Irrigation Ideas

This lesson explores how civil engineering has solved the challenge of moving water using irrigation. Students work in teams to design and build their own “irrigation system” out of everyday items.

Learn about civil engineering.
Learn about engineering design.
Learn about planning and construction.
Learn about teamwork and working in groups.

Age Levels: 8-18

Lesson Plan Presentation

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Build Materials (For each team)

Required Materials (Trading/Table of Possibilities)

Straws
Cardboard
paper cups or bowls
Clay
Tubes
aluminum foil
rubber bands
jars
Toothpicks
Paperclips
Plastic piping

Testing Materials

1 Water basin (at least 3 feet long)
Water
1 Cup – Measuring Cup
2 Plastic bowls or cups (for destination containers)

Testing Materials & Process

Materials

1 Water basin (at least 3 feet long)
Water
1 Cup – Measuring Cup
2 Plastic bowls or cups (for destination containers)

Process

Test each team’s irrigation system by placing the system in the water basin and pouring 2 cups of water into the system. Use 2 plastic cups or bowls as destination containers. Each team will have three chances to test their irrigation system. At the end of each test, they will measure the amount of water in each of the destination containers. The goal is to end up with one cup of water in each. Each team’s best attempt will be recorded.

Engineering Design Challenge

Design Challenge

You are a team of engineers working together to design and build an irrigation system that will carry two cups of water a distance of three feet and split the water into two separate destination containers. If your system works, you’ll end up with exactly one cup of water in each of your destination containers.

Criteria

Must carry two cups of water a distance of three feet
Must split the water into two separate destination containers

Constraints

Use only the materials provided
Teams may trade unlimited materials

Activity Instructions & Procedures

Break class into teams of 2-4.
Hand out the Design Your Own Irrigation System worksheet, as well as some sheets of paper for sketching designs.
Discuss the topics in the Background Concepts Section.
Review the Engineering Design Process, Design Challenge, Criteria, Constraints and Materials.
Instruct students to start brainstorming and sketching their designs.
Provide each team with their materials.
Explain that students must design and build an irrigation system that will carry two cups of water a distance of three feet and split the water into two separate destination containers. If the system works, you’ll end up with exactly one cup of water in each of the destination containers.
Before the students get started building, consider discussing what irrigation is by using the topics in the Background Concepts section of the lesson plan.
Announce the amount of time they have to design and build (1 hour recommended).
Use a timer or an on-line stopwatch (count down feature) to ensure you keep on time. (www.online-stopwatch.com/full-screen-stopwatch). Give students regular “time checks” so they stay on task. If they are struggling, ask questions that will lead them to a solution quicker.
Students meet and develop a plan for their irrigation system. They agree on materials they will need, write/draw their plan, and present their plan to the class. Teams may trade unlimited materials with other teams to develop their ideal parts list.
Teams build their designs.
Test each team’s irrigation system by placing the system in the water basin and pouring 2 cups of water into the system. Use 2 plastic cups or bowls as destination containers. Each team will have three chances to test their irrigation system. At the end of each test, they will measure the amount of water in each of the destination containers. The goal is to end up with one cup of water in each. Each team’s best attempt will be recorded.
Teams should measure the amount of water in the destination containers for each of the 3 tests and document those amounts.
As a class, discuss the student reflection questions.
For more content on the topic, see the “Digging Deeper” section.

Student Reflection (engineering notebook)

Did you succeed in creating an irrigation system to split the two cups of water into two separate destination containers? What was your best result?
If your system failed, what do you think went wrong?
What was unique about either the design or construction of the irrigation system that had the best results on this challenge in your classroom?
Did you decide to revise your original design while in the construction phase? Why? How?
Do you think that engineers have to adapt their original plans during the construction of systems or products? Why might they?
If you had to do it all over again, how would your planned design change? Why?
How do you think your design would have had to change if the material you were distributing was honey?
Do you think you would have been able to complete this project easier if you were working alone? Explain…

Time Modification

The lesson can be done in as little as 1 class period for older students. However, to help students from feeling rushed and to ensure student success (especially for younger students), split the lesson into two periods giving students more time to brainstorm, test ideas and finalize their design. Conduct the testing and debrief in the next class period.

Engineering Design Process

Background Concepts

What is Irrigation?

Irrigation is a system that artificially routes water to an area where it is not naturally present. More common applications are in providing water to remote or dry land for growing crops. Irrigation is frequently used to compensate for periods of anticipated or emergency drought, but also is used to protect plants against frost. Irrigation systems are also used to help suppress the growth of weeds in rice fields. There are many different irrigation techniques to route water from a source to its destination. Usually, uniformity in water placement is a goal, especially for growing crops.

