1 of 16

Teaching Point: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”

Do now Group Discussion: Compare and contrast these soil layers in as many ways as you can.

2 of 16

Infiltration is the movement of water through soil or fractured rock.

  • Infiltration occurs by gravity and collects as groundwater

TP: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”

Water in the Ground

3 of 16

The water table is the boundary between unsaturated and saturated soil in the ground.

Underground Boundary for Water

TP: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”

4 of 16

The zone of aeration is the unsaturated soil or rock above the water table

The zone of saturation is the saturated soil or rock below the water table

Zones Near the Water Table

TP: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”

5 of 16

Task- Question: How might the red house’s groundwater well no longer be able to draw up water?

Underground Boundary for Water

TP: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”

6 of 16

Factors controlling the water table:

  1. more precipitation than evaporation (rise)
  2. more evaporation than precipitation (fall)
  3. melting of snow/ice (rise)
  4. groundwater use by people (fall)

The Water Table Rises and Falls

TP: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”

7 of 16

Seasonal Fluctuations in Water

TP: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”

Task- Think/Pair/Share: Which parts of the water cycle might lead to the rise of the water table in the winter and fall in the summer?

8 of 16

Cities Draw from Aquifers

TP: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”

Aquifers are groundwater locations used by cities or local towns to draw drinking water from.

9 of 16

Task- Discussion: How could this town begin to stop the intrusion of salt water into their fresh water supply?

Salt Water Intrusion

TP: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”

10 of 16

TP: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”

End-Lesson Assessments

  • Try your best not to use the notes to answer the questions. Have your notes available incase you need to refer to it.

  • When you see the answer you think is correct keep your answer to yourself.

  • Wait until the entire class is done, and do not change your answer based on others!

11 of 16

Lesson Assessment Question

  1. How does water move into the soil?

a. It is pulled down by gravity

b. It pulled by streams

c. It is pushed through by electric forces

d. It is pushed by ocean forces

TP: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”

12 of 16

Lesson Assessment Question

  1. If there is more snowfall, how will the height of the water table be affected?

a. It will rise

b. It will fall

c. It will first rise then fall

d. It will not change

TP: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”

13 of 16

  1. The water table usually rises when there is

a. a decrease in the amount of infiltration

b. a decrease in the amount of surface area covered by vegetation

c. an increase in the amount of precipitation

d. an increase in the slope of the land

TP: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”

Regents Assessment Question

14 of 16

  1. If the surface soil is saturated and precipitation increases, there will be

a. a decrease in the amount of groundwater

b. a decrease in the surface elevation of the lake

c. an increase in the rate of capillarity

d. an increase in the amount of runoff

TP: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”

Regents Assessment Question

15 of 16

Task: Using what we just learned about saturated soil and infiltration…

Student 1- make connections between water infiltration, soil saturation and the water cycle

Student 2- create an illustration showing how the water table can go up and down depending on how much precipitation falls

Student 3- create a thinking map showing how infiltration and soil saturation might be connected

Class Activity- Soil Saturation

TP: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”

16 of 16

Let’s Review in Groups

In your group, go back into your notes and make a list of the three (3) most important concepts we learned today. Place those the three in order from the most important concept to least important.

TP: “To analyze water infiltration and its connection to soil saturation.”