Water in the World in VR/360º
Virtual Reality and Interactive 360º storytelling have many great applications. However, its most powerful application is when it is used to immerse viewers into the world of others – transporting them to foreign places to walk in other people’s shoes, to experience their lives and hopefully to discover a different perspective.
The Water in the World VR project was created by one of our schools, Erina High School from the Central Coast, NSW, Australia.
Creator: Grant Ward (Head Teacher Administration)
Footage: Captured by Grant in the Yosemite Valley (Swinging Bridge trail) using an Insta360 OneX camera.
Experience Water in the World in VR/360º
We recommend you to read through the viewing guide to set up for each device to have the best VR/360º experience.
Lesson Plan
NSW Curriculum
Learning Area: Geography
Stage: 4 (12-14 y.o)
Topic: Water in the World
Outcomes:
- Locates and describes the diverse features and characteristics of a range of places and environments GE4-1
- Describes processes and influences that form and transform places and environments GE4-2
Key Inquiry Question:
Why does the spatial distribution of water resources vary globally and within countries?
Transcript of text from VR scene:
- Water Droplet: The water cycle describes how water evaporates from the surface of the earth and rises into the atmosphere. Here it cools and condenses in clouds, and falls again to the earth’s surface as precipitation. The cycle is a closed system. This means that the amount of water in the cycle is always the same. The availability of water varies across the globe. This cycle begins with the sun.
- The Sun: The energy of the sun drives the water cycle. Heat, from the sun, causes water to evaporate, into the atmosphere.
- Evaporation: Evaporation is the process of water changing from a liquid to a gas. This gas is called water vapour. Evaporation allows water to escape from the earth’s surface into the atmosphere.
- Cloud (condensation): As water vapour rises into the atmosphere, it cools, and condenses. People can see this in the form of clouds. Condensation is therefore the process of water changing from a gas back to a liquid.
- Rainfall (precipitation): Rainfall is also known as precipitation. Precipitation occurs when the atmosphere becomes saturated with water vapour. Under these conditions, the water condenses and becomes too heavy to remain in the atmosphere. It falls back to earth as rain or snow. The amount of precipitation that falls, is different between places around the world.
- Runoff and Infiltration: Water that reaches the earth’s surface from precipitation, moves across the surface of the earth, as runoff. Hard surfaces, such as roads and rocks, will increase the speed of runoff. Water that does not run off the land, infiltrates into the soil, where it finds its way into groundwater. This process is called infiltration.
- Storage: Water remains stored in oceans, lakes, rivers, dams, ponds or under the ground until the cycle begins again.
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Student Worksheet
Student Tasks
During your VR experience:
- Explore the Water Cycle scene.
- Listen carefully to the explanations of each step in the cycle.
- You can restart the scene by looking or panning down to find the back button.
- A summary of the cycle is in the backpack of the man in the scene.
After the VR experience:
- Label the following diagram with the correct parts of the cycle. The list below will help you.
- Precipitation
- Condensation
- Evaporation
- Transpiration
- Infiltration
- Runoff
- Energy from Sun
2. Complete the following table by adding key terms or meanings in the blank spaces. You may need to look back at the VR experience to find the correct words.
| Key Word | Meaning |
| Solar Energy | Heat energy from the sun. This drives the water cycle. |
| Evaporation | |
| Water that is released by plants into the atmosphere | |
| Condensation | |
| Water that falls from clouds to the earth’s surface – mainly as rainfall or now | |
| Runoff | |
| The process of water moving into the soil |
3. Give 3 examples of water storages
____________________ ____________________ ____________________
4. Study the table below. Answer the questions in your workbook.
| Water resource | Approx. % of total water |
| Oceans (salt water) | 97.2% |
| Glaciers | 2.1% |
| Others such as lakes, inland seas, rivers, streams | 0.1% |
| Groundwater | 0.6% |
| Total | 100.00% |
a) What does the information tell you about the availability of water resources?
b) Why is it difficult for humans to use water from the oceans?
c) What challenges do you see for humans?
Use Virtual Reality and Interactive 360º storytelling and bring the curriculum to life in your lesson plans. Get your free access and start creating!