Human Impacts on NYC Water Systems

Drawing on prior knowledge of water in New York City, students generate questions about a combined sewage overflow event based on a video of the anchoring phenomenon.

• Ask questions about a phenomenon that occurs frequently in New York City.

Students piece together a timeline of NYC’s geologic history and gain an understanding of how that has impacted the distribution of freshwater throughout the region.

• Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of New York State’s water resources are the result of past geoscience processes.

Students review images and quotes about early New Yorkers to determine where they got their drinking water and how they disposed of sewage wastewater. They work in small groups to document practices from each era and form opinions about how each group of people felt about their environment and waste.

• Consider how population numbers and cultural norms impacted the ways in which early New Yorkers got their drinking water and disposed of their wastewater.

Students create multiple versions of a small watershed model using markers, paper, and water. They “run” their model and make observations to learn about what a watershed is and how it functions.

• Model and make observations about how watersheds function and how human activity impacts watersheds.

Students use multimedia resources to learn more about NYC’s watershed, and then watch a documentary about the building of the Ashokan Reservoir in the early 1900s. They then write a persuasive letter to historical residents of a town in Upstate New York to convince them to leave for the benefit of the NYC drinking water supply.

• Conduct research to gather evidence about why New York City’s drinking water comes from Upstate and assess the pros and cons of that system.

Students conduct an observational experiment to gather information about how different surface types affect the amount of runoff that enters the sewer system.

• Construct an argument supported by evidence that certain groundcover types minimize runoff compared to others.

Using a model of the sewer system in NYC, the class tests how various rainfall events and population sizes will affect the amount of water entering the sewer system and where that water will end up.

• Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in New York City population impact water systems (cause and effect).

Students compare and contrast two natural disaster events in NYC, Hurricane Irene and Sandy, and learn about their different impacts on NYC’s water system. Based on what they learn, they make a claim about the future forecast of major storms in the area in terms of frequency and intensity.

• Analyze and interpret data from past natural hazards and future climate predictions to forecast future catastrophic events.

Students learn about different types of green infrastructure innovations and complete a feats and flaws evidence table to assess their pros and cons.

• Analyze case studies to gather information about localized strategies and technology to mitigate effects of natural hazards.

Students use the Engineering Design process to design a ski resort, public park, or schoolyard with the intention of improving the water systems in New York State through green infrastructure.

• Design a method for monitoring and minimizing New Yorker’s impact on their water systems (cause and effect).