Tap Water Toxicity

A Unit Analyzing

Our Water Needs

Unit Overview

•  • Rational:• Water from a variety of sources will have differences in chemical content and effects on fish and people.•  • General Instructional Goals:• Students will develop analytical, evaluative and communication skills.•  • Unit Topic Sequence• The unit sequence follows the ChemCom text Supplying Our Water Needs unit. ChemCom texts can be

purchased used from the Rocky Mountain Textbook company for $12. Their phone number is 1-800-634-3650.•  

A The quality of our water pages 2-20• Laboratory Activity: Foul Water page 7• Three goldfish will be introduced to each of five water samples from different sources, including Lodge Grass

tap water, Lodge Grass Creek, the Little Big Horn River, well water from the Jeffer’s Ranch near Lodge Grass, and Billings tap water. The gold fish mortality will be recorded on a weekly basis, including replacing the dead gold fish. The water from each of the five sources will be replaced every 4 weeks. The students will read, write and verbally report on several internet papers discussing the value of high pH and electrolysis on drinking water.

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Unit Overview Continued

B A Look at Water and Its Contaminants pages 21-41 • Laboratory Activity: Mixtures page 26• The water in the gold fish jars will be tested weekly for ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, hardness chlorine, alkalinity

and pH. The students will compare the data from the Lodge Grass City Water Department with their data. They will compare the data to the EPA toxicity limits. The students will visit the Lodge Grass sewage lagoon and ask questions to the Lodge Grass City Water Department head.

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C Investigating the cause of the fish kill pages 42-65• Laboratory Activity: Solvents page 64• The students will test the gold fish water for oxygen and coliform bacteria. Students will use microscopes to

find protozoa in the water. Students will evaporate small quantities of water from all sources and compare the residues quantitatively and qualitatively, including examining them microscopically. The students will study the effects of pH, chlorine, carbonate, bicarbonate buffers on body chemistry using the Heath Chemistry text.

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D Putting It All Together: Fish Kill-Who Pays?• The chemistry students will explain their findings to another science class. They will summarize their

findings and publish them in the Hardin newspaper, the Bighorn County News, which covers Lodge Grass.• Evaluation will include worksheets covering the reading material, lab reports, questions in the ChemCom

text, summary of the results and weekly quizzes.

Materials

• Home Science Tools• 665 Carbon Street• Billings, MT 59101• Phone: 1-800-860-6272• Fax: 1-800-860-2344• Description Item Code Quantity Unit Price Total Price• Gram Stain Kit KT-GRAMSTN 1 $18.95 $18.95• Nutrient Agar BE-AGARNBT 1 $ 5.95 $ 5.95• Subtotal $24.90• Shipping $ 6.95• Total $31.85•  •  •  •  •  • Hach• P.O. Box 389• Loveland, CO 80539• 1-800-227-4224• Pocket Pal pH meter 4435001 1 $59.65 $59.65• pH 4 powder buffer pk 15 2226995 1 $ 8.35 $ 8.35

Materials Continued

• pH 7 powder buffer pk 15 2227095 1 $ 8.35 $ 8.35• pH 10 powder buffer pk 15 2227195 1 $ 8.35 $ 8.35• Subtotal $84.70• Shipping $15.95• Total $100.65•  • Pet’s Mart• 2510 King Avenue West• Billings, MT 59102•  • Jungle chemistry tests: ammonia, nitrate, • nitrite, hardness, chlorine, alkalinity, pH 047002168987 4 $23.99 $95.96•  • WalMart• 2525 King Avenue West• Billings, MT 59102• Chlorine and 5 other tests strips 07318791905 3 $20.00 $60.00• Total Budget Proposed $288.46

Tap Water Toxicity Lesson Plans

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• Week 1•  • Monday •  • Rational: Students will fulfill Montana Office of Public Instruction standards regarding learning

chemistry content knowledge of compounds in water. They will compare and analyze definitions of acceptable and contaminated water. They will apply the scientific method in analyzing a sample of contaminated water.

•  • Prior Knowledge: The class will discuss their knowledge of water quality. They will tell what organisms

and chemicals are in and what tests might be done on Lodge Grass tap water. They will discuss what chemicals and organisms might be toxic to aquatic organisms and humans. They will discuss how quality and quantity of drinking water will affect athletic performance.

•  • Instructional procedures:•  

Tap Water Toxicity Lesson Plans Continued

• Focusing events: The students will introduce 3 goldfish to each of 5 water samples including Lodge Grass tap water, Lodge Grass Creek, Little Big Horn River, Jeffer’s Ranch well water and Billings tap water. They will observe goldfish behavior before and after introduction to the water samples. Students will begin a table on the board documenting fish mortality.