Irrigation History

Archaeologists have found evidence of irrigation at work in Mesopotamia and Egypt as far back as the 6th millennium BCE, where barley was being grown in areas where the natural rainfall was inconsistent or not necessary sufficient to support the crop. In the Zana Valley of the Andes Mountains in Peru, archaeologists have found the remains of three irrigation canals which were radiocarbon dated to place their development at the 4th millennium BCE, the 3rd millennium BCE, and the 9th century CE. At the moment, these canals are considered the earliest examples of irrigation systems found. In addition, advanced irrigation and water storage systems were developed by the Indus Valley Civilization in Pakistan and North India. Because extensive agriculture was required, an innovative network of canals was developed to support irrigation. There also is evidence of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Amenemhet III in the twelfth dynasty using the natural lake of the Faiyum Oasis as a reservoir to store water to be used during dry seasons. The lake would swell annually due to the annual flooding of the Nile River. Egypt received little rainfall, so the Nile was a logical source of water.

Roman Aqueducts

The ancient Romans constructed many aqueducts to route water to cities and other sites. These aqueducts are considered to be one of the greatest engineering feats of the ancient world. Many of the ancient aqueducts are still in use today. They served several functions including providing potable water and supplying water to baths and fountains. Water was then routed into the sewers, where they helped remove waste matter.

Ethical Implications

Irrigation can route water to fields, help crops overcome drought, provide drinking water, and support waste removal.

But, how do engineers and others decide which use of water is the most important? What are the ethical considerations that must be reviewed to strike a balance of fairness?

For example, what if one farmer routed a river to serve his or her own crops and in doing so prevented his neighbors from receiving any river water?

Or, if water was routed to a company that stood to make a great deal of money from a profitable manufacturing facility, but in order to provide enough water for their process, all water would be diverted from small local farms farmers who might lose their livelihood. What would be fair?

Engineers are continually faced with ethical considerations when building structures, designing systems, and improving products.

Engineering does not have a single standard for ethical conduct because approaches vary somewhat by discipline. For example, a biomedical engineer might be concerned with respecting the feelings of a patient, or would want to pay particular attention to the reliability of a product such as an artificial heart. A civil engineer would consider safety and strive to develop a bridge that is not only safe, but also cost effective. A bridge could be over constructed, be safer than it would ever need to be, and be over budget as well.

Question

Can you think of an example of how a team of engineers might have to address ethical considerations related to the environment when building an irrigation system? What do you think the team would have to investigate before starting construction?

Vocabulary

Criteria: Conditions that the design must satisfy like its overall size, etc.
Engineers: Inventors and problem-solvers of the world. Twenty-five major specialties are recognized in engineering (see infographic).
Engineering Design Process: Process engineers use to solve problems.
Engineering Habits of Mind (EHM): Six unique ways that engineers think.
Ethical considerations: Decisions on what use of resources is most important.
Irrigation: A system that artificially routes water to an area where it is not naturally present.
Iteration: Test & redesign is one iteration. Repeat (multiple iterations).
Prototype: A working model of the solution to be tested.

Dig Deeper

Internet Connections

Recommended Reading

Irrigation Engineering (ISBN: 1408626241)
Irrigation: Its Principles And Practice As A Branch Of Engineering (ISBN: 1408626306)

Writing Activity

Write an essay or a paragraph about how irrigation is impacting life in South Africa, where “water poverty” is widespread. About a third of the country’s 36 million people do not have adequate supplies of drinking water.

Curriculum Alignment

Alignment to Curriculum Frameworks

Note: Lesson plans in this series are aligned to one or more of the following sets of standards:

U.S. Science Education Standards (http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=4962)
U.S. Next Generation Science Standards (http://www.nextgenscience.org/)
International Technology Education Association’s Standards for Technological Literacy (http://www.iteea.org/TAA/PDFs/xstnd.pdf)
U.S. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (http://www.nctm.org/standards/content.aspx?id=16909)
U.S. Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (http://www.corestandards.org/Math)
Computer Science Teachers Association K-12 Computer Science Standards (http://csta.acm.org/Curriculum/sub/K12Standards.html)

National Science Education Standards Grades K-4 (ages 4 – 9)

CONTENT STANDARD A: Science as Inquiry

As a result of activities, all students should develop

Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry

CONTENT STANDARD B: Physical Science

As a result of the activities, all students should develop an understanding of

Properties of objects and materials

CONTENT STANDARD E: Science and Technology

As a result of activities, all students should develop

Abilities of technological design
Understanding about science and technology
Abilities to distinguish between natural objects and objects made by humans

