Getting clean drinking water is one of the most important things we do as a country. Many STEM activities (like this one from Teach Engineering) encourage you to work in teams. If you can’t work in teams, these steps make it possible for you to do this activity at home with common materials:
TAKE YOUR NOTES HERE
- Dirty Water (add coffee grounds, grass, rocks, etc.)
- 2 Measuring container (one for dirty water, one to catch cleaned water)
- Create filters using water bottles (you can also use two-liter bottles but they are heavier and harder to use)
- Rubber bands to secure layers
Choices for filter:
- Large filtering components (gravel, pebbles, rocks, sand)
- Filtering materials (screens, coffee filters, cheese cloths, plastic bags)
- Cleaning liquids (soaps, air, cleaning supplies)
Readings to help you think through the process:
- NASA’s teaching on this activity: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/make-a-water-filter/
- Recent Filtration Research: https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=301941
- Water Education Organization: https://www.watereducation.org/water-kids
This video does a great job describing the big picture of this activity.
The video omits using charcoal which is an important part of this process (if you still have a bag hanging around!).
If you are interested in digging deeper, these videos explore these topics in great detail.
