Water - State Inquiry Experience | Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

A Statewide Inquiry Experience - Wisconsin Water

Wisconsin Science Fesitval Logo Water can be an integral aspect of many scientific phenomena for student investigation as part of this Statewide Inquiry Experience. Projects can be conducted and shared anytime during the school year, though we particularly hope to share and build connections during Wisconsin Water Week, the Wisconsin Science Festival , the conference of the Wisconsin Association of Environmental Education, and the conference of the Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers. Below are ideas for a core shared lesson across the state and resources for sharing that lesson, as well as further resources, such as other water lessons linked to standards and grants for water projects.

A Core Lesson Idea and Sharing Work across the State with Siftr

While teachers are encouraged to use and share any science lessons related to water, we also encourage using a core data-collection lesson that can be visually shared throughout the year. The core lesson asks students to mark off a paved over area where water runs (like a parking lot) and sweep up what's in that area at multiple times through the year. They look for patterns in what water carries from these areas into their waterways and watershed, with some possible extension investigations of ecosystem impacts, chemical run-off impacts, and impacts on earth systems. Link to core lesson. Siftr map of Wisconsin image

As students conduct the core investigation or other classroom investigations, we encourage educators to share their data, lessons, student work, images, etc. through Siftr. At this link, you will first be asked to create a quick account, then you will: 1) upload an image of the work done (could be a screen shot of a lesson or image of students doing field work); 2) zoom in and pan to move a black dot onto the specific location on a map where the work was done; 3) select the type of item you're uploading - a water activity for others to access, a STEAM/STEM activity and related information, student generated data, existing professional water-related information (such as data); volunteering to support this work, or social studies related water projects; 4) add a description, ideally with a link, and note the related grade level as applicable. Done! Your project will then show up on the Wisconsin map (like that on the right). For more information on how to use Sifter, here is a basic Sifter guide.

You can also email Kevin to share your story in a format besides Sifter, such as an article or blog post. Here's one story from educator, Dennis Rohr, in Seymour, WI:

Newspaper article on Dennis Rohr's class' work to test private wells in the Seymour area.

Further Resources

Related Wisconsin organizations and resources

Wisconsin Science Festival - this statewide event encourages learning about and doing science across the state. They created a series of quick water lesson ideas, "snacks," that can be used across a range of grade levels (pdf file version).
Wisconsin Water Week - The Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Partnership will support the next "Wisconsin Water Week" on April 6-8, 2022. The goal is of Wisconsin Water is to bring together water stakeholdersand educators to share insights, ideas and inspiration for protecting and restoring the state's treasured and irreplaceable water resources.
Wisconsin water monitoring through DNR - includes data on lakes, streams, wetlands, and beaches, including historic data for analysis.
Citizen Lake Monitoring Network - The Citizen Lake Monitoring Network (CLMN) supports volunteers who collect a range of data on over 900 lakes. Staff provide volunteers (such as your class of students) with the necessary equipment and training to conduct these monitoring activities.
Wisconsin well testing through DNR
High capacity well information from DNR
Clean Boats, Clean Waters In this program, "inspectors" are trained to organize and conduct a boater education program in their community, where adults and youth teams educate boaters on how and where invasive species are most likely to hitch a ride.
Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS) - details on Wisconsin's aquifers, springs, teacher lessons, and groundwater maps
NEXT.cc - series of STEM-related "journeys" with ideas for activities and lists of related resources for background learning - water topics include acid rain, Great Lakes, hydropower, water convservation, and water quality.
USGS Upper Midwest Water Science Center in Middleton
Reflo Sustainable Water Solutions - has an amazing Milwaukee Community Map with water, environmental, and other data
Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
The Water Council – Milwaukee water business collaborative
UW-Milwaukee Freshwater Sciences Center
Wisconsin Sea Grant – Science for the Great Lakes, with their Coastal Resource Guide
American Geosciences Institute – map of water use in Wisconsin
Rock River Coalition
STEM Hero - a curriculum where students measure their own water conservation at home

Grants that could be used for water projects

Grants from Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers - several grants available up to $1000 for materials and professional development
DNR Surface Water Grants - grants for education and training related to local surface water bodies (e.g., lakes and rivers) up to $5,000, which can cover up to 67% of total project costs.
DPI OER Innovation Grants - grants of up to $10,000 for districts or district consortiums to create open-access materials to be housed in WISELearn
Donors Choose - the Herb Kohl Foundation has paid for all Wisconsin teacher projects here a couple times, so it's worth having something up

