These lessons are designed for the elementary grade band 3-5. They provide an opportunity for you to connect your students to one of the most fundamental elements in all living things– WATER! They will grow to love and value water — this shared (and finite) resource upon which all life depends.
Students will explore larger concepts related to water using their local context . Each day’s lessons are aligned with the Pennsylvania Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Standards (3.4) of STEELS and are both hands-on and inquiry-based. Everything leads up to student-centered informed action and civic engagement
1: The Value of Water
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF WATER ? Water is essential to our lives and all life on Earth– so it is important to take care of our water resources and we have an important role to play.
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF OUR FRESHWATER RESOURCE? All water on Earth could be regarded as a renewable resource if it is replenished by nature. Freshwater is in much more limited supply and it is the only water we can live on. How can we protect it?
WHO DEPENDS ON WATER? Water is essential to our lives and all life on Earth — so it is important to take care of our water resources, especially freshwater, and we have an important role to play.
CAN WE MAKE NEW WATER? Water is essential to all living organisms. Freshwater is a limited resource. You may be surprised to learn the source freshwater and how much we have on the planet when compared proportionally to saltwater. If freshwater is a finite resource, how can we protect what we have?
HOW DOES WATER MOVE THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? How the shape of land, gravity, and the natural water cycle interact is one key to unlocking the definition of a watershed.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO DEFINE “WHAT IS A WATERSHED”? How the shape of land, gravity, and the natural water cycle interact is one key to unlocking the definition of a watershed.
HOW DOES WATER SHAPE OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT ? How did natural waterways shape early settlement in Philadelphia.
HOW DID OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT SHAPE WATER? How did the growth of the city as a manufacturing powerhouse end up shaping waterways in new ways.Many of Philadelphia’s stream went underground, captured in a network of drainage pipes that became our sewer system.
LAND AND WATER EXIST IN A DELICATE BALANCING ACT ? People and nature are interdependent and our choices and actions have intended and unintended consequences on the environment. It’s complicated !
WHY ARE ALL PARTS OF THE URBAN WATER USE CYCLE ESSENTIAL TO US? The urban water system exists as a cycle, just like the natural water is a cycle. In what we call the urban water use cycle, each part of the cycle is critical in the management of our urban water system. How do we get our clean water and where does it go when we’re done using it?
WHY IS THE SYSTEM FOR DRINKING WATER COLLECTION, FILTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION ESSENTIAL TO US? Learning how we get clean water when we turn on the faucet is tis an important step in understanding Philadelphia’s overall urban water system.
WHY IS CLEANING UP WATER GOING DOWN THE DRAIN ALSO ESSENTIAL TO US AND ALL LIVING THINGS ? We can reduce the impact of stormwater runoff pollution on our waterways and clean up what we flush — living in balance with nature and sustainably will protect our health and the health of our waterways.