Water usage and conservation is an important issue. Only 1 percent of the total water supply on Earth is available for humans. Of that, 42 percent is used in agriculture. Not all freshwater resources are evenly distributed. In Kansas, water usage and water rights are very important topics. As a state, how do we balance the need for water in agriculture, manufacturing, and our daily lives? It is important that everybody does their part to conserve the invaluable natural resource.
Water covers three-quarters of the Earth’s surface. Over 97 percent of the earth’s water is found in the oceans as salt water. Only 3 percent of Earth’s water is freshwater. Of that, only 3 percent of it is usable freshwater available for human use. About 2 percent of the Earth’s freshwater is stored in glaciers, ice caps, and snowy mountain ranges. This leaves only 1 percent of the Earth’s water for our water supply needs. Freshwater supplies are found in the atmosphere, beneath the ground, or on the surfaces in lakes, rivers, and streams.
We use freshwater for a variety of purposes. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, agriculture represents the largest consumer use of fresh water at about 42 percent. Approximately 39 percent of our freshwater is used to produce electricity. About 11 percent of available freshwater is used in homes and businesses. The remaining 8 percent is used in manufacturing and mining.
The total amount of water on the planet does not change. Water moves around on the planet and changes form, but we will never have any more water than we have right now. With our growing population and ever increasing demand on our freshwater supply, it is more important than ever that we learn to conserve the limited freshwater supply.
Tell students that we are going to try to come up with an estimate for how much water we use during the day. In order to do this, we need to practice calculating flow rate.
Preparation Gather six empty gallon milk jugs or 2-L bottles. Puncture a small hole in the bottom of each jug/bottle. Vary the size of each hole so the water will flow out at different rates. Label the bottles 1-6 with number one having the smallest hole and number 6 having the largest. Flows should range from slow drips to a steady stream. Cover the holes with tape. Fill the jugs about half full of water. Mark a line on the jug so that it can be refilled to the same point each time.
Directions Using the jugs/bottles you prepared, a timer, a bowl and measuring cups do the following:
Agriculture uses 42 percent of our available fresh water. Farmers are also trying to do their part to conserve water. Using the “Water in the Heartland” article and the “Focused Note Taking Page,” read the article and take notes to practice reading comprehension and note taking skills.
• https://water.usgs.gov/edu/earthwherewater.html • https://water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.html • https://cuesa.org/article/10-ways-farmers-are-saving-water • https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-08/documents/mgwc-ww-intro.pdf • https://cmase.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/65195601/Water%20Distribution%20Demonstration.pdf
This lesson is the work product of the Kansas Corn Commission. Our lessons are written in collaboration with Kansas teachers for use in the classroom. Teachers may copy and share this curriculum. Use of this product for commercial or promotional use is prohibited without express permission of Kansas Corn.
As the need to produce more food with less resources grows, it is important that future generations have a better understanding of agriculture and how corn farming and agriculture fit into our daily lives. That’s why the Kansas Corn STEM program provides lessons to teach science through the lens of corn. We are committed to providing free materials and training to support educators.
