Below are ideas for extending this topic beyond the activity and exploration you just completed.

• Lesson Assessment and Answer Key
• Activity extension: This hands-on activity demonstrates how little fresh water is available on Earth.
• Readings: Expand your students' understanding of fresh water with readings.
  
• Videos: Explore oceans and icebergs with two engaging videos from TED Ed.
• Class discussion: Use a map and a few questions to get your students thinking (and talking) about the many ways people use water.

Activity: “Can You Spare a Drop?”

Give students a hands-on feel for how little fresh water is available on Earth with this activity from the University of Michigan.

All you need are:

• a bucket of water
• a few measuring cups
• an eyedropper

This activity includes supporting information and teacher tools. It's fully aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.

Readings

These readings are free with registration at Newsela. Articles can be adjusted for reading level. Writing prompts and quiz questions are also available.

• In this reading, students discover what air bubbles trapped in ice can tell us about the earth’s atmosphere hundreds of thousands of years ago. (Grade 4, also in Spanish)

• Can toilet water be turned into tap water? Here’s a reading that will REALLY get your students’ thinking about conserving water. (Grade 6)

Videos on Icebergs and Oceans

• “What’s Below the Tip of the Iceberg?” (4:51) — Learn how icebergs form and move and create floating islands of fresh water where unexpected life can flourish.
  
• “How Big Is the Ocean?” (5:25) How much water is in the ocean? A lot. Hiding under all that water are the world’s longest mountain chain, largest waterfall (yes, it’s underwater), tallest mountain, and deepest canyon.

Click the link below each video for lesson ideas based on the subject. A free subscription to TED Ed gives you access to additional resources, discussion questions, and more. These videos can build your students’ vocabulary. (There are a few advanced words.)

Discuss — Why do some places use more fresh water than others?

Look at this map from the U.S. Geological Survey. It shows how much fresh water different states in the USA used in 2005. Dark-blue states used more water than light-blue ones.

• Can you think of some reasons that some states use more water than others?
• Could climate have anything to do with water use?
• Do more people live in one place than another?
• Do people do different types of work in different parts of the country?
• Can you find your own state? Why do you think it uses the amount of water shown here?