Water as a Resource Worksheet
1. Complete (in your own words – that is, don’t simply copy or paste) this table for vocabulary associated with this
topic. Just do this as you work your way through the other questions on this worksheet. You may need to do
some extra research at the end to fill any gaps.
Term or Concept Definition or Description (in your Image, Diagram or Sketch (if
own words) needed to help remember)
Renewable resources A resource that if you manage it
correctly will keep on producing.
Non-renewable resources A resource that will run out
eventually and will not be created
again.
Continuous resources A resource that no matter how
much you use it, it will never run
out.
Condensation Water which collects as droplets
on a cold surface when humid air
is in contact with it.
Evaporation The process of turning liquid into
vapour.
Precipitation Is the process of rain, hail, snow or
sleet falling down onto the
ground.
Infiltration Is when water goes into the earth.
Run-off A run-off occurs when there is
more water than the land can
absorb.
Transpiration Transpiration occurs when plants
take up liquid water from the soil
and release water vapour into the
air from their leaves.
Groundwater Water held underground in the
soil or in pores and crevices in
rock.
Aquifer A body of pourus rock or sediment
saturated with ground water.
Dam A barrier to hold water back and
raise the water level
Salinity The dissolved salt content of a
body of water
Glacier A slowly moving mass of river of
ice formed by the accumulation
and compaction of snow on
mountains or near the poles.
Fresh Water Naturally occurring water that is
not salty and is suitable of
consumption if clean or
processed.
Bore Bore is when you use a tool to dig
a hole in the floor and find water
there.
Potable water Water that is suitable for human
consumption.
Water Rich Having a surplus of water.
Water Poor Having barely any water.
Water Foot-Print How much water you use.
Water stress When the demand for water
exceeds the available amount
during a certain period or when
poor quality restricts it’s use.
Reservoir A large natural or artificial lake
used as a source of water supply.
2. Read ‘Environmental resources: an overview’ (pp38-39) and fill in the table above for
‘Renewable, ‘Non-Renewable’ and ‘Continuous resources’. What are three examples of
each?
Trees, wind and heat
Coal, oil and nuclear energy
Sun, rain and water
3. What category does fresh water fall under?
renewable
4. Read ‘Where water comes from’ (pp40-41) and fill in the table above for any terms that
you come across. Answer Q1 and Q2 on p41.
The questions are answered in my book.
5. Describe briefly in your own words the basic steps of the water cycle causing rainfall (p40).
Draw a simple diagram in your book to illustrate the cycle.
The water from the ocean starts to evaporate and heads up into the sky then them form
together to create raindrops and fall back down onto a mountain, which then they make their
way down back to the ocean.
6. Look at this rainfall map of Tasmania:
Describe the general rainfall distribution pattern in Tasmania. What is the wettest region?
What is the driest?
The west part of Tasmania is the wettest and the main part is the driest.
7. Consider the three rainfall models described on pp40-41 – Orographic, Frontal,
Heating/Convection. Which of the three do you think best describes the main source of
rainfall in Tasmania based on the data shown in the map? Write a paragraph or a few dot-
points explaining your answer and your reasons for your answer.
Orographic rainfall is when the wind goes over a mountain and frontal is when two winds
meet each other and one goes over and one goes under each other.
8. Why does so much more rain fall on the west of Tasmania compared to the east?
The west side of Tasmania is a lot hotter than the main part is and that mean there is
more evaporation and more rain created.
9. Read ‘Water as an available resource’ (pp42-43). Look at Source 5 (p42). Fresh water for
consumption by humans and animals comes largely from freshwater lakes and rivers.
What percentage of the total water on the Earth is available for consumption from
freshwater lakes and rivers (this is tricky to work out and you’ll need to do some maths!).
10.What is Groundwater and how can it be accessed by humans? Look at Source 1 again.
What percentage of the total water on the Earth is available for consumption if you add
groundwater to the freshwater lakes and rivers (do the maths !again).
11.Study this odd looking map of the world. What does this map show and why are the
countries and continents misshapen? Name some continents or countries that are ‘water
rich’. Name some that are ‘water poor’.
Russia, Canada, Brazil and Peru are all examples of water rich countries. Egypt, Iraq and India
are all examples of water poor countries.
12.compare the odd looking map you’ve just studied to a normal map of the world, like the
one below. Explain the differences in the shapes of Australia and New Zealand in the two
maps.
The Australia in this map is a lot less curvy and pointy, this one looks a lot more natural.
The New Zealand in the other map doesn’t have a clear distinction that there is a small
gap between the islands and it looks a lot wider and larger than the New Zealand on this
map.
13.Watch this video on water use: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1f-
G6v3voA&feature=youtu.be
