Pondwater Tour –
all ditto masters and color chart are in the front cover of the booklet
Activities
Unit 1 – Introduction
Ground water, surface water, water chemistry, dissolved and suspended material, pH,
oxygen, CO2, photosynthesis, respiration, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, nitrogen cycle, nutrients, nitrogen,
phosphorus
Unit 2 – Adopt a pond to study
Maps of your area
Need 5 rinsed 2-liter bottles with caps
Re-visit watershed and sources of pollution
Choose pond or stream to study, locate it on map
Identify the main source of water flowing into pond or stream
Identify land use in the watershed; estimate the amount of each type
present
Factory/Industry
Farming/Agriculture
Sewage Treatment Plant
Residential
Parking Lots/Malls
Review point and non-point sources of pollution
Students list activities, land uses, and natural features that affect your
pond; draw arrows to represent how materials move throughout the
ecosystem
Visit the stream; list other features along the way
Collect water samples; 8 liters; may use tap water
Unit 3 – Set up the experiments
Isolate human or natural influences on surface water using the scientific
method
Control – no experimental influences
#1 – plants and light
#2 - plants and no light; cover with foil
#3 – fish (feed fish once in morning and once in afternoon only what they will eat in 1
minute)
#4 – nutrients – add 2 Nutritab tablets
#5 – control – no variable
All 5 stored in the same place; same temp, same light, etc.
Mix the water as you pour at least 1 liter in each container; put the same amount of water in each container
Must do test the first day the experiments are set up
Divide class into 5 groups. Each group performs all 4 tests on their sample.
Jobs:
reader/timer
holder
Collector
Tablet adder
Shaker
Recorder
All compare to color chart and make observations
Each group gets 3 bags and 1 test tube
Test bags should be labeled: pH, ammonia, Nitrate
all groups test samples at the same time
Compare colors to the Pondwater Tour Color Chart Poster
Record data on Group Data Sheets, begin next test
Rinse test bags and test tubes with tap water and store for the next day
pH – fill bag to line C; add one pH testab; roll the bag down and shake until the tablet disappears (about 30
seconds); do not crush tablet; compare color to color chart poster; record results
Ammonia – fill bag to line C; add one ammonia #1 testab and one ammonia #2 testab; roll the bag down
and shake until the tablets disappear (about 3 minutes) do nut crush tablet; wait 5 more minutes for a
yellow or green color to develop; compare the color to the color chart poster; record results
Dissolved Oxygen – completely fill test tube with water; no bubbles; add 2 D. O. testabs; add cap (water
will spill out); screw the cap on; invert the tube back and forth until the tablets disintegrate (about 4
minutes); wait 5 minutes for an orange or pink color to develop; compare the color to the color chart poster;
record results
Nitrogen – Fill bag to line C; add one nitrate #1 testab; roll the bag down and shake until the tablet
disintegrates (about 30 seconds) ; open the bag; add one nitrate #2 testab; roll down and shake until the
tablet disintegrates (about 2 minutes); wait 3 minutes for pink color to develop; compare to color poster;
record results
At the end of the 5 day period – summarize results for each test for each group
Unit 6 – Analyzing results
See back of booklet; too extensive to summarize