EnviroScape Watershed Activity Script

Materials:
● EnviroScape model
● Example contaminants and pollutants
● 6 spray bottles with water
Location:
● Indoor classroom setting
Duration:
● 6-10 minutes

Introduction: (Explanation of definitions and describing the model)

● To demonstrate what we just talked about we will be using this model as an example of a
watershed, just like the one you guys have here in your town!
○ Optional question: does anyone remember what a watershed is?
● A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains down into a single river or a
body of water, and most importantly it is where we get our drinking water!
● On this model, this particular watershed drains into this lake, and right now it is a very
clean lake where all the animals like to go to, and many people enjoy
● We all live in a watershed! In this watershed model, we can see that there are houses
where people live. A construction area where more houses are being built, there are
tractors and big machines. There is a mountain area where many people can go to enjoy a
nice day outside. A factory, which is important because this is where people work. Here
is a farm, for growing food and there are many animals on a farm like these cows and
pigs. There are also roads where we all walk and drive on.
● A problem we can get is when people do not always take care of their watershed and a
bunch of contaminants and pollution gets added to watersheds.
○ Optional question: who knows what a contaminant or pollutant is?
 ○ Optional question: what is the source of all these contaminants? Who adds these
contaminants into the environment and water?
● Let me show you some examples of problems that people can create when they are not
taking care of their watershed

Oil:
● Do you guys remember the truck in the construction area? Unfortunately everywhere it
goes, it leaves a trail of oil behind it.
● This tractor on the farm also leaks oil wherever it goes and same with all the cars you see
driving on the roads and through neighborhoods.
○ *Add oil onto the model

Factory:
● This factory is very helpful to us by giving people jobs and making things that we need
but sometimes factories pollute the environment by releasing chemicals that they use
○ *Pour the chemical into the factory
● As you guys can see anything that the factory does not need is released, and it drains
down this river and is going straight into the beautiful, clean lake that we had

Pesticides and herbicides:

● Let's take a look at these houses, the man living in this house, who I know very well, has
a son, and when his son was a baby, he was often outside playing in the yard. But one
day, the man’s son sat on a fire ant's nest, and he got bit all over by the fire ants. The man
was very upset and decided to go to the store to buy all of the pesticides that he could and
sprayed it all over his yard and his neighbors’ yards so that there were no more fire ants
○ *Add pesticide
● This farmer also uses pesticides, when there are bugs eating his crops, he sprays
pesticides all around his crops to protect against all of the insects.
○ *Add more pesticide
 ● Insects are not the only problems that this farmer has, he also has weeds that he does not
need and is causing his crops to not grow as strong and healthy as he wants them to be.
So, in order to get rid of the weeds and plants that he does not need, he uses herbicides.
○ *Add herbicide to the farm

Animal Waste:
● Let's take a look over here where the farmer has his cows and pigs. Cows produce a lot of
milk but what do they also make a lot of? Poop!
○ *Add cow poop
● Not just cows but the pigs make poop too, and it is all over the landscape on the farm
○ *Add more poop
● This is not just with farm animals, who has a dog as a pet? Whenever dogs need to go to
the bathroom they go outside! So there is also poop in neighborhoods too!
○ *Add poop in the neighborhood

Trash/Litter:
● Whenever it is a nice warm day outside, many people enjoy going outside to places like
this mountain and field area, and near the lake to play in the water. Many people may
also bring food or snacks to eat if they get hungry while playing outside. But sometimes
plastic bags and containers that the food was in falls out or gets blown away by the wind
○ *Add trash and litter to the model

Conclusion:
● So, right now people are not taking care of this landscape, this watershed very well.
There are all sorts of chemicals and pollutants all over the place. The people who live in
this watershed did not take very good care of their watershed.
● They used too much pesticide and herbicides. They haven’t been taking very good care of
their cars, trucks, and tractors so there is oil everywhere. Their factory has a big leak and
is spreading chemicals everywhere.
● Here is the problem, so what happens when it rains? If you guys remember in a
watershed, any water that is released onto the landscape ends up draining and gathering
to one place
● I will now need a few volunteers to come up here to help me make it rain on this
watershed
○ Call up volunteers (about 6)
● Now everybody, make it rain! Keep going and make it rain, keep spraying the water!
● And when it rains, everything goes down into this beautiful and clean lake. The lake that
all the animals enjoyed and all the people who live here enjoyed. Look at what it looks
like now, that beautiful lake now has this yucky and dirty water that is full of
contaminants. All of the pesticides, herbicides, oil, animal poop, and plastic that people
left behind is now all in the lake. Even the turtle here who lived at the lake is now very
sad because his home is now dirty and unsafe for him.
○ Optional question: do you guys know who else is sad?
○ The people are also sad because this is where they get their drinking water!
● So that yucky water that the people polluted is now where they need to get their drinking
water from and when the pumps bring the water up this is the dirty water that they are left
with
○ *Pull out the container with the contaminated water
● So today we want to talk about watersheds and what we can do to better take care of our
watersheds.
● What should we do about this? What can we do to help?
○ *have children guess and brainstorm
○ Potential answers: pick up trash if you see any, pick up after your pets, walk or
ride your bike, use natural pesticides and fertilizers, composting
Main takeaways:
● A watershed is a place that drains to a single location and if we don't take care of our
watersheds, it will contaminate the water and create a problem because that is often
where the community gets their drinking water
● Everything we drinks comes from a watershed
● Leave them with a task to do that will improve water in the environment
○ Ex: potential answers from the conclusion
List of Questions and Ideas:

Project WET Incredible Journey Activity (water cycle)

● Would this activity work in a classroom setting? Is there enough space?
● Would this be the first activity or second activity?
● Idea of having multiple dye for each station instead of just one
● Would having two dice at each station help the flow of students or change organized
chaos to actual chaos? (in terms of supervision)

EnviroScape Activity
● How do we determine which children get to use the spray bottle? How many spray
bottles are there?
● Which contaminant factors are most applicable to people in Brazil? (are road salts and
pesticides commonly used?)

Which previous powerpoint should we look at for these presentation/activities?