Wad-a-Watershed
Students examine the basic geography of a watershed, how water flows through the system, and how people can impact the quality of our water.
Background
Lesson Activities
Recommended Companion Resources
Credits
Author
Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom
Acknowledgements
This lesson is adapted from Ilinois Agriculture in the Classroom's Wad-a-Watershed lesson.
Standards
Texas Content Area Standards
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ELA: 4.110.6.b.1
Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking- oral language. The students develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.
- ELA: 4.110.6.b.1.D: work collaboratively with others to develop a plan of shared responsibilities
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Social Studies: 3.113.14.c.4
Geography. The student understands the concepts of location, distance, and direction on maps and globes. The student is expected to:
- Social Studies: 3.113.14.c.14.D: interpret and create visuals, including graphs, charts, tables, timelines, illustrations, and maps
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Social Studies: 3.113.14.c.16
Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others. The student is expected to:
- Social Studies: 3.113.14.c.16.B: use problem-solving and decision-making processes to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution
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Social Studies: 4.113.15.c.19
Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including technology. The student is expected to:
- Social Studies: 4.113.15.c.19.D: organize and interpret information in outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps
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Social Studies: 4.113.15.c.22
Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others. The student is expected to:
- Social Studies: 4.113.15.c.22.B: use problem-solving and decision-making processes to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution
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Social Studies: 5.113.16.c.23
Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including technology. The student is expected to:
- Social Studies: 5.113.16.c.23.D: organize and interpret information in outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps
-
Social Studies: 5.113.16.c.26
Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others. The student is expected to:
- Social Studies: 5.113.16.c.26.B: use problem-solving and decision-making processes to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution
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Science: 3.112.5.b.1
Scientific and engineering practices. The student asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models. The student is expected to:
- Science: 3.112.5.b.1.A: ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations
- Science: 3.112.5.b.1.B: use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems
- Science: 3.112.5.b.1.E: collect observations and measurements as evidence
- Science: 3.112.5.b.1.F: construct appropriate graphic organizers to collect data, including tables, bar graphs, line graphs, tree maps, concept maps, Venn diagrams, flow charts or sequence maps, and input-output tables that show cause and effect
- Science: 3.112.5.b.1.G: develop and use models to represent phenomena, objects, and processes or design a prototype for a solution to a problem
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Science: 3.112.5.b.2
Scientific and engineering practices. The student analyzes and interprets data to derive meaning, identify features and patterns, and discover relationships or correlations to develop evidence-based arguments or evaluate designs. The student is expected to:
- Science: 3.112.5.b.2.C: use mathematical calculations to compare patterns and relationships
- Science: 3.112.5.b.2.D: evaluate a design or object using criteria
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Science: 3.112.5.b.3
Scientific and engineering practices. The student develops evidence-based explanations and communicates findings, conclusions, and proposed solutions. The student is expected to:
- Science: 3.112.5.b.3.A: develop explanations and propose solutions supported by data and models
- Science: 3.112.5.b.3.B: communicate explanations and solutions individually and collaboratively in a variety of settings and formats
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Science: 3.112.5.b.5
Recurring themes and concepts. The student understands that recurring themes and concepts provide a framework for making connections across disciplines. The student is expected to:
- Science: 3.112.5.b.5.A: identify and use patterns to explain scientific phenomena or to design solutions
- Science: 3.112.5.b.5.C: use scale, proportion, and quantity to describe, compare, or model different systems
- Science: 3.112.5.b.5.D: examine and model the parts of a system and their interdependence in the function of the system
- Science: 3.112.5.b.5.G: explain how factors or conditions impact stability and change in objects, organisms, and systems
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Science: 3.112.5.b.11
Earth and space. The student understands how natural resources are important and can be managed. The student is expected to:
- Science: 3.112.5.b.11.B: explain why the conservation of natural resources is important
- Science: 3.112.5.b.11.C: identify ways to conserve natural resources through reducing, reusing, or recycling
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Science: 3.112.5.b.12
Organisms and environments. The student describes patterns, cycles, systems, and relationships within environments. The student is expected to:
- Science: 3.112.5.b.12.C: describe how natural changes to the environment such as floods and droughts cause some organisms to thrive and others to perish or move to new locations
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Science: 4.112.6.b.1
Scientific and engineering practices. The student asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models. The student is expected to:
- Science: 4.112.6.b.1.A: ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations
- Science: 4.112.6.b.1.B: use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems
- Science: 4.112.6.b.1.E: collect observations and measurements as evidence
- Science: 4.112.6.b.1.F: construct appropriate graphic organizers to collect data, including tables, bar graphs, line graphs, tree maps, concept maps, Venn diagrams, flow charts or sequence maps, and input-output tables that show cause and effect
