From your Source to Sink

Transcription

1 From your Source to Sink Activity Overview In this activity, the elementary students will demonstrate/re-enact the process of water treatment through an obstacle course. Each station within the obstacle course will consist of different equipment that will emphasize each process of Peel s water treatment. Objectives - Describe the treatment stages that water goes through before it reaches our homes. - Identify the necessity of treating water before consumption. - Identify filtering methods involved in water treatment. Time Approx. 10 minutes Materials- To yet be finalized - 15 fish plant vines - 12 pegs - boat rope - 6 baskets (3 white, 3 blue) - 4 balls (2 normal balls, 2 bumpy balls) - 2 Tunnels - 2 Large pylons Setup STEP 1: Split the visiting class into two Stage 1: Have the pegs set up so that ropes can be wrapped around them to form a zig zag formation so students can walk over the rope. Stage 2: Have the 2 slimy balls set at the beginning of the station so students can play over and under. (2 teams) Stage 3: Have 4 buckets ( 2 white, 2 blue). Stage 4: Have 2 large pylons, make sure they are spread apart. Stage 5: Have the two tunnels set up Stage 6: Use tunnels again Stage 7: Have the 2 smooth balls set up so students can play over and under again. Takedown Make sure each stage is placed in the bins once the activity is complete for the day. Safety - Make sure tunnels are held in place when students go through. - Only one student at a time can go through the tunnels. Vocabulary Disinfection- Chlorine is added to remove water from Lake Ontario. Screening-Removes things larger than 1cm- things that made it past the intake pipe screen. Flocculation-ALUM is added to be a clumping mechanism. Sedimentation- Heavy particles sink and are removed, while clean. Filtration-GAC- Granular Activated Carbon, sand, and gravel is used as the filtration device. Chlorination- Chlorine is added to disinfect harmful bacteria. Fluoridation- Fluoride is added for hygienic reasons. Backwashing-What is backwashed through the filtration device to remove small particles. 1/7

2 What will I be doing? (Procedure) Before you start your presentation check with the teacher or chaperone that the entire group is present and ready to start. Remember that doing an experiment and discovering the answer is more powerful than watching and listening to someone, so try to involve as many children as possible. Ask: Do you know where your water comes from? - Remember that only Brampton, Mississauga, and Caledon s water comes from Lake Ontario (Region of Peel). Ask: Would you drink the water straight from the lake? - Many students will think it s a bad idea, so ask them why. Ask: - What s wrong with the water? - Is it the same water that comes out of our faucet/tap? - If it is, then why is it OK to drink water from the tap but not from the lake? Tell the students they will are going to be acting as water molecules from Lake Ontario. The Obstacle course is going to be our water treatment facility; each section will be a stage in the water treatment process. Students are going to start the obstacle course as dirty water molecules. The dirty water molecules get sucked into the water treatment intake pipe and begin their adventure. As students move through the equipment, they will learn how the water gets cleaned. After students complete the process, they come out of the water pipes as clean water. The following describes the different stages that the students will travel through in their water treatment process. Make sure that students understand each stage of process as they pass through it. You may need some extra time discussing and reviewing this for them. Before allowing the students to do the obstacle course, one high school volunteer should explain each stage. While the second volunteer demonstrates it for the students to understand. Ask: If the students have any questions. Start of the activity: Split the class in groups of two. STUDENTS WILL: Receive a fish and a plant vine; they will have to carry it with them through the intake pipe. STAGE 1- Raw Intake This stage is when we remove water out from Lake Ontario. Students will: Go over the pegged rope course to re-enact the dirty water from Lake Ontario passing through the Intake Pipe. *PLEASE NOTE * Pegged rope is spread far apart to prevent tripping* STAGE 2- Screening/ Flocculation Screening: This process removes things larger than 1cm (objects that made it past the intake pipe screen). Flocculation: In order to remove bacteria from the water effectively, chemical called alum is added to the water. Alum is a coagulant, meaning it acts like a clumping mechanism that causes suspended particles in the water to stick together and form larger particles. Students will: Remove the fish and plant life and sort it into the correct bin (fish with fish, plants with plants). (By removing, they are screening, and by sorting, they are flocing) STAGE 3- Disinfection Chlorine is added to water to destroy harmful bacteria. Students will: Line up and play over and under. They will be passing the bumpy ball from one end to the other in a over and under format to emphasize that chlorine is being released into the water to help disinfect harmful bacteria. 2/7

3 STAGE 4- Sedimentation Heavy particles sink, and are removed, while the rest of the water proceeds with being cleaned. Students will: Run around a pylon once. This will illustrate the heavy particles sinking down to the bottom of the tank. STAGE 5- Filtration The water then passes through a filter. It is made up of three layers: Granular Activated Carbon (GAC), sand and gravel. Students will: Line up and crawl into the tunnels to represent the water being filtered through. *PLEASE NOTE* High school volunteers need to monitor this station when the students arrive to the tunnels. Make sure students go one at a time in the tunnel, and direct them to go back into the line so they can go once more for the next stage. High school volunteers should also hold the tunnel down so it doesn t move when the students crawl through it. STAGE 6- Backwashing The flow from the filter is reversed and the clean water is then forced back up through the bottom of the filter. Students will: Go through the tunnel once more, to represent backwashing. STAGE 7- Chlorination/ Fluoridation Fluoride is added to prevent teeth decay, as well as chlorine it is added once more to ensure it remains free of harmful bacteria. Students will: Once again play over and under however with a smooth ball to represent that the water is now clean and ready to drink. Specifically remind them that: - Drinking water in the Region of Peel is safe and clean to drink - You should strive to become better stewards of our water by using it wisely and protecting its quality. 3/7

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