Pea Soup Ponds: Algae Investigation & Analysis for Water Quality
Students model pollution by algal bloomsCopyright 2004 Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA. All rights reserved.
In this activity, students learn how water can be polluted by algal blooms. They grow algae with different concentrations of fertilizer or nutrients and analyze their results as environmental engineers working to protect a local water resource.
Engineers strive to create situations in which water is usable by humans or other living organisms, including plant and animal life. Algae is one method in which engineers can determine the relative health of a water source. For example, a pond with high concentrations of algae will have low oxygen levels. Engineers would test and monitor this water source to ensure that the algae levels return to normal levels, creating a safe habitat for its consumers. Effective pollution control strategies or water treatment technologies would be employed to return the water to its normal condition.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Determine the effects of fertilizers on algae growth.
- Discuss how algae can become a problem for stream habitats and engineered processes if too much of it grows in a stream or pond.
- Mathematically represent algae growth in the form of a graph and chart.
- Develop a basic engineering presentation to explain the results of their algae investigation and what course of action could be taken next.