Implement this Lesson:
This lesson can be used with other environmental lessons such as about erosion, weather, and deposition.
Lesson Objective:
Students will understand about our local watershed.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
6.11(A) research and describe why resource management is important in reducing global energy poverty, malnutrition, and air and water pollution
6.11(B) explain how conservation, increased efficiency, and technology can help manage air, water, soil, and energy resources
6.12(A)* investigate how organisms and populations in an ecosystem depend on and may compete for biotic factors such as food and abiotic factors such as availability of light and water, range of temperatures, or soil composition
6.12(B) describe and give examples of predatory, competitive, and symbiotic relationships between organisms, including mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism
6.12(C) describe the hierarchical organization of organism, population, and community within an ecosystem
6.13(A) describe the historical development of cell theory and explain how organisms are composed of one or more cells, which come from pre‐existing cells and are the basic unit of structure and function
6.13(B) identify and compare the basic characteristics of organisms, including prokaryotic and eukaryotic, unicellular and multicellular, and autotrophic and heterotrophic 6.13(C) describe how variations within a population can be an advantage or disadvantage to the survival of a population as environments change
7.10(A)* describe the evidence that supports that Earth has changed over time, including fossil evidence, plate tectonics, and superposition 7.10(B)* describe how plate tectonics causes ocean basin formation, earthquakes, mountain building, and volcanic eruptions, including super volcanoes and hot spots
7.11(A)* analyze the beneficial and harmful influences of human activity on groundwater and surface water in a watershed
7.11(B)* describe human dependence and influence on ocean systems and explain how human activities impact these systems
7.12(A)* diagram the flow of energy within trophic levels and describe how the available energy decreases in successive trophic levels in energy pyramids
7.13(A)* identify and model the main functions of the systems of the human organism, including the circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, muscular, digestive, urinary, reproductive, integumentary, nervous, immune, and endocrine systems
7.13(C)* compare the results of asexual and sexual reproduction of plants and animals in relation to the diversity of offspring and the changes in the population over time
7.13(D)*describe and give examples of how natural and artificial selection change the occurrence of traits in a population over generations
7.14(A) describe the taxonomic system that categorizes organisms based on similarities and differences shared among groups
8.10(A) describe how energy from the Sun, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact and influence weather
8.10(B) identify global patterns of atmospheric movement and how they influence local weather
8.10(C) describe the interactions between ocean currents and air masses that produce tropical cyclones, including typhoons and hurricanes
8.12(B) describe how primary and secondary ecological succession affect populations and species diversity after ecosystems are disrupted by natural events or human activity
8.12(C) describe how biodiversity contributes to the stability and sustainability of an ecosystem and the health of the organisms within the ecosystem
8.13(A) identify the function of the cell membrane, cell wall, nucleus, ribosomes, cytoplasm, mitochondria, chloroplasts, and vacuoles in plant or animal cells 8.13(C) describe how variations of traits within a population lead to structural, behavioral, and physiological adaptations that influence the likelihood of survival and reproductive success of a species over generations
8.13(B) describe the function of genes within chromosomes in determining inherited traits of offspring
Watersheds Along the Gulf Coast
A watershed is like a giant bowl or funnel that collects rain and water and carries it to rivers, lakes, and the ocean.
Every drop of rain that falls on the ground ends up in a watershed — even the water from your backyard!
Along the Gulf Coast, watersheds are super important because they connect rivers, wetlands, and bays all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.
What Is a Watershed?
A watershed is an area of land where all the water flows to the same place — like a river, bay, or gulf.
It includes rainwater, creeks, rivers, and groundwater that eventually reach the ocean.
All land is part of a watershed — no matter where you live!
Major Watersheds of the Gulf Coast
Along the Texas Gulf Coast, many rivers and streams flow southward into the Gulf. Here are a few major ones:
Trinity River watershed- One of the largest watersheds in Texas
Brazos River watershed- Over 800 miles long – the longest river in Texas
Colorado River watershed- Supplies water for farms and cities like Austin
Guadalupe River watershed- Great for kayaking and tubing!
Nueces River watershed- Important for fish nurseries and wetlands
Rio Grande watershed- Ends in the Gulf of Mexico near Brownsville
Why Watersheds Are Important
Cleans water naturally- Wetlands and plants in watersheds filter dirt and pollution
Support Wildlife- Rivers and estuaries provide homes for fish, birds, and crabs
Supplies water to people- We use watershed water for drinking, farming, and industry
Protects the coast- Healthy watersheds prevent flooding and erosion
How Humans Affect Watersheds
Building cities and roads- increases runoff and pollution
Using too many chemicals- fertilizers and pesticides wash into rivers and bays
Littering- Trash travels through drains and rivers to the Gulf
Climate change- Causes heavier rains or droughts that change water flow.
What happens upstream in a watershed affects everything downstream — even the ocean!
How We Can Protect Watersheds
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Plant trees and grasses to stop soil erosion.
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Don’t litter — trash travels with rainwater!
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Conserve water at home.
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Use fewer chemicals on lawns and gardens.
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Keep wetlands healthy — they’re the “filters” of the watershed!
Fun Fact!
If you live anywhere in Texas, the rain that falls near you might end up in the Gulf of Mexico!
That means we’re all part of the Gulf Coast watershed team — helping keep our rivers, bays, and ocean clean!
Possible Books:
- W is for Watershed
- This Land is our Land: How we can protect our watersheds
- The great Big Water Cycle Adventure
- Protecting Earth’s Waters
Materials Needed:
- 7th grade Textbook pg. 480-503
- Teacher created Handout
- Class discussion
- Student Science Journals
- Pencil
Lesson Plan:
Engage:
- Create a KWL chart with students on the following questions: Why is what important? Where is water found? What is the water cycle? Explain why water is important to life on Earth. How is Earth’s water distributed.
Explore:
- Using their textbooks students look up the answers to the following questions:
- Tx Eco Regions – Barrier Island Formation- students wrote in journals about Matagorda Island and how it is formed by waves and currents and answered question “ How do you think a violent storm with high winds and waves might affect this barrier island?
- What are two ways in which deposition will most likely affect the environment in the Western Gulf Coastal Plain in the near future?
- Students wrote in their Science Journals ways that they can prevent water pollution as an individual, what they and their family can do and what the city can/ should do to prevent further water pollution.
- What are three landforms formed by wave deposition in the area of the Western Gulf Coastal Plain ?
Explain:
- Teacher explains about watersheds
Elaborate:
- Students create a diagram of a watershed
Evaluate:
- Students use this website to answer questions: https://www3.twdb.texas.gov/apps/waterdatainteractive/groundwaterdataviewer
- Locate Corpus Christi :
Lowest elevation: _____________________________________
Aquifer :____________________________________________
Mid- Point Elevation ( Hint: You choose a central Texas )
Location and Elevation:______________________________________
Aquifer:________________________________________
Highest Elevation🙁 You choose any city )
Location and Elevation:______________________________
Aquifer :___________________________________________
How many Aquifers can you find? ( Write Names and locations)