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The Water Lab sets the scene for real water science investigations with sophisticated equipment, open student led challenges and strong links to local water issues and sustainable water use. It is designed to meet the needs of the Science Syllabus e.g. inquiry based learning, science as a human endeavour and curriculum outcomes of Stage 3 & 4. Students work in collaborative research teams, using a Scientific Investigation Form to undertake Fair Tests, guiding them to make predictions and record their methods, observations and results. A website supports student and teacher learning and provides a platform to promote water science interest, understanding and engagement well past their visit to the Water Lab.

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Please review the Scientific Investigation Form with your Students and watch and discuss this Video before their visit to the Lab.

Form download

Curriculum Links

Stages 3 & 4

The main curriculum content addressed by your students working in the Water Lab is “Working Scientifically” as the Lab work stations involve students in collaborative teams to undertake a science investigation and/or fair test.

Using the Board of Studies document as a format we see the work stations at the Lab meet these curriculum outcomes of Stage 3 (link to PDF) and Stage 4 (link to PDF).

Stage 4:

For Stage 4 the content best fits with Earth and Space SC4-13ES and ES4a, ES4b, ES4c & ES4d, but by combining a visit to the Water Lab with a trip to Rocky Creek or Dudgeons Dam and microscope work you will cover Living World SC4-14LW.

Stage 3:

For Stage 3 the content fits best with Material World ST3-12MW and Living World ST3-11LW but by combining a visit to the Water Lab with a trip to Rocky Creek or Dudgeons Dam and microscope work you will cover all of Living World ST3-10LW and ST3-11LW.

For Stage3:

Student planned investigations undertaken in the Water Lab will support the ‘Elaborate’ Phase of Primary Connections; Year 6 Change Detectives, Chemical Sciences. Find document at www.scootle.edu.au

For Stage 4:

A visit to the Water Lab will fit well into the Richmond River High School (and the schools of the Rivers P-12 Community of Schools), Science Program Stage 4 Unit: Year 7, Topic 5 Exploiting Earth. It will address content from that unit on water cycle, water states, indigenous knowledge, scientific problem solving and data.
The Science by Doing Unit: Enough water fit for drinking, will be well supported by a visit to the Water Lab. Looking at the Unit at a glance (Link to PDF) a Lab visit will meet these activities i.e. Station 1 Make it rain 3.1, 3.2. Station 3: Dirty water 4.3 & 4.5. Station 4: States of water 2.2 & 2.3. Station 5: Sea to fresh water 4.8. Station 6: Which water 4.1 & 4.2. Station 7 Groundwater 1.1 & 1.2. Post Lab visit this Unit could be followed logically beginning at part 1. A simple registering process will give you on line access to all the Units with Teacher and Student resources. Visit the website here

Curriculum Support

Specific information for each Water Lab work station is found in the Teachers section of this website. Other helpful resources are:

Flyer: The Water Cycle - Info Sheet 4 of Rocky Creek Dam Water Walk Series (Link to PDF)
Book: Teaching Primary Science Constructively by Keith Skamp; Cengage Learning Australia, 2014.
Booklet: Working scientifically from the Board of Studies website. (Link to PDF)
Booklet: Working Scientifically - Implementing and Assessing Open Investigation Work in Science. A resource Book for Teachers of Primary and Secondary Science by Mark W. Hacklin, Edith Cowan University, 2005. (Link to PDF)
Booklet: A beginner’s guide to the chemistry of water. Teaching Australian Curriculum: Science Chemical Science for primary and middle years by Mary Rolland; Aqius Education, 2013. (Link to PDF)
Booklet: Student research project: Collecting data and fair testing by Jane West and Rhonda Caddy, NSW Department of Education and Training 2005, currently from the Board of Studies website. (Link to PDF)

Lab stations

Our Lab offers 7 stations.

Please select a station for more info

Station 1 - Make it rain

Students are challenged to reflect on the basic processes of the water cycle i.e. evaporation & condensation as they make a cloud and attempt to harvest precipitation. They use a fog machine, a variety of containers and cold surfaces e.g. mirrors & ice.

Download:

Station 1 Key Information

Station 2 - “Njabai” and indigenous fishing

Students read Njabai: Widjabul Buderam (Water: A Widjabul Creation Story) before they visit the lab and discuss its main concepts about indigenous water use and conservation. “Water is the most precious gift that we have had and still must be used sparingly to help everything that lives for future generations”, Aunty June. At the Lab students propose a hypothesis regarding the action of native plant material used in indigenous fishing. They prepare some leaves, seeds or bark and test it for its effect on water e.g. soapy lather, surface tension or dissolved oxygen. They conclude whether these are real effects or whether some other mechanism is responsible. This Station also demonstrates the application of scientific knowledge from indigenous people to the current day.

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Station 2 Key Information

Station 3 - Dirty water

Students test the turbidity of a ‘dirty’ sample (a turbid sample which is analogous to polluted water). They then use a hand held carbon microfilter to purify the sample, re-testing and reflecting on the differences. Connections can be made to the difficulty of 10% of the world’s population in accessing clean drinking water. Students choose from a variety of natural and artificial materials to design a filter, test a turbid sample and compare results.

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Station 3 Key Information

Station 4 - States of water

Students have watched ‘the water molecule’ video pre-visit and/or have a preliminary understanding that H20 exists in nature as a solid, liquid and gas, depending on the water molecules level of agitation and proximity to one another. At this station they heat a block of ice in a clear kettle predicting, observing and considering the changes in solid, liquid and gaseous water states. Students use a data logger to record and graph the temperature.

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Station 4 Key Information

Station 5 - Sea to Fresh Water

Students use an Evaporative Still to convert seawater to freshwater. First they predict what they think will happen in the Still. They then measure the salinity of the seawater before and after it is boiled and relate this to the processes of the water cycle.

Downloads:

Station 5 Key Information

Station 6 - Which water?

Students observe unknown water samples (e.g. dam, rain, town, bore or seawater) and predict which water they think is which. They then analyse the samples for pH, salinity and turbidity and compare and contrast them to known samples. The students reflect on their predictions and the test results and attempt to explain the differences between the water types.

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Station 6 Key Information

Station 7 - Groundwater

Students predict how far down they think the water table is at the Water Lab bore and use a depth gauge to measure and record the ground water height. They then enter their results into the Water Lab Groundwater Record Sheet and relate this to weekly rainfall data using the wireless weather station. With a hand pump the students collect a groundwater sample and compare chosen parameters (e.g. electrical conductivity, pH) to a rain water sample, observing and considering the differences.

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Station 7 Key Information