Exploring Water Resources

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Overview

Year Level: Year 7
Subject: Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) – Geography
Unit: Water: Resource Connections (Lesson 1 of 20)
Duration: 60 minutes
Australian Curriculum Alignment:
Year 7 Geography | ACHGK037 – The classification of environmental resources and the forms that water takes as a resource.

This introductory lesson invites students to explore water as a resource—how it’s categorised, how we use it, and why it matters. Through visual stimuli, personal reflection, collaborative activities, and classification tasks, students will build foundational knowledge of renewable, non-renewable, and continuous resources, with a particular focus on water.

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Learning Intentions

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Define renewable, non-renewable, and continuous environmental resources.
• Classify examples of different resource types, including water as a resource.
• Explain why understanding the types of resources is important for managing the environment.

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Success Criteria

Students will:

✔ Accurately define each resource type.
✔ Correctly categorise at least four examples of resources.
✔ Contribute thoughtful ideas to a class discussion on the importance of water.

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Materials Required

• Teacher slides or digital presentation software (PowerPoint or Google Slides)
• Printed resource cards (sets of 12 per group)
• Sticky notes
• Butcher’s paper or large poster paper (1 per group)
• Markers or coloured pens
• Globe or world map (physical or digital)
• Access to water bottle or glass for live demonstration
• Mini whiteboards (optional)

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Lesson Sequence (60 minutes)

1. Acknowledgement of Country & Settling Activity (5 minutes)

Begin by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land and their connection to water through Country and community.

Settling Prompt (Think-Pair-Share):

“What do you use water for every day? List three things.”

Students list their ideas individually on a sticky note and then share with a partner briefly. Collect a few ideas to put on the board.

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2. Hook: 'Water Isn't Just Water' (5 minutes)

Using a clear glass of water or a water bottle, perform a live visual demonstration. Hold it up and say:

“You might think this is just water. But what if I told you this drop has been here for millions of years, travelled through rivers, glaciers and even the air – and that it’s been drunk by dinosaurs?”

Introduce students to the idea that water is ancient and part of a continual natural process.

Use a map to highlight the diversity of water sources: rivers (Murray River), oceans, underground aquifers (Great Artesian Basin), rainfall.

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3. Explicit Teaching: What Are Resources? (10 minutes)

Present key definitions using visuals and Australian examples:

• Renewable Resources: Can naturally regenerate in a human time scale (e.g., forests, fresh water from rainfall).
• Non-Renewable Resources: Exist in finite quantities or take millions of years to form (e.g., coal, oil).
• Continuous Resources: Will never run out (e.g., sunlight, wind, tidal energy).

Australian Curriculum Connection:
Explain how these categories help geographers and planners make decisions about sustainability and availability.

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4. Group Activity: Resource Classification Relay (15 minutes)

Set-Up:
Arrange students into groups of 5. Give each group a set of “Resource Cards” (laminated cards with words/pictures like river, wind farm, coal mine, ocean wave, solar panel, fossil, aquifer, dam, etc.)

Task:
Work collaboratively to sort the resources into 3 groups: Renewable, Non-renewable, and Continuous. Once classified, stick them on a piece of butcher’s paper under column headings.

Twist:
Every 3 minutes, swap one student to another table – that student must explain their original group’s choices to the new group.

Differentiation Tip:
Provide extension prompts like: “What’s something that might belong in more than one category?” or “What happens if a renewable resource is overused?”

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5. Class Discussion: Why Does It Matter? (10 minutes)

Bring the class back together. Go over some of the answers from the posters and discuss:

“Why is it important to know which resources are renewable or not?”
“What would happen if we used more water than could be renewed?”
“How do different communities use or value water differently?”

Facilitate a conversation that touches on environmental sustainability, Indigenous knowledge systems, and geographical differences across Australia.

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6. Exit Ticket: 'Water is a…' (5 minutes)

Students complete the sentence on a sticky note as they leave:

“Water is a ________ resource because _________.”

Stick these on a “Water Wall” at the back of the room for reference during the unit.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observation of dialogue and reasoning during classification.
• Content written on group posters and sticky note reflections.
• Exit ticket sentence structure and accuracy.

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Adaptations for Diverse Learners

• ESL Students: Use visuals on resource cards; pre-teach key vocabulary with matching game.
• Advanced learners: Challenge them to find resources that could be debated or which humans can influence to be renewable/non-renewable.
• Students with learning needs: Pair with supportive peers; provide scaffolded definitions.

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Teacher Reflection Prompts (After Lesson)

• How well did students grasp the differences between resource types?
• Were any misconceptions particularly common (e.g. thinking water is unlimited)?
• Did students engage with the Indigenous and geographical context of water?

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What's Next?

In Lesson 2, students will explore the distribution of water around the world and within Australia, developing their mapping and spatial analysis skills using digital and physical mapping tools.

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Extra ‘Wow’ Ideas

• Visual Timeline Wall: Start a “Water Through Time” mural on a classroom wall. Each week, add visuals or key facts that explore water in different contexts.
• Sensory Water Journey: Create a short role-play or guided imagery session where students ‘travel’ as a water droplet through different environments (e.g. clouds, glaciers, rivers, humans).
• ** Indigenous Perspectives Extension:** Invite Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander speakers to discuss the cultural value of water and Country.

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Glossary Wall

Begin a key vocabulary wall for the unit that can be built upon over the next 19 lessons:

• Renewable
• Non-renewable
• Continuous
• Aquifer
• Sustainability
• Resource management

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Prepared by: Your AI Assistant – aligned to the Australian Curriculum, with heart.
Version: 2024 – Draft 1
Teacher Customisation Recommended.