Hands-on water drainage and underground water contamination

1. Science, Technology and Environment Laboratory, Pedagogical Department P.E., University of Athens, Greece Hands-on water drainage and underground water contamination Dimitrios Sotiropoulos, Sarantos Oikonomidis Nikolaos Voudoukis, George Kalkanis

2. General Aims In order to motivate the trainees participating in a science laboratory and to cultivate through this, environmental awareness we developed three investigations

3. Investigations During these investigations students : construct a model measure hypothesize estimate discuss suggest

4. First Investigation During this process students are examine the porosity and the permeability of ground soil and also they are encouraged to construct their own ground soil model

5. First Investigation students measure the time that water needs to drain through different kinds of soil

6. Second Investigation At the second investigation students realise that both too much and too little water cannot preserve a plant And they seek out the appropriate soil combination in order to preserve plant’s life

7. Last Investigation At the third investigation students realise how pollutants can travel through soil and they examine their suggestions about dealing with pollution through practicing

8. TRIGGERING FORMULATION OF HYPOTHESIS EXPERIMENTATION CONCLUSIONS GENERALIZATION The Didactical / Educational Approach Scientific Method

9. TRIGGERING At TV news, newspapers, magazines etc there are many hints about contamination of underground water horizon caused by fertilizers, and chemicals used. These material can be used to trigger the students to discuss about the possible causes of contamination

10. FORMULATION OF HYPOTHESIS The students in groups formulate their hypotheses about how the pollutants reach to the underground water the ways of controlling the rate of the effusion, the appropriate methods which can prevent the pollutants entering the soil and the possible solutions for waste removal

11. EXPERIMENTATION To each group the following materials are provided: • A plastic cup • A plastic cup with small holes at the bottom • Ink • A basin full of soil • A small pump

12. EXPERIMENTATION The students expected (and the teacher guides the students properly) to: • create a small lake (L) pouring water to the soil • pour ink at the surface of the soil near to the lake (A) (represent the pollutant) • And pour water to the soil with the cup with the holes at the bottom (simulating the rain) A L

13. EXPERIMENTATION • then the students pumping water out from the opposite side of the basin (B) and they are simultaneously add fresh water • they see that firstly the water is not clean (it is blue) and gradually becomes clear • Thus they realize that the water can be decontaminate using the pumping method A B L

14. CONCLUSIONS • They are driving to the conclusion that the pollutants can easily reach underground water without be purred directly into underground water • And it is possible to remove the pollutants using the method of pumping.

15. Discussion No specific instructions are given to the students and they are expected to draw up by themselves the experimental process knowing only the objectives of the experiments and the given materials Inquiring Experimentation Instructional Approach according to Scientific Method

16. General Conclusions • Science Technology Society (STS) teaching umbrella • the huge interest that students showed from the beginning of the experimental procedures enforces the learning processand motivate them • students involved with measurement and instruments in a laboratory procedure • Sensitization of the students concerning environmental issues and sustainable development

17. http://micro-kosmos.uoa.gr

18. EXPERIMENTATION