Ice-Cream or Is It? - Students Making Edible Aquifers
By Mark Butler, Dry Creek Watershed Coordinator, Blount County, Alabama
Students learn about forestry at the "Classroom in a Forest" field day. add alt info.
The title may be confusing to some readers, but not to the students in Mrs. Marsh’s classroom at the Multi-Needs Center located in Cleveland, Alabama.
Blount County Soil & Water Conservation District employees Polly Morris, Mark Butler and volunteer Addie Butler were invited to present a program for the students on water conservation.
The conservation team decided to present the Edible Aquifer lesson for the students. The Edible Aquifer is a fun and easy way for the students to learn about the geologic formations in an aquifer, how pollution can get into the groundwater, and how pumping can cause a decline in the water table.
Each student built their own Edible Aquifer using gummy animals, Sprite, ice-cream, colored sprinkles, and chocolate sprinkles. As the students built their aquifer they learned about confining layers, contamination, recharge, and water tables. After patiently listening and following directions, the students were able to eat their creation.
Back to the title...some of the students were not too sure about eating their creation because they were not sure if it was ice-cream or soil. But after reassuring them that it was not soil, all the students except one did indeed consume their aquifers.
The presentation concluded with a discussion on ways to conserve water and some conservation practices to help preserve our natural resources for future generations.
For more information about this presentation or others, contact the Blount County SWCD/NRCS office at 205-274-2363 extension 3.