Why do 3 million people in the WORLD die each year of water-related diseases? Discover the answers by watching the four parts of this science show and reading the information below. And to take this learning adventure into your classroom, have your teacher download the free Discussion Guide at the bottom of this page so everyone can share in the fun of this inquiry based learning.

It’s all part of Knowing Your H2O – like where it comes from and if it’s safe to drink.

The whole thing begins with the water cycle that our water sources depend on. It’s broken into three major stages. The first stage is evaporation. As the sun’s energy heats the surface of lakes, rivers, plants and soil, the water turns into “water vapor.” After it rises up into the sky, winds push the water vapor through the atmosphere until… it forms into the next stage – condensation. That forms clouds. When air currents cool the clouds, water vapor particles combine to form water droplets or ice particles, and once they get too big, gravity takes over, and they fall as precipitation.

All that’s cool, but how does precipitation get into the water wells that many people and cities depend on for water supplies?

The hydrologic cycle is the continuous movement of water on, above and actually below the surface of the Earth. So water falling from the sky collects on the Earth, and eventually it infiltrates the soil and the bedrock surface to become part of the aquifer. And to have an aquifer, you basically need three things: number one is you need porosity, in other words you need the interstitial spaces that the water can be stored in. Number two you need permeability, which is basically the connection of those pore spaces. Then number three is obviously you need water to saturate the pore spaces in the rock.

People in rural areas often have their own well that pumps the ground water to the surface. Cities also have wells and pumps – big ones and lots of them!

Now that you’ve got some solid (or liquid) background on H2O, you can either dive into more information on the “Lean More” link below, or kick back and watch the four parts of the video. Make a big splash in school by having your teacher download the free Discussion Guide below so the entire class can get “wet behind the ears” with their brainy knowledge of H2O.

Plus, the educational partner noted below supported the video and lesson content here for all of us to learn from. They also offer other learning opportunities on their website. So click on their logo to discover more!

    Full Video

    Classroom Assets

    Wastewater Treatment

    RElated Content

    Electrifying Careers in Energy

    Calling all recruits! This is Director V speaking here. Are you looking for an exciting career that uses creativity and innovation? Inspires leadership? Solves...

    Wetlands Wisdom

    Do you want to wade into the murky science of understanding our wetland ecosystems? Discover the answers by watching all parts of this science show and reading the...

    Meet the Meat

    Join our adventure team as they dive into the science and real life farming practices of Wisconsin’s beef industry. From nutrition to cooking, they explore fun and...

    Forming Your High School Bass Fishing Club

    Okay, so there's several great ways to enjoy and share the bass fishing fun and education in this show. First, you can kick back with family or friends to watch this...

    How Healthy Markets Sustain Forests

    How can forest product markets support healthy forests? Learn how sustainable management practices and strong markets for wood products help conserve forests, benefit...

    Careers in Conservation

    Okay, so there's several great ways to enjoy and share the wildlife and conservation education in this show. First, you can kick back with family or friends to watch...

    A River Reborn

    Rivers are like arteries, bringing life to the region surrounding them, washing away waste, purifying the environment with their biotic and abiotic processes.  Just...

    Trailing Ice Age Mysteries

    How many glaciers advanced across the landscape and retreated back? Discover the answers by watching the four parts of this science show and reading the information...

    The Ottaway, A River Reborn

    This page offers a chance for you to see the entire Emmy-winning film in HD. It also provides link to the classroom educational films and lesson activities related to...

    Into Family Fishing and Boating

    Are you ready to get Into Family Fishing and Boating? As you’ll discover in this Into the Outdoors episode and related Into the Outdoors @Home topic videos, fishing and...

    Thank you, Partners!