These stand-alone investigations can be used by teachers of any curriculum, but they are also designed to complement Mi-STAR units.
Suggested Classroom Use: Use the Science Communicator lesson with Unit 7.5.
This website includes a short video (3:23) about water and careers in water. There is also a short description of many water-related jobs.
Suggested Classroom Use: Have students select one of the water-related jobs and create an infographic about that job.
In this short video (6:22), meet three civil engineers and learn about the different ways they apply their skills. They drill tunnels, clean drinking water, and design hurricane-proof stadiums.
Suggested classroom use: Students can research civil engineering using this graphic organizer.
Teacher note: This video is also linked in Unit 7.1.
Watch this video (2:00) to learn what a leak detective does.
Suggested classroom use: Facilitate a student discussion regarding how this career relates to what they know about the importance of drinking water.
Suggested Classroom Use: Show one of the videos below as a warm-up or when there are only a few minutes of class time left. Utilize one of the reflection forms below with students.
Use this Career Connections Video Student Reflection Guide to engage your students!
Use this LINK video reflection resource to help students focus.
Use this graphic organizer from education.com. Ask students to research any information that isn't provided in the video.
Teachers need to create a free account to access the organizer.
Meet two ecologist and see how they use their mobile chemistry lab to assess water quality in this video (4:33) from Mission Unstoppable.
Meet environmental engineer Megan Plumlee and learn about how she purifies water so it is safe for drinking. See how in this video (5:15) from Mission Unstoppable.
Teacher Note: If using with unit 7.5, wait until the end of the unit to show, as it may address possible solutions to the unit challenge scenario.
In this short video (4:50), meet Amy Mikus, who works as a water resources engineer. She talks about her day-to-day responsibilities, educational background, and the tools and technologies that she uses in her job.
Chemical Oceanographer | Curious About Careers
In this short video (2:00), Dr. Ashanti Johnson explains how she studies the effects of chemicals on different bodies of water. She explains the different fields of oceanography, and how studying different chemicals in run-off affects water and water flow.
Learn how water chemist Daveda Quinn uses chemistry to clean dirty water and keep our drinking water safe. Watch the video (2:00) to see some of her duties and tour a wastewater treatment plant.
Hydrologist Cynthia Rachol talks about her job testing our nation's rivers. In this video (2:00), she shows us how she collects water quality samples at a river to investigate how natural resources of the United States – like nutrients in the water – are affected by its natural hazards, such as erosion and run-off.
View this short video (2:13) to learn more about what it's like being a hydrologist with the U.S. Forest Service.
Learn how this geographer uses GIS to model and study future water use by watching this video (4:20).
Do you know what a denitrifying woodchip bioreactor is? Learn how they are used to protect water quality in this video (3:02).
Watch this video (3:53) to learn how Kenny Stevens, professor of engineering technology at New Mexico State University, uses solar stills to make clean drinking water.
Meet Jahayra Gastulum, a civil engineering associate who inspects water tanks to ensure that our drinking water is safe. Learn how she turned her passion into a career here (2:24).
What does it take to make ocean water drinkable? Find out in this video (3:00), in which Michelle Peters talks about her educational background and her job at a desalination plant.
Meet an environmental technician who tests water quality at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Watch this video (4:08) to learn how he tests and cleans the storm water near the airport.
Meet an environmental advisor who works for Ontario Power Generation. Watch this video (2:22) to learn how he works to keep groundwater clean.
Meet Aaron Parker, a water quality specialist. Watch this video (1:36) to learn what he does in his job, the coolest thing about his job, and what advice he has for others who are interested in being a water quality specialist.
Learn about being a water station operator in this short video (2:20). Discover a career possibility for somebody who likes working with numbers and has an interest in science.
Learn about the job of senior drinking water instructor in this video (3:33) from Michigan EGLE. Find out what the job entails as well as what skills and education are needed.
Discover what a wastewater compliance specialist does in this video (3:08). Find out more about why this career is important for helping us have clean drinking water.
These four videos from the EPA showcase the water profession for high school and vocational-technical school students.
Chapter 1 of 4
This video (3:24) highlights why jobs in the water industry are so important.
Chapter 2 of 4
This video (3:36) features people with water careers discussing what a typical day is like in their job.
Chapter 3 of 4
This video (3:36) focuses on how people got into water careers.
Chapter 4 of 4
This video (2:22) explores how careers in the water industry impact the environment.
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