Opening the lesson:

1. Indicate that Planet Earth seems to have plenty of water. We call it the “Blue Planet.” But how much accessible fresh waterMake sure to discuss the difference between fresh water and salt water. is there? What do we already know about fresh water as a limited resourceHave students consider whether water is a renewable or nonrenewable resource.?
2. Pass out the KWLS Chart to students.
3. Ask students to take 5-10 minutes to individually list in the K column what they already know about fresh water as a limited resource.
4. Have students form groups of four or five and share what they reported in column K.

Developing the Lesson:

5. Indicate to students that a glossary of terms associated with water can be found at https://water.usgs.gov/edu/dictionary.html. Students can refer to this website throughoutIf technology is not easily accessible for the classroom, a vocabulary wall can be made to ensure these words are available to the student during the course of the lesson. the lesson and the rest of the unit, as they conduct research.
6. Next, based on what they shared about what they already know about water, ask students to generate questions on what they hope to learn about fresh water as a limited resource. Have them record these questions in column W.
7. Set up work stations with hard copies of materials and video resources about fresh water as a limited resource for students to read and view. Allow students 10 minutes at each station, using what they have recorded in column W, as a starting point to gather information about fresh water as a limited resource. Some guiding questions/ideas can include: who owns the water; desalinization; acid rain; gray water—what is it? How/why is it used?; the water table; aquifers; pros/cons of dams; development of civilization along water, etc.
8. For homework, ask students to record new knowledge in column L of their charts. Also, have them generate questions they still have about water as a limited resource. Have them list these new questions in the S column of their charts.
9. In class the next day, allow 15-20 minutes to ask students to share what they have learnedYou can also do a pair share as a quick way to assess students. with the class and what new questions they have based on their research.
10. Next, work with students to develop a plan for helping them find the answers to these remaining questions. One element of such a plan would be to call on the expertise of other students to develop answers to some of these questions.
11. To conclude this segment of the lesson, distribute the Lesson Assessment handout to each student. Have students complete the assessment and hand them in for grading.

Concluding the Lesson:

12. Divide the students into groups of 2 or 3. Provide access to the article from the New York Times, listed in Additional Resources.
13. Indicate to students that issues involving fresh water exist around the world. The New York Times article provides some insights into one such example-in Cape Town, South Africa.
14. Ask student groups to read the article and then complete one of the following activities:
    • Develop a presentation/prezi/one pager/poster/infographic to display or present the key points of the article.
    • Create a lesson for other studentsThis activity would be best for Pre-AP/AP students. It involved higher order/higher level thinking skills. Could serve as a lesson extention if time allows., based on the article and what they have learned about fresh water as a limited resource. What would be their goals for the lesson? What questions would they have students answer? What would they want students to do after they completed the basic lesson?
15. When students have completed their activities, ask for volunteers to share their group’s work with the class.

Lesson Plan Two: Personal Water Consumption

Lesson Plan Three: Taking Action