Sources of Pollution

Cameron and his sister like to go fishing with their dad on the weekends. They fish at a lake that is downstream from a factory. One Saturday they went to the lake to go fishing and they found that the lake was full of dead fish and had a sign that said “NO SWIMMING.” Using your understanding of the impact of humans on the environment, which was the most likely cause for the dead fish and the “NO SWIMMING” sign at the lake?

• Too many people fished at the lake, so the fish lost their source of food which caused the fish to die.

• People threw a lot of trash into the lake, which made the fish die and the water unsafe for swimming.

• Too many people were swimming in the water, which made the water too dirty for the fish to live in.

• Pollution from the factory upstream caused the fish to die and made the water unsafe for swimming.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Steve has noticed that many of the roads in his town are covered with litter. Most of it is from fast food, including paper bags, and soda cups. What conclusion can Steve make about the impact the litter will have on the environment?

• The trash won’t be re-used or recycled.

• All the trash will make the town smell bad.

• Animals may think it is food and try to eat the trash.

• Wind may blow the trash in front of the cars, which could cause accidents.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-3

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Bags of plastic trash are dumped into the ocean everyday. Which answer best explains the impact it can have on the environment?

• It will float around until it lands on a beach and it will be cleaned up.

• It will sink to the bottom of the ocean and it will not harm any living thing.

• It will be eaten by fish and will get microparticles of plastic inside of them.

• It will break down into the soil and sand and will not harm any living thing.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-3

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-5

A student was collecting trash in the local park. Which question could the student ask to determine which trash could cause harm or not harm the environment?

• Which trash will smell the worst?

• Which trash can break down over time?

• Which trash weighs the most?

• Which trash is most used by humans?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-3

Krista is doing a research project to determine the effects of a new factory on the quality of the air in the city and the water in the surrounding lake. Which question can Krista ask to determine the effects of a new factory on the quality of air?

• Does the factory recycle?

• How often does the factory get cleaned?

• How much smoke does the factory create?

• How many people work at the factory?

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS3-4

NGSS.HS-ESS3-6

The teachers at a local school all committed towards carpooling by sharing vehicles to limit the amount of cars driven each day. Which of the following effects would BEST explain what would happen if more people carpool?

• There will be less trash on the sides of the roads.

• Acid rain that harms plants and animals could reduce.

• Lake waters will be cleaner without oil spills.

• The amount of rain could increase due to less pollution.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-3

What might be the BEST question to ask to determine the effect of pollution in the river?

• Are there any animals who have lost their lives after eating plastic?

• Did this build up over time or is there a landfill nearby that is dumping plastic?

• How long has the trash been building up in the river?

• Who is responsible for cleaning up all of the trash?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-5

What type of pollution is shown in the image?

• water pollution

• air pollution

• land pollution

What type of pollution is shown in the image?

• water pollution

• land pollution

• air pollution

What type of pollution is shown in the image?

• air pollution

• land pollution

• water pollution

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4