.7 gallons per person per day (gal/p/d)

Japan = 98.9 gal/p/d

Germany = 47.5 gal/p/d

Peru = 43.5 gal/p/d

Philippines = 42.2 gal/p/d

united Kingdom = 39.6 gal/p/d

China = 25.0 gal/p/d

Nigeria = 9.7 gal/p/d

Cambodia = 6.6 gal/p/d

Mozambique = 2.6 gal/p/d

Globally, 783 million people are still without access to safe, secure sources of drinking water. Even more – 2.5 billion, including almost one billion children – live without basic sanitation.

“for our bucket brigade, your challenge is to collect 30 gallons of water! That’s about the world-wide average amount of fresh water used daily by each person. How long do you think that will take your team?”

The Launch | Go Team KIC-NET! Ü L.1 bucket brigade (K-5)


1 4

Intersperse your comments with water-based facts, such as:

• A gallon of fresh water weighs 8.34 pounds. In the metric system, 1 liter of water weighs 1 kilogram.

• The source of our tap water here is __________________. When it goes down the sanitary sewer, water from here goes to ____________________. When it goes down a storm drain, water from here goes to ______________________. (Consult the background for your KIC-NET site provided by Earth force for possible answers.)

• Ancient civilizations such as rome, Greece, Han Dynasty China, Indus river valley, and Mesopotamia had forms of indoor plumbing more than 3,000 years ago. Stormwater systems, date back at least as far, with archeological evidence, such as gutters and storm drains, found in these same places as well as in the orkney Islands of Scotland.

record times taken by teams to move 30 gallons. Please empty the tubs in a proper manner after the activity is finished.

L.1 | lesson detail & extensions

5� D I S C u S S A N D r E f L E C T

After relays are completed, gather the teams to talk about their experience. Ask such questions as:

• Was your prediction of how long moving 30 gallons would take accurate? Why or why not?

• What tips and tricks did you learn that helped move the water either faster or with less spilling?

• What would it feel like to fetch this much water every single day?

• What is a bucket brigade?

• Did any group organize themselves into a bucket brigade? (If not, consider taking time to demonstrate this age-old method of moving things from hand-to-hand. Do a time-trial to see if it is quicker. It usually is, if the distance isn’t too great.)

The Launch | Go Team KIC-NET! Ü L.1 bucket brigade (K-5)l e a r n i n g o b j e c t i v e s | While cooperating on a team, experience the volume-weight ratio of water, through the hard work of hauling water. Consider the difficulty of supplying water in places lacking indoor plumbing. Appreciate the convenience of easily accessed water, as well as cascading social issues when access is difficult.

literacyInvestigate the role of water in culture and daily life of people living in another country and compare to life in the united States. find stories of children and women in less developed countries who spend much of their day transporting water. Share their stories.

mathuse students’ own family sizes to calculate how much water their household needs daily, weekly, monthly, and annually.

mathCalculate the weight of the water moved (30 gallons x 8.34 lbs./gallon = 250.2 lbs.). Convert this to the metric system (30 gallons = 113.5 L & 250.2 lbs. = 113.5 kg).

science, engineering and artbrainstorm and sketch designs for moving water from one place to another.

e x t e n d t h e l e a r n i n g

geographyfind countries from the per capita water use list (and look up others), then mark them on a world map. Look for patterns in water use in different regions.


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L.2 | Clean-up Crew (6-8)l e a r n i n g o b j e c t i v e s | Cooperate as a small group to engineer a solution to a challenging problem. Infer the real-world challenges inherent in cleaning up polluted waters.

Lesson L.2 Snapshot

>> m at e r i a l s >>>> ¨2 #10 cans per group, one of which is filled half-way with water

¨7 pieces of rope per group, each 10’ long (clothesline thickness)

¨2 rubber loops per group, each created by cutting a bicycle tire tube into 2 circular pieces (20” or 26” sizes work best)

¨1 dowel rod per group (no more than ¾” x 48”)

>> t i m e >>>> ¢20-45 minutes

The Launch | Go Team KIC-NET! Ü L.2 Clean-up Crew (6-8)

s u m m a r Y

Small groups work together to move pretend “toxic waste” from a polluted area to safe disposal. To succeed they will need to cooperatively problem-solve, using only a few tools.

This activity was inspired by “Toxic Waste Initiative” by Steve Truitt, Expeditionary Learning outward bound (1999).


1 6

1� S E T u P

find a clear area, such as a hallway or playing field, which allows a useable rectangle of space. Length of the course can be anywhere from 15’ to 100’ with a width of at least 5’, preferably more. Groups should be able to see each other, but not cross paths while using their respective courses.

