Engaging the Student (Entry Task) 

Checking for Understanding (exit ticket)

Permeability:

~60 min

Exploring Groundwater Models: 

~2 days

Where Would You Drill a Well?:

~45 min

Get the Groundwater Picture:

~? No time frame given

Activity #1: Permeability

• Have students set up the activity and then make predictions: 

1. In which cup will the water infiltrate (soak in), the fastest? Why?
2. In which cup will it be easiest to get water out? Why?

Activity #2: Exploring with Groundwater Models

• Ask multiple students to share their ideas for each question. Record students’ ideas on whiteboard as they share. 

1. What does it look like underground where there is water?
2. How does water get into the ground?
3. How does water move underground?
4. How can water get out of the ground? 

Activity #3: Application Assessment: Where Would You Drill a Well?

• Given a map/cross-section, students are asked to suggest a location for a new well and justify their answer based on the features on the map and cross-section. 
• You may choose to send this assessment home as homework to collect, then conduct the class discussion after you have reviewed students' sheets.   

Activity #4: Get the Groundwater Picture

• No Elicitation Question Provided 

Activity #1: Permeability

• All student handouts for this activity can be found in the full lesson plan, page 23.

Activity #2: Exploring with Groundwater Models

• Student handout for this activity can be found in the full lesson plan, page 32-34.

Activity #3: Application Assessment: Where Would You Drill a Well?

• Student handouts for this activity can be found in the full lesson plan, pages 36-37.

Activity #4: Get the Groundwater Picture

• All student handouts for this activity can be found in the full lesson plan, pages 38-40.

View the full lesson plan here:

• Lesson Plan 2-3: A Focus on Groundwater

The Lesson above is a 40-page document with a wealth of teacher resources and information. However, there are four specific student activities that can be found on the following pages. You can look through them and use as few or as many that suites your needs.  

Lesson Activities:

1. Permeability (Pages 21-23)
2. Exploring with Groundwater Models (Pages 24-34)
3. Application Assessment: Where Would You Drill a Well? (Page 35-37)
4. Get the Groundwater Picture (Page 38-40)

THESE LESSONS WERE CREATED AND PROVIDED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA'S "Reasoning Tools for Understanding Water Systems" PROJECT, SUPPORTED IN PART BY A GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.

Permeability:

• 1 clear plastic drinking cup filled with gravel
• 1 clear plastic drinking cup filled with powdered clay
• 1 clear plastic drinking cup filled with play sand
• 1 plastic cup of water
• 3 eye droppers or plastic pipettes with narrow tips.
• Graduated cylinder for water or another cup with approximately 20 ml marked on the side.

For each student:

•  Science notebook and pencil
•  Drivers and Constraints Tool (Student Handout)

Exploring Groundwater Models:

For class:

•  Document camera
•  LCD projector or SmartBoard
•  Half a cup of water with two drops of blue food coloring in it
•  One groundwater model for initial demonstration

For each group:

•  A groundwater model
•  A rain cup (paper cup with holes punched on bottom for raining on model)
•  A beaker or small container of water
• Water source (sink or jug of water)
•  A rag or reusable towel available for spills

For each student:

•  One blank Drivers and Constraints Tool (Student Handout)
•  One “Exploring With Groundwater Models” (Student Handout)
•  Pencil

Application Assessment: Where Would You Drill a Well?

•  Document camera
• One "Where Would you Drill a Well"  (Student Handout)

Get the Groundwater Picture:

• No materials list provided 

Exit ticket questions are at the discretion of the teacher.