Think Outside the Bottle

Prior to beginning the lesson, be sure to prepare your "wastewater" which will be treated by students. You will need 200 mL of wastewater for each group. Groups should be 3-6 students. Each group will need a beaker of wastewater and an empty beaker to filter into. 

For Wastewater (in a 2-Liter Bottle):

400 mL vinegar
100 mL lemon juice
1 Tsp salt
1 Tbs sand
lint (collect some from a dryer at home)
hair
food color - don’t use red due to allergic reactions
tap water to fill remainder of bottle

Materials:

funnels (large and small)
top half of a 20 oz. bottle
coffee filters
activated charcoal
ammonia chips
window screen
lima beans
macaroni noodles
cheesecloth
gravel
sand
cotton balls
pH test strips


Links and resources for introduction lessons:

Videos to show about need for clean water:

youtube World Water Day

youtube Good Drinking Water

Video to show about water filtration process


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