Lesson 03 – What Is the Source of My Drinking Water: Source Water
This is Lesson 3 (“What is the source of my drinking water? Source Water!”) from the “Drinking Water: Protecting the Source” curriculum, a USDA NRCS/EPA/National FFA resource. It teaches students about the sources of drinking water and the components and differences between public water systems and private wells, including a class activity analyzing home drinking water inventories. The lesson includes an interest approach, teacher background content, an evaluation, activity worksheets, a private well diagram, and PowerPoint slides.
At a glance
- Learning objectives
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- 3.1 Describe the similarities and differences among drinking water delivery methods (public water system or private well) in homes.
- 3.2 Describe the components of private wells and public drinking water systems.
- Time required
- 50 minutes
- Grade level
- 9-12
- Materials
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- Completed inventories from Lesson 2 homework assignment (SW1.2.HW.AS: Drinking Water Inventory Homework Activity)
- Worksheet SW.3.1.AS – ACTIVITY: Drinking Water Home Inventory: Analysis and Report, one copy per student
- Wells and How They Work, The Groundwater Foundation, http://groundwater.org/gi/wells.html
- Water on Tap: What You Need to Know, U.S. EPA, http://water.epa.gov/drink/guide/upload/book_waterontap_full.pdf
- Private Wells: Basic Information, U.S. EPA, http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/well/basicinformation.cfm
- Handout SW.3.2.TM.A – Diagram of a Private Drinking Water Well, one copy per student
- Slide SW.3.2.TM.B – Water Sources and Water Systems
- Key Terms
- Bored well; Community water system; Consolidated well; Groundwater; Non-Community water system; Surface water; Transient water system; Unconsolidated well
Downloads & Links
Aligned Standards
National Science Education Standards for Grades 9 – 12
- Content Standard AAbilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry: Design and conduct scientific investigations.
- Content Standard AAbilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry: Design and conduct scientific investigations.
- Content Standard FScience in Personal and Social Perspectives: Natural Resources – Human populations use resources in the environment in order to maintain and improve their existence. Natural resources have been and will continue to be used to maintain human populations.