The Muddy Yadkin

Module designed for middle school grade 8.

Three weeks will be allowed to complete this module

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Why Is the Yadkin River always muddy after a rain event?

• Does the appearance of the water have any effect on the quality?

• Should we be concerned when the river becomes muddy?

Students should develop an understanding of our water supply and how it can be effected. The following goals and objectives from the North Carolina Standard Course of study will be addressed.

Rationale

Grade 8 Competency Goal 1 The learner will build an understanding of the hydrosphere.

Objective 1.02 Analyze hydrospheric data over time to predict the health of a water system.

Objective 1.04 Assess human Impact on water quality

Objective 1.05 Evaluate the effects of point and non-point sources of pollution on North Carolina water.

Competency Goal 2 The learner will build an understanding of population dynamics.

Objective 2.04 Analyze practices that affect the use, availability and management of natural resources:

Land use

Urban Growth

Manufacturing

Strands: Nature of science, science as inquiry, science technology, and science in personal and social perspectives

A demonstration on water filtration will be performed to engage students in the topic of water supply. Where you obtain water and is it safe to drink. How does it change from the muddy river water to the clean clear water you drink and bath in ever day. The demonstration should help answer these questions and spawn others.

Introduction

Questions I expect to be asked.

• Is my water always safe?

• How much does it cost to treat our water?

• Would it cost less if it was not so muddy?

• I get my water from a well, I don’t have to worry do I?

Questions I expect to be asked.

• What makes the water muddy?

• Has the Yadkin River always gotten muddy after it rains?

• Can we do anything to prevent the river from becoming muddy?

• What else is in the water besides just dirt?

Questions I expect to be asked.

• Who is responsible for polluting the river?

• Who is responsible for keeping the river clean?

• Why don’t the ones that pollute clean up the river?

• Are the fish in the river safe to eat?

Questions I expect to be asked.

• Is there anything I can do to help?

• Is the river worse now than 10 years ago?

• Can the river get better?

Activities to Address Student Questions

• Field trips to water plant, local manufacturing facilities, and farms could help students develop an understanding sources of pollution and what they do to control pollution. Point and non-point source pollution can be addressed.

• Guest speakers from local Soil and Water Conservation District, the North Carolina

Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and or The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission could be asked to speak about issues their organization plays in managing water resources in our area.

• Demonstrations and experiments on water testing could be performed in class.

• Observations of the river and data collection.Such as: How long it stays muddy after a rain event? Does it make a difference how much it rains?

Activities to Address Student Questions

• Could we set up an experiment to see how muddy the water really is?

• Video:” The Yadkin River “ Describes the river and how it has changed over the years.

• Lecture and discussions about the history of the river and what it’s future may be.

Resources

• Videos

• Personnel from local governmental organizations

• Facilities and farms

• Books

• Maps

• Demonstrations

Social ActionAfter exploring the River’s plight from the views of quest speakers and visits to the River and pollution contributors I think the students would like to be involved in an effort to help clean the waterway. Organizing or participating in a clean sweep activity would serve this purpose well.

Projected Outcomes

I would hope at the end of this module the students would have an understanding of water conservation. What pollutes water and why we have pollution even though we don’t intentionally mean to pollute. Understand individuals contribute to pollution as well as large sources. Develop scientific way to evaluate an observation. Determine if something looks one way is it always as it seems.

Understand we all can contribute to a problem but we can also be involved with the solution and even help develop a solution.

Evaluation

• Performance Task: assessment on data collection, observation, and experimentation.

• Paper-pencil evaluation on specific issues such as point and non-point pollution.

• Participation in social action(clean sweep)