Stage materials to establish one course per group. on the starting end, place the filled can, 6 pieces of rope, and 2 rubber loops. Tie the ends of 1 piece of rope together and create a circle on the ground. The filled can goes at the center of this circular area: “the toxic waste zone.” Arrange the other 5 pieces of rope and 2 rubber loops near, but outside, this zone. for the “safe disposal site,” place the other, empty can at the center of a final tied circle of rope.

finally, place the dowel rod(s) somewhere where they are visible, though not obviously part of the activity.

2� I N T r o D u C E T H E C H A L L E N G E

Parse your larger group into smaller teams – so each has a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 15. If dividing a typical class in two, label one group the “Snow Corporation” and the other, the “rain Corporation.”

Then, set the scene:

“you have been awarded a generous government contract to clean-up this [point at a filled can and pause dramatically]…deadly toxic waste from [your local

L.2 | lesson detail

waterway/body]. The contract explains these rules:

• your team will use the provided tools [point out the rope and rubber loops] to move the waste from the toxic area [point out the circular boundary] to the disposal area.

• only tools can touch the waste and the containers at all times.

• All the waste needs to be transferred from the original container to the container at the disposal site, without any spilling.

• both the waste site and disposal site have exclusion zones, where no body parts can enter. Imagine this exclusionary space as a cone extending up to a point even with your shoulders. Keep in mind each person’s cone might be a different size.

• Any spilling of the waste will result in a massive environmental disaster.

• you will have 2 minutes of planning time and 15 minutes of work time to complete the clean-up. you are competing for a generous bonus, too, for the first team to safely dispose of the waste.


l e a r n i n g o b j e c t i v e s | Cooperate as a small group to engineer a solution to a challenging

problem. Infer the real-world challenges inherent in cleaning up polluted waters.


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3� S TA r T T I M I N G A N D I N S P E C T I N G T H E W o r K S I T E S

Give teams two minutes of planning time. Then, start their 15-minute work time. Watch carefully for violations of the exclusionary zones. When a violation occurs, make a loud, negative sound and announce, “Safety violation. Work stoppage!” If there is any grumbling, note that violations are at your sole discretion.

4� S H I f T T H E r u L E S A S N E E D E D

As facilitator, be prepared to answer questions from the teams. Experiment with strict enforcement of the rules sometimes, and lax oversight at others. Also, if the challenge seems to be too easy, change things up, by adding rules or taking away tools. Ways to increase the challenge include adding obstacles to the course, increasing the circumference of the disposal site’s circle, silencing the teams so they aren’t allowed to talk to share instructions, and hovering too close to the team’s workspace. If the challenge seems difficult to the point of frustration, offer some tips, remove a rule, or reveal an additional tool such as a dowel rod.

L.2 | lesson detail & extensions l e a r n i n g o b j e c t i v e s | Cooperate as a small group to engineer a solution to a challenging

problem. Infer the real-world challenges inherent in cleaning up polluted waters.

5� D I S C u S S A N D r E f L E C T

After the work time has expired, gather the teams to talk about their methods and strategies. Ask such questions as:

• How did your group use its planning time?

• Did some members talk more than others?

• Did anyone have an idea for a solution that was not shared? Why not?

• How did the team respond to the time and rule pressures?

• Did anyone think to ask for changes to the rules? for more time? for additional tools?

• Did anyone get stressed or frustrated?

• How do you think actual clean-ups like this are completed?

• What equipment might be used? What kinds of people (engineers, heavy-equipment operators, etc.) might help with a clean-up?

• How do you think your experience is similar to (or different from) a real clean-up effort?


artSketch machines which might be used to handle toxic waste without contaminating human handlers and the environment.

literacyHave teams write instructions for their solutions. you may need to extend the time limits with this option.

science and engineeringInvestigate methods by which real toxic waste is handled and disposed.



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L.3 | Create a Watershed (K-5)l e a r n i n g o b j e c t i v e s | visualize a watershed and how it works. recognize ways in which human behaviors and natural forces affect the overall health of a watershed.

summarYStudents build a small model of a stream and its drainage area, so they can see an entire watershed in action. Their model demonstrates the mixing of water and pollutants that occurs in most watersheds.

The Launch | Go Team KIC-NET! Ü L.3 Create a Watershed (K-5)

mathusing topographic maps (online or paper) to outline watersheds, by first finding heights of land and then connecting them like dots.

literacyExplore age-appropriate nonfiction pieces about your region’s watershed. Have students write a description of a place in the watershed they are familiar with.

art, science and engineeringCreate more sophisticated and reusable model watersheds, using papier mache or similar art materials.


