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Technology and Innovation: Engineering a Public Water System

Learning Experience 3

Big Ideas

The natural environment coupled with  human design and ingenuity provided solutions to the public health problems of the late 1700s to create a clean, fresh and delicious drinking water system for Philadelphia.

Summary

There are many ways to move water.  Discover how these engineering methods were applied to the new drinking water system.

Engage

This engage activity will need to take place outside,  but first start inside with the Slide Deck questions.  You will be outside  to simulate a bucket brigade to help your students think about how people in Philadelphia were able to move water (to fight fires)  in a time before connected pipes and plumbing systems, and have a good time doing it. All set up instructions can be found in the SLIDE DECK and MATERIALS tab.

Explore and Explain

Students will explore the water distribution as a system in this activity through Learning Stations either individually or as a whole class. 

Use this Activity worksheet for all the stations

Station Activity Worksheet (For all stations) 

STATION #1: WATER IS HEAVY

STATION #2: MAPPING THE ROUTE TO WATER

STATION #3: PUMPING WATER UP

STATION #4 ENGINEERING A WATER SYSTEM

Elaborate

Watch  Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center History Video (VIMEO). Students may have already seen it in the previous learning experience, but even if they have, this time focus on the engineering ingenuity.

Visit the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center  

Find helpful resources in the MATERIALS TAB

How Stuff Works-Water Towers
How Stuff Works-Aqueducts
USGS Wells

See Slide Deck for Final reflection prompts/questions

Extensions

Invite a firefighter to visit to talk about careers, fighting fires, hydrants, and the use of water.

Invite a water department engineer to talk about careers, water delivery systems and the use of water.

Allow students to engage in a larger project regarding water delivery systems. This larger project could include videos, tri-fold displays, models, essays, and computerized slide shows.

Research water distribution systems in modern times in both developed and developing countries. Students can also research water distribution systems in ancient times and those that are planned for the future. Ancient, modern, and futuristic systems can be compared and contrasted.

Teacher Support

Essential Question:
What does it take for us to drink a glass of fresh, clean, delicious water?

Guiding Questions:

Engage:

How did Philadelphia deal with access to water before an underground system or infrastructure was built?

How did they fight fires, clean streets, feed animals?

Explore and Explain, and Elaborate:

What naturally occurring systems can aid in the delivery of water?
How can an engineered system aid in the delivery of water?

Students will be able to:

Engage:

Experience the challenges of moving water from one place to the other before we had a public water system.
Discuss the bucket method with our current population (1.6 million people.).

Explore and Explain:

Explore, document and analyze the factors (weight, travel distance, direction/route, elevation, gravity) that contribute to the development of systems for moving water.

Elaborate:

Analyze the impact of each of these factors:
– Weight (equivalent to one bucket of water)
– Travel Distance 5’
– Direction/route (optional)
– Elevation: minimum 2’ (water will be moved from a low source to a high point of collection for use
– Gravity: defy it by moving the water from a low point to a high point

Engage

  • 10 buckets (or containers)
  • Water source (hose, sink)
  • Tank for Collecting Water

Preparation: This activity is recommended as an outdoor activity.  (Students may get wet!)

Explore and Explain

Station Activity Worksheet (for all stations) 

Station #1:   Water is Heavy!

  • Gallon Containers
  • Scale (optional)

Station #2:  Mapping the Route to Water

Station #3:  Pump Station

  • Bilge Pump
  • Two buckets and water
  • Towels and sponges for clean up
  • Worksheet (Stations Document – Station 3)
  • Watershed Journal

Station #4:  Engineering Systems for Moving Water

  • Containers of various sizes
  • Cups
  • Straws
  • Tubes or cardboard tubing
  • Buckets

Resources:

BASIC WORDS:
Engineering noun
The application of science and mathematics by which the properties of matter and the sources of energy in nature are made useful to people.

Hydrant noun
An upright water pipe, especially one in a street, with a nozzle to which a fire hose can be attached.

Reservoir noun
A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply.

Scale noun
Relationship between distance on a map and the correspondence distance on the ground.

Steam Engine noun
An engine that uses the expansion or rapid condensation of steam to generate power.

Turbine noun
A machine for producing continuous power in which a wheel or rotor, typically fitted with vanes, is made to revolve by a fast-moving flow of water, steam, gas, air, or other fluid.

Water Tower noun
A tower supporting an elevated water tank, whose height creates the pressure required to distribute the water through a piped system.

Water Wheel noun
A large wheel driven by flowing water, used to work machinery or to raise water to a higher level.

ADVANCED WORDS:
Aqueduct noun
An artificial channel for conveying water, typically in the form of a bridge supported by tall columns across a valley.

Explore, document and analyze the factors (weight, travel distance, direction/route, elevation, gravity) that contribute to the development of systems for moving water.

Analyze (in writing) the impact of each of these factors.​
– Weight (equivalent to one bucket of water)
– Travel Distance 5 feet
– Direction/route (optional)
– Elevation: minimum 2 feet (water will be moved from a low source to a high point of collection for use)
– Gravity: defy it by moving the water from a low point to a high point

Design a Model (Individually after group project) (students engineer and build the model with teacher’s help or the help of a makers lab faculty member) of a water distribution system that moves water from one place to the other using pumps, pipes, water wheels, gears, and/or gravity.
– Identify the problem
– Develop guiding questions
– Illustrate/Draw the model and how the parts work together including brief explanatory text
– (Optional) Use appropriate technology (component parts) to build your model

Reflection: Use your notes in the Watershed Journal. Articulate the challenges of distributing water and describe the role that gravity plays in an engineered system of distributing water throughout a city.

PA STEELS

Environmental Literacy and Sustainability

3.4.6-8.G Sustainability and Stewardship: Obtain and communicate information to describe how best resource management practices and environmental laws are designed to achieve environmental sustainability.

Related Standards

ELA- W.6.4  Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

EfS C.6 The Dynamics of Systems and Change – Identify simple and complex systems in everyday life by recognizing specific parts of these systems and describing their interdependence as well as the circular or causal connections among them.

Student Materials

Student Worksheet

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