UNIT7|PEOPLEANDWASTE
WHOPOLLUTEDTHERIVER?
COUNTINGON
PEPLE
METHOD
Through an interactive story, K-2 students experience the pollution ofa local riverover time andpropose methods toprotect the river from current and future pollution.
MATERIALS
•1cleargallonjarorbowlof water
•1plasticfilmcanisterfor eachstudent(canistersareoften availablefor freeat filmprocessingstores—ifyoucan’tfindfilm canisters,anysmallcondimentcontainerwithalidwillwork)
•Canister labels (provided)
•Character nametags (provided)
•Story:WhoPollutedtheRiver?(provided)
•Canisteringredients
•Plasticfishtoy(optional)
INTRODUCTION
Rivers have always been an important resource.They provide waterfordrinking,a meansoftransportation, ahomefor wildlife, andmore.As humanpopulations have increased, sohas our impactonthe watersystemand manyrivershave changedas a result.Inthisactivity,students participateinaninteractivestoryaboutthe changes humans have made toa river over time and learnhowmanyofourrivershavebecomepolluted.This example demonstrates that just as we each contribute to the problem,we can also each bepart of the solution.
CONCEPT
Overtime,individualactionshave impactedourriversinbothnegative andpositiveways,causingmany riverstochange.
GRADELEVEL
Lowerelementary
SUBJECTS
Science,SocialStudies, LanguageArts
OBJECTIVES
Studentswillbeableto:
•Discuss ways people can pollute awatersource.
•Propose methods for preventing andcleaningupwaterpollution.
•Explain why it is more effective
topreventpollutionthanto cleanit upafterthefact.
SKILLS
Criticalthinking,listeningand observing,roleplaying,understanding causeandeffect,describing
PROCEDURE
1.Prepare and label the film canisters using the provided Canister Labels and the items in the chart below. Prepare enough canistersforeach studentto haveat leastone.There are10 canisters,so unless your class is verysmall, you will need todouble some characters. (Some students will have identical canisters.)
Note:Don’thavemorethanonebarnyardcanister(coffee),astwo doses ofit will make thewater too dark tonotice the progressionofpollution afterwards.
PopulationConnection© 2016
CHARACTER / INGREDIENTSTrees (5) / Dryleaves/ oregano
Buildingsites (3) / Soil(dry)/ hot chocolate
Dog Walker (2) / Coffee grounds
Familypicnics (4) / sprinkles
Personfishing (2) / thread
Geese (3) / Baking soda or powder
Factories (3) / Water+ onedropredfoodcoloring
Drivers (5) / Vegetableoil+ onedropredandgreenfoodcoloring
Washingthecar (1) / Soapywater
Golfer (3) / yeast
Smoker (3) / Black tea
Green For Life Driver (1) / Mixed teas and spices
Consumer (3) / Cumin seeds
Runner (5) / noodles
Winter Service Vehicles (3) / Salt
2.CutouttheCharacterNametags.MakesurethatthereisaCharacterNametagfor eachcanisteryou’ve made (ex. if there are two “Driver” canisters, there should be two “Driver” character cards).
3.Fillaclearjarorbowlwithwater. Placethecontainerinalocationthat canbeseenbyallstudents.If usinga fishtoy, putit inthewaternowandwhenaskingthequestionswithinthestory,pointtothefishandinclude the question “How do you think the fish feels?”
4.DistributeoneCharacterNametagto eachstudent.Toactivatebackgroundknowledge,askstudentsto share onethingtheyalreadyknowabouttheCharactertheyaregiven(thesoundit makes,whatcolorit is, etc.).
5.Setupthelabeledcanisterswithineasyreachof whereyou’llbefacilitatingtheactivity, linedupintheorder theyaretogointothewater.
6.Explain that you will tell a story about the river, (insert the name of a river in your area, if you wish) and that eachof thestudentswillplayapartinthestory.Thejarof waterrepresentstheriver.Whentheyhearthe nameoftheitempicturedontheCharacterNametagyou’vegiventhem,theyshouldcomeupto youandgetthematchingcanister, openit,andemptyitscontentsintothecontainer.
Note:If youfeelthestudentswillhavetroubleopeningthecanisterswithoutspillingthecontents, removethelidsforthem,orleavethelidsoffaltogether.
