This activity develops students' understanding of climate by having them make in-depth examinations of historical climate patterns using both graphical and map image formats rather than presenting a general definition of climate. Students explore local climate in order to inform a pen pal what type of weather to expect during an upcoming visit. Students generate and explore a variety of graphs, charts, and map images and interpret them to develop an understanding of climate.

Before class, I prepare several "Darcy columns". These are plastic water bottles with a hole in the bottom that is covered with mesh and a rubber stopper. The bottles are filled with soil and water and are capped. One bottle is the reference bottle, with sand of height hs, and water of height hw, and a standard bottle diameter. Each of the remaining bottles are filled with one of the parameters varied: e.g., gravel instead of sand, silt instead of sand, sand of height 2hs instead of hs, water of height 2hw instead of hw, larger diameter bottle, etc. In class, student split into groups and each group is given a bottle, flexible ruler, funnel, graduated cylinder, and a large cup of water. As a group, they note the material type, measure the flow area, measure the height of porous material, and measure the difference in head across the porous material. Then they measure the flow rate, while maintaining a constant head. They repeat the flow measurement for their column, and then they repeat the process with one or more other columns, depending on the time available. Each group records their results on a table, and the class results are tabulated on the board. As a class, we discuss the whether or not their results follow Darcy's law. We also discuss the measurement errors, repeatability of the results, and the differences in flow rate for sand, gravel, and silt.

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Students learn about the techniques engineers have developed for changing ocean water into drinking water, including thermal and membrane desalination. They begin by reviewing the components of the natural water cycle. They see how filters, evaporation and/or condensation can be components of engineering desalination processes. They learn how processes can be viewed as systems, with unique objects, inputs, components and outputs, and sketch their own system diagrams to describe their own desalination plant designs.

Part 2 of offshore hydromechanics (OE4630) involves the linear theory of calculating 1st order motions of floating structures in waves and all relevant subjects such as the concept of RAOs, response spectra and downtime/workability analysis.

Offshore Hydromechanics includes the following modules:1. Hydrostatics, static floating stability, constant 2-D potential flow of ideal fluids, and flows in real fluids. Introduction to resistance and propulsion of ships. Review of linear regular and irregular wave theory. 2. Analytical and numerical means to determine the flow around, forces on, and motions of floating bodies in waves. 3. Higher order potential theory and inclusion of non-linear effects in ship motions. Applications to motion of moored ships and to the determination of workability. 4. Interaction between the sea and sea bottom as well as the hydrodynamic forces and especially survival loads on slender structures.

Volcanic debris flows (lahars) flow long distances, bury and aggrade river valleys, and cause long-term stream disturbances and dramatic landscape changes. Students will evaluate the nature, scale, and history of past lahars from Mount Rainier in a river valley and interpret the past and potential future impact on humans of lahars.

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This Ology website for kids focuses on Water. It includes activities, things to make, quizzes, interviews with working scientists, and more to help kids learn about Water.

In this activity, students will calculate the index of refraction of water by measuring the angles of incidence and refraction of light as it passes from air to water. They will follow directions to set up the experiment with cheaply available materials, make several measurements, then answer follow-up questions regarding the mathematical relationship between angles of incidence and refraction, experimental error and uncertainty.

For students that have already been introduced to the water cycle this lesson is intended as a logical follow-up. Students will learn about human impacts on the water cycle that create a pathway for pollutants beginning with urban development and joining the natural water cycle as surface runoff. The extent of surface runoff in an area depends on the permeability of the materials in the ground. Permeability is the degree to which water or other liquids are able to flow through a material. Different substances such as soil, gravel, sand, and asphalt have varying levels of permeability. In this lesson, along with the associated activities, students will learn about permeability and compare the permeability of several different materials for the purpose of engineering landscape drainage systems.

Students will write an informational essay explaining the What, Why and How of water monitoring. They will use information from videos and articles to write an essay. Includes Teacher directions and scoring notes.

Lab: Particle Size Analysis, Soil Texture, and Hydraulic Conductivity

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Pathogenic Microorganisms in Water: Traditionally, groundwater has been used without treatment because the soil acts as a filter, removing pathogenic microorganisms. Some potential sources of pathogens (or disease causing organisms) in groundwater include septic tanks, leaking sewer lines, sewage sludge, intentional groundwater recharge with sewage, irrigation with sewage, direct injection of sewage, domestic solid waste disposal (landfills) and sewage oxidation ponds. The objective of the session is to introduce hydrogeologist to the types of microorganisms, sources of pathogens, and a simple exercise that can be incorporated into a hydrogeology class.

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Students investigate how different riparian ground covers, such as grass or pavement, affect river flooding. They learn about permeable and impermeable materials through the measurement how much water is absorbed by several different household materials in a model river. Students use what they learn to make recommendations for engineers developing permeable pavement. Also, they consider several different limitations for design in the context of a small community.

These “Lecture Tutorials” are designed as illustrative review of individual lectures, followed with a series of questions aimed at addressing student misconceptions. 'Think Deeper' sections Foster personal connections to subject matter, and promote discussion. The general idea is that you lecture for 15-20 minutes, the students work through the lecture tutorials for 15-20 minutes, then the class discusses the answers together. These offer a consistent active learning formative assessment, and also act as study guides for students.

From drinking fountains at playgrounds, water systems in homes, and working bathrooms at schools to hydraulic bridges and levee systems, fluid mechanics are an essential part of daily life. Fluid mechanics, the study of how forces are applied to fluids, is outlined in this unit as a sequence of two lessons and three corresponding activities. The first lesson provides a basic introduction to Pascal's law, Archimedes' principle and Bernoulli's principle and presents fundamental definitions, equations and problems to solve with students, as well as engineering applications. The second lesson provides a basic introduction to above-ground storage tanks, their pervasive use in the Houston Ship Channel, and different types of storage tank failure in major storms and hurricanes. The unit concludes with students applying what they have learned to determine the stability of individual above-ground storage tanks given specific storm conditions so they can analyze their stability in changing storm conditions, followed by a project to design their own storage tanks to address the issues of uplift, displacement and buckling in storm conditions.

Students graph existing water quality data using MS Excel, and use the graphs to discuss the changes in discharge, sediment load, and dissolved load along the length of the river and over time. This exercise prepares students to analyze and discuss their own data later in the semester.

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Environmental and earth science students seldom have an opportunity to apply what they learn in class to the solution of real-world problems. With NSF support we have developed the prototype Plume Busters software, in which students take on the role of an environmental consultant. Following a pipeline spill, the environmental consultant is hired by the pipeline owner to locate the resulting plume created by the spill and remediate the contaminated aquifer at minimum monetary and time cost. The contamination must be removed from the aquifer before it reaches the river and eventually a downstream public water supply. The software consists of an interactive Java application and accompanying HTML linked pages. The application simulates movement of a plume from a pipeline break through a shallow alluvial aquifer towards the river. The accompanying web pages establish the simulated contamination scenario and provide students with background material on ground-water flow and transport principles. To make the role-play more realistic, the student must consider cost and time when making decisions about siting observation wells and wells for the pump-and-treat remediation system.

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Create hydrograph and explore changes in physical parameters on form of hydrograph. Set up is easy: water is sprinkled into a model watershed (sand in pop bottle) and allowed to dribble onto cheap digital scale. Students record weight of water over time, convert to volume, and then create hydrograph. More complicated pop-bottle watersheds can model effect of urbanization, antecedent moisture, changes in precipitation, changes in "soil" porosity/permeability, etc. SEE TEACHING MATERIALS AND TIPS FOR DETAILS!

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The students are exposed to a brief (approx. 5 minute) introduction/presentation on aquifers and groundwater including their geographical context, structure, and vocabulary.

The students receive everyday materials with different properties: Styrofoam block, scrubbing pad, etc, and a dropper bottle filled with water. They are not initially told what to do, but instead asked what they are going to do. The idea is to use the dropper bottle to put water on the objects and notice if the water passes through or not? They are also encouraged to notice any physical features that may be responsible for these behaviors. Students typically won't talk to each other at first and won't know what to do. Asking them guided questions usually encourages conversation between the students. They can also be asked what other everyday objects could be used for this exercise.

After they have explore everyday objects, they are introduced to a handsample of granite and a sandstone. Although they have not been exposed to rocks in lab, they can usually identify the granite right away, and the sandstone when about the size of the grains. They then will discuss the physical properties of the rocks and hypothesize what is more porous and permeable. They test this with the water dropper.

Finally, as a class, we discuss that something that is porous and permeable like a sandstone makes a good aquifer, and where good aquifers are located.

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