Chesapeake County Groundwater Problem Hands on Simulation

<p>Chesapeake County Groundwater Problem</p><p>Kenneth C. Newsome Freedom High School Prince William County Virginia</p><p>Teaching students the impact of groundwater pollution and its effect on humans</p><p>This activity was modified from an activity from the Math Science Center in Richmond, Virginia.  Students construct models using six paper models of a hypothetical situation where a farmer and lighthouse keeper are having well water issues. The students are acting as a hydrogeologist and are consulting the farmer and lighthouse keeper.  This scenario is being played out on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia.  The farmer is having trouble with his house well running dry, while his well at his barn is always supplying water.  The lighthouse keeper and his wife are wondering why their water is undrinkable, and their house plants are dying.  The lighthouse keeper claims the farmer is responsible for the undrinkable water.  The outcome is the farmer's house well is dug too shallow, while his barn well is also close to a manure pile and livestock yard.  The lighthouse keeper's well is too close to the saltwater of the Chesapeake Bay, and the intrusion of salt is making the water undrinkable.  This activity has students problem-solving water pollution issues, and this activity has them figure out the root cause of water pollution.  Students are then asked to apply this knowledge to a newly discovered planet with the same water pollution issues.       </p>

Local Archaeology and Transatlantic Competitions

Archaeological investigations of several house sites in the upper Potomac and northern Shenandoah region provide additional evidence on the levels of demand and consumption of imported British ceramic goods. “Local Archaeology and Transatlantic Competitions” discusses archaeological investigations of the following household sites that were occupied during the period of 1750 to 1865: the Demory site in Loudoun County, Virginia; the Reiff site in Washington County, Maryland; the Countryside Development site in Loudoun County; the Pohoke and Portici Plantation sites in Prince William County, Virginia; and the Reed Farmstead site in Hardy County, West Virginia. These investigations demonstrate that imported, mass-produced British ceramic wares were readily available to consumers, even at the western-most edges of this backcountry region in the eighteenth century. However, the levels of consumption again appear notably lower than seen in investigations of the Chesapeake Tidewater region from the same period. A number of sites in this backcountry region provide evidence suggesting that residents exercised stylistic preferences related to social group affiliations.

Water-quality Education Program Affects Consumer Behavior and Attitudes

A multi-faceted extension education program to reduce consumer contributions to nonpoint source pollution by encouraging proper landscape management was initiated in Prince William County, Va., and funded through the USDA-extension service. The program now is being replicated in several counties in Virginia, primarily in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The program recruits participants through educational field days, advertisement and other means. Educational techniques include one-on-one assistance from Master Gardener volunteers and the use of Extension publications developed for this program. Publications developed include The Virginia Gardener Easy Reference to Sustainable Landscape Management and Water Quality Protection—a concise reference of Virginia Cooperative Extension landscaping recommendations that includes a calendar for recording fertilizer and pesticide applications, IPM, and other maintenance activities. The Virginia Gardener Guide to Water-wise Landscaping, was recently added to supplement the program in the area of water conservation. In Prince William County, over 700 people have participated. Most of those who complete the program report being more satisfied with their lawn appearance and spending less money. Participation also resulted in consumers being more likely to seek soil test information before applying fertilizer. Other effects include greater participation in leaf composting and grass clipping recycling and greater awareness of nonpoint source pollution.