Edible Aquifers.

Students learn groundwater concepts by building a model aquifer. It's sometimes easier to understand groundwater if you can "see" it.

To illustrate how water is stored in an aquifer, how groundwater can become contaminated, and how this contamination ends up in a drinking water source. Ultimately, students should get a clear understanding of how careless use and disposal of harmful contaminants above the ground can potentially end up in the drinking water below the ground. This particular experiment can be done by each student at their work station.

The following activity demonstrates how different sizes of rock materials that make up an aquifer affect water movement. Students will play the role of water molecules, identify several sources of rock materials that make up an aquifer and discuss how water moves through gravel, sand, and clay.