Investigating water as a resource for humans

This investigation was compiled by Nessa Goldman, Jennifer Stadum, and Gale Vasquez, participants in a 2018 workshop entitled Connecting Earth science and sustainability to teach the NGSS, and edited by Anne Egger

Water appears throughout the NGSS. In Earth and space science, water is both an important contributor to surface processes and a resource for humans. And water provides many opportunities to motivate students and make local connections, through drinking water, stream flooding, weather, and more.

The investigation described here is intended for a middle school science class, and should take a few weeks. The steps in the investigation are illustrated in the diagram, showing the science and engineering practices that the student engage in along with major cross-cutting concepts and core ideas that will be developed. The steps are described in more detail in the table below.

The investigation will help students make progress towards these performance expectations:

  • MS-ESS2-4: Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth's systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.
  • MS-ESS3-4: Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.

Assessment

Each step provides opportunities for formative assessment as the instructor elicits student thinking; the final step provides an opportunity for a summative assessment.


Step What students are doing What the instructor is doing InTeGrate module and unit
1

Students make predictions about which activities use the most water, then apply rates and simple algebra to calculate their water footprint and compare their results with each other.

SEP 5: Using mathematics and computational thinking

Instructor prompts student questioning about their water usage and facilitates their completing the water footprint individually and in groups.

Environmental Justice and Freshwater Resources, Unit 2: The Hydrologic Cycle, pre-class activity (done in class here)
2

Using their own data as a starting point, students construct explanations using both qualitative and quantitative data to make predictions about different ways in which human beings utilize water resources and compare personal, national, and world use.

SEP 6: Constructing explanations and designing solutions

Instructor facilitates a class discussion around the topics and questions in Activity 2.1.

Environmental Justice and Freshwater Resources, Unit 2: The Hydrologic Cycle, Activity 2.1
3

Students integrate information from a demonstration, written text, and video to clarify the size of water reservoirs on Earth.

SEP 8: Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Instructor asks initial reflection questions, facilitates a student-led a demonstration that illustrates the size of water reservoirs on Earth, and guides student discussion.

Interactions between Water, Earth's Surface, and Human Activity, Unit 1: Hydrologic Cycle, Part 1
4

Students collect data on water movement in three different investigations to serve as the basis for developing a model of the water cycle.

SEP 3: Planning and carrying out investigations

Instructor sets up the investigations and guides students through the data collection activities.

Interactions between Water, Earth's Surface, and Human Activity, Unit 1: Hydrologic Cycle, Part 2
5

Students develop a model of the water cycle to describe phenomena observed in their investigations and predict what happens at larger scales.

SEP 2: Developing and using models

Instructor facilitates group discussion to help students build their understanding of the movement of water between reservoirs within the water cycle, and prompts students to reflect on their initial ideas.

Interactions between Water, Earth's Surface, and Human Activity, Unit 1: Hydrologic Cycle, Summarizing questions
6

Students ask questions about the impact of human activities on the water cycle that can be investigated using a role-playing activity.

SEP 1: Asking questions and defining problems

Instructor describes the role-play, and elicits questions from students that can be addressed using the water cycle model.

Slightly modified version of Environmental Justice and Freshwater Resources, Unit 2: The Hydrologic Cycle, Activity 2.3
7

Students engage in a role-playing activity to construct explanations for the impact of human activities using a model of the water cycle.

SEP 6: Constructing explanations and designing solutions

Instructor facilitates the role-play around the student-generated questions.

Slightly modified version of Environmental Justice and Freshwater Resources, Unit 2: The Hydrologic Cycle, Activity 2.3
8

Students analyze and interpret data presented in graphical displays to identify temporal and spatial relationships in water usage around the United States.

SEP 4: Analyzing and interpreting data

Instructor prompts initial student thinking about where their water comes from, then engages students in data analysis using graphical displays from the USGS Water Science School.

Modified version of Environmental Justice and Freshwater Resources, Unit 4: Women and Water, Activity 4.1
9

Summative Assessment
Students gather, read, and synthesize information from multiple sources about the source and nature of their drinking water and its relationship to the water cycle.

SEP 8: Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Instructor creates groups and helps students establish topics and strategies for gathering information, then facilitates presentation of results and discussion.

Modified version of Environmental Justice and Freshwater Resources, Unit 4: Women and Water, Activity 4.1