PBL Curriculum Design Lab - SNOWPACK SERIES - My Water Footprint

Water we buying? Our combined carbon and water footprints, our daily habits and consumption patterns, are warming the atmosphere which is shrinking our snowpack. Over the last two centuries, our northwest snowpack has served as a frozen, second reservoir, as we built our entire lifestyle and economic well being on the assumption that it will never change. But it is. And it will continue to shrink. Lab participants will explore a range of excellent lesson frameworks, phenomena, and local “living textbook” resources, the same policies, plans, and performance measures that water resource managers use every day to guide their work. It’s real. Student inquiry and problem solving will focus on how we consume water, what we assume about the future, and how the diverging footprints of privilege and poverty are exacerbating both regional and international water scarcity challenges. Against these long term trends, students can take immediate and direct action at the household level. Every drop counts. Together, we will practice the Impact Project Design process which empowers students to think like a project manager and develop solutions that are directly aligned with local water resource management goals. We keep it real, local, and relevant, supporting student agency and ownership at the household, school, or neighborhood scale. There are numerous entry points for science, engineering, math, social studies and common core. Bring a team! This Lab is an ongoing practicum that convenes teachers, student leaders, and subject matter experts from industry, government, and nonprofit sectors to ensure a rich learning exchange.