Hydrology (Middle School)
Click on each module for activities (in progress):
Monitoring the Hydrosphere
North Carolina River Basins
Use and Management of Water
Groundwater Dynamics
We are always updating materials, if you notice anything missing anywhere on the activities or a broken link, please contact Marta Toran (toranml@appstate.edu).
Alignment to Science Standards
North Carolina Middle School Standards:
- 8.E.1 Understand the hydrosphere and the impact of humans on local systems and the effects of the hydrosphere on humans.
- 8.E.1.1. Structure of hydrosphere including: Water distribution on Earth, local river basin and water availability
- 8.E.1.2 Summarize evidence that Earth’s oceans are a reservoir of nutrients, minerals, dissolved gases, and life forms.
- 8.E.1.3 Predict the safety and potability of water supplies in North Carolina based on physical and biological factors
- 8.E.1.4 Conclude that the good health of humans requires monitoring and stewardship of the hydrosphere
NGSS (click on the Performance Expectation for the full description):
- MS-LS2-3 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy and Dynamics: Ecosystems Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem
- MS-ESS2-2 Earth's Systems: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth's surface at varying time and spatial scales.
- MS-ESS2-4 Earth's Systems: Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth's systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.
- MS-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth's mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.
- MS-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.*
High School Standards:
- EEn.2.3 Explain the structure and processes within the hydrosphere.
- EEn.2.3.1 Explain how water is an energy agent (currents & heat transfer)
- EEn.2.3.2 Explain how groundwater and surface water interact.
- EEn.2.4 Evaluate how humans use water.
- EEn.2.4.1 Evaluate human influences on freshwater availability
- EEn.2.4.2. Evaluate human influences on water quality in North Carolina’s river basins, wetlands and tidal environments
NGSS (click on the Performance Expectation for the full description):
- HS-ESS2-2. Earth's Systems: Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth's surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.
- HS-ESS2-5. Earth's Systems: Plan and conduct an investigation of the properties of water and its effects on Earth materials and surface processes.
- HS-ESS3-1. Earth and Human Activity: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.