Spritz of a water bottle and squirts from a syringe

How to explain a well versus and artesian well. First, how does a well work? You need to drill a hole in the ground until you hit water, insert a tube and connect the tube to a pump to suck-up the water.

Sort of like a trigger pump water bottle -- Hee, hee -- I blasted the kids with the water from that bottle. For those munchkins that giggled and shouted, "You didn't get me wet!" A second and third blast from the bottle was enough to send water droplets onto just about every kid.

Then, using an inflated balloon to show how energy seeks the path of least resistance, I used a thumb tack to "pop" the balloon. The path was the hole in the balloon and the result was a sudden release of pressure as an escape route for the air was found.

Similarly, underground water, undergoing recharge from rain tends to create a similar pressure, except, instead of air, it is water. So, I filled-up a 25-mL syringe and by depressing the syringe released a stream of water that shot across the classroom. Again, the shouts and giggles goating me that I missed, resulted in several more squirts from the syringe.

As we discussed artesian wells (locally, springs), I talked about yesterday's blog in which I mentioned Loyalsock Creek's origin, and the birthplace of Rose Valley Lake, as well as , the story of Springside, a home on Fifth Avenue in Williamsport.

Although it was a Friday and the kiddoes are getting sick of learning about freshwater, there was a lot of learning going on, today, in the classroom. We talked about water tables, aquifers, and the zones of saturation and aeration. By the way, my kiddoes now know aeration means air and what we mean by using aerators in aquariums and why farmers plow their fields.

Ask your kiddo what it means when I say, "The deeper the well, the cleaner the water."

Have a great weekend, everyone. Kids!!!! We may have a chance to have a "firnball" fight this weekend!!!! Explain that one to your parents.

An Artesian Well is a Fancy Name for, Spring

Fancy, schmancy, the textbook discusses how an artesian well is a well that forces water to the surface by means of pressure. The illustration, in the book, goes so far as to show such a well spouting out onto the surface of the ground. In these here parts, we call that, a spring. Any places around here where you've seen a spring?
(Hint: Loyalsock Creek begins its life in Sullivan County as a series of springs. Rose Valley Lake, a man-made reservoir, arose from a spring that created Sugar Camp Run, which runs into Mill Creek, which empties into Loyalsock Creek. A log cabin, on 5th Avenue, between High Street and Louisa Street, is nicknamed, Springside. Why? The property is pock-marked with springs. )
Do you know of any other springs, around here? Write a comment, I would love to post all of the locations in the classroom.
One last question -- Why is well water cleaner and colder the deeper the well?
Have a great night, folks.

Did I Do Good?

Kids always ask that after they hand in a test. Well, how do you think, you did? If you feel you flubbed-up, you probably did. Ya know, if you are going to take a test and worry so much about the grade, then you should take the time to read the directions that go with that test. In big, bold, underlined words for the True-or-False questions, "If the answer is False, write the corect answer, or no credit will be given. Arrrrggghhh!!!!. At seven points, each, flubbing-up like that is ridiculous. All-in-all, the test was relatively easy and save for the small handful that refused to follow directions, the grades were really high. High? It must have been too easy. Z, you're losin' your touch. Or, Z, you are a wonderful teacher if these children can grasp the concept of fresh water the surface of the Earth.

No homework, tonight. I passed out the next vocabulary and informational packets on Fresh Water Beneath the Surface of the Earth -- ya know, wells, aquifers, springs, etc. We are working on that packet, together, in class. It's more fun, together.

Have a great night, folks. P.S.: Still waitin' for some venison.

Review for Test

Go to my webpage and look for the link -- Hydrology. Beneath that link is another link, entitled, "Test Review in Powerpoint." This powerpoint presentation is a great study guide for what you can expect to see on tomorrow's test. Now, go study.