http://www.teachengineering.org/view_lesson.php?url=collection/cub_/lessons/cub_earth/cub_earth_lesson2.xmllessontext/xmlIntegrated Teaching and Learning Program, water bodiesatmosphereoceangroundwatersnow meltlakeriverdrinking waterwaterwater resourceenvironmentwater treatmentstreamaquiferAquiferGround waterSalinity

Between 70 and 75% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water and there exists still more water in the atmosphere and underground in aquifers. In this lesson, students learn about water bodies on the planet Earth and their various uses and qualities. They will learn about several ways that engineers are working to maintain and conserve water sources. They will also think about their role in water conservation.

Water is an important resource that all forms of life need for survival. Engineers study the water cycle and the various water bodies that make up the water cycle in order to continually ensure clean water is available. Here in the United States we sometimes take for granted the clean water coming out of our taps, but engineers have worked hard to make this clean water available. They have designed water treatment plants and built distribution systems that bring this resource to our homes. To build a water treatment plant, engineers must thoroughly understand the properties of nearby water bodies, including whether they are a good continual source for water. Currently engineers are working on projects, such as tidal turbines, using ocean tides to create energy.List the major bodies of water on Earth.Describe the Earth’s water resources available for humans to use.Explain several ways that engineers are working to maintain and conserve water sources.15TeachEngineering.orgSara BornMalinda Schaefer ZarskeJanet Yowellhttp://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.htmlhttp://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclesnowmelt.htmlS11416E9International_Technology_Education_Association-ITEA_STL_StandardsTechnologyH. Resources are the things needed to get a job done, such as tools and machines, materials, information, energy, people, capital, and time. 35S1141716International_Technology_Education_Association-ITEA_STL_StandardsTechnologyC. The use of technology affects the environment in good and bad ways.35S1142568ColoradoScienced. Create and evaluate models of the flow of nonliving components or resources through an ecosystem 44United StatesCopyright 2012 - Integrated Teaching and Learning Program, College of Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulderhttp://www.teachengineering.org/policy_ipp.phphttp://www.teachengineering.org/2011-03-283Teacher