7.Readthestory WhoPollutedtheRiver?aloud.Addemphasisasyoureadeachboldedcharactername andpauseafter eachquestionto givethestudentstimeto thinkandrespond.
DISCUSSIONQUESTIONS
1.Whopollutedtheriver?
Everyoneplayedarole.
2.What effect did the increasing population have on the health of the river? What are some examples?
Inthissituation,populationgrowthledtoincreasesinpollution.Examplesinclude:factoriesthat makethings forpeopleleakingpaintandchemicals,carsleakingoil,familiesleavingtrashonthebeach,etc.
3.Thinkaboutthepollutioncontainedinyourcanister.What couldeachofusdoto keeptheriverclean bymakingsurethesekindsofpollutiondon’tgetintoitinthefirstplace?
Answerswillvarybutmayinclude:bikingorwalkinginsteadof driving,usingwatercarefully,pickinguplitter soit doesn’tendupinourfreshwatersupply,etc.
4.Challengestudentsto comeupwithwaysto cleanupthewaterinthebowl—afterall,everythinghasto go somewhere.Canwaterbecleanedupintherealworld?
Solidscanbestrainedusingakitchenstrainerornetting.Studentsmayalsofindcoffeefiltersorabsorbent cottonhelpful.Inreality,peoplecleanupriversinmanyways–usingnetsto pulloutlargeitems, treatingthe waterwithchemicals,etc.
5.Is it easier to prevent pollution, or to clean it up later? Have students explain their ideas.
Preventingpollutionisknownto beamoreeffectiveapproachfor ensuringcleanwaterways.
MEASURING LEARNING
Askstudentstopickapollutantfromthestoryandillustrate:
1.anactionthatwouldcausethatpollutanttogointotheriver.
2.anactionthatwouldpreventthatpollutantfromenteringtheriver.
FOLLOW-UPACTIVITY
Arrangeaclassfieldtriptoyourlocalwastewatertreatmentplant.Priorto yourvisit,haveeachstudentwrite downonequestiontheyhaveaboutpollutedwaterand/orthecleaningprocess.At theplant,askthat an employeeprovideatourof thefacilityandprovideinformationsuchashowthewateriscleaned,howmuch watergoesthroughtheplant,andwhytheplantisanimportantpartof thelocalcommunity. Besureto leave timeforstudentquestions!
STORY:WHOPOLLUTEDTHERIVER
Several thousand years ago Toronto was a small village inhabited by the First Nations people. It was a time before roads and cars. These people depended on nature for the many things they needed to survive; theylivedsimplyanddidn’tchangethenaturalsurroundingstoomuch.Thepeople hunteddeerintheforests,harvested foodfrom the marshes,andcaughtfishinHumber River. The river wasbeautifulandsparklingand was hometo fishandotherwildlife.Imaginethat thecontainerofwaterinfrontofyouwastakenfrom theriveralong,longtimeago.
-Describe how the water looks to you. Would you drink this water? Eat fish that came from it? Swiminit?
Eventually, other people found where this beautiful river and wanted to make it their home to.Soon after it was named Toronto, after the Mohawk- Haudenosaunee word meaning “where there are trees standing in the water” as they begin building their town around Humber river. French Fur traders and British loyalists came in to the beautiful river to begin building a city.
-Howdo you think thenew people used theriver? (Answerswillvarybutmayinclude:forwatertodrink,cookwith,batheandwashclothesin;to catchfishfrom; togoboatingon;tomovesuppliesfrom placetoplace)
-Doweusetheriverthesamewaytoday?(Answerswillvary.)
Listenforthenameofwhat’spicturedonyourCharacterNametag.Whenyouhearyourpicturenamed,walkupin front of me, getthe matchingcontainer, anddumpwhat’sinsideintotheriver.Besureto standto theside,sothateveryonecan seethebowl.
Yearswentby as they built,andonceinawhiletherewerebigstorms. Winds propelled through the TREESknocking them down andblew leavesintothewater. As the city got bigger there was a quick spike in British Immigration to Toronto in hopes of pursuing trade, banking, and farming.Gradually, the city expanded. The new citizens wanted to have more and more things. Workers began to drain the swamps and cut down the forests so they could build. The more people that came to the city the more trees were cut down and the more green space disappeared. RainswashedloosesoilfromtheseBUILDINGSITES intotheriver.
