Teachers, discuss with your students the reasons why hydrologists try to calculate flow and map the movement of water below and above ground. Then have your students work in groups of two or three to create a map of where your school's water originates and where it goes. Each group can pick one water source and trace it to the origin of their choosing (there will most likely be more than one).
The
scale of map necessary for this activity will depend on the location of your
school. Students in the Mississippi watershed will need a map of North America,
while students along an isolated coastal region may need a very localized map.
Maps of various scales with river and waterbody layers are available on-line
from the National Atlas.
Students will need to research the locations of associated rivers, topography, and possibly aquifers to complete their maps. Have them mark incoming water with a blue line and outgoing water with a red line. If their water comes from an aquifer, help them understand about aquifer recharge zones so they can include those on the map. Have them also shade their total incoming watershed with blue. Afterwards, students should share their maps with each other. They will find that there are (most likely) a variety of sources for the water they drink at school.
As an extension to this activity, have the students follow their blue lines upstream to find possible pollution sources. They should also consider whether your town is a possible pollution source for people downstream (along the red line).