WHERE THE

WATER
FLOWS...
Watershed’s and their relationship to
water management and planning
Expectation and learning goals

Expectation:

Grade 8 Science and technology within the biodiversity unit.

3.2 page 151, Demonstrate an understanding of the watershed as a fundamental

geographic unit, and explain how it relates to water management and planning

Learning Goals:

1. Understand what a watershed is

2. Understand how pollution influences water quality
 What is a watershed?

The term drainage basin is often used to describe a watershed

Water flowing from a higher elevation to a lower elevation

It is an area of land where precipitate collects and drains off into a common
outlet such as a river, lake, bay, ocean or another body of water.

It includes the surface water, as well as any rain runoff, snowmelt and
streams or rivers that run downslope towards the shared outlet.

It also includes the Groundwater underneath the earth’s surface.

Flow of a water in a watershed

A diagram
of a
watershed
that shows
the key
attributes
and how
every water
system is
connected.
Watershed Cycle
Water flows from a high area to a lower area and collects in a large body of water
as it flows downstream

Once collected some of the water will evaporate and collect in the form of clouds

This water will then travel away from the body of water and fall back to earth in the
form of precipitation

Rainfall or snowmelt is now at a higher elevation than the drainage basin

This water will then flow back downstream completing the cycle
Diagram of the cycle of water in a
watershed
Water Quality

Water quality is the measure of the chemical, biological and physical

characteristics of water in relation to a standard of use, such as drinking water for
humans. Water quality can be affected by multiple factors such as:

- Soil erosion - Decayed organic matter

- Sedimentation - Litter
- Leaching - Pesticid
- Pollution - Toxic and hazardous chemicals
- Runoff
Instructions and requirements
→ Each group will receive a set of materials.
→ Each watershed must include:
- 2 mountains or large hills
- 3 to 4 rolling hills
- A larger area somewhere in the watershed where most water will gather
- BE CREATIVE!
→ Once you have created your own watershed use a permanent marker to mark
where you think the water will flow.
→ Choose one person to be the sprayer. The spray bottle will act as a rain cloud.
Take the spray bottle and spray your watershed while the other group members
observe.
→ Discuss with your group if the water followed your prediction and give reasons
why or why not.
Next step

What is pollution? How does pollution affect our water?

→ The sparkles and food colouring will act as pollutants.

→ Add the pollutants to your watershed, wherever you’d like and then spray with
water. Observe how the pollutants flow through the watershed and discuss with
your group members.
Questions to think about...

What is the size of a watershed?

How did the water flow over the land? What patterns did you observe?

How did the water accumulate? Where did the water accumulate?

In what directions did the water flow? Why did the water move in the way it did?

What is a model? What is the the purpose of a model?

References

APEC Water. (n.d.). What are the key factors that influence water quality? Retrieved from http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water_quality/quality2/j-

19-08-key-factors-influencing-water-quality-page2.htm

Kapitan, E., Lyttle, S., & Williams, R. N. (2013). Discovering the watershed lesson plan. Retrieved from

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/FNR-476-W%20Discovering%20the%20Watershed%2013.pdf

Paré, D., DiGiuseppe, M., Major, J., Fraser, D., & Le, D. B. (2009). Science & technology perspectives 8. Scarborough, ON: Nelson Education Ltd.

Ritter, B. (2000). Nelson science & technology 8. Scarborough: Nelson.

Sandner, L., & Alexander, N. (2008). Investigating science and technology. Toronto, Ont.: Pearson Education Canada.