Resource
IDEA SETResource
Freshwater
Freshwater
Check out these ideas for how your students can learn more about freshwater and how to conserve this precious resource.
Grades
6 - 12+
Subjects
Earth Science
Photograph by James Kydd
While the Earth is two-thirds water, less than three percent of that is freshwater. To further complicate the issue only a fraction of that water is available to be used to drink, for agriculture, power generation, manufacturing, or sanitation. Between this limited supply, a growing global population, and an increase in pollution assess to freshwater will be a defining issue for future generations.
Use these ideas for activities and projects in your classroom to teach your students about freshwater and its conservation.
Calculate Daily Water Use at School
Use this online tool to help start a school-wide campaign encouraging everyone to use less water. Get the word out with persuasive writing via posters or skits. Challenge your fellow students to a video public service announcement (PSA) contest. With drought conditions affecting many states, helping to save water in your community will be a step in the right direction.
Test Water
Test the water and soil in and around your home.
Water Clean-Up
With an adult, clean up a stream, river, or other body of water in your community.
Conserve Water
Research ways to save water, such as watering the lawn early in the morning or late in the day, using drip irrigation, and using a bucket instead of a hose to wash the car.
Fix Leaky Faucets
Watch for drips in any faucets in your home. Ask an adult to fix them.
Research Your Local Water Supply
How do the people who live upstream behave? Are they aware of those downstream, or do they contaminate the water? Do you do things that might pollute water for others? What are some steps your family could take to minimize its impact on air and water quality?
World Monitoring Day
Celebrate World Water Monitoring Day. Use a test kit to sample local bodies of water for water quality data and share the results with other communities around the world.
Media Credits
The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.
Manager
other
Last Updated
May 20, 2022
For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. She or he will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.
Media
If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.
Text
Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.
Interactives
Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.