Materials and Resources

Water Quality Unit -Outline

What is this all about?

For the next month, we will be studying WATER QUALITY. We will focus specifically on fresh water. This will be a very practical unit. It is designed to give you the skills and understanding to knowledgeably analyze the water quality in a body of water and to explain what has happened or is happening to produce these results.

What you should focus on

You will be expected to understand the following things by the end of this unit:

MAIN UNDERSTANDING GOAL:

• Understand how and be able to knowledgeably analyze and explain the water quality in a body of water using six basic Water Quality parameters: Temperature, pH, Turbidity, Dissolved Oxygen, Total Hardness, and Fecal Coliform.

SPECIFIC UNDERSTANDING GOALS:

• Understand the importance of having quality drinking water and some potential problems and health hazards that can result from poor water quality.

• Have a basic understanding of how the Boston public water supply system functions, and how the drinking water quality standards are set, monitored, and maintained.

• Understand the six basic water quality parameters: Temperature, pH, Turbidity, Dissolved Oxygen, Total Hardness, Fecal Coliform.
  • What each of these parameters actually represents in terms of physical, chemical, and biological characteristics
  • How various factors in the water body environment are interrelated specifically with this parameter
  • What various values of this parameter actually represent in terms of water quality
  • How this parameter is tested in the field and in the lab, and how the test works on a chemical, biological, and physical level

• Understand the basic issues involved with conducting water quality testing and sample collection in the field:
  • How to select a site
  • What to look for in a pre-sampling survey of the site and the background research on the site
  • How to make predictions about the water quality based on site survey and the research
  • How to prepare for and conduct water quality testing in the field
  • How to analyze the results and relate them to the water body environment

• Understand how the introduction of a sampling variable can affect the parameter tested for and be able to explain this dependence.

What you'll do

Because this unit teaches and lets you get involved in a real-world application of Chemistry, your active participation is key. You will need to be active in class discussions, group work and brainstorming. Allow yourself to get involved and ask lots of questions. You will need to take the initiative and guide your own research project at the end of this unit. Some of the things we will do in class are as follows:

• Discussions and brainstorming about the relevance of water quality to our lives
• LOTS of discussions and practice with testing for each water quality parameter
• A field trip to Jamaica Pond to practice water quality sampling and testing in the field
• A group project in which you will analyze the water quality at a site of your choice

Unit Web Page

All lessons, homeworks, and handouts for this unit will be posted on the web. The lesson and homework pages will also often contain links that you will find very useful in completing your assignment. Please be sure to take full advantage of this page.

Grading

You will be graded on the basis of regular homework assignments and on your final project.

Some useful links about Water Quality

MWRA (Massachusetts Water Resources Authority)

USGS (United States Geologic Survey) Water Science for Schools

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

CRWA (Charles River Watershed Association)

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