Groundwater Inquiry Lab | Flooded Streets & Dry Wells Investigation

The Description

Flooded streets and dry wells. Same town. About the same amount of rain. How can both problems be getting worse? That's the mystery in Hollow Creek, where expanding pavement and growing water demand have students trying to explain what is happening above and below the ground.

This groundwater inquiry investigation begins with students' initial models, not a vocabulary list. They collect evidence from a hands-on demonstration, data, and a groundwater movement simulation, then revise their explanations using infiltration, runoff, porosity, permeability, and recharge. By the end, they must connect the mechanisms and consider a realistic engineering solution—not just repeat a few familiar terms.

What Students Will Do

• Build an initial explanation of Hollow Creek's flooding and falling well yields.

• Gather evidence from demonstrations, data, and a groundwater movement simulation.

• Investigate the roles of infiltration, runoff, groundwater recharge, porosity, and permeability.

• Revise a groundwater system model and construct a causal explanation.

• Apply the evidence to a possible engineering solution for the town.

Why This Resource Is Different

I built this one around a contradiction students can't solve by defining ‘porosity’ and ‘permeability’ in isolation. A student might know both words and still have no explanation for why pavement can contribute to flooding while wells run low. The initial model makes that gap visible.

Students have to test their first ideas against evidence and return to the same town with a stronger, causal explanation. My teacher guide includes the prompts, expected thinking, and misconceptions I want to listen for during discussion, so the lesson stays focused on explaining the system rather than collecting disconnected observations.

What's Included?

• 23-page student groundwater investigation PDF

• 24-page corresponding teacher answer-key PDF

• Updated teacher directions PDF with pacing and discussion guidance

• PowerPoint for class ideas and sense-making discussions

• Reference and activity prompts for the Concord Consortium groundwater movement simulation

The Details

Grade level: High-school Earth & Space Science. Standards shown on the investigation: HS-ESS2-5, HS-ESS2-2, HS-ESS3-1. Suggested pacing in the teacher directions: four 45–50-minute classes plus an optional solution gallery walk. Format: PDF files and PowerPoint; requires access to the groundwater simulation.