The Importance Of Clean Water

Lesson Summary

While learning about water pollution, students wondered what happened to water after a hurricane and what happens to the citizens in need of water. Students investigated the importance of water and the disadvantages of polluted water. As a class, students learned the effects of polluted water and how to clean water. Students generated questions about who has access to clean water and those who are experiencing water poverty. Students assembled groups and assigned roles to help them work efficiently. Each group determined the best platform to communicate (padlet, Google Docs, notebook). The class used Google Hangout to communicate with the Ryan’s Well Foundation. They gained information on how to build a well and the cost to provide a community with clean water. Next, students researched information about the amount of people without water and the distance to a clean water source. Then, students built, reconstructed and tested water cleaning machines. They met with our school’s physical education teacher to learn the importance of water in the body. Students signed up for Jump Rope for Heart and took the water challenge as well as encouraging their families and friends to do the same. Finally, using Google Hangout students spoke with a water treatment facility worker in Saudi Arabia to in inquire how to get clean water in a desert. Finally, students reached out to their peers and others in the community to raise awareness on water conservation, water pollution and how to donate money to build wells.

TIPC Ratings

Research & Information Fluency

Rating:Ideal – Explanation: After learning about the importance of water and human influences, students had many questions about the topic. Students created their own groups and began to formulate questions. Then they decided who would research those questions and compiled a list of different ways to get information. Groups decided that to gain information they would need, student safe internet sites, books from the school library, our P.E teacher, someone from a water treatment facility worker and a founder of a foundation that builds wells for underprivileged communities. Students used a website evaluation form to determine if it is a credible site as well as a rubric for their group presentations. They set up a meeting with the Physical Education teacher to explore ways water helps the body. Then reached out to their family members to see if someone knew anybody that works at a water treatment facility. Students found someone that worked at a facility in Saudi Arabia. As a class we reached out to him and setup a Google Hangout video chat. He was able to explain how to harvest water in desert areas. Then they put what they learned in action. Groups began to build machines that would clean water, reflected on group work to allow groups to be more efficient, selected the best digital tools to show what they learned and build a solution to getting affordable clean water. Students used platforms like Google Doc, Padlet, Digital Book Creator and Educreations to showcase their work. After learning new information students had new questions and began to investigate those questions. Then they adjusted their former information and clean water products as they gained more knowledge about the subject. Each student had the opportunity to display their products to the water treatment worker as well as the Owner of the Ryan’s Well foundation.

Communication & Collaboration

Rating: Ideal – Explanation: Given a group limit of no more than 5, some students grouped themselves based on their strengths. While other students decided to group themselves with their friends. The groups first task was to explain how their group would work. Will they have roles? If so, what would they be? What will they do if they have a disagreement? Who will handle it? Students were given accountable talk stems to aid the communication between group members. Each time groups met they had an agenda of what they wanted to accomplish that day. Then groups used reflection sheets to help voice what went well in their group that day and what they wanted to change to be more productive the next day. Each member had an opportunity to collaborate with their team and explaining what changes to make within their groups each day.
Groups used ipads to record data and display their work, Today’s Meet to communicate and collaborate with group members when making questions, Google Docs to compile research information and decide which information was important or just interesting. Groups also used a digital book creator to display their product they created and data they gathered about water. As a class we had two Google Hangout video sessions with people involved in creating clean water. The first session was with a foundation that created wells for communities around the world. The foundation is located in Canada, where the founder Ryan, was able to talk to use about the importance of clean water and the impact his foundation has made by providing people access to clean drinkable water. Our second session was with an water treatment worker in Saudi Arabia. He explained how to harvest clean water and electricity from sea water. After learning that not everyone has access to clean sustainable water students presented their thoughts on how to set a goal to conserve water. At the end of it all students reflected on the process and created videos through We Video, and Educreation to show what they learned.

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

Rating: Ideal – Explanation: After learning more information about how humans influence the environment (pollution) and water conservation. Students brought up question such as; What happens when there is a hurricane? How can there be a lack of water if you live near the sea? Why is water important to you body? How long can you live without water? How many people don’t have access to clean water? What do those people do if they don’t have access to clean water? How can you gather water? What is a cost effective way to clean water in water poverty countries? As groups created questions they began to research these answers and document them through digital platforms like Google Docs, Padlet, or just using pencil and paper. Groups would compare answers they found through credible websites and simplify information given through the video chat with the water treatment worker. Groups would work with other groups within the class and identify the relationship between the time and distance it took for children in other countries to get water compared to the time and distance it took for them to get water. Students estimated the total amount of time it would take in one day and the distance they had to travel. Then they compared it to the time and distance they had to travel. Finally, when groups made their products they tested them out to determine if they cleaned water. Students used their research to critique their product and created polluted water by gathering water from various places.

Creativity & Innovation

Rating: Ideal – Explanation: After groups came together and researched questions they began to build machines that would clean dirty water. Students made a list of materials that they needed, collected resources and began to build a structure that would clean polluted water. In order to test out the machine each group created dirty water using pollution that they found outside. Students left the polluted water outside overnight. Each group used what they learned from their research and made it apart of their cleaning device. Students had a rubric to use while building the device. As groups were working together and adjusting the parts of their machines, I went around and asked each group to explain what they were working on and what they were trying to accomplish. As students completed their products they tested them outside. If a group saw that their product was not working, they would regroup and change different parts to make it more effective. Groups used ipads to record their projects and record their groups testing their products. Next students used reflections sheets to determine what went well that day and what they would like to do better the next day. After testing their products, students wanted to demonstrate what they learned through digital platforms. Some students decided to do a reflection video, a cartoon or a commercial to help others become aware of the value of clean water.