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Self Control
High School - March 2010
Character Education
Newsletters
Broward County Air
Quality Program
The Broward County Pollution Prevention, Remediation & Air
Quality Division continues to incorporate Character Education
into its educational efforts. Each month the newsletter will relate
core values to science and the environment in an effort to
educate students about good character and the importance of
protecting our natural resources. The curriculum resources and
materials provided include the applicable FCAT Science Test
Item Specifications.
March’s character trait is self-control, and with Water Matters
Day on March 13th, we are reminded that we need to practice self-control when it comes to protecting
our environment. We need to control the amount of waste we generate, fossil fuels we burn, garbage
we discard, and water we use each and every day. Important water saving actions we can take
include taking shorter showers, washing only full loads of dishes or clothes, replacing grass with
drought-tolerant shrubs, and controlling the amount of time we allow the faucet to run.
Build Your Own Watershed Activity
Sunshine State Standards: SC.D.2.4; SC.G.2.4
Background:
The land we live on is divided into watersheds. A watershed is a land area whose runoff drains into any
river, stream, lake, or ocean. Small watersheds, such as the watershed for the creek behind your
house, or the watershed for the pond down the road, drain into small bodies of water, and cover small
land areas. The runoffs from small watersheds join together, and their combined areas become a new,
larger watershed. Large watersheds, such as the Mississippi Basin and the Chesapeake Bay
watershed, drain into large bodies of water, and cover immense land areas. Despite differences in
sizes, all watersheds share common properties. They all perform the same function of transporting
water over the Earth’s surface. The watersheds encompass suburban lawns, parking lots, and city
streets. Water seeps down through the soil to aquifers, which are underground formations in rock and
soil that contain enough ground water to supply wells and springs. Many communities use rivers,
streams, and aquifers as their source of drinking water. Water treatment prepares this water for human
consumption, but if the water is laden with chemicals and microorganisms, it can be difficult to treat
effectively.
Many human activities have an effect on watersheds. Dams can limit the flow of water, while roads and
buildings can divert and even increase the flow of water. Agricultural fertilizers can run off of crop fields
and inadvertently fertilize harmful microorganisms in rivers and lakes creating an adverse effect on
water quality and aquatic life. The irresponsible disposal of household and industrial chemicals can be
harmful because these chemicals travel through the watershed, poisoning life and damaging natural
ecosystems.
Extremely high and low levels of precipitation can often have disastrous effects on watersheds. When
heavy precipitation exceeds the watershed’s capacity to absorb water, floods can occur. Homes built
on flood plains, low lying areas adjacent to rivers, are susceptible to flooding conditions. Rivers,
streams, and lakes overflow, threatening human lives and damaging or destroying roads, buildings,
and flood control measures. When very little precipitation is present over long periods of time,
watersheds can become dry, causing water shortages for those who depend on the watershed for
water.
Whether they realize it or not, people’s lives are dependent on their watershed. The responsible
planning of watershed use and development is important to ensure that the ecosystems sustained by
the watersheds are preserved to protect both the natural environment and the health and safety of our
communities.
Note: Prior to the demonstration, the teacher should engage the students in activities involving
identification of a local watershed. Maps can be used to facilitate this activity and a field trip to a local
river or pond can serve to demonstrate the concept of a watershed. Ask students to identify where the
water is coming from. How far does the watershed extend? For a small stream, the answer may be
several hundred feet; but for a lake or river, the watershed may be much larger. Visit EPA’s “Surf Your
Watershed” for local watershed information (http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm).
Objective:
This experiment illustrates the basic properties of a watershed: how water flows from higher elevations
to lower elevations, and how watersheds are interconnected. The students will understand how the
placement of buildings, roads, and parking lots can be important to watershed runoff, and how careless
use and disposal of harmful contaminants can have a serious effect on residents living downstream of
the watershed.
Materials Needed:
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1 large Tupperware container (about 1.5’W x 3’L x 1’H)
2 lbs of modeling clay
3 lbs of sand (any type of sand will do)
2 lbs of aquarium gravel
1 roll of wax paper (or any other impervious, water-repellant surface, e.g.,tin foil, plastic wrap,
etc.)
