John Reese East Middle School reesej@binghamtonschools.org

Introduction

“Water, water every where,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water everywhere,

Nor any drop to drink”

Samuel Coleridge

Clean drinking water is a necessity for life. Chemicals, dirt, parasites, and sewage can jeopardize the safety and quality of potable water. We sometimes take this natural resource for granted. Only 3% of the Earth’s water considered “freshwater” and 1/3 of that 3% is available to us in groundwater, lakes, rivers, and streams. Even though water is a renewable natural resource, monitoring and conserving water is important to the health of future generations.

Where does drinking water come from in Broome County, NY? What policies exist to protect this natural resource? How can you, as an individual, increase awareness on this topic?

Task

You were just hired, by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create a six page brochure to raise citizen awareness of the water quality in Broome County, NY. Use the PPA approach to social problem solving to create your brochure.

Process

Page 1	Title Page – Clearly state the social problem of the Susquehanna River’s water quality in the Broome County NY Region. Identify the problem
Page 2	Illustrated map of Susquehanna River with Binghamton, NY clearly labeled. Map page will also include five facts about the Susquehanna River. Gather the evidence for the problem
Page 3	What are four causes of poor water quality along the Susquehanna River in our region. Determine the causes for the problem
Page 4	Research a freshwater policy, such as the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, or Endangered Species Act. Effectiveness? Evaluate an existing public policy
Page 5	What are three solutions for improving the water quality along the Susquehanna River? Develop solutions for the problem
Page 6	Choose the best solution

Resources

Susquehanna River – Wikipedia

Susquehanna River – Green Works

Susquehanna River Basin Commission

Susquehanna River Trail

Susquehanna River Watershed

US Environmental Protection Agency

Safeguarding Freshwater

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Clean Water Protection Act

Water Conservation Act

Ground Water and Drinking Act

Evaluation

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Attractiveness & Organization	The brochure has exceptionally attractive formatting and well-organized information.	The brochure has attractive formatting and well-organized information.	The brochure has well-organized information.	The brochure's formatting and organization of material are confusing to the reader.
Accuracy	All facts in the brochure are accurate.	99-90% of the facts in the brochure are accurate.	89-80% of the facts in the brochure are accurate.	Fewer than 80% of the facts in the brochure are accurate.
Writing - Organization	Each section in the brochure has a clear beginning, middle, and end.	Almost all sections of the brochure have a clear beginning, middle and end.	Most sections of the brochure have a clear beginning, middle and end.	Less than half of the sections of the brochure have a clear beginning, middle and end.
Spelling & Proofreading	No spelling errors remain after one person other than the typist reads and corrects the brochure.	No more than 1 spelling error remains after one person other than the typist reads and corrects the brochure.	No more than 3 spelling errors remain after one person other than the typist reads and corrects the brochure.	Several spelling errors in the brochure.
Content	The brochure includes all the items listed.	The brochure includes all but one of the required items.	The brochure is lacking 2 or 3 of the required items.	The brochure is lacking more than 3 required items.

Conclusion

Conserving natural resources is an important and challenging mission. Your role in using this webquest and creating a PPA brochure should reinforce your commitment to promote environmental awareness. The Susquehanna River is not only a geographic part of our community, but a vital supply of clean drinking water. Protecting the river’s water quality is all of our responsibilities.

Standards

Science Standards

Science Standard 1: The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing, creative process.

Science Standard 4, Key Idea 5: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.

Science Standard 4, Key Idea 6: Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the physical and living environment

English Language Arts Standards

Standard 1:   Language for Information and Understanding

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

Standard 3:   Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

Standard 4:   Language for Social Interaction

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. Students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.