Department Energy and Water Supply
Guideline for use
About the package The water cycle package is a new education resource that illustrates key concepts needed to understand the sustainable use of water. Comprising two posters as well as these guidelines, the package aims to provide Queensland water educators and teachers with resources and information to build learning about: 6 the precious nature of water 6 the natural water cycle 6 water sources 6 water use and reuse in urban and rural locations 6 drinking water and wastewater treatment 6 water sustainability and conservation. The package has a unique Queensland feel and has been designed to complement the Water: Learn it > > Contents for life!* program. While the main target audience is 6 About this package students aged between four and 15, the package can 6 Using the poster also be used with adult audiences. 6 The Water Cycle poster These guidelines aim to assist water educators and teachers by offering suggestions and ideas for using » Notes for use/background information the posters to stimulate inquiry. Curriculum links to » Curriculum links the Water: Learn it for life! resources are included. This » Classroom activities is by no means an exhaustive list. The posters can be 6 Curriculum links applied in many different ways and circumstances and 6 Classroom activities the content is applicable across a diverse range of curricula. 6 The Total Water Cycle Management poster Both posters are available free to Queensland » Notes for use/background information councils and schools and can be ordered online at:
Great state. Great opportunity. Using the posters with the poster set this local context for their audience, perhaps by naming similar features in their area, as well Both posters can be used in a variety of learning as identifying possible differences. contexts. While these guidelines focus on their application in relation to curricula-based programs, Notes for use and background they can also be used as part of community education programs. For example, they can be displayed in information public spaces such as council foyers, community group 6 The water cycle phases (and associated buildings, libraries, customer service centres and explanations) are colour coded in different shades of shopping centres. blue to indicate the different phases. The posters are designed to complement each other. 6 While the poster focuses on the processes of the The Water Cycle poster enables educators to introduce water cycle, it can also be used to engage students fundamental concepts relating to the natural water in discussion about the component elements such cycle. The Total Water Cycle Management poster builds as waterways, surface water and groundwater flows, on these concepts to create a comprehensive picture of springs, wetlands and ground and surface water the integrated flow and use of water in contemporary storage. urban and rural environments. 6 It is important to draw attention to, and explain, the It is important to note that the landscape setting in groundwater flow depicted in the bottom left corner. both posters is the same. The angle from which the Emphasise that groundwater is linked to surface learner is observing is, however, slightly higher in the water and is not an independent system. Surface Total Water Cycle Management poster. This affects water may be flowing (infiltrating) into groundwater how the hill in the foreground is viewed. Essentially, across the entire landscape, not just in the section all differences between the posters are the result cut away in the foreground. For this reason the of changes that people have made to the natural infiltration bubble appears further up the page. The environment. interaction with groundwater is a two way process with groundwater supplies also flowing back into the The Water Cycle poster lends itself to being used as a surface water shown—that is, rivers, lake and ocean. precursor to the Total Water Cycle Management poster 6 For older students it is important to explain that in which the more complex aspects of water supply and while the poster shows processes only occurring management in the contemporary environment in specific areas, they are occurring throughout are explored. the entire landscape. Transpiration occurs from any vegetation (including any grasslands) and The Water’ Cycle poster evaporation from any surface water. Runoff may The poster, which depicts the water cycle in the begin high up in a catchment, and will continue as natural environment, aims to educate young people water flows downhill towards the lowest point. Often about the different phases of the natural water cycle. the majority of runoff occurs as water enters streams, The key concepts of precipitation, runoff, infiltration, then rivers and perhaps flows to lakes and eventually transpiration, evaporation and condensation are the ocean. introduced in an engaging and easy to follow manner, featuring Whizzy the waterdrop. The poster targets children between four and eight years of age, but can also be used with older audiences to explain water cycle concepts and stimulate inquiry about the more complex aspects of water sources and sustainability. The poster incorporates images of Queensland wildlife and vegetation, offering another dimension for teachers and educators to explore with students. The setting for the poster has not been designed to represent any area in particular. It is intended that educators working 6 The Whizzy characters located in the evaporation Unit 1 – Lesson 8: Informative interviews stage of the cycle are slightly lighter in colour, In this lesson students explain what they know about denoting a gaseous rather than liquid state. In reality water in an interview format. The Water Cycle poster can water cannot be seen at all when it is in its gaseous be used as a resource to review the unit. state, so in fact Whizzy should be invisible. For the purposes of engaging students, Whizzy has been Unit 2 – Lesson 1: Giving water use the slip included in the evaporation phase. In this lesson students are introduced to the water cycle 6 The poster depicts no human presence. Students through Whizzy’s Incredible Journeys – Pick-a-Path should understand that the water cycle still occurs book. The Water Cycle poster could be introduced at the with human presence, but that people have had an end of the reading to reinforce the concept of the water impact on the ‘natural’ water cycle shown in this cycle. poster. Students may like to predict, observe or investigate what some of these impacts might be. Unit 2 – Lesson 4: Poster talk Students evaluate various posters to discover their Curriculum links key features and how they can be used. The Water The following are suggestions for linking The Water Cycle poster can be used as one example for them to Cycle poster with activities contained in the Water: evaluate. There should be an emphasis on the different Learn it for life! curriculum resource. components and how the poster communicates its messages.