1/4 cup of cocoa mix, iced tea mix, or other flavored drink mix (to represent chemicals)
1 spray bottle or bucket full of water
Procedure:
(Note: prepare steps 1 to 4 before students are present)
1. Wash the aquarium gravel carefully to remove any powdery residue that may add cloudiness to
the water. Fill the container to about 2 inches from the bottom with the gravel. Slope the gravel
slightly so, that at one end (down slope), the gravel is only about ½ inch deep and, at the other
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end (upslope), the gravel is about 3 inches deep. This gravel layer will represent the aquifer.
2. Mix the clay and the sand. The consistency of this mix should be gritty, with slightly more clay
than sand. This mixture should allow water to run freely over it, but if left standing, the water
should slowly permeate the surface. Add this mixture to the container carefully, so as not to
disturb the slope of the aquifer already placed. The slopes should be similar, with about 2
inches of sand/clay mix overlying the gravel already placed, and on the downhill end there
should be about 3" of gravel left exposed.
3. Carve a channel in the middle of the clay/sand layer, about ½ inch deep and about 1 inch wide.
This channel will represent the main river of the watershed. Near the top of the slope, split the
channel into two or three separate channels to represent tributaries. You may wish to add other
tributaries along the main branch of the “river” to further illustrate other watersheds.
4. With some extra clay/sand mix, build little hills between the tributaries. These hills separate the
smaller watersheds, but when looked at as a whole, the entire “river” system is one watershed.
You may also wish to add some small model trees or green felt to represent forests or fields.
Buildings can be represented with small blocks of wood.
5. Along the main river, flatten out an area that is about 8 inches by 3 inches. Cut out a piece of
wax paper to be about 4 inches by 3 inches in size. Stick this down onto the clay sand mix,
slope it slightly towards the river. If necessary, use some clay to hold the edges down. Explain
to students that this wax paper represents the impervious surface of a parking lot.
6. Fill the bottom of the aquarium up to about 2 inches from the bottom with water. The water
should fill all of the aquarium gravel “aquifer” area, and should just reach up to the lowest
extent of the clay/sand mixture. Explain to students that the aquifer captures and transports
water that seeps down through the soil.
7. Using the spray bottle, simulate rain over the flattened soil area and the parking lot. Ask the
students to note that the “rain” soaks through the soil, but runs off the parking lot to the river.
Ask them what the effect would be if the entire watershed was “paved”.
8. Sprinkle some cocoa mix over the sides of one of the smaller watersheds. Tell the students that
the cocoa represents pollution. Over one of the unpolluted “watersheds,” cause some rain with
the spray bottle (*it may be necessary to cause more rain by pouring water). Note that the
runoff from the rain is clean. Now, make it rain over the polluted area. Ask the students to note
how the pollution travels down through the watershed, contaminating all downstream areas.
Discuss with the students why the pollution is a problem, and what can be done to fix the
problem.
Follow-Up Questions:
1. What are some possible sources of watershed pollution in your community?
2. What other impervious surfaces besides parking lots can cause excessive runoff in a
watershed?
3. What can be done to reduce our impact on watersheds and their environment?
4. Using a map of the area around your house and EPA’s “Surf Your Watershed,” identify where
the runoff from your driveway will end up. Can you track the path of potential pollution to a large
body of water (i.e., ocean or bay)?
Source: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/pdfs/activity_grades_k-3_aquiferinacup.pdf
School Water Audit Activity
Sunshine State Standards: SC.D.2.4; SC.G.2.4
This activity will allow students to audit their school premises in the search for leaky taps, toilets, etc.
Once this audit has been completed students are encourage to propose solutions to improve water
conservation at school. If desired, have the class display audit results and write a press release to the
school news show or newspaper informing the school of progress and accomplishments to date.
This activity could be conducted as a class or in smaller groups
6 Simple steps to audit your school (Forms available at bottom of letter)
1) Obtain a map of the school or draw one. The time you have available will determine if
you supply the map or the students find or draw one.
2) Walk around the school and mark all water related infrastructure on the map. Make
sure the entire school has been covered (particularly if different groups do different
parts of the school).
3) Inspect each item marked on the map and make notes regarding:
 Good measures or features that conserve water
 Things that could be improved (and any ideas on how to accomplish this); and
 Questions you need to ask to decide if a good or bad comment is relevant.
Note: you may like to sit and watch people’s behaviors as well (e.g.: do people leave
water taps on, how do maintenance personnel do their work, when does the landscape
get watered?).
4) Summarize your findings.
