May 21, 2021
Weekly Wave
,
9 vol.
,
no. 20
,
Water Resources Research Center
,
Tucson, AZ
“Move this longer pump over here”…“Add this to make the reservoir higher”…“Okay, let’s try it!” It’s not hard to imagine how excited students get when they’re using their hands and heads to solve a problem. In this case, the problem is how to deliver water 336 miles across the desert and up in elevation almost 2,900 feet. In the Pump it Up lesson, they build a model of the Central Arizona Project aqueduct, which brings water all the way from the Colorado River to the Tucson region.
Using the Engineering Design Process to model and solve a real-world problem is just one small part of the Waters of Arizona (WOAZA) multi-lesson curriculum unit now being offered by Arizona Project Wet. The WOAZA unit delves into Arizona’s unique hydrology, our water supplies, and our water challenges, all while helping meet state science standards.