Overview of the Issue
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Global Issues Water Resources
WATER
Resources
Why the Issue Matters
After air to breathe, water is the most essential
resource for human life. The human body is about
55 to 60 percent water, and a person cannot live for
much more than a week without water to drink. We
need water not only to stay alive but also to bathe, to
wash our clothes, to cook our food, to irrigate our
crops—the list could go on and on. All plants and
animals require water. Without water, there would be
no life on Earth.
Considering how vital and precious water is,
it’s almost unbelievable that we are so careless with
it—allowing sewage, toxic chemicals, fertilizers,
pesticides, oil, metals, and solid trash to be dumped
or to wash into lakes, streams, and oceans. All the
water on Earth is connected in a vast cycle. Because
of this cycle, what’s added to water in one place will
show up in another. We know this, and still we fail to
protect this vital resource.
The ever-increasing human population—7 billion
and growing—with its escalating need for water
and food puts tremendous pressure on the 1 percent
of Earth’s water that is fresh and available to use.
Many of the ways we develop land and make use of
our water resources only add to the problem of our
limited supply of clean water. Pollution reduces this
supply even further.
When will we begin to treat water like the
precious resource it is?
How the Issue Fits in the
Curriculum
All the books in the Global Issues series provide
opportunities for multi-disciplinary learning. Water
Resources could be used with National Geographic
Learning’s World Cultures and Geography program
or with a language arts program, a nonfiction content
area reading program, or an earth science program.
In the World Cultures and Geography Program You might use Water Resources while teaching
the World Cultures and Geography unit on South
America, since all three levels have a case study on
a body of water in South America:
▲ BELOW-level
● On-level
■ Above-level
Lake Titicaca
between Bolivia
and Peru
The Amazon
River in Peru
and Brazil
Lake Maracaibo
in Venezuela
In a Language Arts Program You might incorporate
Water Resources into a unit on informative nonfiction
or informative writing. The student books provide
excellent nonfiction reading material geared to
three levels, and the writing activity on pages 28–29
provides guidance on writing an informative article.
In a Nonfiction Content Area Reading Program Water Resources can be used as nonfiction reading
material in the subject areas of social studies
or science.
In an Earth Science Program You might use Water
Resources while teaching about the water cycle or
pollution.
14 NATGEO_Global_Issues_TG_A.indd 14-15
How to Use the Three Levels of Books
You might introduce the books to students in the same way. Tell students that
they will be spending a few days studying the issue of water pollution in depth.
1 Divide students into three
groups based on their reading
level and distribute the three
versions of the books to the
appropriate groups.
▲ Below-level
● On-level
■ Above-level
2 Explain that each group has
a set of books with a different
case study section in the
middle, which includes two case
studies per book. All the other
sections of the books cover the
same content. The three groups
will later share information
from these case studies.
3 Follow the lesson plan
beginning on page 20 of this
guide. All sections of the
student books, except for the
case studies, are designed to
accommodate whole-class
teaching. The following chart
provides an outline of the
student books.
Main Ideas & Activities in Student Books
Section of Book
Main Idea or Activity
Introducing the Issue
Fresh water is a precious and limited resource, and pollution from natural and
human-made sources is threatening its quality.
World Hot Spots
A world map shows levels of water pollution around the world, with the two
case-study locations and four other locations highlighted.
SE All Levels, pages 4–7
SE All Levels, pages 8–9
▲ Below-level
● On-level
■ Above-level
Lake Titicaca between
Peru and Bolivia is
polluted with sewage,
agricultural runoff, toxic
chemicals from mining,
and water lentils.
The Amazon River is
threatened by pollution
from mining, oil spills,
and other causes.
Leaking oil pipes,
industrial waste, sewage,
duckweed, and salt
are making the water
in Venezuela’s Lake
Maracaibo unusable.
▲ Below-level
● On-level
■ Above-level
Case Study Two
Pollution of the Mekong
River in Southeast Asia
may drive a rare breed of
dolphin to extinction.
China’s industrial growth
has come at a high price:
severe water pollution of
its lakes and rivers.
Pollution from
households, industries,
ports, harbors, farms,
mines, and seafood
farms is killing fish in the
South China Sea.
National Geographic at Work
The National Geographic Society is teaming up with scientists to establish Marine
Protected Areas to preserve marine life.
What Can I Do?
These pages guide students in organizing the cleanup of a stream or lake.
Research & Write
These pages guide students through an expository writing assignment:
an informative article on the cleanup of Lake Erie.
Case Study One
SE All Levels, pages 10–15
SE All Levels, pages 16–21
SE All Levels, pages 22–25
SE All Levels, pages 26–27
SE All Levels, pages 28–29
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