Fourth graders love all things science, especially in Huntington UFSD. The youngsters at Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School and Woodhull Intermediate School will be participating in the North Shore Land Alliance’s Long Island water education program.
A grant associated with the district will cover costs of bringing the program to students. North Shore Land Alliance educator Karen Mossey will be making the presentations. “Making An Aquifer” kits will be utilized during the program.
“The overall goal of the program is to create awareness of where our drinking water comes from and how human activity influences our surface water and groundwater,” according to the organization. “The underlying theme is the value of open space.”
The two hour program is presented in a pair of separate sessions. During the first session, students will learn about the amount of salt water and fresh water on Earth and understand why water is a limited resource. The youngsters will work in groups of three and discuss the following questions: Where does our drinking water come from? How many people do we share our drinking water with? How can our drinking water become polluted? Students will also learn that Long Island’s drinking water comes from an aquifer. They will become familiar with the concept of permeability while constructing an aquifer using sand, clay, gravel and water. Finally, students will see the impact insecticides have on our aquifer.
During session two, students will discuss forms of precipitation and learn about the annual precipitation in Long Island and the role it plays in our lives. They will participate in an experiment focusing on precipitation on open space vs. developed space. A fun review game will be played to wrap up the program.
The North Shore Land Alliance is a not-for-profit land trust formed to protect and preserve, in perpetuity, the green spaces, farmlands, wetlands, groundwater and historical sites of Long Island’s north shore for the enhancement of quality of life and benefit of future generations.
To learn more about North Shore Land Alliance visit www.northshorelandalliance.org.