When Rain Isn't Enough

This four-day lesson introduces students to the challenges farmers face in providing a steady supply of water to their crops during the growing season in Wisconsin. They develop a deeper understanding of the water cycle by examining patterns in weather data, considering how water soaks into different types of soil, and observing a groundwater model. Students create a model of how water cycles through an agricultural system and explain how a variety of factors influence farmers’ decisions to irrigate crops.