Problems of municipal, industrial, and agricultural waste are ongoing, as are threats of contamination or overuse of groundwater. New data, concerns, and regulations will continually emerge. Water Resource Management helps students acquire the underlying knowledge and skills that will enable them to deal effectively with a variety of resource management issues by focusing on the study of water quantity and quality in their local community and region. The Water Resource Management unit is designed to develop awareness of the importance of water and its effects on our lives. Water in My Community highlights the hydrologic cycle.
Students collect data on personal uses of water and calculate family consumption of water.
They then identify the sources of their water and trace the distribution system to the school and home. Throughout this unit, students identify and research local, state, and regional issues related to water resources. Concurrently with their experiments, they investigate how the local community treats wastewater, review state and federal laws on water quality and identify people responsible for manging water in their community. Making Decisions consists of a single activity wherein students role-play community members deciding the fate of their last remaining wetland. The simulation demonstrates the interface of science, technology, and society by showing how decisions must balance scientific, political, econmoical, social, aesthetic, and environmental concerns.