Lesson L.3 Snapshot

>> m at e r i a l s >>>> ¨Images of different watersheds

¨Sheets of chart paper for each group of students

¨Shallow baking pan for each group of students

¨Water-based markers for each group of students

¨Spray bottle of water for each group of students

>> t i m e >>>> ¢45-75 minutes


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1� W H AT I S A WAT E r S H E D ?Show students photographs or slides of different watersheds to give them an idea of what a watershed looks like. Ask them to describe the natural features they see. Introduce terms such as:L A K EP o N Dr E S E r v o I r r I v E rS T r E A MC A N A LW E T L A N DvA L L E y r I D G E

Co N T I N E N TA L D I v I D E

Ask students to describe the human uses of watersheds they observe. Introduce such categories as:

• recreational – including boating, fishing, swimming, waterskiing, snow skiing, hiking, rock climbing, camping

• Consumption – including drinking, irrigation, gardening and lawns, channeling of waterways

• Industrial – including thermal cooling, waste treatment

• Extraction of natural resources – including ore and mineral mining, rock quarrying, logging, commercial fishing

• Agricultural – including crops, livestock and food processing

• urban development – creation of more impervious surfaces

• Parks and open space – may be considered part of recreational use

L.3 | lesson detail l e a r n i n g o b j e c t i v e s | visualize a watershed and how it works. recognize ways in which human behaviors and natural forces affect the overall health of a watershed.

The Launch | Go Team KIC-NET! Ü L.3 Create a Watershed (K-5)

Write a group definition of “WAT E r S H E D ” that doesn’t vary much from “the area of land that drains into a water body.” Identify your watershed(s), using, for example, www.epa.gov/surf.

2� G r o u PDivide the students into small groups of three to five. Distribute chart paper, baking pan, markers, and spray bottles to groups.

3� PA P E r b E Co M E S WAT E r S H E DEach group crumples their chart paper and then partially smoothes it out, being sure to leave some ridges and elevated areas. Next, they color along the edges of the ridges and creases with the colored markers. Assign different colors to represent a variety of elements that would be found in a stream or river (i.e., brown for sediment, green for chemical pollutants, black for oil). After coloring the paper, place it in the pan and shape it so that it resembles a watershed, using the creased lines to show ridges and elevated areas of land.

4� A D D WAT E rHave the students simulate rain by gently spraying water on the top of the watershed, doing so until the colors begin to run on the paper. The slower they add water, the better. observe carefully and discuss what happens to the colors as they run down into the lowest part of the watershed.

5� D I S C u S Sreconvene the students as a large group and lead them in a discussion. How does their creation model what happens in the real world? Particularly note the mixing and speed with which the colors traveled. What impacts of such mixing can students think of?

Speed of the water is determined by changes in elevation, so it will differ between and within watersheds. And, note the paper doesn't allow for infiltration. Ask students to think about land around them; does all the rain that falls run off and flow into a waterway. or, does some infiltrate (seep in)?

6� r E f L E C TWhat are some natural elements in a watershed (e.g. soil, rocks, animals, trees) and what are some things that are not natural (e.g. chemicals, litter, pavement, buildings)?

What examples have students seen of items being put into local water bodies?

What happens if we don’t have practices (habits) and policies (rules and laws) that protect the watershed?

Conclude by brainstorming a list of 10 things the group could try to help protect their watershed.

CoA S T L I N ES WA M PM A r S HE S T uA r yC Av EH I L LM o u N TA I N P L A I Nf o r E S Tb E AC H


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L.4 | Watershed Tarp (6-8)l e a r n i n g o b j e c t i v e s | Construct a three-dimensional model of a watershed, complete with topography, human-made and natural landscape elements, pollutants, and best management practices. Differentiate between point and non-point sources of pollution. Evaluate best management practices (or even propose better ones) for reducing non-point source pollutant loads in the learners’ urban watershed.

Lesson L.4 Snapshot

>> m at e r i a l s >>>> ¨2 plastic picnic table covers or tarps (solid colors work best)

¨5 spray bottles, filled halfway with water

¨Grocery bags, newspaper

¨Landscape props: toy buildings, cars, animals, trees, etc. (Model railroad pieces work well.)

¨Pollution props: chocolate sprinkles, cocoa powder, leaves/tea leaves, red and green food coloring

(or sprinkles), cooking spray/soy sauce, dish soap, salt

¨best management practice props: sponge, green felt, clay, plastic bushes or trees, toy fences

¨Paper towels (to clean-up spills)

>> t i m e >>>> ¢45-75 minutes

summarY:A watershed model, built from tarps, newspapers, and grocery bags, simulates how rain becomes runoff carrying pollutants downhill to water bodies.

