the activities
Conserve the Reserve (Understanding Ground Water Systems and Conservation) Description: Students will gain an understanding of water scarcity (why and how) and learn ways to conserve water and develop conservation ideas of their own. They will explore methods of conservation beyond simply cutting back on shower time and personal use. Electricity use and methods, agriculture, and recreation are other ways that water supply is affected. Go directly to:
- Understanding water cycle and how we affect it - Necessity of natural resources/ dependence - The importance of reservoirs - Understanding of aquifers and what happens when we rely on them (possible permanent depletion) US History/World History: - Learn about past incidents relating to water scarcity and lack of conservation in the U.S. and around the world Behavioral Studies: - What is it about humans that makes it difficult to conserve and preserve? - Why are humans so reliant on water usage? Economics: - Discuss the effects of water scarcity on the economy Natural resources are vital for survival. Unfortunately, many of us overuse them and abuse them. Many of our natural resources may eventually run out if we do not learn to conserve them. Students will learn what aquifers are and how important they are for our survival. They will explore which actions lead to the depletion of our ground water supply, and develop ways to prevent further depletion in the future. The one resource that we cannot live without is water. With the population growth in the U.S. and around the world, we need to educate one another on how to conserve the water so that it, and we, don’t disappear. In 2002, the United Nations declared water scarcity as one of the main issues facing this planet. It was a call to action. In the educational documentary "Troubled Waters: The Illusion of Abandance," Dr. James Leutze explains, "Overtapping is diminishing what water is available in underground places called aquifers. Aquifers exist underground in various places around the globe... Aquifers are as old as the earth and take millions of years to fill." As we continue to deplete our water supply on the surface it is becoming more and more necessary to tap into our aquifer supply, or underground reservoirs. It is important that we all fully understand the importance of preserving what we have so that we can have a backup plan in the future when it will be much more necessary as our human population continue to grow. Dr. Leutze stated, “Today numerous cities, industries and farms take water directly from the aquifers. What took nature millions of years to make; we are taking in a few short centuries." Before beginning lessons and discussions, watch the “Troubled Waters” documentary as a class and then proceed with the issues that will arise as a result of watching the video. Prior to the student activities, refer to the following website http://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/CIL/WRRI/news/jf99pov.html have the students read the article and prepare summaries to discuss with the class. The article is entitled “The North Carolina Coastal Plain: An area in need of ground water management.” The article discusses how the ground-water system in large areas of the North Carolina Coastal Plain is rapidly approaching a crisis situation. This article will give the students the opportunity to review the effects of the overuse of water. The information included in the documentary and this Web site will spark a great deal of interest in the students. Online resources are provided to make these activities easily accessible for the students. A. Divide students into small groups. Have the students identify what they believe to be the five best ways to educate the community on issues of conservation. Once the list is compiled, have each group decide on three methods they want to tackle and create an action plan. Have each group create actual plans and delegate duties to each group member Suggestions on duties are as follows: Have the students follow through on the plans and create a deadline a week from the start of the assignment Upon completion bring the class together and discuss the goings on during the previous week B. Have students view sites about local areas, US states, and other countries that need to begin utilizing methods of conservation. Have students create a presentation about the area they researched. Suggestions for topics to be touched on in the presentation are as follows: C. Have students contact local representatives and organizations via email, phone, and a letter to emphasize the importance of creating legislation and other programs to improve the current water scarcity situation. D. Set up contacts with teachers from other schools in different regions of the state and allow each of your students to develop a pen pal relationship with a student from each region. This pen pal relationship will serve as a means of sharing ideas of how water is used, conserved, treated, and wasted in their region. Students can also share their ideas of how they think the water supply can begin to be replenished and ways to conserve the supply.
Have students create a publicity campaign at school on water conservation. Include:
www.vacets.org www.serve.com/ccnc www.mswcc.state.ms.us/infed.html www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/CIL/WRRI/news/jf99pov.html
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