What's Up With Our Water?: Home

Explore: What's Up with Our Water?

Read:    Hurray for the Clean Water Act

From Wisconsin DNR’s Environmental Education for Kids or EEK!

Flip back in time to 1972...Wisconsin's waterways were in serious trouble. An increase in people and manufacturing, along with the use of laundry detergents with high phosphate levels were overwhelming some wastewater treatment plants. A large amount of waste was discharged into lakes and streams. Many of Wisconsin's industries, the dairies, breweries, papermakers, and vegetable canneries were big water users that also sent their wastes into Wisconsin waters. Some waterways became wastelands of smelly water and floating sludge. All over the country people were concerned about how we use water and they let their representatives in Washington D.C. know it. The result was the Clean Water Act and its goals of making water "fishable and swimmable."  

Continue and read more:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/earth/cleanWaterActBirthday.htm

Watch: Clean Water Act:  Better at Age 40

from Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

 

Think: What's Up with Wisconsin Water Today?

Think:  Wisconsin's water: valuable, vulnerable, vanishing?

Wisconsinites are fortunate to be surrounded by beautiful waters where we can swim, fish, boat or simply enjoy the view from one of the state’s hundreds of beaches, parks or piers.

The cultural and economic importance of Wisconsin’s lakes, rivers and streams cannot be overstated. That’s why Clean Wisconsin works hard year-round to protect our wonderful waters.

Read and Watch More Stories:  http://cleanwisconsin.org/cleanwater

Do: What Does Clean Water Mean to You?

What Does Clean Water Mean to You?

Watch the short video below curtousy of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). Then create a 15 second video response. The best videos will be used as commercials in our class's news story. View videos others have submitted through Youtube.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w29STRShG5Q

More Information - Explore the Problem

Click This:

EPA Region 5 Clean Up Sites:
From the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Lower Fox River and Green Bay Site
Background Page

Clean Wisconsin:
http://cleanwisconsin.org/cleanwater

Clean Water Act 40th Anniversary Website

Wisconsin DNR’s EEK
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/earth/pathtocleanwater.htm

Watch This:
After the Storm by Weather Channel and the EPA
Non-Point Source Pollution
How farmers can help clean our waters

Read This:

Articles can be found in Badgerlink

Unsafe for Swimming, E: the Environmental Magazine Jul/Aug2012

EPA Tells Wisconsin DNR it Doesn’t Meet Federal Water Standards,

By Tony Walter of the Greenbay Press Gazette

EPA approves Wisconsin's phosphorous pollution plan

By Lee Bergquist of the Journal Sentinel

 

 

 

Timeline

Week   Learning/Content  Activites  Assessment
1. Background knowledge about what clean water means to them. Readings/videos What water means to you- 15 second video
2. Read information about watersheds Erosion/Watershed Lab

3D Watershed

3.  Research your position. What makes up a feature newstory? Take notes on a news show like 20/20

Discussion/Blog

Letter to the Editor

4.  Script and film Write script. Students need to take a position on their role. Students will complete a 2-3 minute news cast which will be video taped.