•  • Students will begin working on a worksheet covering the

reading material in the ChemCom text pages 2-6 due Friday.•  •  

Chemistry Worksheet pages 2-6

• Page 2 Name __________________________________________

1 What emergency happened in Riverwood?•   Date ___________________________________________

2 What four responses were there to the emergency?•  

3 What was suggested for a possible reason for the fish kill?•  

4 What did Chief Engineer Hall Cooper report?•  • Page 3•  

5 What arrangements are being made for the community water?•  

6 How does the emergency affect students?•  

7 Why was there an emotional debate in the city council about stopping withdrawing water from the Snake River?•  

8 What will the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) do?•  • Page 4

9 List two responses by Riverwood citizens.•  

10 How long was Riverwood out of water?•  

11 What are the two main concerns of Riverwood citizens?•  

Chemistry Worksheet Continued

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12 What are the two main concerns we should have about our own water?•  

13 What are three ways we can learn about properties of water?•  • Page 5

14 When were metric units introduced?•  

15 When were SI (Standard International) units introduced?•  

16 What is the SI standard unit of length?•  

17 Define deci-, centi- and milli.•  •  

18 What is the derived Si unit for volume?•  

19 What is the volume of a cube one decimeter on an edge?•  

20 What is the other name for a cubic decimeter?•  

21 How many cubic centimeters are in a liter?• Page 6•  

22 What is the other name for one cubic centimeter?•  •  

Chemistry First Week Lesson Plans Continued

• Tuesday• The class will complete the page 2-6 work sheet.• Wednesday• The class will answer the Your Turn questions on pages 6-7 about Meters and Liters.• Thursday• The class will take the open book Safety in the Laboratory quiz.• The class will work on the A.2 Laboratory Activity about Foul Water on pages 7 -10.• Friday• The class will complete the week’s activities. They will take the following quiz.

• Accommodation for Diversity:

• All students will sign a contract at the beginning of the year agreeing to basic class room rules. After reviewing the expectations for the range of grades they will tell the teacher what grade they would like to achieve. The teacher will help the students achieve their desired grade.

• All students will be allowed to correct mistakes and retake quizzes and tests any time during the semester.• Students that have trouble reading can work with other students on the assignments. Quizzes and tests can be given orally.

With teacher approval quizzes and tests can be taken but not counted.• Students can get extra credit for independent study including reports, scientifically appropriate art, and research projects.•  •  

Safety in the Laboratory Quiz

• Name ___________________• Date ____________________

1 What are the two basic laboratory rules of safety?•  •  

2 Why should you perform laboratory work only when your teacher is present?•  

3 What is a possible harmful effect of not reading about and thinking about each laboratory assignment before starting the laboratory activity?•  •  

4 Where are the following located: • Safety shower• Eye wash• First aid kit• Fire extinguisher• Blanket• Exit

5 What are four dress requirements for laboratory activity?•  •  

6 What needs to be done before starting laboratory activity?•  

7 What are two reasons to check chemical labels twice?•  

Safety in the Laboratory Quiz Continued

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8 What do you do with excess chemicals?•  

9 What should be avoided in the laboratory?•  

10 What should you put into your mouth?•  

11 How should you smell a chemical?•  

12 What are three ways to handle a test tube?•  •  

13 What should you do if you have an accident?•  

14 What should you do if you have a chemical spill?•  •  

15 What needs to be done with minor skin burns?•  

16 How do you dispose of used materials?•  

17 What do you do with equipment at the end of the period?•  

18 What do you need to do before leaving the laboratory?•  

19 If in doubt what do you do?

Chemistry Quiz 1

• Name ___________________• Date _____________________

1 Which water sources had goldfish that died?•  

2 Why do you think they died?•  

3 What are the two basic rules of lab safety?•  

4 What do you do if you are in doubt?•  

5 What do you do before starting laboratory work?•  

6 What do you do at the end of a lab period?•  

7 What do you do for a chemical spill on your skin or clothing?•  

8 What are three ways to handle a test tube?•  

9 What crisis happened to Riverwood?•  

10 How did the crisis affect the people of Riverwood?•  

11 What was the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) going to do about the crisis?•  

12 What is a SI unit?•  

13 What is the standard SI unit for length?•  

14 How much of a meter is 1/1000 of a meter?•  

Chemistry Quiz 1 Continued

15 What is a SI unit for volume?•  

16 What are the two names for 1/1000 liter.•  

17 What were the three methods of purification of foul water you used in the Foul Water Lab?•  •  •  

18 Which method was most effective?•  

19 Why is distillation not used by municipal water treatment plants?•  •  

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