- Science: 4.112.6.b.1.G: develop and use models to represent phenomena, objects, and processes or design a prototype for a solution to a problem
-
Science: 4.112.6.b.2
Scientific and engineering practices. The student analyzes and interprets data to derive meaning, identify features and patterns, and discover relationships or correlations to develop evidence-based arguments or evaluate designs. The student is expected to:
- Science: 4.112.6.b.2.C: use mathematical calculations to compare patterns and relationships
- Science: 4.112.6.b.2.D: evaluate experimental and engineering designs
-
Science: 4.112.6.b.3
Scientific and engineering practices. The student develops evidence-based explanations and communicates findings, conclusions, and proposed solutions. The student is expected to:
- Science: 4.112.6.b.3.A: develop explanations and propose solutions supported by data and models
- Science: 4.112.6.b.3.B: communicate explanations and solutions individually and collaboratively in a variety of settings and formats
-
Science: 4.112.6.b.5
Recurring themes and concepts. The student understands that recurring themes and concepts provide a framework for making connections across disciplines. The student is expected to:
- Science: 4.112.6.b.5.A: identify and use patterns to explain scientific phenomena or to design solutions
- Science: 4.112.6.b.5.C: use scale, proportion, and quantity to describe, compare, or model different systems
- Science: 4.112.6.b.5.D: examine and model the parts of a system and their interdependence in the function of the system
- Science: 4.112.6.b.5.G: explain how factors or conditions impact stability and change in objects, organisms, and systems
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Science: 4.112.6.b.10
Earth and space. The student knows that there are processes on Earth that create patterns of change. The student is expected to:
- Science: 4.112.6.b.10.A: describe and illustrate the continuous movement of water above and on the surface of Earth through the water cycle and explain the role of the Sun as a major source of energy in this process
- Science: 4.112.6.b.10.B: model and describe slow changes to Earth's surface caused by weathering, erosion, and deposition from water, wind, and ice
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Science: 5.112.7.b.1
Scientific and engineering practices. The student asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models. The student is expected to:
- Science: 5.112.7.b.1.A: ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations
- Science: 5.112.7.b.1.B: use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems
- Science: 5.112.7.b.1.E: collect observations and measurements as evidence
- Science: 5.112.7.b.1.F: construct appropriate graphic organizers used to collect data, including tables, bar graphs, line graphs, tree maps, concept maps, Venn diagrams, flow charts or sequence maps, and input-output tables that show cause and effect
- Science: 5.112.7.b.1.G: develop and use models to represent phenomena, objects, and processes or design a prototype for a solution to a problem
-
Science: 5.112.7.b.2
Scientific and engineering practices. The student analyzes and interprets data to derive meaning, identify features and patterns, and discover relationships or correlations to develop evidence-based arguments or evaluate designs. The student is expected to:
- Science: 5.112.7.b.2.D: evaluate experimental and engineering designs
-
Science: 5.112.7.b.3
Scientific and engineering practices. The student develops evidence-based explanations and communicates findings, conclusions, and proposed solutions. The student is expected to:
- Science: 5.112.7.b.3.A: develop explanations and propose solutions supported by data and models
- Science: 5.112.7.b.3.B: communicate explanations and solutions individually and collaboratively in a variety of settings and formats
-
Science: 5.112.7.b.5
Recurring themes and concepts. The student understands that recurring themes and concepts provide a framework for making connections across disciplines. The student is expected to:
- Science: 5.112.7.b.5.A: identify and use patterns to explain scientific phenomena or to design solutions
- Science: 5.112.7.b.5.C: use scale, proportion, and quantity to describe, compare, or model different systems
- Science: 5.112.7.b.5.D: examine and model the parts of a system and their interdependence in the function of the system
- Science: 5.112.7.b.5.G: explain how factors or conditions impact stability and change in objects, organisms, and systems
-
Science: 5.112.7.b.10
Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable patterns and processes on Earth. The student is expected to:
- Science: 5.112.7.b.10.A: explain how the Sun and the ocean interact in the water cycle and affect weather
- Science: 5.112.7.b.10.B: model and describe the processes that led to the formation of sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels
- Science: 5.112.7.b.10.C: model and identify how changes to Earth's surface by wind, water, or ice result in the formation of landforms, including deltas, canyons, and sand dunes
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Science: 5.112.7.b.12
Organisms and environments. The student describes patterns, cycles, systems, and relationships within environments. The student is expected to:
- Science: 5.112.7.b.12.C: describe a healthy ecosystem and how human activities can be beneficial or harmful to an ecosystem
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ELA: 3.110.5.b.1
Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking--oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion. The student is expected to:
- ELA: 3.110.5.b.1.D: work collaboratively with others by following agreed-upon rules, norms, and protocols
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ELA: 3.110.5.b.6
Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts. The student is expected to:
- ELA: 3.110.5.b.6.H: synthesize information to create new understanding
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ELA: 4.110.6.b.6
Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts. The student is expected to:
- ELA: 4.110.6.b.6.H: synthesize information to create new understanding
-
ELA: 5.110.7.b.1
Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking--oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion. The student is expected to:
- ELA: 5.110.7.b.1.D: work collaboratively with others to develop a plan of shared responsibilities
-
ELA: 5.110.7.b.6
Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts. The student is expected to:
- ELA: 5.110.7.b.6.H: synthesize information to create new understanding