WHO POLLUTED THE POTOMAC RIVER?

Transcription

1 WHO POLLUTED THE POTOMAC RIVER? [Walk over to the map and point to it while saying,] Let s take a look at a map of the state of Maryland. Way out in the western part of the state, we see a small body of water [Point to river up near Hagerstown on the map] that winds its way down, separating Maryland from Virginia. It gets wider and wider [Drag you finger along the river s path as you talk] and eventually pours into an even larger body of water. [Point to the Chesapeake Bay] Can anyone tell me the name of this body of water? [Point to the Potomac River] What about this body of water? [Point to the Chesapeake Bay] Here is Washington, D.C., our nation s capital. [Point to Washington, D.C.] What is the name of the county on Maryland that lies just above Washington, D.C.? [Point to Montgomery County] Yes, this is where we all live. And did you notice that one of the borders of Montgomery County is the Potomac River? Did you know that most Montgomery County residents get their drinking water from the Potomac? [This is their quiz question so reinforce it as much as you can.] Now, focus your attention to the center of the table. This jug [Point to jug] represents the Potomac River in a story I am going to tell you. A few of you are going to play a role in this story. You see canisters on the table in front of you. Don t touch those canisters just yet, but notice the words that are printed on the labels. When you hear me mention the exact words in this story, you will take the top off of the canister and quickly pour the contents into our river. Key: [What you do] Students responses Questions to ask the group

2 STORY: One thousand years ago, Native Americans lived along the banks of the Potomac River. They hunted in the great forests, harvested food from the wetlands and fished the rivers. About 400 years ago, Captain John Smith explored the Potomac for settlement by European colonists. He found that this was a lovely area to live, so he sent word back to England. Soon the colonists arrived. They found fertile land for farming, forests teeming with game, and a river that provided them with ample food and water. It was an outstanding environment for settlement, and the colonists prospered. Q.: This river water is clean and pretty, isn't it? Do you think they drank the water? Would you drink it? How do you think the colonists used the river? Do we use the river the same way today? Let's fast-forward to the present. A sudden downpour drenches the area. The pounding rain is washing loose soil from a nearby construction site, where they are building a new house, into the river. As the storm worsens, high winds whip through the trees and blow leaves into the river, too. Would you drink the water now? Swim in it? Boat in it? Is it safe for wildlife? Finally, the sun comes out and people head for the river to have fun. A group of folks have spread blankets on the shore for a family picnic. Some of these people leave trash on the shore that washes into the river. On the dock, a person fishing snags the hook on a log and breaks the nylon fishing line. Would you drink the water now? Swim in it? Is it safe for wildlife? What litter is most dangerous for wildlife? Why? Not everybody is out playing today. A farmer has been fertilizing cornfields close to the shore. But this farmer applies too much fertilizer

3 and the rain washes the excess fertilizer off the land and into the nearby river. The proper amount of fertilizer is good. It helps the plants grow strong and healthy by providing nutrients. But too much fertilizer runs off and turns ponds and rivers green with algae. Out in the country, high on a hill overlooking the river is a big old house. It is not connected to the city sewer system. Waste water from the house goes into a septic tank under ground. The homeowner has not maintained the septic tank and poorly treated sewage is seeping into the river. Would you drink the river water now? Swim in it? Is it safe for wildlife? Downstream there is an electric power plant. The plant burns coal to produce electricity. The gasses coming out of the smokestacks combine with moisture in the air to form acids. The pollution falls back to the earth as acid rain, snow or smog. In town, there are many commuters who drive to and from work. Car exhaust fumes (just like the power plant fumes) cause more acid rain. If a car is not kept in good repair, it might also leak oil or antifreeze, which will be washed off the roads and into the river with the next rain. Who polluted the Potomac (where many of get our drinking water)? Discussion: [Hold up the laminated sheet for commuters] Since you are 4 th graders, you can t drive yet, but I know you like to go places. How can you get somewhere without riding in a car? walk, jog, run, skateboarding, scooter, bike, metro, bus, Remind them that if they came here today on a bus, they ve helped reduced pollution from exhaust fumes by all using just one vehicle as opposed to many cars.

4 [Hold up the laminated sheet for electric power plant] Remember how they burned coal to make electricity for us to use? Well, if we didn t use so much electricity, they wouldn t have to burn so much coal, which pollutes the air and our water. How can you use less electricity in your home? turn off lights when leaving a room, use sunlight to read by, unplug appliances (like cable box, TV, computer) when not using them, don t watch so much TV (instead, read a book or go outside and play) [Hold up the laminated sheet for family picnic] Remember how the picnickers left their trash behind and it blew into the river? What would you do differently if you were at a picnic? pick up trash and put it in the trashcan. [Remind students that many parks have removed trashcans because the wildlife has learned to go into them rooting for food scraps] What do you do with the trash now? take it home with you to throw it away, use recyclable containers [Hold up the laminated sheet for person fishing. Remember how the person s fishing line broke and it ended up in the water harming wildlife? What would you do differently if your fishing line broke? try to go get it back and put it in the trashcan use a net to try to get it back [Hold up the laminated sheet for homeowner] Remember how the homeowner s septic tank failed and the untreated sewage seeped into the river? What do you think the homeowner could do to prevent this problem?

5 have his septic tank pumped regularly (maintained) [Hold up the laminated sheet for farmer] Remember how the farmer used too much fertilizer, which didn t make his plants grow better, it just ranoff into the river. Who else uses fertilizer to make their lawns nice a green? What can homeowners do to not over fertilize their lawns? homeowners have their soil tested and follow instructions from soil testing lab grass-cycle it reduces the need for commercial fertilizer [Hold up the laminated sheet for trees] Remember how the leaves from the trees blew into the river? What should we do with all the leaves we rake from our yards each fall? compost them shred and use them as mulch bag them and leave them curbside for pickup [Hold up the laminated sheet for construction site] Remember how soil from the construction site muddied the river? What can we do if we have bare soil in your yard? plant a groundcover lay mulch over it build a retaining wall - don t allow soil to run off of property As you go to your next station/leave, think about how you can modify your habits to prevent pollution.