Water plays a vital role in our everyday lives, and the lives of all living things.

Water is essential for all living organisms. Students will explore the many ways they feel connected to water

What is IT?
Students will examine a set of Water Issue Cards that describe the qualities of water without identifying what “it” is. Students may work in small groups using the cards to gather clues, or as a whole class, writing their ideas as they gain more information.

Linked in the Student Materials section are two slide decks. One is the pdf with 2 cards per slide. The other is a version with a single card per slide. Each card may be used for discussion starters. Use whichever resource format fits your needs. Presenting to the class, sending out via Google Classroom, etc.

Water Wonders is a quick activity from Project Learning Tree about the natural water cycle.  Students move around 7 destination stations, guided by the number rolled on a die. Note: This activity is focused on forests. It can be adapted for urban forest environments.

A slide deck is available in the materials section with the student worksheets for this activity and the instructions for each destination station. Student materials are linked in the student worksheets menu.

In this activity students move through learning stations to explore different aspects of water in our world, culture, and daily lives.

This may be done as small group learning stations or as whole class activities.

Have students create (personalize!) individual Watershed Journals to use throughout the Unit.

Learning Station Instruction cards describe each station activity and set up.

A slide deck may be used to guide students through each station.

Writing about Water

A selection of poems about water are available in the Materials menu on the right menu, but feel free to use your own favorites.

Students may write a Love Letter, concrete poem, haiku, or song to water.

Water and Art

Take a walk to a nearby body of water. Bring drawing or painting supplies. Create a landscape painting and/or a drawing. If students are not able to draw while outside, partner with the art teacher to collaborate on this activity.

Look out the window to the school yard. Add an imaginary water element to the scene. Create a pencil sketch and then add color.

Revisit the Paintings explored during the stations activities. Look for how the artists used color and texture to create their water scene.   Painting and Photographs

Additional Paintings and support lesson plans:
Thomas Eakins. Biglin Brothers Racing (on the Schuylkill)
Winslow Homer. The Life Line (painting)  The Life Line painting is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. A Lesson Plan from the Art Museum is available.
The Beauty of Japanese Water (Google Arts and Culture). Compare/contrast styles, media, and settings with western artists

English Language Learners may make a video with each student naming the word for water in their native language and describing how they use water in their countries of origin.

Students may share images and art of water from their home countries. Encourage them to share events and traditions that involve water.

Students may have stories, myths, folktales that describe the importance of water.