What’s in the Water?

September 18th is World Water Monitoring Day! On this day all around the world people are coming together to monitor the quality of the water in their communities. Use Project WILD Aquatic’s “What’s in the Water?” to monitor the water of a hypothetical river and analyze the pollutants that you find. Then use what you have learned about water quality and pollutants to monitor a real waterway in your community. Organize your school, youth group or family for a day of water testing, litter removal and wildlife watching at your local pond or stream.

Young Child Extension:
Set up a water table and let young children freely explore water with cups, colanders, strainers, and a water wheel. Ask them to think about the different ways that we use water (bathing, drinking, playing), and ways that plants and animals use water. Discuss how all living things need and use water. Draw pictures of lakes, streams, or rain, or play some music and create your own water dance!

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Amos, W.H. 1981. Life in Ponds and Streams. National Geographic Society.
Bandes, H. 1993. Sleepy River. Philomel Books.
Base, G. 2001. The Water Hole. Harry N Abrams, Inc.
Brimner, L.D. 1999. Raindrops. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Cole, J. and B. Degen. 1988. The Magic School Bus At the Waterworks. Scholastic, Inc.
Curry, D.L. 1999. The Water Cycle. Capstone Press.
DK Publishing. 2007. Water Everywhere. DK Publishing, Inc.
Dolan, E.F. 1997. Our Poisoned Waters. Penguin Group Incorporated.
Donnelly, A. 1998. Water Pollution. Child's World, Incorporated.
Edom, H. 2007. Science with Water. EDC Publishing.
Falwell, C. 2001. Turtle Splash!: Countdown at the Pond. HarperCollins Publishers.
Fourment, T. 2004. My Water Comes from the Mountains. Roberts Rinehart Publishers.
Fraiser, D. 2004. The Incredible Water Show. Harcourt.
Friedman, J.C. 1975. ABC of a Summer Pond. Johnny Reads, Incorporated.
Frost, H. 1999. Keeping Water Clean. Capstone Press.
Giesecke, E. and A. Royston. 2002. Pond Plants. Heinemann Library.
Greenfield, E. and J.S. Gilchrist. 1999. Water, Water. HarperCollins Publishers.
Hooper, M. The Drop in My Drink: The Story of Water on Our Planet. Viking Press.
Jango-Cohen, J. 2005. Why Does It Rain? Lerner Publishing Group.
Jarnow, J. and E. Hathon. 2000. Splish! Splash! Penguin Group, Inc. (USA).
Kerley, B. 2006. A Cool Drink of Water. National Geographic Society.
Locker, T. 2002. Water Dance. Harcourt Children's Books.
Morrison, G. 2006. Drop of Water. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Nelson, S.A., G. Saunders-Smith, and K.M. Krebs. 2006. Let's Save Water!. Capstone Press, Inc.
Olien, R. 1999. Splish Splash Science, Grades 1-3: Learning about Water with Easy Fun-Filled Activities. Scholastic, Inc.
Rauzon, M.J. 1995. Water, Water Everywhere. Sierra Club Books for Children.
Rosinsky, N.M. 2002. Water: Up, Down, and All Around. Capstone Press.
Schmid, E. 1994. The Water's Journey. North-South.
Seuling, B. 2000. Drip! Drop!: How Water Gets to Your Tap. Holiday House, Inc.
Seuss, Dr. 1947. McElligot's Pool. San Val.
Sidman, J. and B. Prange. 2005. Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Swanson, D. 2005. Wonder in Water. Annick Press, Limited.
Tresselt, A.R. 1990. Rain Drop Splash. HarperCollins Publishers.
Wells, R.E. 2006. Did a Dinosaur Drink This Water? Albert Whitman & Company.
Wyler, R. 1990. Puddles and Ponds: An Outdoor Book. Silver Burdett Press.

Grades 3-5
Beatty, R. 2003. Rivers, Lakes, Streams, and Ponds. Raintree Publishers.
Berger, M. 1995. Water, Water Everywhere. Ideals Publications.
Canizares, S. and P. Chanko. 1998. Water. June 1998.
Cobb, V. 1986. Trip of a Drip. Little, Brown & Company.
Donovan, S. 2003. Animals of Rivers, Lakes and Ponds. Raintree Publishers.
Dorros, A. 2000. Follow the Water from Brook to Ocean. HarperCollins.
Goodrich, R.S. 2004. Hydro's Adventure Through the Water Cycle. Geoquest Pubns.
Hughes, M. 2004. Water Cycle. Heinemann Library.
Jervis, P. 1997. How Science Works: Water. Barnes & Noble Books.
Kerley, B. 2006. A Cool Drink of Water. National Geographic Society.
Kubo, H. 1990. Insects in the Pond. Steck-Vaughn.
Mckinney, B.S. 1998. A Drop around the World. Dawn Publications.
Olien, R. 2006. Making Water Clean. Capstone Press.
Royston, A. 2006. The Life And Times of a Drop of Water: The Water Cycle. Raintree.
Wick, W. 1997. Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder. Scholastic, Inc.
Yolen, J. 1995. Water Music: Poems for Children. Boyds Mills Press.

Grades 6-8
Bailey, G. and S. Way. 2009. Water. Gareth Stevens Publishing.
Baker, L.W. 2004. Encyclopedia of Water Science. Thomson Gale.
Barss, K.J. 1992. Clean Water. Chelsea House Publishers.
Braun, E. and S. Donovan. 2001. River, Lakes, and Ponds. Raintree Publishers.
Day, T. 2007. Water. DK Publishing, Inc.
Loewer, P. 1996. Pond Water Zoo: An Introduction to Microscopic Life. Atheneum.
McKinney, B.S. and M.S. Maydak. 1998. A Drop Around the World. Dawn Publications.

Grades 9-12
Barss, K.J. 1992. Clean Water. Chelsea House Publishers.
Bartram, J. and R. Balance. 1996. Water Quality Monitoring: Practical Guide to the Design and Implementation of Freshwater Quality Studies and Monitoring Program. Taylor & Francis, Inc.
Cossi, O. 1993. Water Wars. Silver Burdett Press.
DeBarry, P.A. 2004. Watersheds: Processes, Assessment and Management. Wiley.
Dobson, C. 1999. Watersheds: A Practical Handbook for Healthy Water. Firefly Books, Limited.
Gardner, R. 2004. Experimenting with Water. Dover Publications.
Lucas, E. 1991. Water: A Resource in Crisis. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Newton, Lisa H., C.K. Dillingham and J.H. Choly. 2005. Watersheds 4: Ten Cases in Environmental Ethics. Wadsworth Publishing.
Ryerson, M. 2003. Water Music. University of Michigan Press.