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Clean water, dirty water A unit for children aged 7-9 years From Fieldwork Education, part of the WCL Group www.internationalprimarycurriculum.com

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Clean water,dirty waterA unit for children

aged 7-9 years

From Fieldwork Education, part of the WCL Groupwww.internationalprimarycurriculum.com

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CLEAN WATER, DIRTY WATER

From Fieldwork Education, part of the WCL Group. © WCL Group Limited. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission. 2

Contents

Introduction 3

Water–UnitsofWork:AnOverview 4

BasicInformation 6

LearningTargets 7

TheEntryPoint 9

TheKnowledgeHarvest 10

ExplainingtheTheme 11

TheBigPicture 12

GeographyLearningTargets 14

GeographyTasks 15

ICTLearningTargets 18

ICTTasks 19

ScienceLearningTargets 20

ScienceTasks 21

TechnologyLearningTargets 23

TechnologyTasks 24

SocietyLearningTargets 26

SocietyTasks 27

InternationalLearningTargets 29

InternationalTasks 30

ExitPointActivity 32

Resources 33

DraftLettertoParents 36

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CLEAN WATER, DIRTY WATER

From Fieldwork Education, part of the WCL Group. © WCL Group Limited. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission. 3

Introduction

ThisisaunitoftheInternationalPrimaryCurriculum.

The IPC has been developed to provide support to teachers so that four main aims can be achieved. They are:

• To help children learn the subject knowledge, skills and understandings they need to become aware of the world around them

• To help children develop the personal skills they need to take an active part in the world throughout their lives

• To help children develop an international mindset alongside their awareness of their own nationality

• To do each of these in ways which take into account up-to-date research into how children learn and how they can be encouraged to be life-long learners

TheIPChasasimplebutcomprehensivestructure.

Everything is based on clearly-defined learning goals which lay out the subject, personal and international knowledge, skills and understandings children need at different stages of their primary school life.

Units of work provide practical activities which teachers can use in the classroom plus a wealth of other supportive information. Each unit is structured to make sure that children’s learning experiences are as stimulating as possible.

In this way, the IPC provides two of the three main stages of planning. It provides both the curriculum map which sets out what children should learn and what they will do at different stages of their school life. It also provides the detailed curriculum planning for teachers to take into the classroom. All you have to do as a teacher is to make those amendments and updates necessary to teach the IPC to your particular class in your particular location.

We believe that learning is the most important event in any school and we want children to enjoy the learning that takes place through the IPC. But we also want you to enjoy teaching it at the same time. If you have any comments which will help us to improve children’s learning, or their and your enjoyment, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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CLEAN WATER, DIRTY WATER

From Fieldwork Education, part of the WCL Group. © WCL Group Limited. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission. 4

Water – Units of Work: An Overview

Water. A clear, odourless, tasteless liquid that is essential for most animal and plant life and is an excellent solvent for many substances.

McGraw-HillDictionaryofScientificandTechnicalTerms,4thed(1989),McGraw-Hill,NewYork

We are in the midst of a water crisis that has many faces. Whether concerning issues of health or sanitation, environment or cities, food, industry or energy production, the twenty-first century is the century in which the overriding problem is one of water quality and management. Water management has evolved, but in 2003 some 25,000 people are still dying every day from malnutrition; and 6000 people, mostly children under the age of five, are dying from water-related diseases.

TheUNWorldWaterDevelopmentReport(2003)

TheIPCWater–UnitsofWork

These three Water themed Units of Work developed by the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) are designed to develop awareness of the most pressing resource issue of our time. They aim to raise the issues of freshwater quantity, quality and consumption for children, their teachers and parents and in the school and wider community. They aim to promote and encourage understanding and active response in relation to improving the water situation, in their school, locally and globally.

TheFocusoftheUnitsofWork

The issues of water may be approached in many ways. The main focus of these units is of freshwater: its properties, quality, availability and conservation, concentrating on the most pressing development issues of clean drinking water and sanitation. Issues surrounding the oceans and habitats and the pollution and misuse of these are also touched on.

WaterforLife

These Units of Work are part of an international education water initiative and provide the children with the skills, understanding and knowledge necessary to lead onto the ECIS Environmental Awareness Project: Water for older children. This is a timely development as the decade 2005-2015 has been proclaimed International Decade for Action on Water by a United Nations General Assembly resolution. The decade of ‘Water for Life’ began on World Water Day, March 22nd, 2005.

