Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Geography
Lesson Topic: Water stress and water scarcity (physical and economic)
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the concepts of water stress, physical water scarcity and economic water scarcity.
  • Calculate and interpret the Water Stress Index for given data.
  • Analyse global patterns of water consumption across sectors and regions.
  • Evaluate the main drivers of increasing water demand and their impact on water stress.
  • Propose appropriate mitigation and management strategies for different water‑scarcity contexts.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector or interactive whiteboard
  • Laptop with presentation slides
  • Printed handouts of the global water‑consumption table
  • Worksheet for WSI calculations
  • Markers and flip chart
  • Access to online case‑study videos (Jordan River Basin, Rural Ethiopia)
 Introduction:
Begin with a striking image of a dried riverbed to highlight water scarcity. Ask students what factors they think influence water availability and link to prior lessons on the water cycle. Explain that today they will explore how water stress is measured and why some regions face physical versus economic scarcity. Outline the success criteria: students will be able to calculate the Water Stress Index and suggest management options.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑Now (5') – Students examine the opening image and write three possible reasons for water scarcity.
  2. Mini‑lecture (10') – Define water stress, physical and economic scarcity; introduce the WSI formula with examples.
  3. Data analysis activity (15') – In pairs, use the provided regional table to calculate WSI for two regions and classify stress levels.
  4. Case study discussion (10') – Compare the Jordan River Basin (physical scarcity) and rural Ethiopia (economic scarcity) and identify underlying drivers.
  5. Group brainstorming (10') – Generate mitigation strategies for each case, linking to demand‑side and supply‑side options.
  6. Quick check (5') – Exit ticket: one sentence summarising the key difference between physical and economic water scarcity.
Conclusion:
Recap the definition of water stress and the steps for calculating the WSI, emphasizing the contrast between physical and economic scarcity. Highlight the main drivers discussed and the range of management approaches. Collect exit tickets and assign homework to research a local water‑stress issue and propose a feasible solution.