Water Systems Resources
Here is the LAST resources post for my series of resources for the Grade 8 Science curriculum. With school starting right around the corner, I hope you can find these resources useful! If you missed my posts for the first three units of study, visit the following posts:
– Optics
– Fluids
Water Cycle Song. (2011). Uploaded to YouTube by Mr. Parr. Available online at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3BVa7PH_JE
I really enjoyed planning out this unit for two reasons: I have a Geography minor and our province has experienced drastic flooding over the past few years. I love teaching about subjects that have direct ties to our community and have planned a few neat field trips for this unit.
Intro to Water Systems
Enduring Understanding: The global water system is essential for all life on Earth; from plant and animal life to geography and human relations.
8-4-01 Use appropriate vocabulary related to their investigations of water
systems.
Include: heat capacity, fresh water, salt water, convection, Coriolis effect,
global water cycle, drainage system, watershed, continental divide,
erosion, deposition, flow rate, tides, terms related to water treatment.
8-4-02 Demonstrate that water, as compared to other substances, has a high heat
capacity and is able to dissolve a wide variety of solutes.
8-4-03 Compare and contrast characteristics and properties of fresh water and salt
water.
8-4-04 Identify factors that work individuals or in combination to affect ocean
currents.
Include: convection, Coriolis effect, prevailing winds, position of
continents.
8-4-05 Describe how the heat capacity of large bodies of water and the movement
of ocean currents influence regional climates.
8-4-06 Describe the components of the global water cycle and explain how it
works.
Drainage Systems, Erosion & Deposition
Enduring Understanding: The movement of water across the face of the Earth affects the respective geography.
8-4-07 Describe features of the North American drainage system.
Include: local and regional watersheds, direction of water flow,
continental divide.
8-4-08 Describe how erosion and deposition are influenced by the flow rate of a
stream or river, and contrast the related characteristics of young and
mature streams.
8-4-09 Describe how wave action and ice movement in large bodies of water
cause erosion and deposition.
8-4-10 Explain how tides are caused and describe their effects on shorelines.
8-4-11 Describe examples of human interventions to prevent riverbank or coastal
erosion.
8-4-12 Identify factors that can cause flooding either individually or in
combination.
8-4-13 Provide examples of the way in which technology is used to contain or
prevent damage due to flooding, and discuss related positive and negative
impacts.
Water Treatment
Enduring Understanding: Knowledge and understanding of the global water system has improved water treatment, lessened pollution, and affected human standard of life.
8-4-14 Identify sources of drinking water and describe methods for obtaining
water in areas where supply is limited.
8-4-15 Explain how and why water may need to be treated for use by humans.
Include: filtration, settling, chlorination, fluoridation.
8-4-16 Compare the waste-water disposal system within their communities to one
used elsewhere.
Include: process involved, environmental impact, cost.
8-4-17 Identify substances that may pollute water, related environmental and
societal impacts of pollution, and ways to reduce or eliminate effects of
pollution.
8-4-18 Identify environmental, social, and economic factors that should be
considered in the management of water resources.
8-4-19 Use the design process to develop a system to solve a water-related
problem.
______________________________________________________________
In addition to hard-copy resources I have available in the school and from colleagues, I also started to organize some online resources to supplement our classroom activities. Here are the resources I found, organized by the themes I stated above. For each one I’ve included the title, a very brief point about what it includes, and the link.
Intro to Water Systems
Water Cycle Song
– Musical Review Option
– Sang to Give Me Everything Tonight: Pitbull
Imagine All The Water
– Good interactive showing how much water is used in different everyday items
Tides Song
– Musical Review Option
– Sang to The Other Side: Jason Derulo
Tides & Sea Levels
– Interactive, wave levels, water changes, etc
Ocean Currents Song
– Musical Review Option
– Sang to Kiss You: One Direction
Groundwater Interactive
– Good for large group SMART Board activity
– Compares groundwater in wet and dry periods
– Good before moving into Floods discussion
Water Cycle Interactive
– Good questions and images
– Good for large group SMART Board activity
– Don’t like the voice over
Drainage Systems, Erosion & Deposition
Floods Song
– Musical Review Option
– Sang to So Good: B.o.B
Physical Geography – Running Water: How it Erodes & Deposits
– Documentary piece, discusses different types of flow
– 3 mins
Rain and Weathering Interactive
– Good for a large-group SMART Board activity
– Breaching the Portage
– 5 mins
– Good video and commentary
– Some inappropriate language, use discretion
– 9 mins
Flooding Interactive
– Good for a large-group SMART Board activity
Sheppard Software Canadian Games
– Games about Canada
– Good for if students are done early
– Fact sheet and bar graph of average vs. flood levels
Water Treatment
Water Changes Everything
– Video on the effects clean water has on communities and standard of living
– 3 mins
Drinking From The Sea: Desalination
– 2 min video explain desalination
World Water Day Image Gallery
– Images from around the world
– Good to get students thinking or to add into PowerPoint presentations
Downloadable Information Sheets
– Features information on various countries in need of clean water resources
– Features information on various water related issues like sanitation, poverty, advocacy
Simple Solution for Clean Water
– Water Treatment technology from University of Alberta
– 3 mins
Safe Drinking Water Atlas
– See water issues around the world
– Flash interactive
______________________________________________________________
I hope you find these resources as awesome as I do!
If there is something you think I should add to my list let me know, I’d love to hear about the awesome things you are using with your class 🙂
What about the effects of contaminants in water. Wouldn't want to scare them, but this is something they should know. Our water form the tap is no longer "safe" and a water filtration system in the home should be used. There are 87 "common" contaminants in the water from your tap, what constitutes as uncommon?
Great point Lisa! In the last portion of the unit on Water Treatment we discuss water filtration(8-4-15). I plan on having a debate on some of the most common filtration systems on the market.