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Cub Scout Adventures > 
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 Spirit of the Water > 
River Rangers: Detecting Water Contaminants
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Wolf – 2nd Grade
Spirit of the Water
Elective
Requirement 2

River Rangers: Detecting Water Contaminants

Wolf – 2nd Grade
Spirit of the Water
Elective
Requirement 2

River Rangers: Detecting Water Contaminants

Snapshot of Activity

Cub Scouts learn how water can become polluted. 

Indoor
3
2
2
If you want to know more about The Adventure Activity Key click here.
  • Access to River Rangers story found in Additional Resources 
  • A clear plastic washtub big enough to hold several gallons of water (a clear plastic storage container would work well) 
  • Enough clean water to fill the plastic washtub 3/4 full 
  • Tarp, sheet, or plastic tablecloth 
  • Slotted spoon 
  • Spoon 
  • Tongs 
  • Other tools useful for moving small items 
  • Laundry soap 
  • Salt 
  • Vegetable oil  
  • Small pieces of paper 
  • Small pieces of trash and food 
  • Several bottles of food coloring 
  • Rocks and soil 
  • Towels 
  • Trashcan 

Before the meeting: 

  1. Ensure access to River Rangers story either by printing the story or using a smart device.  
  2. Set out the salt, food coloring, paper, trash pieces, vegetable oil, soil and rocks, and laundry soap.  
  3. Set up workspace for Cub Scouts. Fill a clear washtub with water and place it on the tarp, sheet, or plastic tablecloth in the center of your meeting room. 

During the meeting: 

  1. Have Cub Scouts choose an item and hold on to it. 
  2. Ask Cub Scouts to circle around the washtub and tell them that you’re going to share a story. When you call their name during the story, they put their item into the washtub. 
  3. Start reading the River Rangers story. As you read each name, ask the Cub Scouts to put their item into the washtub. 
  4. When you are finished with the story, have Cub Scouts examine the washtub.  
  5. Ask Cub Scouts if they think the water can still be used for drinking, swimming, and living in.  
  6. Have Cub Scouts take turns removing their item with a utensil such as a slotted spoon or tongs.  Explain that they are removing pollution from the lake.  
  7. As they remove their item, ask if the item was easy or difficult to remove.  Larger items are  easily cleared away, but some can’t be removed from the water. That’s why it is important to take care of the water before it becomes polluted! 

Tip: More than one Cub Scout can select an item if there are more than seven in your den. 

Additional Resources

River Rangers story

Other Activities Options

You can choose other activities of your choice.

Wolf – 2nd Grade

Aqua Pollution

Indoor
3
3
2

Cub Scouts demonstrate how pollution can enter our groundwater. 

See Details
Wolf – 2nd Grade

Water Warriors: Pollution Busters

Indoor
1
3
2

Cub Scouts identify which items contribute to polluting water and which will help keep water clean. 

See Details

Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

David Alexander

Managing Member Calje

David Alexander is a Baden-Powell Fellow, Summit Bechtel Reserve philanthropist, and recipient of the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the founder of Caljet, one of the largest independent motor fuels terminals in the U.S. He has served the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association, Teen Lifeline, and American Heart Association. A triathlete who has completed hundreds of races, Alexander has also mentored the women’s triathlon team at Arizona State University.

Glenn Adams

President, CEO & Managing Director
Stonetex Oil Corp.

Glenn Adams is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the former president of the National Eagle Scout Association and established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. He has more than 40 years of experience in the oil, gas, and energy fields, including serving as a president, owner, and CEO. Adams has also received multiple service awards from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.