Module 1

For each of these wikis, schools in India were paired with schools in Kentucky, USA. A best effort was made to pair similar schools between the two countries. Students in each school are strongly encouraged to give feedback and ask questions about their paired school’s wiki projects.

Wiki guidelines: First and foremost, be creative and have fun! Wiki projects should be completed by established teams with each team sharing their creation. Here are some suggested formats for the wikis: video (3-5 minutes), pamphlet (front & back, include images), written report (~2 pages, include images), podcast (3-5 minutes), newspaper or magazine article (~1 page, include image), PowerPoint presentation (~5 slides), poster, etc.

Please identify and choose an important water body within your local community that you would like to study throughout ALL three modules. Next, create a wiki that explains why you chose this water body. Be sure to identify where this water body is within the hydrologic cycle and consider the following questions: Where does water in your selected water body come from and go to? (For example, if it’s a stream, does it have a tributary (a stream that flows into it)? Is it a tributary to another stream?) How is this water body used? Also, share what its history and cultural significance are to your community. Don't forget to include some pictures! Below are some water body suggestions for India and Kentucky.

Choosing a water body: The overarching theme of the series of modules is to choose and intensively study a water body that influences, and is influenced by, the local community. Teachers are encouraged to check availability of data for a particular water body before committing to it. Water testing, conducted during modules 2 and 3, will require access to the water body (or at least to part of it); therefore, choosing a water body that students can easily visit will ensure a better chance of successfully completing the modules. If no obvious large water body is readily available, or if transportation is a problem, students could monitor a nearby small stream, pond/lake or groundwater, if wells are available.

Wiki Project Examples

This activity will help us learn how to organize and analyze data related to how water fluxes and consider the cause of these fluxes. Please find below two documents, one for India and one for Kentucky. Open the appropriate document (India for students in India and Kentucky for students in Kentucky), follow the directions for the data sets, and answer the corresponding questions.

The Introduction of this module discussed how much of Earth's water is freshwater and how much of it is available for human consumption. For a refresher, see the video and/or PowerPoint under introduction. (Links are current as of July 2018.)

Let's learn more about water consumption! First, what is a "water footprint"? Explore this website to answer that question: Water Footprint. Next, compare and contrast the water footprint in India and the United States. Explore this website: Water Footprint India & USA. So, what is YOUR personal water footprint? For a quick calculation, click here: Water Footprint Quick Calculation. For a more accurate calculation, click here: Water Footprint Accurate Calculation. At this point, you probably cannot complete an accurate calculation, because it needs lots of detailed numbers that you probably don't know. Keep a water consumption journal for a day documenting your personal water use. Be sure to collect all the numbers needed to complete the accurate calculation of your water footprint, then compare and contrast yours with your teammates'.

Create a wiki sharing what you discovered about water consumption and footprints, especially your own water footprint.

Wiki Project Examples

The summary project should be completed in established teams with each team sharing their creation. The summary project should call upon and pull together concepts that you learned while completing the two wiki projects within this module. Reflect on the water body you chose in wiki 1, explain its cultural and scientific significance and discuss its relevance to your community. Here are some questions to help get you started: Which part of the hydrologic cycle is most visible in your area? Where did the water in it come from? How has this water body shaped your local culture? How does community water use affect the amount of water in this water body?

Summary Project Examples