Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What might the term “water stress” refer to? Why might this be a problem that people need to pay more attention to?

Teaching Suggestion: Students are likely to focus on locally relevant water scarcity issues in their answers. Encourage them to think about water contamination, water prices, drought, aging infrastructure, overuse, changing climate patterns, and other issues that impact water scarcity as well, even if these issues are not immediately relevant in their own communities.

• This explainer from the Council on Foreign Relations offers a global overview of the problem.
• This article from Phys.Org shares details from a recent report on changes in the global water cycle.
• This article from the nonprofit foundation The Water Project explores water scarcity in the United States.

Short Activity

Create a map of the water resources your community depends on. Then, label each water source with a brief note about the current health of that water resource.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity requires that students have access to information specific to your community.