Understanding Pervious Surfaces and Stormwater

Corinne Grandboys, a fourth-grade teacher, leads a lesson on stormwater runoff at Hazel Wolf K-8 in Seattle. Students explore the school grounds to observe stormwater behavior, identify pervious and impervious surfaces, and discuss erosion. They map their observations and share insights, culminating in a summary and reflection on their findings.

What is the main focus of the lesson introduced by Corinne Grandboys?

• Investigating stormwater runoff around the school

• Learning about the water cycle

• Exploring different types of weather

• Studying the effects of pollution

What are pervious surfaces?

• Surfaces that allow water to soak in

• Surfaces that are always dry

• Surfaces that repel water

• Surfaces that are made of concrete

How should students mark pervious surfaces on their map?

• With stars

• With dots

• With lines

• With circles

What is the purpose of the container of water given to each group?

• To observe how water interacts with different surfaces

• To clean the school grounds

• To water the plants

• To measure the amount of rainfall

What did students observe about the soil near the sidewalk?

• It was eroding onto the sidewalk

• It was dry and cracked

• It was covered in leaves

• It was perfectly intact

What did students need to look for in addition to pervious and impervious surfaces?

• Playground equipment

• Trash cans

• Bird nests

• Storm drains

What is erosion?

• The process of soil being washed away

• The growth of plants

• The accumulation of water

• The formation of rocks

Why is it important to understand stormwater runoff?

• To improve the taste of water

• To increase rainfall

• To reduce the number of storms

• To manage water flow and prevent erosion

What did students do with their maps after the fieldwork?

• Left them outside

• Threw them away

• Used them to draw pictures

• Shared them with their partners

What was the final activity of the lesson?

• Taking a test

• Playing a game

• Adding observations to a summary table

• Writing an essay