LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Goal 3

The learner will conduct investigations and utilize appropriate technologies and information systems to build an understanding of the hydrosphere.

Objective 3.07

Describe how humans affect the quality of water:

  • Point and non-point sources of water pollution in North Carolina.
  • Possible effects of excess nutrients in North Carolina waters.
  • Economic trade-offs.
  • Local water issues.

Resources aligned to this objective

The case of the disappearing pitcher plants
This lesson addresses the cause and effect relationship between human interaction and a North Carolina endangered plant species. A role-playing scenario allows students to view the situation from a variety of positions and to collectively arrive at a solution to the problem.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Information Skills, English Language Arts, Computer Technology Skills, and Science)
By Eddie Hamblin.
The drought causes conservation
The students will use their knowledge of the importance of water to learn about the hydrosphere. The drought being experienced will be explored through graphs and a personal plan for water conservation.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts, Computer Technology Skills, Mathematics, and Science)
By Linda Cummer.
Pollution plume
The students will simulate a plume to illustrate point source and non-point source pollution.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Computer Technology Skills, Mathematics, and Science)
By Jennifer Smith.
We all live downstream
This lesson uses the North American Streamside exhibit of the North Carolina Zoological Park as an inquiry-based starting point for a stream ecology study.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Information Skills, Computer Technology Skills, Mathematics, and Science)
By Eddie Hamblin.

Lesson plans on the web

Contaminants in the water cycle
In this Xpeditions lesson, students review the water cycle and investigate how a region's water supply can become contaminated. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Science)
Provider: National Geographic
Ecosystem Services - Water Purification
This lesson teaches students the importance of healthy ecosystems by investigating the example of natural water purification. Students will learn how ecosystems remove pollution from the water and how much it costs humans to do this artificially once ecosystems are no longer healthy. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Science)
Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Florida freezes
In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about research that shows that draining a wetland is not only bad for the animals that live there, but it also changes the local weather. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Science)
Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Harvesting the ocean for medical science
In this Xpeditions lesson, students are introduced to two marine species, one (the horseshoe crab) that is currently invaluable in the field of medicine and another (Bugula neritina) that is likely to prove beneficial in the future. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Science)
Provider: National Geographic
Sleuthing for a lost ship
In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students consider the ways in which geography is not merely an academic discipline, but also a field of study with interesting and practical applications. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Science and Computer Technology Skills)
Provider: National Geographic
Threats to ocean life: Can marine sanctuaries help?
is lesson, from Xpeditions, provides an opportunity for students to learn about environmental problems in the oceans and how marine sanctuaries can help protect ocean habitats. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Science)
Provider: National Geographic
Water, water everywhere
In this Xpeditions lesson, students examine differences in the availability of fresh drinking water around the world. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Science)
Provider: National Geographic
Why is oceanography important?
In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students learn about some of the important discoveries that oceanographers have made and some areas that they are investigating. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Science)
Provider: National Geographic