Today students will think about how they and their families use water in their daily lives and how children in Nepal use water. They will also learn where water comes from, either well, stream, river or public water system.
Water: a Vital Resource - This lesson is an excerpt from the Cornell University Web site - To Sustain Life: Water and Development in Nepal curriculum.
** There are 3 lessons for this unit on water and will take several days to complete. **
Lesson 1
Objectives for this class period:
1) Students will gain knowledge of how high income,(American) and low-income (Nepal) countries use basic
resources.
2) Students will gain knowledge of the basic challenges facing many families in Nepal.
Lesson Plan:
Greet students with "Namaste" (Nepali for hello and goodbye) as they enter.
Discussion: Set up problem of availability of safe water. Divide students into small groups and have them discuss the following questions. Then gather in whole group and record answers in chart paper.
Questions:
1) What does every living thing need?
2) How do you define 'safe' water?
3) Does it matter if it is safe? Why?
4) How available is it?
Homework:
Note to Teachers: The Water Use Tally sheets is included in two versions – one for students
who can multiply using decimals (using gallons) and the other for
students who are not yet able to do this (using liters).
Fill out Water Use Question and Tally sheets OR calculate your family’s
daily water use.
Water Use Question Sheet
Answer either question 1 or 2, and then questions 3, 4 and 5.
1. What did you use water for today? To answer, fill out attached tally sheet.
2. How much does your family use? [Ask your parents if you can see a water bill, and use
this to calculate your family's average daily use –divide the usage by 30 days ]
3. Where did the water come from?
4. How did you know it was safe to drink?
5. Where did it go when you were finished with it?
Water Use Tally Sheet
How I Use Water Number Average Amount of Total Water
Times used(tally marks are a great way to keep track)
__________ Washing hands - .25 gallons
__________ Brushing teeth - 1 gallon
__________ Flushing toilet - 5 gallons
__________ Drinking and eating - 0.5 gallon
__________ Laundry (per load) - 30 gallons
__________ Showering - 30 gallons
__________ Taking a bath - 40 gallons
__________ Washing car - 20 gallons
__________ Washing dishes - (by hand, with water
running) - 10 gallons
__________ Washing dishes (by machine) - 15 gallons
__________ Watering lawn - (30 minutes)
240 gallons
Grand Total:_______________ (will be calculated in school)
Source: Adapted from National Geographic, Earth Pulse, April 2001, Educational Activities: Fresh Water
Conservation Lessons http://www.nationalgeographic.com/gaw/frwater/
Lesson 2 - The next day.
Show photo gallery slides
If time, show Video: Destination Nepal, Clean water for one Billion People?
Discussion- What surprised then, what did they notice? Record answers on chart paper.
Lesson 3 - Hands on activity
1 - Calculate tally sheets ( use calculators) Get average class daily use. Use this information to determine the number of jugs that will be filled.
2 - Nepali Water Jugs - Filling Activity
Note to Teacher: To carry out the water hauling activity, you will need access to a deep
sink which can easily fit the jugs. You should arrange this with the janitor in your school
beforehand. Or you can fill the jugs in a close stream and fill a small plastic swimming pool.
Discussion - Thoughts, reactions, the amount of work needed to fulfil daily water requirements. Discuss ways to cut down on amount of water use.
Additional resources:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/education/primary/students/watercycle.html
Water cycle
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/education/primary/climate_change_KS2.html
Climate change
http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/watercycle/index.html
Water Cycle animated
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