Activities

1. Use your understanding of the water cycle to define the following terms.

Accumulation: _____________________________________________________________

Evaporation: ______________________________________________________________

Surface Runoff: ____________________________________________________________

Subsurface (underground) Runoff: _____________________________________________

Transpiration: _____________________________________________________________

Condensation: _____________________________________________________________

Precipitation: ______________________________________________________________

2. Label each of the following statements as TRUE or FALSE.
   1. The water crisis is the #1 global risk based on impact to society (as a measure of devastation), and the #8 global risk based on likelihood (likelihood of occurring within 10 years) as announced by the World Economic Forum, January 2015.
   2. 750 million people around the world lack access to safe water; approximately one in nine people.
   3. More than twice the population of the United States lives without access to safe water.
   4. Diarrhea caused by inadequate drinking water, sanitation, and hand hygiene kills an estimated 842,000 people every year globally, or approximately 2,300 people per day.
   5. 82% of those who lack access to improved water live in rural areas, while just 18% live in urban areas.     

3. Read the following fact:
   “PH is a measure of how acidic/basic water is, it stands for ‘potential of hydrogen.’ The range goes from 0 - 14, with 7 being neutral. pHs of less than 7 indicate acidity, whereas a pH of greater than 7 indicates a base.”

• What do you think would happen if you drank water that was not a pH level of 7? Explain.
• How do you think it affects animals? Explain.

4. Make a water log. In your log record all the times you use water in a day. Do this for 3 days. Are there any times you could have use less water? What are some trends you noticed? Now, compare your results with a partner.

5. Define and describe leachate.  Explain why it is so important to keep this liquid away from the ground water.

6. Identify what the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act are.  How are these laws still in use today? Work with a partner to investigate how these laws have changed or been adapted since they were put into law. Prepare a mini presentation to share your findings with the class

7. A "Boil Water Advisory" is a notification issued as a preventative measure. Boil water advisories are distributed if there is actual, or the strong possibility of, bacterial contamination in the drinking water system that could make you sick. Create a questionnaire to gather more information about this topic, and then ask 5 people your questions. Be prepared to share your results with the class.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Answers may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Accumulation – the process in which water pools in large bodies
• Condensation – the process in which water vapor in the air turns into liquid water or the when water forms clouds in the sky
• Evaporation – the process in which liquid water becomes water vapors
• Precipitation – the process in which water falls from the clouds
• Subsurface runoff – rain, snow melt, or other water that flows underground
• Surface runoff – rain, snow melt, or other water that flows in surface streams, rivers or canals
• Transpiration – the process in which some water within plans evaporates into the atmosphere

2. TRUE or FALSE
   1. True
   2. True
   3. True
   4. True
   5. True

3. Answers may vary, but might include:

• You may get sick
• The water might taste odd
• You may die
• Animals may get sick
• Animals may have to move habitats

4. Suggested Rubric: This rubric may be used to assess a student’s overall mastery of the standard or eligible content:

5. Acceptable answers may include, but are not limited to:

• Leachate can be defined as a liquid that passes through a landfill and has extracted dissolved and suspended matter from it.
• Leachate is a major problem for municipal solid waste landfills and causes significant threat to surface water and groundwater.  
• It is so important to keep this liquid away from the ground water because if it enters the water system it would be dangerous for humans and animals.

6. Acceptable answers may include, but are not limited to:

• The Clean Water Act (CWA) establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters.
• The basis of the CWA was enacted in 1948 and was called the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, but the Act was significantly reorganized and expanded in 1972.
• "Clean Water Act" became the Act's common name with amendments in 1972.
• The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was established to protect the quality of drinking water in the U.S.
• This law focuses on all waters actually or potentially designed for drinking use, whether from above ground or underground sources.

Suggested Rubric: This rubric may be used to assess a student’s overall mastery of the standard or eligible content:

7. Suggested Rubric: This rubric may be used to assess a student’s overall mastery of the standard or eligible content:

Things to consider:

• Know your audience- will you be asking peers, or adults
• Back ground knowledge- you will need to do a bit of research on the topic in order to ask appropriate questions
• Focus on the science- be sure you are staying on topic