Follow the Water

What Is This Video?

Ella and her dad, Mike, head outdoors on a warm winter day to follow the path of the melting snow. Where will it take them?

Conversation Starters

Ask:
  • What happens to rainwater and melting snow in your neighborhood?
  • Where does your drinking water come from? Does it come from a river, lake, or reservoir? From an underground spring or a well?
  • What happens to your water after it goes down the drain?

Explore Some More

Water Around My World

Use the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Resources of the United States guide to learn more about freshwater resources in your state. Then, identify the sources of your drinking water using The Nature Conservancy's interactive map, Where Does Your Water Come From? You could also check out your local drinking water protection program to see how water is treated before it reaches your house, and what happens to your waste water when it leaves.

Follow the Water

Next time its a warm day and the snow is melting, or on a rainy day, follow the path of water through your neighborhood as far as you can, just like Ella and her dad did. Back home, trace your route on a map, and identify bodies of water in your neighborhood and region where stormwater and snowmelt might collect.

Curriculum Topic

watersheds, human impact

Activity Type

indoor and outdoor

Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

Disciplinary Core Ideas
Science and Engineering Practices
Crosscutting Concepts