Sustainability

 

Name: Isaac Lim

 

Title of Lesson:

 

Date of Lesson:

 

Length of Lesson: 2-3 days

 

Description of Class:

 

Source of Lesson: self

 

TEKS addressed:

 

The Lesson:

I.            Overview:  Students will look at how aquifers are not endless sources of water, but do have a finite limit.

 

II.                Performance or learner outcomes:  Will understand the importance of water conservation.

 

III.             Resources, materials and supplies needed:  Sponges, Saran wrap, straws, 10mL graduated cylinders.

 

IV.              Supplementary materials, handouts

 

 

Five-E Organization

 

Teacher Does

Student Does

Engage:

Learning Experience:

Show a clip from the Flight of the Phoenix where they are all concerned and discussing the water situation.

 

Tell the class that water is an important resource that we take for granted.

 

Hoped for student response:

 

 

 

Questions:  

 

 

 

Expected Student Response:

 

 

                                                                

Evaluate

Decision Point Assessment (DPA) –

 

Explore:

Learning Experience(s):

Get the volume of water in the Edwards Aquifer and use that value for the lab.

 

Use the sponge as the Aquifer and use ratio and proportions to find an adequate amount of water to put into the sponge.  Wrap the sponge with the saran wrap where two straws will stick out.  One will be used to recharge while the other is used to draw the water out.

 

Assign groups with different cities or regions.  Have one group find out how much water New York City uses and get is rainfall average.  Then get another group to do the same for another city and so on.  Some possible city choices are NYC, L.A., London, Beijing.

 

Now have them model this with their Edwards Aquifer.  Using ratio and proportions that all groups can agree to, see if they can squeeze out yearly water usage and add the yearly rainfall.  See how any years it takes to deplete the aquifer if it depletes it at all.

 

 

Hoped for student response:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions:  

 

Expected Student Response:

 

 

    

Evaluate

DPA:

 

Explain:

 

The reason why aquifers will get depleted is because of our crazy amounts of water usage by industry and by people at home.  We meet demands now by taking up more water from the ground than is being put back into it.

 

Why do we go to aquifers for water?

 

Surface sources such as lakes and rivers are already being used at capacity.  Cite El Paso as an example where the Rio Grande is very small because of usage from people upstream.

 

Water usage will only get worse since aquifers are limited and human population doubles about every 40 years.  How will we be meeting these demands?  Will some people have to live without water?

 

 

 

 

Questions:  

 

 

 

Hoped for student  response: 

 

 

Expected Student Response:

 

    

Evaluate

DPA –

 

 

Extend / Elaborate:

Have the student research how much water the Edward’s aquifer has, how much water San Antonio uses per year, and how much recharge the aquifer gets.

 

Research the plans that San Antonio has or doesn’t have, to combat problems of the growing water demands.

 

Questions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hoped for response:

 

 

Expected Student Response

 

   

Evaluate

DPA –