Year 1 Unit 2 – Lesson 5: Water expert training session Mini Inquiry 1 – Why is water unique? Students explore the various aspects of water through workstation activities, for example, how water travels 1.2.1 Students are introduced to the water cycle through plants (workstation 3) and the water cycle through Whizzy’s Incredible Journeys – Pick- (workstation 4). Display The Water Cycle poster in a a-Path book. The Water Cycle poster could be prominent position for reference during these activities. introduced at the end of the reading to further explore the water cycle concept. Years 4 and 5 Mini Inquiry 2 – Where do we find water? Unit 1 – Lesson 1: Water, water, everywhere 2.3 Students explore where they might find water. The Water Cycle poster provides additional In this introductory lesson students map their ideas to stimulus for students to reinforce this concept. show their understanding of water in their local area. The Water Cycle poster could be shown at the beginning Mini Inquiry 3 – Why do we need water? of the lesson for them to recap where water comes 3.1 Students identify ways we need water. Use The from. Water Cycle poster to show how the trees need Unit 2 – Lesson 1: Making a statement water and how this process happens. Students begin this unit by exploring what they already Years 2 and 3 know about water. They are shown 13 water statements and asked whether they are true or false. The Water Unit 1 – Lesson 3: Rain, rain Cycle poster could be used as a visual aid for the class debrief to assist them to clarify their thinking. The Water Cycle poster could be introduced before or after this lesson to explain why it rains and where rain comes from. It also provides a visual aid to assist Years 6 and 7 students to understand that groundwater comes to the Unit 1 – Lesson 6: Catchments and water cycles surface naturally and flows back into rivers. In this lesson students explore and outline the Unit 1 – Lesson 4: Go with the flow processes of the natural water cycle and the water cycle The Water Cycle poster provides an excellent resource with human impacts. The Water Cycle poster can be to conclude this lesson and expand on students’ ideas used as a visual aid to demonstrate the natural water about where rainwater goes after it falls to the ground. cycle.
Unit 1 – Lesson 5: My water story Classroom Activities The Water Cycle poster could act as additional stimuli The following are possible student activities to assist students to create a storyboard of the water incorporating The Water Cycle poster. Activity selection cycle. should be based on the age and needs of the group. Activities are sequenced in order of complexity. Most These may even lead into a broader homework or are posed as short questions but with preparation research/investigation activity. could be expanded into an in-depth or more detailed 6 What differences do you notice between the exercise. colours of the grass and plants in different parts Each activity may be made appropriate to a higher or of the poster? lower age range through simple variations such as 6 What you can see in the poster that has caused making them group or individual tasks, or setting them this difference? with or without using the poster as a reference. 6 Do you think these colours would be the same all 1. After discussion on The Water Cycle poster, play year round? When might they be different? a game using each of the water cycle phases. For 6 What makes grass and other plants green? example, ask the students whether evaporation 10. Include the water cycle phases in the spelling list goes up or down. If they think evaporation goes up for higher year levels. Students could also write they stand up, if they think evaporation goes down sentences or a paragraph using these words: they lie down (a bit like Simon says!). For higher year levels similar questions could be posed in a 6 precipitation quiz format. 6 runoff 2. Students count the number of Whizzys in the 6 infiltration poster. Why do they think Whizzy appears in 6 transpiration different shapes and in different body positions? As 6 evaporation a group, discuss some other situations where water 6 condensation. is found. Students draw their own version of Whizzy as they think a water drop would appear in one of 11. Ask students to guess where they think the these other situations. underground water in the bottom left of the poster is going. Has anyone ever heard of the term 3. Students identify six things in the poster that need aquifer? This may stimulate further study on the water to survive. Great Artesian Basin (for more information see the 4. A4 or A3 versions of the poster could be laminated section on underground water at
Unit 1 – Lesson 2: Going on a water wander In this lesson students embark on a field trip to learn about water issues and infrastructure in their local area. Prior to the field trip the Total Water Cycle Management poster provides an excellent visual aid to show the 6 Traditionally rain that falls on hard surfaces in range of infrastructure required for towns to have water towns/cities becomes stormwater and flows to supply. the nearest waterway via stormwater systems. The use of rainwater tanks reduces stormwater Unit 1 – Lesson 4: Catchment catch-up runoff. Increasingly, this runoff may be regarded as In this lesson students build up a picture of how water undesirable because it carries pollutants (such as works in their local catchment. Use the Total Water Cycle oil, chemicals and rubbish) into waterways. Management poster to explain how the urban water 6 Additionally, stormwater can potentially be captured, cycle works and explore the impacts that human activity treated and used as an alternative water source has on water quality. in a process known as stormwater harvesting. Alternatively, it can contribute to natural river Unit 2 – Lesson 2: Reading the meter flows needed to ‘flush’ the system. In Queensland In this lesson students learn how to locate and read a a number of options for stormwater harvesting water meter and investigate the amount of water used. are being investigated. In the Total Water Cycle The Total Water Cycle Management poster shows water Management poster, stormwater harvesting is shown meters attached to each of the houses in the foreground in the residential area above the heading Stormwater cul-de-sac (small black circles marked WM). management. Initially stormwater from the residential area flows into a bioretention basin where it is treated through natural filtration processes. It is then harvested and directed into an underground storage tank for later reuse—for example, irrigation of local parks. 