-
-Isthiswatersafetodrink?(If theresponseis“no,”askiftheriverhadleavesorsoilinitwhenpeople longagodrankfromit.)
-Wouldyouswiminit?Isit safeforanimalstodrinkandfishtoswimin?
Atfirst, thecity wassmall, now that there are more people other animals are losing their habitat.The GEESE that used to roam throughout the town are now all stuck beside the river. More of their feces than ever is going into the river.Along with the feces bacteria and toxins enter the water and create an unsuitable habitat for the creatures that rely on the river for their water. OntheshoreaPERSONFISHING snagsahookonalog.Insteadofuntanglingit,thepersonfishing simplybreaksoff thesnaggedpieceof thenylonfishinglineandletsit fallintotheriver.
Now,thecity alongtheriverhasgrownto beoneof thelargestcitiesinthecountry. Manypeopleliveandwork inandaroundthecity.Manybusinessesprovideservicesforthepeople.SeveralFACTORIESmakethingsthatpeoplewant,likecarsandfurniture,butthefactoriesleakpaintandotherchemicalsintotheriver.These pollutantscausethefishto becomesick.
A local person isoutWASHINGTHE CAR.Thesoapywaterrushesdownthedrivewayintothestorm drain bythecurb;thestorm drainemptiesintotheriver.Thegreaseandgrimeonacarcontainstar from theroads, verytinybitsofrubberfrom thewearingof thetires,andrust.Ifthecar ownerhadgonetoalocalcarwashinstead, thewaterwouldhavebeencleanedbeforeit wentbackintotheriverorwasrecycled.
As peoplemoveabouton busydays,theyoftendrivefrom placetoplace.Traffic jamsbecome one of the biggest problems for TorontoDRIVERS. While they are halted in traffic many of the cars leak oil and other fluids onto the road which with the next rain will be brought into river.
Not everyone is stuck in traffic though; the city is full of RUNNERS. The runners often forget their water bottles and settle for buying a plastic one on their route. Though many of them try to recycle it they often get blown away to the rivers shore. The DOG WALKER often passes the runners on the street. The river is a great place to let the dogs use the bathroom because its shore is one of the only green places left in the city. The Dog walker gets distracted and leaves the feces by the shore.
In the heavily populated areas of TorontoCONSUMERSgets ready for the day ahead by washing their face with a new Miracle Bead Face Wash. They don’t know that the plastic beads are going down the drain and are ending up in the river. These beads get mistaken for food by the river’s fish harming the wetland creatures.
Onnicedays,manypeopleheaddowntotheriver.LotsofpeoplearehavingFAMILYPICNICSintheparksalongthe river, too. Some of these people have left trash on the shore. With the next storm, that trash will wash into the river.Local businesses now surround the river;SMOKERS often will come out on their lunch break so they can enjoy the view. Cigarette butts often get left on the picnic tables and grass as they rush back from their break. The smokers didn’t know that cigarettes are actually a form of toxic waste that even in small doses endangers the life of all the wildlife in the river and on the rivers shore.
The cities new golf course has been full of GOLFERS since it opened. On rainy days the fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides gets washed off the course and is brought back into the river.
When Toronto Streets get filled with snow WINTER SERVICE VEHICLES clear the roads and leave a trail of de-icing salt behind them to ensure road safety for the rest of the day. As the snow melts the salt-water runoff gets into the river. The high concentration of Sodium and Chlorine in the salt causes lasting damage not only to marine life but to the river itself.
The Local GREEN FOR LIFE DRIVER rushes around town to pick up all the recycling before the break of dawn. They turn onto a busy street only to see that the storm last night blew away everyone’s recycling and now its covering the streets, it even made it down to the river.
The water that was regulated and preserved is long gone. The river now looks much different.
-Wouldyoudrinkthiswaternow?Wouldyouswiminit?Goboatingonit?
-Isitsafefor fishandanimals?
Humber River has had 900 oil spills and 750 chemical spills in the past six years. The levels of bacteria have diminished fish and other marine life populations. Water flow and level have decreased and there are no predicted signs of improvement.