InTeGrate is Pleased to Announce the Publication of a New Teaching Module: Interactions between Water, Earth's Surface, and Human Activity

Developed by Professor Sue DeBari, Western Washington University, Professor Kyle Gray, University of Northern Iowa, and Professor Julie Monet, California State University-Chico, this two-week teaching module focuses on water and its importance to humans, both as a limited resource and in shaping Earth's surface. Water's flow through the hydrologic cycle is driven by Earth's external energy source – the Sun.Students see that river systems change shape over time, are influenced by climate and by human activity, and affect human activity, for example through flooding. Students develop their understanding while working in small groups, through interaction with simplified physical models of complicated systems, with Google Earth images of stream profiles in different climates, and with real river flooding data sets. Students learn the basic science, but they then apply this scientific understanding to their own lives. Interactions between Water, Earth's Surface, and Human Activity is a great fit for courses in Earth science, environmental science, water resources, and introductory geoscience.