Expedition: Water by Design
Lesson Plans
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Biology, Geography, Engineering
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Provided by EarthEcho International
What it is
- In this four-chapter student-facing course by EarthEcho International, students will learn about how California communities conserve water, manage water resources, and apply new water solutions.
- Students will explore water management, youth action, and snowpack in Los Angeles County and La Habra, California, as well as wastewater treatment in Orange County and native species gardens in Southern California.
- Students will also learn about desalination in Redondo Beach, aquaponics in Brea, and an irrigation project in Inglewood.
Teaching tips
Positives
- The STEM Career Closeups are inspirational, and it is moving to hear people speak passionately about their work.
- Additionally, the stories of youth working to make real changes in their communities may empower students to do the same and make them hopeful for the future.
Prerequisites
- If doing the Design Your Own Aquifer activity in Chapter 2 and the Desalination Demonstration in Chapter 3 as a class, teachers will need many ingredients and should review the steps and ingredients list in the section.
- It may benefit students to have some background knowledge about the prevalence of droughts in California and the importance of conserving water.
Differentiation & Implementation
- After learning about albedo and the importance of snowpack, students can discuss how these factors are impacted by climate change. Students can also discuss feedback loops, how climate change will worsen droughts, and possible solutions to the problem.
- To encourage vocabulary retention, teachers can have students write sentences or paragraphs that include the key terms listed on the Engineering Solutions page.
- In the STEM Career Closeups and throughout the rest of the sections, students will be exposed to a variety of careers. After completing the module, students can select one of the careers mentioned and research the steps to get there and other aspects of the career.
- Teachers can use this in a flipped classroom model by having students read and watch the materials as homework and completing discussions and hands-on models in class.
- Chapter 3 briefly references the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Students may want to learn more about this and other instances of environmental injustice. Teachers can use the Defining Environmental Justice lesson to explore this topic.
From the scientist review
This resource includes a number of lesson units and instructional videos on water use, efficiency, storage, watersheds, and the role that youth are playing in promoting legislation and smart water use. This well-resourced resource is suggested for teaching.
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