Activity 13: Finding solutions (Modeling Interconnected Systems Part 3)

Cameron Weiner, Middlebury College
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Initial Publication Date: April 24, 2024

Summary

Students read a brief overview of water scarcity and what causes water scarcity. Then students watch two videos that show how water scarcity can impact people and the environment from two different angles. Using this background information as a jumping off point, students then create a mind map that helps them think about how they directly and indirectly use water in their daily lives. Students work with peers to improve their mind maps and make them more holistic. Finally, students use their mind maps to identify places where they can reduce their water use and create an action plan to reduce their water use in those areas.


This activity is the 13th activity in a Systems Thinking module designed for middle school science courses. These activities are designed to provide middle school students with the tools to assess complex issues of sustainability holistically. The series begins with activities that introduce systems thinking vocabulary and systems diagrams, then moves to activities addressing how rates, equilibrium, and feedback loops contribute to changes in systems over time. The module concludes with several activities that require students to assess an issue of sustainability through a variety of interconnected human and natural systems. The activities begin using simple water system examples such as the classroom sink and the school water supply system. Then the activities progress to more complex system examples with a greater focus on the interconnectedness between systems, ultimately assessing the issue of water scarcity in the United States through many connected human and natural systems like agriculture, energy, and the water cycle.

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Context

Audience

This activity is intended for a middle school science course. Materials presented here are designed to be implemented in a remote learning environment, either as part of an entirely online or hybrid course.

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered

Students do not need any background information for this activity. However, activities 3, 11, or 12 provide helpful information about how people and industries use water and could allow students to complete the activity in more depth.

How the activity is situated in the course

This activity is a stand-alone activity but is also designed to be taught following Activity 11: Interconnected Systems Part 1 and 12: Interconnected Systems Part 2. When taught in conjunction, Activities 11, 12, and 13 introduce students to systems contributing to water use and water scarcity in the United States, prompting students to generate solutions to water stress based on their systems analysis.

Goals

Content/concepts goals for this activity

Understand the causes and impacts of water scarcity.

Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity

Identify how you use water in your own life.
Identify how you can use less water in your own life.
Identify actions you will take to use less water.

Other skills goals for this activity

Description and Teaching Materials

Materials:

Activity Description (60 min)

Part 1: Introducing Water Scarcity (5 min)

The instructor asks students to open their own copy of the Water Scarcity Student Handout. The instructor reviews the objectives of the activity with the students before asking them to read Part 1:

Goals:

  1. Understand the causes and impacts of water scarcity.
  2. Identify how you use water in your own life.
  3. Identify how you can use less water in your own life.
  4. Identify actions you will take to use less water.

Students read Part 1 of the handout which contains a brief overview of water uses, water sources (surface/ground water), water scarcity, and causes of water scarcity. After reading, the teacher calls on student volunteers to summarize the four topics and ask any questions they have from the reading.

Part 2: Impacts of Water Scarcity(15 min)

The instructor indicates that the class is moving onto part two of the course: the impacts that water scarcity has on people and the environments. Before playing the video, the instructor reads question 1 on the handout, "Who and what does water scarcity impact?" The instructor asks students to think about this question and take notes in the space provided below the question during and after video. The instructor then shares their screen and plays the first of two videos: High and Dry: Climate Change Increases Water Risks, Hampers Growth (1:43) produced by the World Bank.

Students are encouraged to add notes to their answer to question 1 for 1-2 minutes after the video. The instructor then tells students they will watch one more video, and this time the students should take notes that address question 2: "How would you add to your answer to the question: who and what does water scarcity impact?" The instructor again shares their screen and plays the second video: When a Town Runs Dry (8:00).

The instructor asks students to start adding the impacts of water scarcity that they wrote down into the chat or out loud.

Part 3: Water Use in Our Own Lives(25 min)

The instructor indicates that the class is moving onto Part 3 and the second goal of the class - identifying how we each use water in our own lives. The instructor might introduce Part 3 by saying something like this:

"So now that we've seen some of the impacts water scarcity can have on people, and understand a little bit better how important water is, let's think about the ways that we use water in our own lives - goal number 2 for today's class. And remember, our ultimate goal is to understand how we can use less water."

The instructor shares their screen to show an image of a mind map. The instructor can use this example (also linked in the student handout) or any other of their choosing. The instructor explains how students will complete question 3 saying something like this:

"So we are going to create a mind map like this example either with a pencil and paper or on google slides like this example. A mind map is a way of brainstorming that can help us see the connections between things. To start your mind map you will draw a circle with water use at the center. You will then answer question 3A: What do you do every day? And How do you use water every day? Connect the things that you do every day (shown here with blue circles) directly to the water use center circle. 

Then when you feel like you have covered almost all the things you do every day, think about how those things you do every day use water, answering question 3B: How do the things you do use water?

So I'll give everyone about 7 minutes to complete question 3, don't worry if you don't finish completely, then I'll explain question 4 and send you into breakout groups."

The instructor gives students 7 minutes to answer question 3, then calls students back to explain question 4. The instructor tells students they will be sent into breakout groups of three people to discuss the mind maps they created for 13 minutes. Students should add to their mind maps as they discuss with their peers. If all three students have shared before the time allotted runs out, students should work together to think of more ways they use water directly or indirectly.

After 7 minutes, the instructor calls the students back to the main group and asks them to upload a picture or screenshot of their mind map to question 5 after class.

 

Part 4: Finding Solutions, reducing our water use  (15 min)

The instructor indicates that they have achieved goal #2 by identifying how they directly and indirectly use water in their daily lives and are now moving onto the final two goals: goal #3: Identify how you can use less water in your own life and goal #4: Identify actions you will take to use less water.

The instructor provides students with 5 minutes to answer question 6 and 5 minutes to complete question 7.

  1. Look at your mind map. Identify 5 areas in your life where you could use less water. 
  2. What actions can you take to use less water? Provide at least three actions you can take and explain how the actions will conserve water.

The instructor uses the remaining 5 minutes of class to discuss how the students plan to reduce their water use. The instructor also reminds students to upload a photo or screenshot of their mind map before they turn in the student handout.


Assessment

Students have met the goals of this activity if they are able to:
1) Identify both their direct uses of water and indirect uses of water,
2) Identify where they can use less water and how they can use less water.

References and Resources

Video References:

Debeij, Joris. 2016. When a Town Runs Dry. Go Project Films. https://goprojectfilms.com/when-the-town-runs-dry/.
High and Dry: Climate Change, Water, and the Economy. 2016. World Bank Group. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/water/publication/high-and-dry-climate-change-water-and-the-economy.

References and Resources:

This systems thinking module is based on the undergraduate Systems Thinking module on InTeGrate, created by Lisa A. Gilbert, Deborah S. Gross & Karl J. Kreutz. This feedback loop activity relates to Unit 3: Modeling a System.

Background on US Agricultural Systems for Instructors: A Framework for Assessing Effects of the Food System

Background on Changes in Water Resource Availability and Connection to Climate Change for instructors: Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, See Chapter 3: Water Resources

Systems Thinking Vocabulary Glossary

Why teach systems thinking in Middle School?

"Appendix G - Crosscutting Concepts." 2013. Next Generation Science Standards. https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/Appendix%20G%20-%20Crosscutting%20Concepts%20FINAL%20edited%204.10.13.pdf

Learn about why we should teach Systems Thinking in Earth Science:

Learn more about teaching systems thinking:

Learn more about systems thinking:

Meadows, Donella H., and Diana Wright. 2008. Thinking in Systems: A Primer. White River Junction, Vt: Chelsea Green Pub. https://wtf.tw/ref/meadows.pdf