Place a coffee filter in a funnel and place the funnel on top of a jar. Have the students slowly pour the sample water into the funnel. Let all the water drain through. Lay the filter out. Students then use a hand lens to examine the deposit left on the filter.
Students then identify the solids they find on the filter.
Students will then investigate their watershed for sources of point and non point sources of sedimentation. Assess student participation in the water collecting and testing. Student will produce a short essay detailing the testing process, the testing results and speculations of sources of sedimentation in our watershed. Deulin, Daniel L. and G. Morgan Powell. Getting to Know Your Local Watershed, A Guide for Watershed Partnerships.