A Science Webquest for 2nd Grade
Prepared by Gretchen Ide

Sarah and Eddie walked along the shore of the Winooski River one Saturday afternoon. The snow was melting, and the river was rushing with water. Sarah picked up a stone, and tossed it while she and Eddie talked.
     "This is a beautiful river," sighed Sarah.
     Eddie nodded. "I can't wait until the summer. My dad takes me canoeing here on the weekends. As soon as the snow melts some more, we'll get the canoes out.
     Sarah threw her stone into the river. "Neat! Will you take me canoeing someday? Then I can take you fishing with me sometime. My sister knows a great spot to catch lots of fish."
     Just then, Eddie knelt down by the water's edge. "Hey, what's that?" he asked. He pointed to a shiny object in the water.
     "It looks like a shiny rock," replied Sarah. But when she got closer to the water, she noticed what it really was. "It's a soda can," she mumbled. "And look over there, Eddie. There's a patch of gasoline in the water. See how it looks shiny and colorful? Oil is very bad for the animals who live in the water!"
     Eddie kicked the dirt. "Who would pollute this beautiful river?" he wondered.
     "I don't know," replied Sarah, "but we have to do something about it. Now."

How can we keep our rivers looking like this...	And not this?

Water pollution is a big problem. Rivers, lakes and oceans are being polluted by people, and businesses, and cities. Your challenge today is to help Sarah and Eddie learn more about water pollution and what they can do about it. Design a poster that will inform Sarah and Eddie's class about water pollution. On your poster, show two main causes of water pollution; tell about two important consequences of water pollution; and give one suggestion for how Sarah and Eddie could help solve the problem of water pollution.

Use the following web sites to help you find information about water pollution:

EPA Kid's Page	http://www.epa.gov/kids/water.htm
Water Education & Kids Corner	http://www.mojavewater.org/Mw800.htm
Ocean Pollution	http://www.jp.kids-commons.net/vc96/vc-13/ocean_pollution/ocean1.html
Water Pollution	http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/waterpollution.htm
Water Pollution	http://www.muohio.edu/dragonfly/water/h2oindex.htmlx
Muck, Stink, & Poison: A Guide for kids by Tiki	http://www.oneworld.net/penguin/pollution/pollution_home.html

If you need more information, use these search terms:

Key Words	Search Engines
water pollution ocean pollution water contamination	http://www.yahooligans.com http://www.google.com http://www.ajkids.com http://www.ithaki.net/kids/

 

This Web Quest was developed by Gretchen Ide. Any questions or comments should be directed to gide@zoo.uvm.edu

Page last modified 3-11-02