Unit 5.1: Introduction to flooding and the water cycle

At the end of Unit 5.1, students will be able to:

1. Obtain information from the Internet and other sources and form reasoned opinions about the accuracy, trustworthiness, and relevance of the information

2. Use the hydrologic cycle to make predictions about the movement of water through a region

3. Explain how urbanization modifies the movement of water

4. Describe elements of urban storm water design

These activities are intended for use in the middle of an introductory Earth Science course for college-level students. The activities could be used with any class size, and could be completed in approximately 50-60 minutes of class time, plus an additional 75 minutes for a pre-class activity and an additional 60 minutes for a homework assignment. The pre-class activity is integral to the in-class activities. However, the homework assignment could be omitted, or partially or completely turned into an additional in-class activity, if additional class time is available.

Teaching Materials:

• Pre-Class Homework: Flooding, the Water Cycle, and You.
  • Prompts: Unit 5.1 Prework ES (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 64kB Sep19 24)
  • USGS Water Cycle Diagram: USGS_Water_Cycle.pdf (Acrobat (PDF) 12.2MB Dec28 23)
• In-class Assignments
  • Activity A: Reservoirs, pools, and fluxes.
    • Prompts: Unit5.1 In-Class A.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 65kB Aug23 24)
  • Activity B: Rivers and flooding.
    • Prompts: Unit5.1 In-Class B.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 159kB Aug23 24)
    • Slides for guiding activity: Unit5.1 In-Class B Slides.pptx (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 9MB Aug23 24)
• Homework: Designing for floods.
  • Prompts: Unit5.1 Homework.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 66kB Aug23 24)

Pre-class assignment (75 min):

Before class, students are asked to use the Internet and other sources to learn about flooding in a place that has meaning to them.

Links to pre-class assignments (students need both linked documents):

• Prompts: Unit 5.1 Prework ES (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 64kB Sep19 24)
• USGS Water Cycle diagram: USGS_Water_Cycle.pdf (Acrobat (PDF) 12.2MB Dec28 23)
• Answer key: Unit 5.1 Prework answers (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 1.3MB Sep15 24)

In class:

Students gain knowledge about the hydrologic cycle in general, the hydrologic cycle within urban areas in particular, and the basic vocabulary and concepts of riverine flooding.

In-class Activity A: Pools and fluxes in the hydrologic cycle (20-30 min)

The instructor should begin by discussing responses to the pre-class assignment, including the correct responses to prompt #3 (the USGS Water Cycle diagram). Students who have completed the pre-class assignment should be able to quickly complete the in-class assignment. However, students who did not complete the pre-class assignment, or who had difficulty understanding the pre-class assignment, may need additional instruction prior to completion of this activity. For example, it might be necessary to revisit videos that students were asked to watch as part of the pre-class assignment. (Links to these videos are embedded in the pre-class assignment "Prompts" above.) The students will also need the USGS Water Cycle diagram (answer key link above under Pre-class assignment). Perhaps project the USGS water cycle diagram on the screen.

Initiate classroom discussion using the Think-Pair-Share approach. In this approach, each student will write answers, discuss in group (one or two other students sitting nearby, or groups can be made), and finally share with the class once the instructor calls them to do so.

Student handout: Unit5.1 In-Class A.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 65kB Aug23 24)

Answer key:

Unit5.1 In-class A key.docx -- educator-only file

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In-class Activity B: Basic vocabulary and concepts of riverine flooding (30 min)

Students receive an 11-prompt handout. They complete the handout individually by obtaining answers from a presentation given by the instructor. After the presentation is over, students pair and discuss their answers.

Student handout: Unit5.1 In-Class B.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 159kB Aug23 24)

Instructor slides: Unit5.1 In-Class B Slides.pptx (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 9MB Aug23 24)

Answer key:

Unit5.1 In-class B key.docx -- educator-only file

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Optional

If the above activities do not use all of the class time, the instructor can introduce the homework assignment (below), and the students can watch and discuss part of the urban stormwater video. The link to the video is embedded in the homework assignment below.

Homework Assignment (60 min):

Students are asked to watch a video and describe stormwater solutions. They are also asked to design a community in such a way that stormwater problems are reduced.

If the instructor assigns the Unit 5.2 pre-class homework, the instructor might consider either (a) refraining from assigning this homework, or (b) implementing this homework as an in-class assignment during an additional class period. Otherwise, students are being asked to double up with out-of-class work because they have to complete both the Unit 5.1 homework and the Unit 5.2 pre-class homework.

Homework assignment: Unit5.1 Homework.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 66kB Aug23 24)

Answer key:

Unit5.1 Homework key.docx -- educator-only file

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The above homework assignment requires written responses. The instructor could instead use the multiple-choice and true/false prompts below to assess learning after students view the stormwater video.

Multiple-choice and true/false prompts (Word document): Unit5.1 Alternative Homework.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 66kB Aug23 24). Answers:

Unit5.1 Alternative Homework Key.docx -- educator-only file

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Multiple choice and true/false prompts and answers (PowerPoint): Unit5.1 CourseResponse Clicker.pptx (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 147kB Aug23 24). The preceding PowerPoint could be used in the classroom in conjunction with a class response system (e.g., clickers). Instead of assigning the video as homework, the instructor could stream the video in the classroom and then use the PowerPoint and class response system for formative assessment of student learning.

General

• Unit 5.1 is designed for use in a variety of settings (e.g., in-person, synchronous on-line, and asynchronous on-line), and it is intended for use by students having a variety of backgrounds and access to varied computing resources. If the students have access to a computer lab, the instructor might consider using this in conjunction with some or all of these InTeGrate computer modeling exercises: https://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/ecosystem_water/unit2.1.html , https://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/ecosystem_water/unit2.2.html, and https://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/ecosystem_water/unit2.3.html .
• Many state and local governments provide information about flood hazard mitigation and how residents can assist with urban storm water management. Consider obtaining outreach materials from them.

Pre-class assignment

• To complete the entire pre-class assignment, students need both the prompts and the USGS Water Cycle Diagram. Specifically, Prompt #3 requires the Water Cycle Diagram.
• Parts of the USGS Water Cycle Diagram will be difficult to read and understand if distributed as a grayscale 8.5X11 document. If used as a pre-class assignment, students will benefit from accessing the Water Cycle Diagram electronically, so they can enlarge parts of it. An alternative is for students to complete the assignment in a classroom where an instructor can pull up the diagram on a large screen. Then the instructor can enlarge parts of the diagram and discuss the diagram with the students.

In-class assignments

• The National Climate Assessment (https://nca2023.globalchange.gov/) is a good source of information about the present and predicted future state of the climate.
• Sources of PowerPoint slides are in the PowerPoint slide notes.

Formative assessment of outcomes occurs through monitoring student discussion and examples shared. The 11-prompt in-class assignment can also be used for formative assessment.

The version of the homework assignment that requires written responses could be used as a summative assessment.

Barbanell, E, et al. "Unit 2.1: Hydrologic Impact of Land-Use Change." An Ecosystem Services Approach to Water Resources, 1 Mar. 2022, https://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/ecosystem_water/unit2.1.html

Blum, A.G., Ferraro, P.J., Archfield, S.A., & Ryberg, K.R. (2020). Causal Effect of Impervious Cover on Annual Flood Magnitude for the United States. Geophysical Research Letters, 47(5).

CoCoRaHS (2012) "The Water Cycle." YouTube, 28 May 2012, https://youtu.be/ZzY5-NZSzVw

Harvey, J, and B Walker. "Unit 1: Exploring the Reservoirs and Pathways and Methods to Measure the Hydrologic Cycle." Eyes on the Hydrosphere: Tracking Water Resources, 11 Aug. 2022, https://serc.carleton.edu/getsi/teaching_materials/water_challenges/unit1.html

Jha, M.K. "Unit 2: Urban Hydrology." Water Sustainability in Cities, 28 Dec. 2023, https://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/water_cities/lesson2.html

Nassau SWCD (2016) "Stormwater Pollution & Green Infrastructure Solutions." YouTube, 27 Jan. 2016, https://youtu.be/ATNy-vaIPXI

Practical Engineering (2020) "Where Does Stormwater Go?" YouTube, 3 Nov. 2020, https://youtu.be/wdcXmerZWDc

USGCRP, 2023: Fifth National Climate Assessment. Crimmins, A.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, B.C. Stewart, and T.K. Maycock, Eds. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023