Water Biology Research Project

Thank you to Coleen McKellar, Biology and General Science Teacher, Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, Brandon, Manitoba for sharing this resource she has developed.

  • Choose one of the following areas to research.
  • This is an INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT... NO partners... Final products will not be the same as anyone else's in the class.
  • Create an informational package of material that will educate the reader on the chosen topic.
    • You can make a brochure or a one page flyer or a short Word document
    • You will need to include some pictures in your product
    • Your work WILL NOT BE COPIED DIRECTLY FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE
  • You must include references in your work – GOOGLE is not a reference!!!
  • Check your work for spelling and grammatical errors before handing it in
  • You will have a limited amount of time to work on this project – use your time wisely. There will be two classes allowed for research and no more.
  • Many Internet sources are not always reliable, so using multiple references is advised.
  • Reliable references are available at the Safe Drinking Water Foundation website

Topics to choose from:

  • The Chlorination Process
    • What is it?
    • How is the process used in the treatment of drinking water/
    • How does breakpoint chlorination work?
    • Why is it used?
  • Addition of ammonia to soil and groundwater
    • What are the agricultural activities that result in the addition of ammonia?
    • What are the industrial activities that result in the addition of ammonia?
    • What are the natural processes that result in the addition of ammonia?
  • Practical applications of bacteria – choose one of the following and explain how it works
    • Production of dairy products
    • Production of vinegar and ethanol
    • Waste treatment
  • Health risks associated with excess bacterial activity in drinking water
    • What are some specific risks?
    • What methods are used to minimize these health risks?
  • Drinking water advisories in Canada
    • Under what circumstances are “boil water” advisories issued?
    • Where are they most often put in place? How long do they last?

Marks will be awarded for:

1. Information on the chosen topic - 10 marks
a. 10 points of information relating to your chosen topic which should include:
i. a definition of the topic,
ii. a short explanation of how the process works or why the topic is a problem (bacteria in drinking water, etc.)
iii. a short explanation of how the process helps the quality of drinking water in Canada or how it negatively affects our drinking water

2. Visuals - 5 marks
a. You can have 5 pictures
b. You can have 5 points in a chart or graph
c. You can have a combination of both

3. Attention to detail - 5 marks
a. Spelling
b. Grammar
c. Visual appeal

Total: 20 marks