Activity

Constructing an aquifer model

In this activity, students build an aquifer model and examine how water gets into an aquifer system.

A homemade aquifer model.

Aquifer model

In this activity, students use simple materials to build an aquifer model. The model provides a visual demonstration of how water gets underground and the connections between groundwater and surface water.

Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

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

  • discuss the part groundwater plays in the water cycle

  • describe the various pathways precipitation can take once it falls to the ground – infiltration, run-off, evaporation and uptake by plants

  • discuss the link between groundwater, surface water and the water table.

Building an aquifer model

In this video, educator Angela Schipper demonstrates how to build a model of an aquifer.

Rights: The University of Waikato

Download the Word file (see below) for:

  • introduction/background notes

  • what you need

  • what to do

  • student handout.

Related content

Follow up with the activity Groundwater contamination – it uses the same lunch box set-up to show how pollutants enter into groundwater and surface water.

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 2009Updated: 1 October 2012