Wisconsin Standards for Science can be connected to water related student projects at every grade level. This table provides a list of ideas, including many lessons curated by NSTA (note: links go to an evaluation of the lesson, while actual links to the lessons are found in upper right corner through "view this resource" button)

Grade Level Idea(s) with WATER - all of these would be incorporated into a phenomenon-based unit	Related Science Standard(s)
Grade K Students grow and observe plants with and without water, possibly in a class garden or rain garden. They develop and test solutions to clean polluted water, stop pollution, or stop flooding. Water is Wonderful - how we use water Earth's Water - limited amount of water on Earth. What Do Plants Need? - design an investigation Severe Weather - Blizzards	LS1 - Energy in plants and animals ESS3 - Human impacts and natural hazards ETS1 - Engineering
Grade 1 Students design a solution for getting, storing, or cleaning water based on animal or plant structures, researching how local living things do this. They model water moving up plants using paper towels or other fibers and collect data about this process using colored water in celery. They design an investigation to show that sound and light can travel through water. Using Biomimicry to Solve a Problem Water Going up Celery Experiment - from Better Lesson	LS1 - Structures of plants and animals PS4 - Waves and information transfer ETS1 - Engineering
Grade 2 Students ask questions about local living things on land and water. They investigate and build evidence of similarities and differences between land and water organisms. Students design solutions to keep ice from melting or water from freezing. Students use mathematical thinking to compare how water can cause slow and fast changes to the land. Students use maps, images, and personal observations to build up evidence for water changing the land. Do Plants Need Water? Erosion Eats Away a Cliff - video is from California, but relates to WI Build a Watershed Model - lesson from PBS Where is Water Found on Earth? - 5E lesson from Better Lesson Let's Compare Erosion Design Solutions	LS2.A – Ecosystems PS1.B – Chemical Reactions ESS2 – Earth’s Systems
Grade 3 Students model relationships of local organisms in the water with food webs. They argue with evidence about how flooding or droughts affect living things. They design an investigation where water provides different forces on other things. Students organize data for weather and freeze/thaw cycles in tables. They design and test a method to prevent erosion or stop a house from being flooded. Why Do Animals Go There? - Illustrated book reading Coordinating a Record of the Past - connecting fossils to habitats Investigating Monthly Temperatures and Precipitation Waterproof the Roof - engineering activity	LS2.A – Ecosystems PS2.A - Forces and Motion ESS2.D – Weather and Climate ESS3.B – Natural Hazards ETS1 - Engineering
Grade 4 Students design and conduct an investigation to show that moving water can transfer energy. They design and test solar water heaters, also creating and revising a model of heat transfer in them. They use water to create models of waves with different properties. They use a water table model and their local community to explain effects of erosion and weathering by water or ice. They evaluate solutions to prevent flooding. Save Our Shore - could be applied to WI erosion Modeling a Glacier in the Classroom Exploring Erosion Stations Movement of Earth Materials - 5E lesson that includes erosion concepts Waterwheels and Energy Transfer Feel the Heat: Designing a Solar Water Heater Lunar Thermos - preventing energy transfer w/ liquids Making Waves - Energy movement through water	PS3 - Energy PS4 - Waves ESS2 – Earth’s Systems ETS1 - Engineering
Grade 5 Students ask questions as they observe and compare properties of water from different sources (hard v. softened, river v. tap, etc.). They conduct investigations to demonstrate the conservation of matter in a change of state of water. They develop a model showing the flow of water within and among ecosystems, including its role in photosynthesis. They revise these models to also include the geosphere. They develop graphs or analyze data about the locations and quantities of salt and fresh water in the world. National Geographic Geochallenge - teams of 4th-8th graders, for 2019-20 the challenge is tackling plastic pollution in waterways Over and Under the Pond - book about a pond ecosystem Wetlands Ecosystems Investigations Building a Biosphere to Live on Mars - how would you get water? Tracking Water with Satellite Data Think, Design, Build - Water Filtration Activity Cleaning a Simulated Oil Spill States of Matter Exploration - structure and properties of matter Oil Spills Clean-Up - learning about separating mixtures Sugar Water - what does it mean to dissolve in water?	PS1 - Structure and Properties of Matter LS2 - Ecosystems ESS2 – Earth’s Systems
