How Does Water Rule Your World?

“Move this longer pump over here”…“Add this to make the reservoir higher”…“Okay, let’s try it!” It’s not hard to imagine how excited students get when they’re using their hands and heads to solve a problem. In this case, the problem is how to deliver water 336 miles across the desert and up in elevation almost 2,900 feet. In the Pump it Up lesson, they build a model of the Central Arizona Project aqueduct, which brings water all the way from the Colorado River to the Tucson region.

 

Using the Engineering Design Process to model and solve a real-world problem is just one small part of the Waters of Arizona (WOAZA) multi-lesson curriculum unit now being offered by Arizona Project Wet. The WOAZA unit delves into Arizona’s unique hydrology, our water supplies, and our water challenges, all while helping meet state science standards.

 

Students differentiate their regional water cycle from the global cycle, explore watersheds and the groundwater system using models, and begin to understand Arizona’s complex surface water delivery systems. At the end of the unit, they use the knowledge that they’ve gained to evaluate the overarching question: How does water rule your world?

 

If you know any teachers who would like to bring real-world relevancy into their classroom, please help us get the word out! Our WOAZA Professional Development Teacher’s Academy is being held virtually on July 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 from 8:30 am to 10:00 am MST and 11:00 am to 12:30 pm (tentative).