Water in the World

Water is a vital resource. Water dissolves and transports nutrients in the soil making them available to plants and animals. It also dissolves and dilutes many wastes and toxins, is a raw material used in photosynthesis, and is a major factor in world climate and weather patterns.

• 71 per cent of the earth is covered in water
• 97 per cent of all the water on the earth is salt water, which is not suitable for drinking
• 3 per cent of the earth’s water is fresh water, but only 0.5 per cent is available for drinking (the other 2.5 per cent is locked in ice caps, glaciers and soil)
• Our usable water supply is finite. In other words, we do not have an endless supply of water.
• As Melburnians we’re great water savers, using 22 per cent less water than we did 10 years ago. But Victoria’s hotter and drier climate as well as a population that’s predicted to reach 10 million by 2051, means we all need to keep saving water and make every drop count.

During this 3 hour field trip to Beaconsfield Flora and Fauna Reserve and Berwick Views Wetland, Level 7/8 students  will: 

• Learn about the water cycle 
• Discover where water in Melbourne, Cardinia and Casey Shire comes from
• Investigate the importance of water to both the environment and people
• Explore the role that forests have in collecting, storing and filtering water 
• Undertake important field work in the form of water testing and field sketches
• Understand the impact of humans and climate change on our water supply
• Discuss where water is used in urban environments and how you can save water
• Learn about the importance of wetlands
• Discover the impact of weeds on water
• Learn how to identify and manage weeds in and around Cardinia Creek

INCLUSIONS, NOTES, TERMS and CONDITIONS

Programs are open to schools located in and around Cardinia Creek. Sessions offered are subject to availability and budget. Each group must not exceed 30 students. You can book as many students from your school as you like, however, all excursions must be delivered by Friday, June 27. Transport can be arranged if required, however it is hoped that most schools can manage their own to allow maximum student participation from across the region.

Equipment supplied by Gould League: Workbooks along with all tools and equipment required for activities including fieldwork data collection provided.

Equipment needed by the school: First aid kit, insect repellant, sun screen and PPE including hand sanitiser to kill viruses, bacteria and other micro organisations. 

Students needs to bring: Their own snacks, water and lunch, sunscreen, a clipboard, pencil, and a copy of the Gould League workbook (usually sent 14 days prior to excursion so copies can be made for students); bag to take away your rubbish.

Restrictions/Limitations: This Gould League program does not operate on days with a Fire danger rating of Extreme or Catastrophic. On rare occasions, programs may be postponed due to extreme weather predictions involving wind/storms. In both cases, these programs will be rescheduled at the earliest convenience of both parties.

CURRICULUM LINKS

Geographical Knowledge: Water in the World
Classification of environmental resources and the forms that water takes as a resource (VCGGK105)
Ways that flows of water connect places as they move through the environment and the ways this affects places (VCGGK106)
Nature of water scarcity and the role of humans in creating and overcoming it, including studies drawn from Australia and West Asia and/or North Africa(VCGGK108)
Causes of an atmospheric or hydrological hazard and its impacts on places, and human responses to it to minimise harmful effects on places in the future(VCGGK110)
Geographical Knowledge: Place and Liveability
Factors that influence the decisions people make about where to live and their perceptions of the liveability of places (VCGGK111)
Influence of accessibility to services and facilities; and environmental quality, on the liveability of places (VCGGK112)
Geographical Concepts and Skills: Place, space and interconnection
Explain processes that influence the characteristics of places (VCGGC099)
Identify, analyse and explain spatial distributions and patterns and identify and explain their implications (VCGGC100)
Identify, analyse and explain interconnections within places and between places and identify and explain changes resulting from these interconnections (VCGGC101)
Geographical Concepts and Skills: Data and information
Collect and record relevant geographical data and information from useful primary and secondary sources, using ethical protocols (VCGGC102)
Select and represent data and information in different forms, including by constructing appropriate maps at different scales that conform to cartographic conventions, using digital and spatial technologies as appropriate (VCGGC103)
Science Understanding: Science as a Human Endeavour
Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of contemporary issues; these solutions may impact other areas of society and involve ethical considerations (VCSSU090)
– considering decisions made in relation to the recycling of greywater and blackwater
– investigating strategies implemented to maintain part of the local environment, such as bushland, a beach, a lake, a desert or a shoreline
Science Understanding: Earth and Space Science
Water is an important resource that cycles through the environment (VCSSU101)
Science Inquiry Skills: Questioning and Predicting
Identify questions, problems and claims that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge (VCSIS107)

The Victorian Curriculum F-10 content elements are © VCAA, reproduced by permission. Victorian Curriculum F-10 elements accurate at time of publication. The VCAA does not endorse or make any warranties regarding this resource. The Victorian Curriculum  F-10 and related content can be accessed directly at the VCAA website.