Water Resources of the United States

Introduction

Surface waters (rivers, streams, lakes, ponds) and ground waters are interconnected in some areas. That is, water can move from surface-water bodies to ground-water bodies and vice versa. If surface waters become polluted, this pollution can also affect the area's ground-water system. Likewise, polluted ground water can move into lakes, streams, or rivers. The following activity demonstrates the movement of pollutants from surface water to ground water as well as the difficulty in cleaning up the pollution.

Objectives -- Students will:

1. Observe the connection between surface and ground water; and
2. Experience the difficulty of cleaning up polluted water.

Materials -- Each group will need:

1. One 266-mL clear plastic cup;
2. Sufficient clean pea-sized gravel to fill the 266-mL clear plastic cup 3/4 full;
3. Three 240-mL paper cups;
4. One pump dispenser from soft-soap or hand-lotion containers;
5. 3.8 L of water; and
6. One bottle of food coloring.

Teacher Preparation

1. This activity is designed for students to work in groups of three.
2. Display a copy of the poster titled "Water Quality: Potential Sources of Pollution" on the classroom wall several days prior to conducting this activity.
3. Fill a clear plastic cup 3/4 full of clean pea-sized gravel for each group.
4. Using an ice pick or awl, punch 8-10 small holes in the bottom of one of the paper cups for each group. When filled with water, this cup will be used to simulate rain.
5. Fill one paper cup (without holes) 3/4 full of water for each group.