Embedded Files
Lesson Overview
Lesson Overview
Guiding question: Is the problem changing?
Time Estimate: 3 hours
Purpose: Although the necessity for water has always played a part in human civilization, current cultural trends, climate change, and population growth are exacerbating the crisis.
Overview: Students will use their revised water cycle models to explore the connections between social factors, scientific forces, and the changing water cycle better to grasp the magnitude and complexity of the issue.
Design Principles:
Global and local dynamic
Public Data
Modeling
Background Knowledge:
An understanding of how water moves through Earth
A superficial understanding of the ways the water cycle changes as a result of human activity (covered in lesson 3.2)
Common Misconceptions:
Safety:
Unit Connections:
📂 Materials
📂 Materials
Teacher Materials:
Teacher PowerPoint titled: 3.3 Has this problem always existed?
A ~20 minute movie is on slide 13. Make sure it is loaded.
Student Materials:
National Geographic Article: “How Climate Change Impacts Water Access”
Infographic: “How Climate Change Impacts Weather”
Diagram: “Effects of Climate Change on Water”
A device to access student resources (resources can be printed, but they will show up better digitally)
Student Worksheet: 3.3 Deforestation & The Hydrologic Cycle
Students' previous water cycle models
Paper to revise water cycle models
Optional:
Instructional Sequence
Instructional Sequence
Materials: Teacher Powerpoint: 3.3 Has this problem always existed?; Student Resources; water cycle models
How population growth, climate change, and the water cycle are connected: (slides 11-12)
In this activity, students will get practice applying their newly revised water cycle model to answer a question. Students will read a short passage, look at an infographic, and a water cycle diagram as a small group.
They will then individually construct an explanation to explain how population growth, climate change, and the water cycle are all connected.
Each group member will share to the rest of the group.
Those listening will provide feedback.
After every person has shared, make any necessary revisions to your model. Students will need it in the next activity.
Students can go from one explanation to the other on their own or wait for the teacher's direction.
⏰ Recommendations for timing & modifications
Slides 1-10 are optional. They are included in the slide deck in case students are struggling with how to represent what they know of the water cycle.
✅ DP: Modeling
It is important that students have the opportunity to try to represent their knowledge of the water cycle models on their own before seeing the slides 1-10 because it will help them negotiate their new knowledge with what they already know in more meaningful ways.
Additionally, the true value of modeling lies in its application. By teaching students to apply their models, teachers empower them to use their knowledge and skills to address real-world questions and make predictions about various phenomena.
🗣️ Discourse opportunities:
small group discussion
✍️ Assessment Opportunity
Formative Assessment Opportunity:
What to look for?
When looking at how population growth, climate change, and the water cycle are all connected, you should hear students discussing increased water demands, lang use changes, altered precipitation patterns, increased evaporation, and water availability and quality. Additionally, they should be able to use their water cycle models to support their claims.
By recognizing these interconnections, students can develop a greater appreciation for the importance of sustainable water management and conservation efforts in the face of these challenges.
Optional Materials: Applying the Model
Students practice applying their water cycle models before being assessed on it in the next activity.
⏰ Recommendations for timing & modifications
This is an optional activity to be used if students are still struggling to apply their model.
Materials: 3.3 Deforestation & The Water Cycle
Student worksheet: Deforestation & The Water Cycle
It is recommended that students work independently on this assignment since so much of their other work is group-based. The last question asks students to explain why certain evidence supports or contradicts with the provided claim.
⏰ Recommendations for timing & modifications
This is an optional activity to be used if students are still struggling to apply their model.
✍️ Assessment Opportunity
3.3 Deforestation & The Hydrologic Cycle
What to look for?
The point of this activity is to give students a chance to apply their water cycle models independently to a new scenario. To show success, students would be able to correctly interpret the data and make reasonable explanations about how the water cycle will change as a result of the land changing. See answer keys for an example of a correct answer.
Watch Netflix Explained: The World’s Water Crisis
This video sums up the previous three lesson sets. We recommend just allowing students to watch it, but if students need a video guide, one is provided in the optional materials.
Debrief questions:
What are the benefits of valuing water at a higher price?
What was the problem in Mexico with the brewing company?
What is desalination? Why do we do it? What are the obstacles to desalination?
What are the benefits and disadvantages of using surface water? What about ground water?
Information for Planning & Teaching
Information for Planning & Teaching
Background Knowledge
Background Knowledge
Water has always played a vital role in human civilization, but the current state of the world presents new challenges to its availability. Cultural trends, climate change, and population growth are exacerbating the water crisis, amplifying its magnitude and complexity. Cultural shifts, such as industrialization and urbanization, have led to increased water demands and altered patterns of water usage. Climate change, driven by factors like rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns, disrupts the natural water cycle, affecting the distribution and availability of water resources. Additionally, rapid population growth puts additional strain on water supplies, particularly in regions already facing water scarcity.
Lesson Timing
Lesson Timing
Student Ideas & Experiences
Student Ideas & Experiences
Science Practices
Science Practices
Developing a model is only part of the science and engineering practice; students must also use their models to answer questions and make predictions. By teaching students to use their models to explain changes in the water cycle, teachers empower them to connect theoretical knowledge with real-world phenomena and develop a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
Applying models to explain changes in the water cycle enables students to explore cause-and-effect relationships, identify patterns, and make predictions about how different factors can influence the cycle. It encourages critical thinking as students analyze data, interpret observations, and draw conclusions based on their models. By engaging in this process, students develop a deeper appreciation for the dynamic nature of the water cycle and the factors that can impact its balance and stability.
The application of models fosters a sense of relevance and ownership among students. It allows them to see the practical implications of their models and how they can be used to explain real-world phenomena such as droughts, floods, or shifts in precipitation patterns. Through this application, students develop a more holistic understanding of the water cycle and its importance in sustaining ecosystems, supporting human activities, and addressing pressing environmental challenges.
Teaching Cases
Teaching Cases
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