Salt Water and Freshwater Distribution on Earth
Provided by: PBS|Published on: November 16, 2023
Grades: 3, 4, 5
Type: Data, Graphs, and Maps
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: PBS
Region: Global
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- These illustrations show how much of the Earth's water is freshwater, how much of that freshwater is from lakes and rivers, and all the different types of freshwater on Earth.
- Students learn that most water on Earth is saltwater, only a sliver of the Earth's freshwater is from lakes and rivers, and freshwater comes in various forms such as groundwater, glaciers, and water vapor.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The illustrations are easy to understand and visually engaging.
- The illustrations can be downloaded as a PNG file.
Additional Prerequisites
- In order to download the illustrations, you need to sign up for a free PBS LearningMedia account.
- It may be helpful if students already know the difference between saltwater and freshwater.
Differentiation
- Teachers can use these illustrations as a conceptual introduction to ice caps, glaciers, the importance of these freshwater sources, and what's happening to these sources in recent years.
- These illustrations can supplement a classroom activity where students investigate different types of marine life.
- These illustrations can enhance a classroom discussion about the scarcity of freshwater and the importance of having clean water in our communities.
- These illustrations can augment a lesson on man-made lakes and other ways that humans try to control water sources.
- Consider using the illustrations to introduce the lesson Importance of Conserving Water.
This resource is from the CLEAN collection. “The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness.”
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Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
