Lesson Plan

• Describe the global distribution of freshwater and its implications for human use.
• Explain the four stages of the human water cycle and the associated water balance equation.
• Analyse regional trends in per‑capita water consumption and identify key drivers.
• Evaluate major water‑management challenges and propose appropriate strategies.

• Projector and laptop
• World water‑distribution map (handout)
• Worksheet with tables on water use
• Human water‑cycle diagram cards
• Markers and flip‑chart paper
• Exit‑ticket slips

Begin with the question, “What would happen if you turned on a tap and no water came out?” Connect this to students’ prior knowledge of the natural water cycle. Explain that today they will discover why water is scarce, how humans move it, and what trends show for the future. Success will be measured by their ability to map distribution, explain the human cycle, and discuss consumption trends.

1. Do‑now (5'): Quick written response to the hook question; collect responses.
2. Mini‑lecture with slides (10'): Global freshwater distribution and the significance of the less than 0.01% surface water figure.
3. Group activity – Build the human water cycle (15'): Students arrange diagram cards (Extraction, Distribution, Use, Return) and annotate the ΔS = I – O equation.
4. Data analysis (10'): Examine regional per‑capita consumption tables; discuss drivers and variations.
5. Think‑pair‑share (5'): Identify two management strategies for a chosen region.
6. Exit ticket (5'): One‑sentence summary of the most critical water‑management challenge and a personal action.

Summarise the key take‑aways: limited usable water, the human water cycle’s four stages, and rising consumption driven by population and development. Collect exit tickets to gauge understanding and assign a brief homework task to research local water‑use statistics and suggest one improvement.