Many Eastern states from New England to Kentucky are suffering the worst drought in at least 20 years. In some states, this is the driest spell in 105 years of keeping records. In Midwestern states, however, the drought of 1988 will be remembered as the "big one."

Read about how the current drought has affected different areas:

• Weekend rains aren't enough to end mid-Atlantic drought
• Mid-Atlantic crop losses top $800 million

If you live in an area that has been hit by drought at some point in your lifetime, you know that not just farmers feel the effects of a prolonged dry spell. Unwatered lawns turn brown, cars are left unwashed, natural swimming holes dry up. You can find extensive information about current droughts, the Palmer Drought Severity Index, and general background information at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Drought Information Center.

Learn about the Problem

Before continuing to look at drought as an environmental, economic, and social problem, let's look at how an individual plant responds to lack of water. The Biology Explorer activity The Delicate Balance enables you to investigate a plant's control system for regulating water loss, and the relationship between the function of this system and photosynthesis.

Think about the Problem

Water is one of the most basic elements of life. Like so many other important elements, an extreme quantity--near absence or excess--can have devastating results.

Look at the following list of elements. Consider the consequences when each element is present in moderation, in excess, or in scant traces.

• water
• heat
• wind
• body fat
• salt
• penicillin

For the Teacher : Extending the Problem

• Students who are interested in the economic and social impact of severe drought should be encouraged to study the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Two sites where they can obtain extensive information are The American Experience: Surviving the Dust Bowl (designed to be used with a film available from PBS, but which also contains stand-alone information) and Day of the Black Blizzard. Other students may be interested in studying drought in other areas of the world, e.g., Africa.
  
  
• While public awareness is highest during a dry spell, individuals should practice water conservation all the time. Have students prepare a "water fair," where they present conservation tips. You can have different groups present ideas and slogans for water conservation in various areas of activity: gardening, cleaning, personal hygiene, etc. Students might find the following sites useful in preparing the fair:
  • Water Use Tips & Water Info
  • Marin Municipal Water District: Water Conservation

   

• You can conclude the water fair by having students examine your school's water use and make suggestions for conserving water at school. You can find a lesson plan for such an activity at the Dept. of the Interior's WaterShare site.
  
  
• Another major issue affecting the world's water resources is that of water quality. Visit the site of the EPA's Office of Water, dedicated to protecting the nation's water resources. Site sections present national water programs, laws and regulations, and information for raising public awareness. A kids' page includes a section on water education that presents educational material and learning aids that focus on water quality and the environment.