Activity Introduction

Quick summary: Students investigate the water cycle and how it applies to a catchment. They examine water as a renewable resource and use a diagram to show how humans have modified the water cycle.

Learning goals:

  • Students use a diagram show how the water cycle functions and how water is used as a renewable resource.
  • Students apply the concept of the water cycle to their local catchment.
  • Students apply the concept of the water cycle to water management issues, including consumption and waterway pollution.
  • Students show how house and urban design provides clean water, takes polluted water to be processed and directs stormwater to waterways.

Australian Curriculum Mapping 

Content descriptions:

Year 7 Science

  • Water is an important resource that cycles through the environment (ACSSU116)
  • Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge (ACSIS124)

Year 7 Mathematics

  • Describe translations, reflections in an axis, and rotations of multiples of 90° on the Cartesian plane using coordinates. Identify line and rotational symmetries (ACMMG181)

Year 7 Science

  • Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge (ACSIS139)
  • Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions (ACSIS145)

Topic: Water

Year levels: 7 and 8

Indoor or outdoor activity: Indoor

Time required: 90 mins

Learning areas addressed: Science Geography, Health and Physical Education, ICT.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Keep activity open ended, bring students’ ideas together at the end of the activity.

Resources required: Internet, 3 large sheets of paper (A3) per student, drawing materials and Student Worksheet.

Homework and extension opportunities: None.

Keywords: Water, Cycle, Catchment, Pollution, Renewable, Diagram, Drawing, Waste, Home.

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Teacher preparation

Water is a renewable resource that civilisation has depended on for its farming activities. As the world population grows, we are even more dependent on water resources. Although water is a renewable resource, there is only a certain amount of water available at any time, and in many places in the world it is limited.

Water resources are renewed as part of the water cycle.

This activity asks students to make three labeled diagrams to help explain various aspects of the water cycle.

Diagram 1: Water cycle

Step 1. Ask students use the internet to find examples of illustrations and diagrams that explain the water cycle such as the one below:

Step 2. Students use the information they find on the internet to complete the following tasks from the Student Worksheet:

  • Make a list of words used to explain the water cycle.
  • Choose what they think is the best example of the water cycle.
  • Identify the source of energy that drives the water cycle.

Step 3. Stude

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Student Worksheet

Your task is to make three labeled diagrams to help explain various aspects of the water cycle. You will need 3 large sheets of paper, drawing materials and access to the internet to complete this task.

Task 1. The Water Cycle

Use the internet to find examples of illustrations and diagrams that explain the water cycle. 

Make a list of words that commonly appear in the diagrams/illustrations that you find.

Once you have looked at a number of examples of the water cycle, use the paper and drawing materials to create your own labelled diagram of the water cycle. Your diagram should include the following:  

  • The energy source.
  • Arrows that indicate how the water cycles through the environment .
  • The source of water being evaporated.
  • The storage of freshwater.
  • The natural movement of water through the atmosphere, on land and underground.

 

Task 2: Supplying clean water. Disposing of waste water. 

As a class or with the people around you, discuss how homes obtain water an

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