Activity

Groundwater contamination

In this activity, students build an aquifer model to look at point source and non-point source pollution.

By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

  • explain how pollutants are dissolved and/or carried into groundwater and surface water

  • discuss how polluted groundwater may lead to polluted lakes or rivers.

Download the Word file (see link below) for:

  • introduction/background notes

  • what you need

  • what to do

  • student handout.

Point source contamination

In this video, educator Angela Schipper demonstrates how to build an aquifer model and simulate a point source contamination of the groundwater.

Rights: The University of Waikato

Non-point source contamination

In this video, educator Angela Schipper demonstrates how to build an aquifer model and simulate a non-point source contamination of the groundwater.

Rights: The University of Waikato

Related content

This activity is a great follow up to the activity Constructing an aquifer model – where students build an aquifer model and examine how water gets into the aquifer system.

These additional videos, Non-point source contamination and Point source contamination, offer additional help on how to use these activities in the classroom.

Find out here how the year 3 team at Hillcrest Normal School used our resources to teach about groundwater and pollution.

Published: 3 June 2009,Updated: 1 October 2012