6 Constructed wetlands are sometimes created to Unit 2 – Lesson 3: Water tickets please! improve the quality of stormwater that flows to waterways. When directed through wetlands, the In this lesson students monitor and provide feedback effects of sedimentation and settling, exposure on their water usage and of essential and non-essential to ultraviolet light from the sun and filtration by uses of water. The main house in the cul-de-sac could reeds and other plant life all contribute to improved be used to stimulate discussion on this issue. stormwater quality. In the Total Water Cycle Unit 2 – Lesson 4: The resource race Management poster a constructed wetland is shown treating stormwater at the bottom left corner of the Students explore the problems encountered when commercial area. people compete for a limited resource. Refer to the Total Water Cycle Management poster to depict the extent 6 Sources upstream/upriver from the reservoir and that water is needed and used within our communities. dam may also form part of the water supply for the larger town/city below. Sources could include urban Unit 2 – Lesson 6: Drip detectives and Lesson 9: stormwater and treated effluent discharges. This Teaching my family to audit practice occurs throughout Queensland, Australia Refer to the Total Water Cycle Management poster to and the world. identify water saving strategies in residential areas. 6 Reading and interpreting the pipe legend fulfils both SOSE and maths Essential Learnings. Years 6 and 7
Curriculum links Unit 1 – Lesson 2: Saving water in the home The following are suggestions for linking the Total Water In this lesson students brainstorm ways to save water in Cycle Management poster with activities contained in and around the home and conduct a home water audit the Water: Learn it for life! curriculum resource. to gauge their family’s water usage. Introduce the Total Water Cycle Management poster and identify how water is being used and saved. Unit 1 – Lessons 3 and 4: Water journeys through our (Note: Many of the activities listed in the Classroom town – Parts 1 and 2 Activities section for The Water Cycle poster can also be applied to the Total Water Cycle Management poster.) Students investigate sources and destinations of water moving through their local catchment and distinguish 1. Undertake a ‘spot the difference’ activity. Students between groundwater and surface water. They also identify the changes between the two water cycle investigate the main features of water supply and posters. It is suggested that this focuses on the distribution in their local area. Use the Total Water changes to the landscape. At a higher level, Cycle Management poster to demonstrate how water students may explain what they think has caused flows through the community, where water comes from, each of the changes from The Water Cycle poster. how it is used, stored, where it goes when it leaves 2. For each of the water types listed in the pipe your home etc. Point out the desalination, wastewater legend, students use the poster to name all the treatment, water reclamation and water purification locations that this water comes from and/or goes plants and explain these processes. Also highlight that to. This may include other locations not shown water can be reused as greywater in the garden and on the poster, and these could be highlighted or stormwater runoff can be harvested for irrigation use. circled in the list. 3. Students identify all the water saving ideas in Unit 1 – Lesson 6: Catchments and water cycles the poster. For example, the use of swimming In this lesson students explore and outline the pool covers, rainwater tanks or greywater and the processes of the natural water cycle and the water cycle delivery of recycled water via tankers to the building with human impacts. The Water Cycle poster can be site for the purposes of dust suppression. (Note: used to demonstrate the natural water cycle. Ask them The Bucket loads of savings! poster is another to identify human impacts on the water cycle. Refer to useful resource for this activity. This poster can the Total Water Cycle Management poster as a visual aid be ordered online from:
Students write a story of the water journey in the in the journey water the of a story write Students story This the journey). of (or one section poster guide role-play a tour for the basis form could the of the rest take students example, for scenario, that the places all of tour virtual on a guided class visit. possibly pipe may of in one type water the piping about different is what students Ask the label below located the community for network an . Undertake supply and treatment water Bore are they where tanks; septic into investigation this students older For work. they and how used treatment wastewater aerobic cover to extend may and the advantages include and may systems, tanks, septic over system this of disadvantages wastewater for system a centralised and even where research Students and treatment. collection and identify what in their area from comes water area. in their local are the poster from features of groups for the basis as be used could This Cycle Water Total their own developing students area. their local reflects that poster Management
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