CONTENT STANDARD F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of

Types of resources
Changes in environments
Science and technology in local challenges

CONTENT STANDARD G: History and Nature of Science

As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of

Science as a human endeavor

National Science Education Standards Grades 5-8 (ages 10 – 14)

CONTENT STANDARD A: Science as Inquiry

As a result of activities, all students should develop

Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry

CONTENT STANDARD B: Physical Science

As a result of their activities, all students should develop an understanding of

Motions and forces

CONTENT STANDARD E: Science and Technology
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop

Abilities of technological design

CONTENT STANDARD F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of

Populations, resources, and environments
Risks and benefits
Science and technology in society

National Science Education Standards Grades 5-8 (ages 10 – 14)

CONTENT STANDARD G: History and Nature of Science

As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of

Science as a human endeavor

National Science Education Standards Grades 9-12 (ages 14-18)

CONTENT STANDARD A: Science as Inquiry

As a result of activities, all students should develop

Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understandings about scientific inquiry

CONTENT STANDARD B: Physical Science

As a result of their activities, all students should develop understanding of

Motions and forces
Interactions of energy and matter

CONTENT STANDARD E: Science and Technology

As a result of activities, all students should develop

Understandings about science and technology

CONTENT STANDARD F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of

Personal and community health
Natural resources
Environmental quality
Natural and human-induced hazards
Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges

CONTENT STANDARD G: History and Nature of Science

As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of

Science as a human endeavor
Historical perspectives

Next Generation Science Standards Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-11)

Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

3-PS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

Engineering Design

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

3-5-ETS1-1.Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success/constraints on materials, time, or cost.
3-5-ETS1-2.Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
3-5-ETS1-3.Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

Next Generation Science Standards Grades 5-8 (Ages 11-14)

Earth and Human Activity

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.*

Engineering Design

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

MS-ETS1-1 Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
MS-ETS1-2 Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Next Generation Science Standards Grades 9-12 (Ages 14-18)

Engineering Design

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

HS-ETS1-2.Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.

Standards for Technological Literacy – All Ages

The Nature of Technology

Standard 3: Students will develop an understanding of the relationships among technologies and the connections between technology and other fields of study.

Technology and Society

Standard 4: Students will develop an understanding of the cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology.
Standard 5: Students will develop an understanding of the effects of technology on the environment.
Standard 7: Students will develop an understanding of the influence of technology on history.

Design

Standard 9: Students will develop an understanding of engineering design.
Standard 10: Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.

Abilities for a Technological World

Standard 11: Students will develop abilities to apply the design process.
Standard 13: Students will develop abilities to assess the impact of products and systems.

The Designed World

Standard 15: Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use agricultural and related biotechnologies.

Student Worksheet

Ethical Implications

Irrigation can route water to fields, help crops overcome drought, provide drinking water, and support waste removal.

But, how do engineers and others decide which use of water is the most important? What are the ethical considerations that must be reviewed to strike a balance of fairness?

For example, what if one farmer routed a river to serve his or her own crops and in doing so prevented his neighbors from receiving any river water?

Engineers are continually faced with ethical considerations when building structures, designing systems, and improving products.

Question:

Can you think of an example of how a team of engineers might have to address ethical considerations related to the environment when building an irrigation system? What do you think the team would have to investigate before starting construction?

Design Your Own Irrigation System

You are part of a team of engineers who have been given the challenge of developing an irrigation system that will carry two cups of water a distance of three feet and split the water into two separate destination containers. If your system works, you’ll end up with exactly one cup of water in each of your destination containers. How you accomplish the task is up to your team!

Planning Stage

Meet as a team and discuss the problem you need to solve. Then develop and agree on a design for your irrigation system. You have been provided with many items you may use to construct your system. As a team, come up with a plan, and draw your design in the box below. Be sure to indicate the materials you anticipate using. Present your design to the class. You may choose to revise your teams’ plan after you receive feedback from class.

Materials Required:

Construction Phase

Build your irrigation system. During construction you may decide you need additional items or that your design needs to change. This is ok — just make a new sketch and revise your materials list. You may want to trade items with other teams, or request additional materials from your teacher.

Testing Phase

Each team will test their irrigation system to see how it functions. You’ll have three chances to test your system. At the end of each test, you will measure the amount of water in each of the destination containers. Remember, your goal is to end up with one cup of water in each. Your best attempt will be the one that counts. Be sure to watch the tests of the other teams and observe how their different designs worked.

Evaluation Phase

Evaluate your teams’ results, complete the evaluation worksheet, and present your findings to the class.

Use this worksheet to evaluate your team’s results: