Lesson 4- Managing Excess Nutrients
About
The fourth video and lesson in the Groundswell Communities for Clean Water series discusses excess nutrients and the impact of excess nutrients on water quality.
More About This Resource
Students explore the impact of excess nutrients - a significant type of nonpoint source pollution affecting the Lower Grand River Watershed- by visualizing the effects of nutrients on plant growth and simulating a task force to address nutrient issues.
Students answer these essential questions in the context of the Lower Grand River Watershed:
- What are nutrients?
- What are the sources and effects of nutrients?
- How can we reduce the amount of nutrients in a stream or river?
As you explore this resource, you will find a lesson designed for use with grades 7-12, Managing Excess Nutrients.
Groundswell partnered with WGVU and the GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute to create educational videos and lesson plans about nonpoint source pollution. This type of pollution is one of the biggest threats to healthy lakes, streams, and rivers.
What are Excess Nutrients?
Managing Excess Nutrients
Designed as an introduction to non-point source sediment pollution, this video discusses the management of excess nutrients in a watershed, particularly how excess nutrients impact the Lower Grand River Watershed in Michigan.
Lesson Four - Explore
Explore: Excess Nutrients Investigation
Investigate! Students design an experiment to determine the effects of nutrients on algal growth or the growth of aquatic plants, such as duckweed.
Download Lesson Four Explore: Excess Nutrients Investigation
Lesson Four - Explain
Explain: Data Analysis
Students explore the patterns of nitrogen and phosphorus inputs in the Lower Grand River Watershed by looking at the nitrogen and phosphorus loadings in selected sub-watersheds and drawing conclusions about which sites are critical areas for action to reduce nutrient inputs.
Download Lesson Four Explain: Data Analysis
Lesson Four - Elaborate
Elaborate: Reducing Nutrient Loads
Students formulate a plan to reduce nutrient loads on their school grounds.
Download Lesson Four Elaborate: Reducing Nutrient Loads
Lesson Four- Full Lesson
Managing Excess Nutrients
Explore and download the full content of Lesson Plan 4: Managing Excess Nutrients, which focuses on excess nutrients as a major type of nonpoint source pollution affecting the Lower Grand River Watershed. This lesson encourages students to observe, model, research, and explore how to reduce excess nutrients in a watershed.