5) Discuss how your school has performed overall. Explain why? What can be done to
improve overall performance?
6) Take action:
If students have had a good idea on how to improve your schools water use, make sure
it is well thought through and then give it a go.
Or
A. The class could write a letter to the Principal explaining that you have carried out a
water use audit and what your findings were (Don’t forget to include the good points!).
Ask for feedback on how and when the problems you have identified can be fixed. The
class may also like to offer to give a presentation to the principal, staff, parents and / or
students.
B. Draw up a poster (or series of posters) on the Water Use Audit to tell the school
community what you have found and what is going to be done about it. Let them know
that they will be given updates on progress. Display poster(s) in school library or other
prominent location (perhaps the Local Council office?).
C. Follow up on how improvements are going. Are any gentle reminders needed?
D. Pin up community updates where you have displayed your poster(s) to let people
know how the school is progressing.
Extension Activity
Find out recent past water use rates and compare them to current water use rates; either take readings
from the school water meter or obtain the information from the appropriate authority and graph water
usage. What impact did the improvements that the class suggested make?
Source: River Murray Urban Users Committee www.murrayusers.sa.gov.au
Each year, approximately 5,000 metric tons of mercury compounds are released into the environment
either naturally or from human activities. Once mercury enters the water systems, bacteria convert it
into an organic form called methyl mercury, introducing it into the food web. Which of the following will
happen to the methyl mercury released into the environment?
A. It will be evenly distributed throughout the food web.
B. It will be retained only in filter feeders of the aquatic system.
C. It will be retained mostly by the producers and herbivores.
D. It will have the highest concentration in the large secondary consumers.
Answer: The correct answer is D (It will have the highest concentration in the large secondary
consumers).
Benchmark: SC.G.1.4.1 The student knows of the great diversity and interdependence of living things.
Broward County
Public Speaking Competition
Theme: Climate Change
Open to all Broward County High School Students
Prizes Include a new Laptop, Tickets to Local Attractions, Climate
Change Atlas and DVD
The question that is being posed to the students is, “If you were appointed as the United States
President’s Climate Change Advisor, what policies and/or strategies would you recommend to reduce
our greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the impacts of climate change, reduce our dependence on
foreign oil, and become a global leader on climate change protection?”
Who’s eligible? All Broward County students (public, private, or home schooled) in high school.
Broward County’s Public Speaking competition will be conducted on May 14, 2010. Students must
register by April 9, 2010. The competition will be held in the Conference Room (located on the first
floor) of the KC Wright School Board Building located at 600 SE 3rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale 33301.
Official Rules
Speeches must:
· Be 4 to 6 minutes long. Speeches over or under limit will be penalized.
· Be relevant to the theme.
· In order to ensure impartiality in judging, personal information such as name, school, shall not be
stated during the speech. Infraction will be taken during scoring for violation of this rule.
· No visual aids are allowed. Note cards should only be used as a back-up.
All competitors must complete a photo/video release form
Judging Criteria
· Register by April 9, 2010 · Submit a speech summary and/or one-minute video summarizing the
speech to
[email protected] The top 20 entries will be selected to attend the final
competition on May 14, 2010.
· The Broward County Pollution Prevention, Remediation and Air Quality Division has created a
standard scoring sheet to be used for the competition. Speeches will be judged on content and
speaking skills, as described on the score sheet. A copy of the score sheet criteria is available
upon request.
If your students are interested in participating, please email [email protected] or call
954-519-1260
8th Annual Water Matters Day!
"Saving Water Makes $ense" is the theme for the Eighth Annual Broward
Water Matters Day to be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Saturday, March
13th, at Tree Tops Park, 3900 S.W. 100th Avenue in Davie. Get tips on how to save water and money
at home and how to "green" your yard while you lower your water bill. Water Matters Day is Broward
County's signature water conservation event where residents can learn what they can do to protect our
drinking water supplies and can get free native plants or trees just for learning how to do the right
thing.
SPREAD THE WORD!!!
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Water Audit Forms
School Water Audit
For: _____________________________________________________________ School
By: ______________________________________________________________
Paste or draw a map of your school here
Paste of Draw a Map of Your School Here
KEY
= taps
= toilets
= down pipes
= rainwater tanks
= ___________
= ___________
= ___________
= ___________
= ___________
= ___________
= ___________
Water Audit Notes
Good thing that are saving water
Changes that could be made to save water
Questions