Water on the Move

Complete 5E(Engage, Explore, Explain, Evaluate, Ellaborate) learning cycle including teacher directions, student handouts, answer keys, etc. Individual components are also listed below to download separately.

• Monitoring the Hydrosphere 5E Lesson Plan (pdf)

• Monitoring the Hydrosphere Slides (go with activities below, mainly images to supplement your teaching)

ENGAGE- This activity introduces students to visual representations of real water data. There are 12 images/ plates with different graphs and maps, that can be placed around the room/ school. Students walk around looking at them and answering questions on the Hydrology Data Scavenger Hunt sheet. 

• Set of 12 images/ plates

• Hydrology Data Scavenger Hunt Student Sheet with Answer Key

EXPLORE- This student handout can be used/ adapted for field work where students measure stream parameters or class based lab activiies where they measure different water samples. 

• Stream Monitoring Student Handout and questions

• LabQuest interface and probes cheat sheet

• Student Lab Sheet for Stream Insect Monitoring only

• Stream Insects ID Sheet (source: VA Save Our Streams Program)

• Stream Insects ID Cards to make booklet

EXPLAIN- Students explore several real-time water data websites and write a few sentences about USGS collected data for that day. 

• Groundwater real-time data: https://groundwaterwatch.usgs.gov

• Surface water real-time data: https://waterwatch.usgs.gov

• Water quality real-time data: https://waterwatch.usgs.gov/wqwatch

EVALUATE- For a hands-on assessment activity, students can complete the "Measuring pH and Salinity in Water Samples" lab. 

• Measuring pH and Salinity in Water Samples Student Handout

• Monitoring the Hydrosphere Learning Check 

ELABORATE- Students use the EPA Drinking Water Mapping Application to Protect Source Waters (DWMPAS) tool to find polluted waterways near them, and explore the source of pollution and any mitigation efforts. 

• EPA Drinking Water Mapping Application to Protect Source Waters (DWMPAS)- https://geopub.epa.gov/DWWidgetApp/