The Launch | Go Team KIC-NET! Ü L.4 Watershed Tarp (6-8)


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1� E N v I r o N M E N TA L L I T E r AC yDefine and/or review terminology of watershed management. This could be done as a discussion, written check-in, or word wall. refer to this guide's glossary and poster for more information on the terms applied in this activity:

To P o G r A P H y. Graphic representation of the surface features of a place or region on a map, indicating their relative positions and elevations.WAT E r S H E D. An area of land that drains the rainwater (or snowmelt) into one location such as a stream, lake, or wetland. (you can identify your watershed(s), using, for example, www.epa.gov/surf )AC I D r A I N . Air pollution produced when acidic chemicals are incorporated into rain, snow, fog or mist. The “acid” in acid rain comes from sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides, products of burning coal and other fuels and from certain industrial processes. The sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides are related to two strong acids: sulfuric acid and nitric acid.N o N P o I N T S o u r C E P o L Lu T I o N . Pollution sources that are diffuse, without a single identifiable point of origin, including runoff from agriculture, forestry, construction sites and urbanized areas.P o I N T S o u r C E P o L Lu T I o N . Pollution that comes from a specific, identifiable source, such as a pipe or channel.WAT E r S H E D M A N AG E M E N T. A holistic approach applied within an area defined by hydrological, not political, boundaries, integrating the water quality

L.4 | lesson detaill e a r n i n g o b j e c t i v e s | Construct a three-dimensional model of a watershed, complete with topography, human-made and natural landscape elements, pollutants, and best management practices. Differentiate between point and non-point sources of pollution. Evaluate best management practices (or even propose better ones) for reducing non-point source pollutant loads in the learners’ urban watershed.


impacts from both point and nonpoint sources.b E S T M A N AG E M E N T P r AC T I C E S . Procedures or controls to prevent or reduce pollution of surface water (includes runoff control, spill prevention, and operating procedures).

2� b u I L D yo u r WAT E r S H E D M o D E L W I T H TA r P S

With student help, lay a tarp flat on the ground. Have participants gather around the edges of the tarp with their toes on the edge. Pass out newspapers and plastic bags to some participants. Ask them to loosely crumple the paper, wad the bags and throw them into the middle of the tarp. Arrange a second tarp over the newspapers and bags, and directly on top of the bottom tarp. Create To P o G r A P H y by pushing the top tarp down between gaps in the underlying materials. Help participants to imagine the tarp’s topography as their community.

Ask participants to point-out ridge lines (high points) and valleys (low points) on the tarp’s landscapes.

Have participants imagine how this landscape would be used by humans and non-human animals. Distribute the landscape props listed below and have individuals place them at spots where they think they are suitable.

3� M A K E I T r A I NPass out spray bottles to participants dispersed evenly around the tarp. reward calm behavior and do not give bottles to pranksters. Ask participants with spray bottles to “make it rain on the tarp” until water begins to collect in the low spots.

Have participants report on what they are observing as the water falls on the tarp. Identify water features such as streams, lakes, rivers, wetlands, etc. observe where a drop of water goes if it falls on one side of a hill as opposed to the other side. Point out that watersheds are delineated using topography. The high points on the land, along with gravity, determine where water flows and eventually ends up. Encourage them to identify different watersheds on the tarp.

4� A D D P o L Lu TA N T SAssist participants in placing pollutant props on the tarp. Discuss each pollutant in turn, using the information on the next page. Ask how each prop might contribute to water pollution. Ask participants to suggest solutions to prevent each pollutant from entering water bodies. Clearly and carefully, differentiate between nonpoint source and point source pollution.


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L.4 | lesson detail


5� A D D AC I D r A I N ( o P T I o N A L )Add a few drops of red food coloring to one of the spray bottles, to simulate acid rain. Have a participant spray this “AC I D r A I N” on the tarp. observe the tainted rain water mixing with the clean water in the watershed. Point out that many pollutants are invisible, so only testing reveals their presence.

6� M A K E I T r A I N AG A I N“Here comes more rain, and this time it’s a storm!” Have all participants with bottles spray water on the tarp. observe how pollutants partially dissolve and move from the land into the tarp’s streams and lakes.

Ask the participants:• How do the pollutants mix with the bodies of

freshwater?• Which pollutants dissolved?• What pollutants can you still see?• What will happen to the remaining pollutants still

on the land and in the water?

