1. Unit 3: Water systems on Earth

2. Big Ideas of Unit
1.0 Water exists naturally in all three states on Earth’s surface
2.0 The different characteristics of salt and fresh water support a diversity of living things
3.0 Bodies of fresh and salt water are created by geological processes
4.0 Waves, tides and currents are powerful forces that interact with the environment
5.0 Large bodies of water and glaciers affect the environment
6.0 People’s use of water can affect Earth’s water supply and the environment

3. What is this a picture of?
How are these two places different? The same?

4. Mars vs Earth
Earth and Mars both have four seasons, mountains, valleys, storms and icecaps
Biggest difference is that Mars is half of the diameter of Earth, has a different atmosphere and Earth has an abundance of liquid water
Evidence of water has recently been found on Mars
Mars one is planning on travelling to Mars and setting up colonies to live there

5. Uses of Water Brainstorm, identify which ones may waste water
Demo- water, water everywhere
1000ml graduated cylinder
970 ml remaining represents water in the ocean
30 ml represent fresh water
23 ml of this would be trapped in glaciers and icecaps
7 ml remains
Of this one drop or 0.003% of the original 1000 ml represents the amount of fresh water available to us

6. 74% of the earth’s surface is water

7. 1.0 Water exists in all three states on Earth’s surface
Most of the water on Earth can be found in liquid form (ocean, river, streams and lakes)
A tiny amount is found as a vapor (gas)
You can not see it but you can ‘feel’ the humidity in the air
Most fresh water is trapped in a solid or frozen state
Found at the Artic and Antarctica and help to keep the Earth cooler since it is white and reflected sunlight

8. The Water Cycle
Water constantly cycles on Earth

9. Terminology Evaporation- changes from liquid to gas
Transpiration- plants releasing water vapor into the air
Condensation- vapor changes to water, occurs in the clouds and is the reason for rain
Precipitation- water falls from the clouds (rain, snow, etc)

10. Activity The water cycle in action
Once finished be sure to write a paragraph that describes how our mini cycles compare to the Earth’s water cycle

12. The Water Table
Do you get water from a well? Where does this water come from?
A well accesses ground water that sits in an underground aquifer
Watershed is an area that drain water into rivers, lakes and rivers
Surface water is where water collects on the surface of the earth (lakes, rivers)
Ground water is water that has collected underground
The water table describes the level that ground water reaches

13. Discussion What would happen to the water table if there is a drought?
Why do you think that wells would go dry?
Questions
Explain how the water cycle differs from summer to winter?
What do you think happens if the water table reaches the surface of the ground? Why?
Predict what happens in the following situations:
Sewage is spilled onto a field?
Too much water is removed from a well?
A huge parking lot is built?