Ward's Science Water Quality Kit: Impacts of Key Environmental Factors

This post is sponsored by Ward's Science

 I've taught chemistry for 15+ years. In the past, I thought referencing examples of chemical applications in the real world as I was explaining a topic was sufficient. Additionally, I focused on the chemistry standards but realized that I wasn't supporting the vertical alignment of the science courses. For example, I might have referenced iron rusting outside as an example of a chemical change and set up a lab where students completed several independent chemical change experiments. However, I realized this was very surface level.   

After obtaining my Master's degree in chemistry, I realized that I could teach chemistry through an interdisciplinary environmental approach. For example, I could engagingly introduce Matter through a storyline connected to the atmosphere (e.g., the air we breathe). An essential question I could pose to my students might be: "Why is there so much talk about air quality?" Of course, some students might reply that we need to breathe. However, do they understand, and can they link chemistry and the environment?

Recently, my campus had an issue with lead in the school water supply. There was a period when students joked about which water fountain had more lead. Of course, the situation was addressed and fixed. Yet, I started brainstorming ways to incorporate environmental issues involving water quality into my lessons.  

Water bottle station test using the Waterworks Bacteria Check Test Bottle

I decided not to reinvent the wheel and looked up water quality activities online. I came across the Water Quality Kit (A): Impacts of Key Environmental Factors by Ward's Science. There was another version, but this particular kit included several topics right up my alley (as I have a specific interest in microbiology). Some of the topics included are:

• The effect of temperature on pH
• The effect of watercolor and particle size on turbidity
• The effect of temperature on coliform growth
• Impacts of water quality on living things, including microbes and macroinvertebrates

Some of the supplies included in the kit.

The Water Quality Kit (A) was created and aligned to the NGSS Science Olympiad events. Texas doesn't follow the NGSS standards, but the kit is meant as a resource to help prepare students for the Olympiad. Again, I initially only cared about a resource to help me with the implementation of ideas. The Ward's Science Water Quality Kit (A) contains three multipart activities that students may be completed in any order, which helps when planning lessons. Many activities can be done in a single period, with a few requiring 2-3 days to complete. Furthermore, the activities include opportunities for the students to demonstrate their graphing and other fundamental experimental skills (e.g., setting experimental controls, developing hypotheses, etc.).

As far as materials go, the kit comes with most of the items needed to complete the activities. However, there are a few items that you will have to purchase, and these include: 

• an incubator or heat lamp
• spectrophotometer (additional supplies to read absorbance)
• consumables for pH testing
• turbidity tube
• container to hold 1 liter of solution

Unfortunately, I did not have access to a spectrophotometer - which is something I am planning on purchasing in the future for other content-related applications. I googled "How to create a turbidity tube" and created one with materials that I had. 

 

How can I tie the experiments in Ward's Science Water Quality Kit (A) to chemistry standards? In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri caused record low temperatures and snowfall in many parts of the United States. Unfortunately, millions of Texas went days or weeks without electricity or water. Multiple cities issued water boiling notices. I used the winter storm experience to introduce students to the water treatment process. Several of the hands-on activities in Ward's Science kit apply to the treatment process (e.g., turbidity, the chlorination step, etc.). Furthermore, you could extend the lesson to other activities, such as checking nitrate or phosphate levels. 

Unfortunately, I had to demo this for students this year (remote learning 20-21). However, I have the supplies and student pages. Hopefully, we will return to in-person learning next year, and students will have the opportunity to experience the activity.