7� P r o b L E M - S o Lv I N GStart with statement asking: How can the problems you observed be reduced or prevented? Discuss best management practices as watershed management techniques. How would your students educate people about pollutants in runoff affecting water quality in your watershed?

l e a r n i n g o b j e c t i v e s | Construct a three-dimensional model of a watershed, complete with topography, human-made and natural landscape elements, pollutants, and best management practices. Differentiate between point and non-point sources of pollution. Evaluate best management practices (or even propose better ones) for reducing non-point source pollutant loads in the learners’ urban watershed.

P o L Lu TA N T P r o P S

P o o P (chocolate sprinkles) – Animal waste may carry disease-causing organisms into our waterways (bacteria and other microbes). It is also a source of organic matter and can lead to an increased demand for oxygen by the decomposing bacteria in the stream.

D I r T (dirt or cocoa powder) – Dirt from construction sites, newly plowed farm fields and other exposed areas can easily find its way into waterways. Erosion in streams and rivers increases when flows increase and when vegetation is removed from the banks. Sediment is the number one water pollutant by volume in many places. It covers fish and macroinvertebrate habitat at the bottom of water bodies, and clogs or irritates the gills of aquatic organisms. It also transports other pollutants.

fA r M A N D W I L D A N I M A L S (plastic toys) – Animals that are allowed direct access to water for drinking can cause severe erosion of the banks. They can also poop directly in the water.

S oA P – Many detergents contain phosphates, an ingredient also in fertilizers because it makes plants grow. Too many phosphates can cause algae blooms, which quickly die and deplete dissolved oxygen in the water. Soap residue can enter natural waterways through storm sewers if people wash their cars in their driveways.

f E r T I L I z E r (green food coloring or green sprinkles) – fertilizers are often applied to agricultural areas, residential lawns, golf courses, parks and gardens. often, too much or the wrong kind of fertilizer is used. If added just before a rainstorm, fertilizer will simply run off the land and wash into waterways. your fertilizer prop could also represent insecticides, fungicides, and pesticides.

Tox I C WA S T E (red food coloring) – Luckily this is no longer a common issue. Still, people are unaware of how to dispose of household hazardous waste properly. Discuss a family who finds a jar of an unknown toxic substance in their garage. They want to get rid of it in a hurry, so they unwisely dump it down a storm drain in front of their house. Toxic waste should be taken to a proper facility for disposal (check with your Public Works Department).

o I L (cooking spray, soy sauce) – Improperly maintained cars and machinery leak oil onto parking lots and driveways. rainwater will wash this oil into storm drains, where it is sent directly to a surface water body, without being treated first.

S A LT – Salt is often used in winter to melt ice on roads. freshwater organisms are not adapted to salt water.


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Have students use the props to illustrate the solutions they came up with:• Sponge – A sponge represents wetlands. Wetlands

serve as filters for runoff. They collect sediment and other pollutants, as well as excess rainwater. Encourage the preservation or reconstruction of wetlands.

• fences – Keep animals out of waterways with the use of fences.

• felt, Toy Plants – Covering bare soil with vegetation works wonders for reducing sediment loads in streams. Plant tree saplings, shrubs or ground cover in areas where there is exposed soil. Strips of vegetation along streams, rivers, and lakes are called riparian buffers.

• Clay – runoff in urban areas is collected, slowed and redirected by a variety of structures. All such structures in a municipality make up its stormwater system. Clay can be placed at spots where a permeable structure would help lessen pollutant loads in runoff.

L.4 | lesson detail & extensions


l e a r n i n g o b j e c t i v e s | Construct a three-dimensional model of a watershed, complete with topography, human-made and natural landscape elements, pollutants, and best management practices. Differentiate between point and non-point sources of pollution. Evaluate best management practices (or even propose better ones) for reducing non-point source pollutant loads in the learners’ urban watershed.

science and engineeringDevise better management techniques. Put them in place. Measure the changes in runoff.

social studiesInvestigate the rules, regulations and best management practices used by your municipality or school.


math and artPrepare the top tarp by transferring a map of your city’s boundaries in permanent marker. Then use topo maps to build a landscape resembling the one your group lives in.

reinforce that these solutions are best management practices. Help students brainstorm others: • Pick up dog waste and put it in a trash can, as solid

waste. Never put a dog waste bag down a storm drain.

• Apply fertilizer according to container directions. Try organic gardening and growing.

• Contact your Public Works Department about Household Hazardous Waste pick-up days or other special programs.

• Keep your car maintained and watch for oil spots in your garage or on your driveway.

• Wash your car at a car wash that recycles wastewater or sends it directly to a water treatment facility.

8� C L E A N u P

Have volunteers help pick up the tarp by all four corners and empty into a sink or toilet. rinse props and tarp for reuse. remember to restock activity materials after each demonstration.

Introduction to Earth Force's KIC-NET (Sept 2015)

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