http://www.oercommons.org/browse/keyword/water-pollution daily 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.oercommons.org/courses/galeet-cohens-lesson-expert-analysis Teaching instructors, Dr. Chris Emdin and Dr. Susan Stires, highlight effective strategies and techniques used during Galeet Cohens environmental science lesson on groundwater contamination. Humor serves as a vehicle for engaging students and building on previously established relationships to encourage and motivate student learning and participation. Instructors point out several specific uses of humor and discuss student responses to this strategy.Throughout the lesson analysis, student engagement is examined with a focus on techniques used by Ms. Cohen and the structure of the physical environment. Evidence of engagement is identified in both discussion and student behavior. Science and Technology 2013-02-26T11:12:48 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/galeet-cohen-teaches-environmental-science High school environmental science students at Central High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania search for contaminated water wells in a classroom simulation to see if a pattern of leukemia cases might be related to groundwater contamination.Students exploration is based on A Civil Action, a nonfiction account of a water contamination case in Woburn, Massachusetts. Using a map of the area and a budget of $30,000, students make decisions about which wells to test and record data about groundwater contamination based on a simulated test for tricholoroethylene (TCE). Analyzing data from the entire class, students identify two potential point sources and discuss whether or not their evidence supports a connection to a cluster of leukemia cases in the area. Science and Technology 2013-02-26T11:12:48 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/human-environment-interactions-in-india In the media and in the classroom, much emphasis has been placed on India's stunning economic growth since the 1990s. Less attention has been paid, however, to the consequences of the country's rapid industrialization on the nation's people and natural environment. Like many other developing societies throughout history, India's economic progress has resulted in environmental degradation, natural resource depletion, and increased consumption and waste, thereby threatening people's health, access to resources, and traditional ways of life. Using case studies on pollution in the Ganges River, coal mining in Jharkhand, and data comparing the country's total and per capita energy consumption, this cluster explores, and places within a global context, the pressing environmental and human challenges brought by India's industrialization. Lina Yamashita Liz Howald Michael H. Fisher Humanities Social Sciences 2012-08-20T13:55:14 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/science-lessons-about-our-environmental-impact Science and education experts caution that climate-change topics can overwhelm and frighten young children. Science lessons chosen for this article focus on general environmental issues, such as the effects of litter, air pollution, and water pollution. The lessons also include actions and solutions to environmental issues. The free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle focuses on integrating age-appropriate science learning with literacy experiences. Jessica Fries-Gaither Science and Technology 2012-05-30T12:01:29 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/bringing-the-laboratory-into-the-lecture-hall As part of their general education studies, all students at the University of Kentucky must take two natural science courses. Many non-science majors choose the biology sequence of courses. Unfortunately these courses are lecture-only courses, and so some students can graduate without ever having had a science laboratory course. In an effort to provide students with some laboratory experience, I have developed / adapted a number of laboratory activities, which I have successfully incorporated into a non-majors biology course (Human Ecology). These activities are carried out in a lecture hall with 300 students in 50-minute time periods. In this chapter, two of these laboratory activities are presented. 1) Soil Testing - students test soil samples for nitrogen, potassium, phosphate and pH; compare the relative fertility of different soil samples; and carry out an inventory of animal and microbial life in soil samples. 2) Water Pollution Testing - students examine the effects of household chemicals on water quality (from Using Fast Plants and Bottle Biology in the Classroom, published by National Association of Biology Teachers, 1994, ISBN #0-941212-17-3). Ruth E. Beattie Science and Technology 2010-04-19T00:21:56 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/eutrophication-a-project-lab-for-multi-section-lab-courses This lab is designed to simulate the process of eutrophication over an eight to ten week period. Students use a water-soluble fertilizer (similar to Miracle Grow) to determine the effects of nutrient loads on both terrestrial and aquatic environments. By using three aquariums, Elodea, and radish plants, students can examine the ongoing process of eutrophication by taking weekly measurements of water quality and looking at plant growth. Students become "experts" on such equipment as dissolved