Application of Environmental Assessment in a Secondary Earth & Environmental Science Classroom: Lesson Plans on Water Quality

Abstract

Water is essential for life, yet increased urbanization and industrial activities from growing populations threaten its quality and availability. Freshwater ecosystems that provide drinking water, recreation, aquatic habitat, and countless other services are being damaged by pollution, while problems like eutrophication and climate change worsen water quality. Water quality can be determined through the assessment of physical, chemical, and biological factors. Using a variety of parameter measurements from among these factors, a water quality index (WQI) can turn values into an aggregated score that describes the overall condition of a water body. WQI scores can then be used to inform policymaking, guide water management, and track the health of water bodies over time as pollution mitigation and water restoration efforts take place. Surface water classifications further the effort of resource protection by identifying appropriate uses of water. Surface water classification systems group water bodies based on physicochemical, biological, and physical characteristics. In North Carolina, these classification systems play an important role by allowing for water health assessment, resource management, and the insurance of safety and cleanliness for recreational and drinking water supplies. Specifically in North Carolina, surface water quality is facing considerable threat from point and nonpoint source pollutions in the form of emerging contaminants and “forever chemicals.” Chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) persist in the environment and cause human health problems. Regulatory agencies are actively working to monitor and learn more about these chemicals so that further contamination can be prevented and water quality protected and restored.

Education offers an opportunity to address water quality issues by offering relevant and poignant lessons and projects that promote environmental stewardship. Schools are essential in teaching water conservation and sustainable practices that ultimately empower future generations to maintain clean water. For this project, lesson plans for a secondary Earth and Environmental Science course were designed to introduce and explore the topics of water quality indices, surface water classification, and water pollutants in North Carolina.