Water Pollution: Can You See It?

Though Earth Day has passed, talking about how we should protect the environment never goes out of date. In this activity, talk with your child and get him involved in exploring the effects of pollution in the water. Is our water polluted? Gather some samples, arm yourselves with coffee filters, and find out! This activity is a good way to encourage your child to be more aware of his environment and to make connections with real-world, environmental issues.

What You Need:

• 4 large, clean jars
• 4-5 large, wide-mouth jars
• Masking tape
• Cone-shaped paper coffee filters
• Magnifying glass

What to Do:

1. Using the four large jars, collect samples of water from four difference sources. Good sources to use might be tap water, bottled water, rain water, or water from creeks, ponds, rivers, or even the ocean.
2. Use a strip of masking tape and a marker to label each jar so that you will know the source of the water.
3. Fit the coffee filters just inside the mouths of the large, wide-mouthed jars. Take one of the water samples, and slowly pour the water through the filter into the other jar. Repeat this step for each water sample. Don't forget to label the filters and new jars, so they don't get mixed up.
4. Open each filter and examine it through the magnifying glass. Discuss the filters with your child. Which filter is the most discolored? Which filter caught the most particles? Did any of the samples leave a colored residue on the filter?
5. Discuss with your child how the water in rivers, streams and ponds can become polluted. Where do pollutants come from? (A major cause of water pollution is due to the chemicals and dyes that factories release into rivers. Individuals who drop litter in any water source like rivers, streams, or creeks, also contribute to water pollution.)

Extension Activity: