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When you turn on the faucet, where does the water come from?

Groundwater as a Natural Resource
4.7 (12387 reviews)
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
Scroll for prep
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DISCUSS:

How is it possible that there’s water in this hole? How did water get underground?

Optional: Draw your idea on a piece of scrap paper.

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DISCUSS (1 of 2): Where do you think people get their water if they don’t live near lakes or rivers?

DISCUSS (2 of 2):

How do people get water from far underground?

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DISCUSS:

Where did you decide to dig? Why did you decide to dig in that spot? What clues did you use?

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Slide Image
Slide Image

groundwater


2 of 5

the fresh water beneath Earth's surface
Slide Image

aquifer


1 of 5

a large area of fresh water beneath Earth's surface

evaporation


4 of 5

the process of a liquid changing to a gas
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Slide Image

hydrosphere


5 of 5

all the water (solid, liquid, gas) on and around planet Earth

model


3 of 5

a pretend version of something that scientists use when the real thing is too big, small, or complicated to work with
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Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Other
All Activity Illustrations by Alex Kalomeris
schoolboy with backpack by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Andrey Popov
house sold by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: rSnapshotPhotos
groundwater well by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: jprom
settlers wagaon by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Julia von Siebenthal
video of man digging in deep hole by Alan Madison Video
village pond by Colin Smith
privately maintained flower bed by Chona68 , used under Public Domain
puppy digging in sand by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: hurricanehank
puppy playing on the beach digging sand by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: hurricanehank
water lillies by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Mirko Graul
small fountain in pond by Psuedopanax , used under Public Domain
video of boy playing and digging in sand by Aunt Heather Piper
boy lawnmowing by Mount Pleasant Granary , used under Public Domain
boy rowing boat on lake by Andrew Montgomery
spacious backyard area by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Artazum
digging into dirt by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: tostphoto
excavator by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: JGA
watering lawn by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: gornostay
rain drops falling off umbrella by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Brian A Jackson
deep well in the dessert by aatifz
running faucet by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: ILYA AKINSHIN
a well for driking water by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: ThomBal
boy collects water from well by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Chipmunk131
boy carrying buckets of water from well by Image used under license from alamy.com: Sean Sprague
girl and boy collecting water from well by Image used under license from alamy.com: Sean Sprague
women collecting water from well by Image used under license from alamy.com: Robert Fried
house sold by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: rSnapshotPhotos
Credits
When you turn on the faucet, where does the water come from?
Groundwater as a Natural Resource
4.7 (12387 reviews)

Featured Reviews

“This was fun! All students had a separate part and were engaged in conversations to justify their reasoning. By the end of the lesson, most students understood what an aquifer was and how a well was able to give access to water--even in a desert.”
· Barbara · Teacher
“My students loved using the clues to find where they should dig their well. It required them to make inferences and draw conclusions and they all cheered when they saw they selected a good spot for their well!”
· Jennifer · Teacher
“I really liked how the questions and discussions were all integrated into the activity. I loved the engagement aspects of the lesson! (i.e. the videos and hands on activities)”
· Anna · Teacher
“This is the best science we have had in our classroom for 19 years! Hands on, interactive, relates to real life. Good job and thank you. I look forward to the lessons too!”
· Sherri · Teacher
“This is probably one of my all time favorite lessons! Students stayed engaged the entire time and were eager for their team to "survive!" Absoultely wonderful job!”
· Paul · Teacher
“I love everything about this lesson. Aquifers are very clearly defined and demonstrated making the concept of fresh water versus other types of water easier for students to comprehend. The map exercise is fun and rigorous. Doug does such a good job of explaining each step.”
· Amy · Teacher
“Kids had a blast! Loved that it required them to work independently on one part of the map but then they had to justify their thinking and decisions to the group. ”
· Amy · Teacher
“It tied in so perfectly with the 6th grade curriculum. I LOVE that there are spanish translations”
· Elaine · Teacher
“The best part of this lesson was the interactive component where students worked together alongside the video to find a solution.”
· Savena · Teacher
“Interaction of the students; working in groups; allowing opinion of members based on evidence...the students loved it. I loved the lack of time needed to prep.”
· Ann · Teacher
“Kids really enjoyed the lesson. The academic vocabulary was used in the groups and deep meaningful discussions were had about aquifers.”
· Lori · Teacher
“My students loved this lesson! They were so engaged during the entire discussion, and their discussions were so detailed and specific. The resources with this lesson really provided them opportunities to talk like scientists, using evidence.”
· Andrea · Teacher
“My students worked extremely hard on deciding where their town and well should be located. The discussions they had were so in-depth. I was very impressed!”
· Alley · Teacher
“Working with the maps and having to collaborate with their peers on what would make the best place for a town worked very well.”
· Suzy · Teacher
“It was nice that there was more than one possible answer so students had to justify their thinking.”
· Chris · Teacher
“We loved the group work, and problem solving component. One student added that the lesson is teaching environmentalism, which I found to be a great connection. Defintitely worth the time and effort.”
· Angela · Teacher
“Great activity on water and where it comes from! All of the groups were super engaged and thinking hard on where to build their well!”
· Jesse · Teacher
“great visuals and super explanations!!”
· Lois · Teacher
“The best part was hearing the justification for where they choose for their town. There was quite a discussion over site G, pros and cons. Some great thinking going on!”
· Kristine · Teacher
“Students really understood an aquifer from the demonstration in the video. The activity made students carefully apply some reasoning to a scenario to choose a suitable location for a well.”
· Andrew · Teacher
“The kids loved collaborating to select the location of their town. I enjoyed hearing their discussions and the teamwork aspect of this lesson was by far the best part!”
· Allison · Teacher
“It was fun to practice what it would have been like for early pioneers looking for a place to live. ”
· Teresa · Teacher
“Students completed activity with a substitute, she reported the students were able to complete and followed along well. I'm grateful this curriculum is wonderful for teachers who may struggle with teaching science.. Thank you so much.”
· Johnnetta · Teacher
“My students loved using the clues to help decide the best place to make a town! They all survived! ”
· Rachael · Teacher
“My students really enjoyed the aquifer station extension activity. ”
· Lora · Teacher
“Loved the activity with making a well and especially enjoyed the cross-curricular connection with pioneers.”
· Angela · Teacher
“The students worked well in their groups trying to figure out where the water was located. I heard great discussions about their reasoning.”
· Joyce · Teacher
“The best part was having the students so involved in this activity. They enjoyed making their own town!! I was impressed because the majority of my students would have dug in the correct place. Their explanations were outstanding!!”
· Brandi · Teacher
“Fantastic Mystery! The clues brought out a lot of discussion amongst my class.”
· Jennifer · Homeschooler
“This was a great lesson! I loved the extension activity where they actually could make the aquifers and use soap dispensers for wells. The students really understood the whole concept. ”
· · Teacher
“Children are completely engaged. They are focused and learning every time we use Mystery Science!”
· Cherya · Teacher
“Really nicely paced lesson. High level of engagement and, based on formative data, a lot of learning. Well worth implementing. ”
· Aaron · Teacher
“So well planned, very good teacher and slide directions, engaging for kids, doable for all my students, great resources... It took us about 75 minutes.”
· Karen · Teacher
“This lesson was so easy to prep and the kids had fun! I heard a lot of great discussion about where would be a good spot to dig a well and why, as well as where would NOT be a good spot to dig a well and why! LOVED IT!”
· Loraelin · Teacher
“Kids are always engaged.”
· Cherya · Teacher
“We added ELA and Social Science standards and made this a truly integrated lesson for ELD learners!”
· Rachel · Teacher
“Great Lesson! The discussions generated throughout the mysteries are insightful, thoughtful, and engaging. The students discuss EVIDENCE and REASONS, referring back to handouts and/or video clips. ”
· Theresa · Teacher
“The collaborative nature of it was great...and learning the process of elimination in such a rich context.”
· Amy · Teacher
“We liked being able to see the video of the man digging until he reached water. The activity made us work hard.”
· Allison · Teacher
“The children really loved working out where to found their township - great real life application.”
· Mishka · Homeschooler
“Highly engaging! Students loved it. High level thinking and great discussion.”
· Patricia · Teacher
“This lesson was fun and engaging. The students loved being able to work collaboratively. I appreciated that the lesson was a step-by-step guide for students. The students now have a thorough understanding of aquifers and the importance of groundwater.”
· Kimberly · Teacher
“We loved this unit and my kids went outside all on their own and started to dig to see an aquifer ”
· Jennifer · Homeschooler
“So much fun to watch my students turn into scientists. They loved it!”
· Laura · Teacher
“The step by step directions were very clear and the students loved the challenge!”
· Kimberly · Teacher
“My class absolutely loved finding a location for a new town in the activity. They couldn't wait to see if they were right! What a great idea!”
· Elizabeth · Teacher
“Great visuals for showing aquifers. The activity is amazing! We are extending by finding out about our specific town's water source.”
· Susie · Teacher
“We loved getting to work on this as a parent-child homeschooling team--what fun to discuss all the different reasons for digging a well in a particular place. The mystery was intriguing!”
· Melissa · Homeschooler
“Students working and collaborating together! They learned that there is a LOT more work that goes in to choosing a place to make your homestead! :)”
· Lisa · Teacher
“Students had a great discussion over where they should dig for their water. The reasoning and understanding was super!”
· Tracy · Other
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson, students construct an explanation about a surprising phenomenon: the existence of underground water. In the activity, Wanted: A Well, students play a game in which they must obtain and combine information about groundwater in order to select the best site to build a town. They evaluate the features of the landscape, plants in the area, and clues from the soil and then decide where to dig a well.
Preview activity

Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Student slideshow: English | Spanish

Teacher printout: English & Spanish

I have a Mystery Pack

Mapmaker's Map worksheet 1 per group
Plant & Soil Clues worksheet 1 per group
Wanted: A Well worksheet 1 per group
Prep Instructions

We suggest students work in groups of four. If there are just a few students, they can form a smaller group. A solo student can do the activity alone, but we think it’s more fun with friends.

Set up Aquifer Stations (Optional)

Since there’s so little prep for the main activity in this lesson, we suggest you consider making Aquifer Stations, as described in the Extensions section. These will give students a chance to experiment and observe how water is stored underground.

Standards

Jump to

Exploration

20 mins

Hands-On Activity

25 mins

Wrap-Up

10 mins

Extend this lesson

Unit Reading

Unit Reading

All About Drought

In this reading, students learn about droughts: what they are, why they happen, and how we can protect environments from them.

Video

Video

Learn more about water underground and the unseen aquifers under your feet in a colorful animated video from KQED Quest.

Activity

Activity

Aquifer Station

This model aquifer made of aquarium gravel in a plastic shoebox gives your students an opportunity to:

  • dig a pond,
  • drill a well,
  • and pump water from their well using a soap dispenser.

Follow these simple instructions for setting up an Aquifer Station. The last page of this printout provides instructions for student experimentation.

Mini-lessons

Mini-lessons

You can elaborate student learning and engagement with Mystery Science mini-lessons.

If you are in an NGSS state, this mini-lesson supports the DCI ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems

Transcripts

Credits
 
Earth Lesson 3: When you turn on the faucet, where does the water come from?

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