In this Flipside Science unit, designed for a middle school audience, we'll explore environmental issues related to our water use. On this page you'll find five short videos and five associated lesson plans connected to the Next Generation Science Standards with an emphasis on engineering and design thinking.
Videos in This Unit
How Do We Meet the Growing Need for Water?
Humans depend on water, and our need for this precious resource is growing alongside our population.
Desalination
How do we provide the world's growing population with enough water to drink?
Water-Wise Farms
Water is wasted daily by inefficient farming practices, but we can find solutions.
Waste Water Recycling
Did you know you can recycle waste water?
Recharging Aquifers
Did you know there are thousands of gallons of water right under your feet?
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All units in this series focus on human impacts on Earth's systems.
Unit Lessons in Sequence
Your Hidden Water Footprint: Defining a Problem to Find a Solution
Students contextualize a design problem by examining the water consumption of smartphones, boots, and chocolate.
Exploring Our Growing Need for Water
© 2015 California Academy of Sciences
In this two-day lesson, students explore several issues surrounding global water use and conservation.
Rapid Brainstorming: How Can We Conserve Our Water Resources?
Practice rapid ideation—an important step in design thinking—by brainstorming solutions to global water issues.
Sustainable Water Solutions: Weighing the Pros and Cons
In this activity, students will work together to weigh potential solutions to water use and conservation issues.
Fresh Solutions: Design Thinking Challenge
Design Thinking Challenge: Are your students ready to tackle a water issue at home or in their school?
View Unit Summary
Download an overview of the course, complete with connections to the NGSS.
Associated Resources
Cornucopia
In this game, students level up the farm with green technology to meet the space and water needs of their crops.
About Cornucopia
In this free browser-based game, you'll plant crops and earn technology updates to make your farm successful!
Science Texts for Close Reading
Your students can evaluate some of the innovative solutions introduced in this unit, like waste water recycling.
Flipside Science
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