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  • In this activity, students build an aquifer model and examine how water gets into an aquifer system.

    By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

    • discuss the part groundwater plays in the water cycle
    • describe the various pathways precipitation can take once it falls to the ground – infiltration, run-off, evaporation and uptake by plants
    • discuss the link between groundwater, surface water and the water table.

    Download the Word file (see below) for:

    • introduction/background notes
    • what you need
    • what to do
    • student handout.

    Related content

    Follow up with the activity Groundwater contamination – it uses the same lunch box set-up to show how pollutants enter into groundwater and surface water.

    These additional videos, Non-point source contamination and Point source contamination, offer additional help on how to use these activities in the classroom.

    Find out here how the year 3 team at Hillcrest Normal School used our resources to teach about groundwater and pollution.

      Published 3 June 2009, Updated 1 October 2012 Referencing Hub articles
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