oxygen meters, conductivity meters, pH meters, and spectrophotometers. The project culminates in a student and teacher evaluated poster session. Virginia Bennett Science and Technology 2010-04-19T00:21:56 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/saving-the-commons-a-simulation-for-understanding-the-need-for-collaboration-to-resolve-environmental-issues This simulation was created by Dr. Robert S. Dooley of Oklahoma State University and Dr. Gerald Fryxell of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. It is based on "The Tragedy of the Commons" by Garrett Hardin. The simulation demonstrates the role of collaboration and trust in solving environmental problems. Students act as managers of industries that border on a lake and use the water as a resource. Profits are related to water quality, but each industry also releases pollutants into the lake. The problem is how to profitably operate the industries when the process is dependent on the lake as a common resource. Jon Cawley Mary Schaeffer Virginia Gerde Science and Technology 2010-04-19T00:21:56 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/splish-splash-i-was-takin-a-bath In this lesson, students will explore the causes of water pollution and its effects on the environment through the use of models and scientific investigation. In the accompanying activities, they will investigate filtration and aeration processes as they are used for removing pollutants from water. Lastly, they will learn about the role of engineers in water treatment systems. Amy Kolenbrander Janet Yowell Jessica Todd Malinda Schaefer Zarske Mathematics and Statistics Science and Technology 2009-11-02T09:52:37 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/liquid-assets-public-health This video segment from a WPSU documentary Liquid Assets connects public health to the availability of clean and safe drinking water and elaborates on the threats our bodies face due to increasing kinds and quantities of pollutants. Science and Technology 2009-08-13T00:25:40 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/liquid-assets-sustainable-water-use This video from a WPSU documentary Liquid Assets shows the transformation of Las Vegas’ water infrastructure. A desert community, Las Vegas is reducing water consumption and re-using wastewater, making optimal use of limited water resources. Science and Technology 2009-08-13T00:25:40 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/urban-solutions-to-water-pollution In this video segment from Louisville Life, high school students in Louisville, Kentucky describe the benefits of creating rain gardens as a solution to non-point source water pollution. Science and Technology 2009-08-13T00:25:40 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/planet-protectors-club Students will learn about common boating-related threats to waterways. They will learn about the problems created in waterways by recreational boaters and discuss ways boaters can change their behaviors to reduce their impact on waterways. Students will also learn about the history of water pollution through a study of the Cuyahoga River. They will create a commercial to raise awareness about boating-related pollution. Exercises will also help students explore the reliability of information on the Internet by comparing various articles on MTBE, a common gasoline additive that can contribute to water pollution, and expose students to the problems associated with unintentionally transporting invasive species in ballast water. An experiment that will help students visualize measurements parts per million is also included. Science and Technology Social Sciences 2007-10-19T08:38:00 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/water-and-wastewater-treatment-engineering-spring-2006 Theory and design of systems for treating industrial and municipal wastewater and potable water supplies. Methods for characterizing wastewater properties. Physical, chemical, and biological processes, including primary treatment, and suspended growth and fixed-film methods for secondary treatment. Nutrient removal. Reactor design and process kinetics. State-of-the-art processes. Sludge processing and disposal. This course is an overview of engineering approaches to protecting water quality with an emphasis on fundamental principals. Theory and conceptual design of systems for treating municipal wastewater and drinking water are discussed, as well as reactor theory, process kinetics, and models. Physical, chemical, and biological processes are presented, including sedimentation, filtration, biological treatment, disinfection, and sludge processing. Finally, there is discussion of engineered and natural processes for wastewater treatment. Shanahan, Peter Science and Technology 2006-11-06T19:22:00 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/1-85-water-and-wastewater-treatment-engineering-spring-2005 Theory and design of systems for treating industrial and municipal wastewater and potable water supplies. Methods for characterizing wastewater properties. Physical, chemical, and biological processes, including primary treatment, and suspended growth and fixed-film methods for secondary treatment. Nutrient removal. Reactor design and process kinetics. State-of-the-art processes. Sludge processing and disposal. Shanahan, Peter Science and Technology 2006-03-20T23:45:00 Course Related Materials