InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Water Science and Society > Section 1: Fresh Water: Scarcity or Surfeit? > Module 1: Freshwater Resources - A global perspective
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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The materials are free and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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Module 1: Freshwater Resources - A global perspective

Demian Saffer and Michael Arthur, Pennsylvania State University and Patrick Belmont, Utah State University

Summary

In this module, we will examine the distribution of freshwater resources, the major uses of water, and present and anticipated future demand for water, globally, as human population increases. We will explore the question as to whether water has a value greater than presently appreciated and whether it will always be readily available to us. For example, you may already know that the western United States is experiencing a severe shortage of water as the result of prolonged drought in that region. Is this an anomaly, or might we expect longer-term shortages there and elsewhere in the United States and globally as the result of climate change?

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Learning Goals

The goal of Module 1, Freshwater Resources: A Global Perspective, is for students to understand the availability of freshwater resources for human activities and the variations in population and water availability globally, and to develop skills analyzing and interpreting data as portrayed in diagrams. After completing the module, students will be able to:

  • describe the two-way relationship between water resources and human society;
  • explain the distribution and dynamics of water at the surface and in the subsurface of Earth;
  • communicate scientific information in terms that can be understood by the general public;
  • interpret graphical representations of scientific data;
  • identify strategies and best practices to decrease water stress and increase water quality;
  • predict how availability of and demand for water resources is expected to change over the next 50 years.

Context for Use

Overall, this one-week module is intended for use as a stand-alone lesson or as part of an online or blended general education or introductory-level course that would satisfy a science distribution requirement. The module would be appropriate for non-majors and undeclared students looking for a major. There are two formats: (1) Blended where the students meet at least once to perform the activities in teams; and (2) 100% online. As a general guideline, the delivery of content and assessment of learning goals/objectives have been designed to accommodate the logistics of large class sizes where students are expected to work approximately three hours per week covering lecture content with an additional six hours per week of additional reading and work on assessments. Note that some students will require more or less time to meet the goals and objectives of the module.

Description and Teaching Materials

In this module, students will:

  • interact with online teaching materials pertaining to the value of water worldwide;
  • synthesize data from population and precipitation maps;
  • perform unit conversion calculations to gain perspective on water use;
  • explore the relationship between groundwater extraction and agriculture;
  • select and defend a preferred water deficit solution from a list of options;
  • comment on whether clean water is a marketable commodity or a human right;
  • record and analyze their own personal water usage for one week.

All materials for students are available online using the Student Materials link below. These can be implemented entirely in the context of distance learning, with students completing any discussion questions in the form of a blog or discussion group. In a traditional or blended classroom setting, students can complete the online unit as homework, using class time to address the discussion questions and for student presentations of Water Journal Projects.

Teachers can find documentation of the activities as well as rubrics for students at this location. Rubrics for teachers are compiled under Assessment on this site. Suggestions for teaching and a list of the assessments are found below.

Teaching Notes and Tips

What works best for the module?

Much of this module covers conceptual content that students find relatively easy to relate to. The summative assessment immediately involves students in collection of data—in this case their own water usage. Students enjoyed this activity and got to know one another in the first week as the result of presenting their average daily usage and an indirect water use example. There was some duplication (coffee, beer and beef are popular) but acceptable. Note: instructor should be certain to explicitly assign this in the first (orientation) week so that students can complete their water usage charts before the class meeting during which it will be discussed (even with warning, about 10% of the students fail to bring data to class; we note some frantically searching on cell phones for indirect use examples to present during the presentations). Also note that there are a variety of other water use calculators online, including one from National Geographic.

What students found difficult

About half of the students were particularly challenged by Formative Assessment 2, which required some fairly simple calculations and unit conversions. We suggest that the instructor highlight the Unit Conversion Exercise - Formative Assessment 2: Water Use Quantity (Activate Your Learning) in the Orientation and urge students to work through it before undertaking Formative Assessment 2. Also, we suggest that, time permitting, the instructor work through one or two of these (or similar) problems, or provide explicit comments on each student paper, or provide a copy of the properly completed worksheet for student reference.

A few students grossly underestimated their water usage in the Summative Assessment. In order for this exercise to be effective, it is important to discuss the results afterward to make sure any students who underestimate their usage understand how much water they actually use every day.


Reflections
This is the setup for the intersection of water science and society. Questions entertained here will arise again in Section 3. Emphasize that Sections 1 and 2 highlight principles of water availability, flow, composition, and retention that are essential for dealing with societal issues in Section 3. The indirect water use examples helped students appreciate the impact of their consumption of goods and services on water resources. The instructor could (as a meta-cognitive exercise) ask students how, if at all, the presentations changed their view of certain commodities. The Summative Assessment discussion takes about 3–4 minutes per student presenting to complete in class. For class sizes greater than 20, this will eat up an entire class session with a short instructor summary of what was learned at the end (note: average water usage should be compared with the average family of four usage in the United States.).

Assessment

Formative Assessments

Summative Assessment

  • The summative assessment for this module, the Water Use Project, requires students to keep a Water Use Journal for one week and to calculate their daily and weekly water use. They will compare their own personal water use to national and global per capita averages. Students present their results to the class. Includes a metacognitive component in which students are asked to reflect upon how keeping a water journal has impacted their own attitudes toward water use.
     

References and Resources

Teaching Themes

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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »