This interactive global map from The Nature Conservancy provides a variety of information about the sources of urban water supplies, the risks to clean water access, and solutions.
Students will learn about water quality, water quantity, riparian restoration, forest protection, reforestation, and forest fuel reduction.
Teaching Tips
Positives
Students can click on a city or watershed for more data and information. They can then press the globe icon to return to the full map view.
Students can search for data and information for a specific city in the search bar.
Additional Prerequisites
There is a link to download the full report in the overview section.
The water quantity section mentions that the Water Blueprint only evaluates surface water sources.
Differentiation
Students can search for data on their home or neighboring cities.
Students can record data on water sources and land use for different cities, compare their findings, and analyze the differences.
Students can search the water supplies for their local watersheds and analyze the quality, quantity, and conservation solutions.
Other resources related to these topics include this article about how forests can help maintain water quality in urban areas and this United States interactive map of a variety of environmental factors including water pollution.
Scientist Notes
The resource highlights the capacity of nature to restore urban water quality devoid of pollution. The map is recommended for students to explore issues relating to urban water quality and health.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS2: Earth's Systems
HS-ESS2-5 Plan and conduct an investigation of the properties of water and its effects on Earth materials and surface processes.
ETS1: Engineering Design
MS-ETS1-2 Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
HS-ETS1-1 Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
HS-LS2-7 Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Geography
D2.Geo.2.6-8 Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions, and changes in their environmental characteristics.
