Waters of Arizona (WOAZA)

Looking for an empowering way for students to learn about Arizona's water resources and challenges?

If so, the Waters of Arizona (WOAZA) Aqua STEM unit offers students a deeper dive into our region's water supplies. WOAZA inspires students by activating 3D Learning in the classroom using relevant, standards-based instruction. Students dig into Arizona’s unique hydrological cycle and explore the forces Arizona harnesses to ensure a vital water supply for 5 million desert dwellers. They ask questions and define problems related to Arizona’s major water sources, climate, and long-term water use. Throughout the unit, students use explanations based on evidence to construct a model of their place within the Arizona Hydrologic cycle, acknowledging our arid climate and making important connections between their direct and indirect use of water.  The core idea for knowing science that deals with movement and forces is the focal point for learning in this Unit. 

DRIVING QUESTION: How does Arizona's water cycle rule my world? 

• Interactive curriculum helps students understand Arizona's unique water issues.

• Science standards based lessons and instruction.

• Systems Thinking framework deepens student learning.

• Curriculum includes lessons, presentations, and resources ready for immediate classroom use.

• APW Educators facilitate a groundwater model classroom presentation.

• APW Educators provide guidance and materials for an engineering design CAP model building experience.

• Ongoing coaching and support for teachers.

• Analyze and interpret the Arizona water cycle processes and the changes in states of water (matter) as driven by the sun (energy).

• Examine the relationships between weather, climate, and the Southwest’s hydrological cycle.

• Distinguish and relate the primary water sources used by Arizonans and the locations of these sources.

• Relate the groundwater system, to surface water, the water cycle, and to people.

• Explore and examine the surface water sources, water distribution systems, and engineering design of these distribution systems.

• Construct an explanation and create a model of their role in Arizona’s water cycle, including direct and indirect water usage.

Arizona Project WET offers real-world and relevant lessons that support teachers in meeting Arizona State Science Standards. Bellow is a list of standards our unit meets (or partially meets) by grade level.

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