Grade 6-8 Earth Science Students use home or school water meters to collect data on water usage, then implement and analyze the efficacy of multiple water saving measures. National Geographic Geochallenge - teams of 4th-8th graders, for 2019-20 the challenge is tackling plastic pollution in waterways Water Cycle Activity Next Generation Climate - series of six lessons on climate change Seasonal Changes on Land and Water - looking at cycles Plastic, Plastic, Everywhere - study of marine debris - plastic bags Where's the Water? - series of lessons on drought Flash Flood Fantasy - investigation with stream trays Erosion on School Grounds	ESS2 - Earth's Systems ESS3 - Human Impacts ETS1 - Engineering
Grade 6-8 Physical Science Students observe changes in properties of ice as it is heated and create a model showing changes in molecular motion during this process. They design and test a solar cooker to make s'mores, evaluating the heat transfer in varying designs. Design an experiment to evaluate how well sound in transferred through various media, including water. Phase Changes - from American Chemical Society Energy of Moving Water - hydroelectric power Save the Penguins - thermal energy transfer and engineering design Melting Ice - hands-on measurements and computer simulation Sound Waves and Ocean Waves - animal communication underwater	PS1 - Matter and Its Interactions PS2 - Motion and Forces PS3 - Energy ETS1 - Engineering
Grade 6-8 Life Science Students create a model showing the journey of water molecules through multiple living systems and the environment. Students design and implement strategies to limit the spread of invasive aquatic species, along with modeling ecosystems with and without these species. Students collect data on local bodies of water (chemicals present, macroinvertebrates present, etc.) to determine their health, and then design solutions to support these systems (such as rain gardens for parking lot runoff). Explaining How Plants Make Food HHMI Coral Bleaching Modeling Marine Food Webs - would adapt to a WI aquatic food web	LS1 - Structure and function LS2 - Ecosystems ETS1 - Engineering
Grade 9-12 Earth Science Students analyze water chemistry data they collect in their community and from others across the state. This could be testing in private wells or public waterways, looking for trends relative to human impacts (e.g., farming, industry) and natural minerals (e.g., lead). They create scientifically possible maps of surface and subsurface features of a fictional world, providing a rationale for how they look. They develop a mock-up of a simulation that would predict long-term changes in landforms across their region given current water flow trends. They collect and analyze evidence for water on other planets and moon, relating it to processes through geologic time on the earth. Tracking Groundwater Pollution: A Hazardous Whodunit Mock Town Meeting on a Proposed Chemical Storage Tank Evaluating Ice Core Data Will There Be Enough Freshwater? Plastics in Our Water (article) - students investigate, design solutions, and DO something about this crisis!	ESS2 - Earth Systems ESS3 - Human Impacts (also) PS1 - Chemical Properties and LS2 - Ecosystems
Grade 9-12 Physical Science Students model the unique phenomena related to water made possible through hydrogen bonding and polar molecules (e.g. surface tension). They connect properties of water to engineering problem-solving and engineering constraints. They design and test hydroelectric generators with local water sources, modeling the full pathway of energy transfers involved in the system. They use mathematical representations to compare the frequency, wavelength, or speed of waves (i.e., sound and light) through water and air. Surface Tension of Water Investigations Designing a Solar Water Heater Physics Calorimetry Lab - w/ hot and cold water	PS1 - Chemical Properties & Reactions PS3 - Energy PS4 - Waves ETS1 - Engineering
Grade 9-12 Life Science Students analyze and compare the role of water across biochemical processes in organisms (e.g. cellular respiration, photosynthesis, immune system functions, growth, etc.) and connect that to the properties of water molecules. They design and compare investigations that test multiple waste water treatment strategies for a small town. They develop a model, using evidence, to support the idea of why not to drink too much water. Provide evidence for the boundaries chosen for the study of natural systems that include water runoff and aquatic organisms. Students evaluate evidence and make reasoned claims for evolution of life happening underwater near hydrothermal vents. Systems and Homeostasis - investigating the death of a football player Human Homestasis Simulation Assessment Probe - Which Bacterium Will Dry Out Last? - from a formative assessment series by Page Keeley	LS1 - Structure & Function LS2 - Ecosystems LS4 - Evolution ETS1 - Engineering

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Water - State Inquiry Experience

A Statewide Inquiry Experience - Wisconsin Water

A Core Lesson Idea and Sharing Work across the State with Siftr

Further Resources

Grade Level Idea(s) with WATER - all of these would be incorporated into a phenomenon-based unit

Related Science Standard(s)