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From Fieldwork Education, part of the WCL Group. © WCL Group Limited. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission. 5

UnitsofWork-Content

The Milepost 1 (for 6 to 7 year olds) Unit of Work is called Saving Water and is designed to raise awareness that water is a resource that should not be wasted. The Unit of Work for Milepost 2 (for 8 to 9 year olds) is called Clean Water - Dirty Water and addresses the issues surrounding the availability of healthy drinking water, water pollution and the technologies for cleaning water. Milepost 3 (for 10 to 12 year olds) takes a broader stance: The Power of Water is a look at the power of water to kill, to cure and to move.

UnitsofWork-Structure

Each Unit of Work begins with an Entry Point. This is designed to set the scene for the children and grab their interest. Each Unit of Work ends with an Exit Point which ties up the work they have done and includes an element of ‘action’. This action is very important and aims to provide a sense of participation and empowerment. It is designed to encourage the whole community to make changes to their environment and to contribute to wider water improvement initiatives.

The subjects covered in these Units of Work include science, geography, technology, information and communications technology (ICT) and society. There are also activities to promote international-mindedness.

These Units of Work will take approximately three IPC weeks (2 hours per day, 4 days a week) but timing may be adapted to suit your school situation.

UnitsofWork–HowtoUseThem

The Units of Work may be taught on their own or as part of the IPC route for each milepost. As they are short they may also be joined together to make a longer unit if desired: for example, the Milepost 1 and Milepost 2 Units of Work could be followed together as one unit at the end of Milepost 1 or at the beginning of Milepost 2. Alternatively, this could be done with the Milepost 2 and Milepost 3 Units of Work.

An exciting way to use this material would be to take a whole school approach, having everyone working on the units at the same time. You could have a ‘Water Week’ and include swimming and water sports events, trips to reservoirs, aquariums, beaches, hydroelectric power installations, etc.

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Basic Information

Thisunitofworkisintendedtolastaboutthreeweeks.

After the Entry Point, Knowledge Harvest and Explaining the Theme, which will take about 2 hours, there will be about 2 hours on Geography, 2 hours on Science, 2 hours on ICT, 4 hours on Technology, 4 hours on Society, 4 hours for the separate International task and 2 hours on the Exit Point activity.

If you are using the unit for around two hours a day, four days a week there will be about:

• 1 day on the Entry Point, Knowledge Harvest and Explaining the Theme

• 1 day on Geography

• 1 dayon Science

• 1 day on ICT

• 2 days on Technology

• 2 days on Society

• 2 days on International

• 1 day on the Exit Point activity

These timings are flexible depending on your circumstances.

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From Fieldwork Education, part of the WCL Group. © WCL Group Limited. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission. 7

Learning Targets

GEOGRAPHYLEARNINGTARGETS

Children will:

2.11 Be able to communicate their geographical knowledge and understanding to ask and answer questions about the water cycle

2.12 Understand how places fit into a wider geographical context

2.13 Understand that the quality of the aquatic environment of an aquarium can be sustained and improved

ICTLEARNINGTARGETS

Children will:

2.4 Be able to find and use stored information from a variety of sources on the Internet

2.5 Be able to use ICT to support and present their work

2.7 Be able to make choices to gather information and solve problems

SCIENCELEARNINGTARGETS

Children will:

2.1 Be able to carry out simple investigations:

• Suggesting ways of collecting evidence

• Preparing a simple investigation which is fair with one changing factor

• Predicting the outcomes of investigations

• Using simple scientific equipment

• Testing ideas using evidence from measurement and observation

• Linking the evidence to broader scientific knowledge and understanding

• Using evidence to draw conclusions

• Recording and communicating their observations and findings in a variety of ways

• Explaining their observations and findings

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2.3 Understand the importance of collecting scientific evidence

2.4 Understand some of the effects of what they learn on other people’s lives

2.6 Know about processes and conditions that have an effect on living things (covered in Geography Task 2)

2.29 Know about the changes that occur when materials are mixed

2.30 Know that some substances dissolve in water and others do not

2.32 Be able to distinguish between liquids and gases (covered in Geography Task 1)

TECHNOLOGYLEARNINGTARGETS

Children will:

2.1 Know that the way in which products in everyday use are designed and made affects their usefulness

2.7 Be able to identify the ways in which products in everyday use meet specific needs

2.8 Be able to suggest improvements to the design of the water supply to the school and its waste system

SOCIETYLEARNINGTARGETS

Children will:

2.2 Know that different groups have different purposes

2.4 Know that they have rights and responsibilities

2.7 Understand that people can affect their own health and safety

2.8 Understand that people’s health and safety can be affected by a variety of factors, including the availability of clean water

INTERNATIONALLEARNINGTARGETS

Children will:

2.1 Know about some of the similarities and differences (in relation to water) between the different home countries and between them and the host country

2.2 Know about ways in which these similarities and differences affect the lives of people

2.3 Be able to identify water related activities in cultures which are different from but equal to their own

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Entry Point

Prepare the classroom so that the children are sitting in groups of about 4, each group around a table. On each table put a set of bottles containing ‘water’. These bottles should be of clear plastic and have tight fitting lids – alternatively, you could use a test tube rack with large test tubes (boiling tubes) closed using bungs.

Number each container and record what you put in. You should half fill each container and then close it tightly. You may use a range of liquids from the following list, whatever is available to you, making sure you include the first two:

• Clean still drinking water

• Sparkling mineral water (bubbles and fizzes when shaken)

• Distilled white vinegar (looks just like water but smells strongly)

• Medicinal/rubbing alcohol (looks just like water but smells strongly)

• Glycerine (a clear but very viscous liquid which moves slowly when the bottle is tipped upside down)

• Pond or river water

• Water from a ‘sea monkey’ aquarium (this water will be quite clear but will have tiny sea monkeys - a species of brine shrimp - swimming about in it)

Ask the children to investigate the ‘water’ by looking, shaking, and smelling but theymustnottasteany.

They should try to guess which ones are drinkable and what the others might be ‘contaminated’.

When they have finished, see if the groups agree and what ideas they based their decisions on.

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The Knowledge Harvest

As a class, brainstorm all the ‘types’ of water that the class can think of, for example, sea water, river water, tap water, muddy water, salty water, hot water, cold water, ice, snow, clouds, rain, steam, polluted water, oily water, etc. Tell the children that they need to consider these types of water in terms of different human activities. Then write them up on a board in 3 categories: drinkable; useable; not useful.

Discuss the children’s ideas with them. The category ‘useable’ is the most challenging here - this should get the children thinking of all the things we humans use water for; for which activities it has to be very clean, which activities can be supported by fairly clean, but not necessarily drinking quality water (such as clothes washing) and activities which can use quite dirty water (grey water), such as watering plants.

Can the children think of any water which is completely useless?

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Explaining the Theme

Explain to the children that the theme is water, and they are going to look at what is meant by ‘clean’ water and ‘dirty’ water. Tell the children that through geography, ICT, science, technology and society they are going to become knowledgeable about water quality and how water is cleaned. They will also become involved in promoting clean water habitats.

In Geography we’ll be:

• Finding out about the water cycle and how rain is made - we will be ‘making’ rain

• Looking after an aquarium of fish and finding out how to keep them healthy

In ICT we’ll be:

• Finding out what causes water pollution and looking at some examples of water pollution incidents

In Science we’ll be:

• Polluting water and finding out which pollutants dissolve most easily

In Technology we’ll be:

• Finding out about different ways of cleaning water

• Finding out about the water we use in school, where it comes from and where the used water goes: we will be trying to find ways to improve this system

In Society we’ll be:

• Finding out about how a river can become more and more polluted as it travels downstream and why

• Investigating who is responsible for rivers getting dirty

• Finding out about local water pollution problems

We will also be researching life in other countries to see how the quality (cleanliness) and availability of clean water affects children’s lives. We will be looking at how water is used in celebrations around the world and will be acting out one of these celebrations.

Finally, we will be doing something active (like fund raising or picking up litter) that we have found out about in the unit as a way to improve water quality and/or habitats locally.

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The Big Picture

The central theme of this unit is to investigate a range of sources of water, and to define what is ‘clean’ water and what is ‘dirty’ water in relation to different social and environmental circumstances and through a range of human activities.

There is a spectrum of water of varying degrees of usefulness: plants, animals and humans have different needs. A ‘clean’ river or pond will support a biologically diverse ecosystem but may not be clean enough for humans to consider as a source of drinking water. Water, which looks clear, may in fact have harmful chemicals dissolved within it and be devoid of all life forms. What we can categorise as clean and dirty water is a value-based judgement, which needs to focus on the use to which that water will be applied.

Whatiswater?

Pure water is H2O - which is two atoms of hydrogen attached to one atom of oxygen. Pure water boils at 100oC at sea level. Almost no water on earth is strictly pure. Distilled water is about as close as you can get. Mineral water sold for drinking contains minerals dissolved in it which have come from the rocks the water has percolated through in its journey to the spring or well from which it was drawn. Many of these minerals are beneficial to humans, making mineral water better for humans than pure water.

Water is an excellent solvent (most things will dissolve in it) This is why we can use it for cleaning so effectively and this is why it is rarely pure.

Thewatercycle

Water is at its most pure when it has just left the surface of a water body (through evaporation) as water vapour. When it condenses it forms raindrops. As it falls back down to earth it can pick up impurities (dirt and particles) which dissolve into it. When it lands as rain it is usually pure enough to drink, but as soon as it touches the ground or a container (unless that container is absolutely clean) it will become a little contaminated. It then soaks into the ground picking up minerals and other chemicals from soil and rocks.

