Water Outreach

. soilquality

Recycle Utah's water outreach teaches students about microorganisms, composting and soil structure and conservation.

Clean Water NO Poisons -- Students learn what happens to ground water when hazardous material is dumped in an unlined landfill and how to dispose of hazardous material properly. 4th grade.
 
Good Plants Bad Plants -- Students learn how non-native plants take water, sunlight and nutrients away from plants that are native to our desert environment.
 
Watershed Magic - What is a watershed? Do we live in a watershed? How can our activities help or harm a watershed? Students answer these questions, learn the names of local streams and rivers and use a map to trace their drainage.

The Secret Life in a Composter - How does composting work? Who and what lives in a compost pile? Why should my family compost? Students learn how organic matter decomposes and attracts micro-organisms that complete the process. They examine compost samples and record their findings in a lab report; then use the samples in experiments on stream erosion and soil erosion.

Soil Quality Demonstration - How does water move through different types of soil? Why should we preserve wetlands. This demonstration, when paired with "The Secret Life in a Composter," tells students why wetlands protection is important.

Stream Erosion  -- What happens when water travels through a stream-bed? How do wetlands absorb water? Students use a drip experimentation method to answer these questions with different mulches and soil with varying percentages of organic content.

Soil Erosion  -- Through experimentation with organic and non-organic samples, students discover that soil with a large organic component has more stability. Organic soil holds water; poorer soils result in run-off.

Water Movement in Soil -- How does water move through soil? Does particle size make a difference? Why should you care? This film explains how water travels through soil. When coupled with pictures of a community's wetlands and sites for landfills and septic systems, students will understand how soil testing protects communities and neighborhoods. Click on the menu choice on left side of web page and save the 3:14 minute video to your hard drive.

Down the Storm Drain -- Where does a storm drain go? What goes down a storm drain? How can my family reduce pollution in a storm drain? In this lesson plan from the EPA students can identify common non-source point pollutants and how they affect the water supply in downstream communities. The lesson plan can be customized to discuss the East Canyon Creek watershed.

For more information about soils go to http://soils.usda.gov/

For more information about wetlands in Summit County go to www.swanerecocenter.org/

For information about the East Canyon Creek watershed go to www.eastcanyoncreek.org

For more lessons and materials from the EPA about Water go to http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/

 

 

 

 

1951 Woodbine Way,  P.O. Box 682998, Park City, UT 84068 
(435) 649-9698 - (fax) 658-1530