Water cycles and catchments
Level 1 2 3 4 5 6
This module is aimed at both the Science and Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE) strands.
Using this module
This module provides a selection of activities as a basis for teachers to develop their own units of work. These units could combine activities from a range of modules and other sources.
The Activities section provides a range of different introductory, developmental and culminating activities, and resource sheets to go with them. The materials section of each activity provides links to resource sheets and fact sheets relevant to that activity.
About this module
The water cycles and catchment management module has been designed for students of primary school age to demonstrate how:
- environments are dynamic and have living and non-living components that interact (Life and Living);
- science as a "way of knowing" is shaped by the ways that humans construct their understanding (Life and Living);
- decisions about the ways that science is applied have short and long-term implications for the environment, communities and individuals (Science and Society);
- the Earth, solar system and universe are dynamic systems (Earth and Beyond);
- living things use the resources of the Earth, solar system and universe to meet their needs (Earth and Beyond).
Activities are designed to help students to:
- develop an awareness of the impact of the applications of science in society (Science)
- observe and explain phenomena in different ways for different purposes (Science)
- develop an awareness of the tools scientists use and the impact of the applications of science in society. (Science)
- understand that living things can use the Earth and sun as resources. (Science)
- understand that there are interactions between systems on Earth, in the solar system and in the universe (Science)
- understand that interactions occur between living things and between living things and their environment (Science)
- understand that changes to particular elements of an environment will affect other elements (SOSE)
- participate in identifying and resolving a local environmental issue (SOSE)
- identify the values underlying human action in familiar places (SOSE)
- understand some human interactions with environments including resource use over time (SOSE)
- express preferred futures for a significant place (SOSE)
- participate in identifying and resolving a local environmental issue. (SOSE)
- understand interrelationships between people and some natural cycles and can)
- understand human interaction with environments including resource use over time. (SOSE)
Students have opportunities to:
- investigate the water cycle
- examine the movement of water within their school grounds and a larger water catchment area
- develop an understanding of water catchments
- identify and examine the local catchment area on a topographic map
- collect information on the water quality, riparian zone and invertebrate and vertebrate life of a waterway
- assess the quality of water, the state of the riparian zone and the diversity of invertebrate and vertebrate life in a waterway
- investigate the sustainability of different land uses within a catchment
- design and create a model of a water catchment area
Last updated: 28 August 2008
Last reviewed: 31 August 2010