Watershed Landform Lab

Watershed Landform Lab

7.8C - model the effects of human activity on groundwater and surface water in a watershed.

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​8.11B - explain how short and long term environmental changes affect organisms and traits in subsequent populations

​EQ: "What effect do humans have on ground and surface water?"

Learning Intention:

​Rockets will model the effects of human activity on a watershed by completing a lab. 

 Rockets will investigate, "What could limit the amount of energy that climbs a pyramid?" (water, light, food availability, etc.)

Collect the following lab supplies now~

• 2 pieces of plain scrap paper (that you can destroy)

• Spray bottle with water or Cup/glass of water

• Sink basin or large bowl

• 3 non-permanent markers

• Towel (for emergency cleanup)

Background...

A watershed is all of the land that drains runoff (from precipitation) into a body of water, such as a creek, river, lake, bay or ocean. The boundary of a watershed is the ridgeline of high land surrounding it, like the edge of a bowl. Another term for watershed is “drainage basin.”

Background continued...

As rainwater and snowmelt run downhill, they carry whatever is on the land, such as oil dripping from cars, trash and debris on streets, or exposed soil from construction or farming to the nearest water body.

Write:

​PREDICT: What do you think you will see happen as you complete your lab? Will water at the bottom or at the top be cleaner?

Set Up Experiment 1:

• Crumple up a piece of paper then smooth it back out most of the way.

• Imagine that this paper is a section of land, and find the ridgelines (the tops of the fold-lines).

• Use a blue* marker (not permanent) to color along the ridgelines on your “land.”

Open Ended

You are going to “rain” on your landform. Answer the

following questions to make your hypotheses before

conducting the experiment.

 What will happen to the blue ridge lines you colored?

Run Experiment 1:

• Use a spray bottle to create a “rainstorm” over your land. Create gentle sprays of mist. (If you don't have a spray bottle, sprinkle the water with your fingers.)

• Observe what happens after every sprinkling.

• As your “rainfall” accumulates, observe the pathways where the excess “rainfall” travels.

Open Ended

What did you observe?

Set Up Experiment 2:

• On a fresh sheet of paper, draw some of the ways people use the land (i.e. houses, farms, factories, and streets/highways.

• Crumple the paper and smooth it the same as the first one.

• Use the blue marker to trace the ridgelines on this paper.

Open Ended

Hypothesize: What do you think will happen when you “rain” on your land this time?

Run Experiment 2:

• Gently mist your new land with water from your spray bottle.

• Observe what happens, and how the water travels.

• Think how this looks different from experiment 1.

Open Ended

What did you observe?

Open Ended

How did the first and last experiment differ?

Multiple Choice

Considering location, which population of fish would be at HIGHEST risk for effects of polution?

• The westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) is a freshwater fish found in upper river systems of Idaho and British Columbia.

• The muskellunge, or muskie, (Esox masquinongy) is a freshwater fish that lives in the Great Lakes of Eastern North America.

• Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) are a saltwater fish commonly found in the gulf of mexico and frequently fished along shores.

Multiple Choice

Considering location, which population of fish would be at LOWEST risk for effects of polution?

• The westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) is a freshwater fish found in upper river systems of Idaho and British Columbia.

• The muskellunge, or muskie, (Esox masquinongy) is a freshwater fish that lives in the Great Lakes of Eastern North America.

• Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) are a saltwater fish commonly found in the gulf of mexico and frequently fished along shores.

Multiple Choice

Human activity causes changes to the groundwater and surface water in a watershed. Which change to groundwater or surface water is classified as a chemical change?

• Concrete streets and parking lots cause more water to remain surface water instead of absorbing into the ground to become groundwater.

• Hydroelectric dams built on rivers create lakes upstream of the dams and variable flow downstream.

• Industrial waste that is dumped in a river causes acidic conditions that cause damage to fish digestive systems.

• Rainwater collects in drainage ditches and flows to nearby lakes, increasing the water volume in lakes

NEW QUESTIONS:

Write 3 new questions you can create to study about what you learned. You may need to add to your notes post experiment as well.

LESSON SUMMARY:

Answer your EQ and summarize your lesson: "What effect do humans have on ground and surface water?"