Cleaningwater

There are many ways of cleaning water and each works to varying degrees of purification. For example, water of drinking quality can be obtained using: ultrasound to kill organisms; bacteria to remove zinc; selenium and arsenic; ozone; ceramic water filters; boiling and chemical additions such as chlorine (sterilizing tablets), etc.

Water may be cleaned for returning to ecosystems using reed beds and various water filters.

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Theglobalwaterpicture

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF, the percentage of people worldwide who have access to an improved water supply has risen from 77% in 1990 to 83% in 2002. Some 1091 million more people were provided with safe water in that time (655 million in urban and 436 million in rural areas). However, access to water suitable for drinking, cooking and hygiene is still one of the most important development issues today.

Waterpollutionsources

Water in its natural state is not always crystal clear. Decaying plants and animals, tidal flows that stir up sediment, run-off containing minerals, and sediment and nutrients are all natural, but can make water murky, cloudy, coloured or salty (saline).

Water is often contaminated by human activity but it may also be naturally polluted. For example, in Bangladesh there is a problem of arsenic contamination of well water causing serious health risks. This is due to naturally occurring arsenic in the rocks and soil.

In agricultural, urban and industrial settings, water containing some pollutants is discharged to a sewage treatment system or a waterway. These activities rely on water to flush away waste material.

Oils, detergents, herbicides, insecticides, paints and solvents from households are sometimes poured down sinks and toilets, creating problems in the sewage system and in our waterways.

In urban areas, runoff flowing into waterways through storm water drains carries pollutants from various sources, including: garden fertilisers, chemicals and soil from gardens; lead, oil and tyre rubber from roads; bacteria and micro-organisms from animal droppings; litter items such as plastic bags, drink containers, food wrappers and cigarette butts.

Agriculture, forestry, new developments and mining activities lead to land being cleared, excavated and often eroded. After rain, surface water run-off carries soil, as well as fertilisers and chemicals. This soil and chemical mix is carried by run-off water into creeks and rivers, where it can cause: silt to build up on creek and river beds (siltation); excessive plant growth caused by nutrients from fertilisers (eutrophication, e.g. algal blooms); the death of aquatic plants and animals (poisoning).

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Geography Learning Targets

Children will:

2.11 Be able to communicate their geographical knowledge and understanding to ask and answer questions about the water cycle

2.12 Understand how places fit into a wider geographical context

2.13 Understand that the quality of the aquatic environment of an aquarium can be sustained and improved

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Geography Task 1GeographyLearningTargets11,12andScienceLearningTarget32

Notefortheteacher

For this activity you will need: a sand tray; a small watering can; a kettle of boiling water; a small clear bowl with a lid (preferably plastic for safety reasons) for each group; or cling film and ice cubes.

The basis of this activity is to give the children an understanding of the water cycle.

Researchactivity

Use a sand tray with sand piled at one end to make a range of hills. Show the children what happens when it rains by pouring water from a small watering can over the hills. The water will form streams and rivers and then form a lake / sea area as it runs off the hills. Ask the children how they think the water gets into the clouds. If they need help ask them what will happen to the water if it is left in the tray. Where does it go as it dries up?

The children can make a simple model to show evaporation and condensation to demonstrate the water cycle. This can be made with the use of a kettle of boiling water, a small clear bowl with a lid (preferably plastic for safety reasons), or cling film and ice cubes. Pour hot water into a clear bowl and cover the top with cling film. Place ice cubes on the top to create a cold area. (Alternatively put the bowl lid into the fridge and when it is cool put it over the warm water). The water vapour from the kettle will condense on the surface of the lid and drip down into the bowl. The children are in effect ‘making raindrops’. Ask the children to describe and try to explain what they see.

Explain to the children that this is a model for what happens with all of the water in the world eventually (although much of it is bound up for a very long time in glaciers and the ice caps and stuck underground in groundwater), and that water in seas and rivers has to be heated by the sun in order to evaporate. (For more information on this see The Big Picture).

Explain to the children that water is constantly being recycled around the globe and a raindrop that falls on them today may have travelled a very long distance as water vapour blown in the wind. It could be that they have been rained on before by this very same rain. It is always fun to imagine, and makes a point that the water they drank at lunchtime could once have been drunk by Shakespeare (or any famous historical figure they will know about).

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CLEAN WATER, DIRTY WATER

Recordingactivity

The children should use the words: evaporation; condensation; liquid and water vapour; in a simple explanation or labelled diagram of the water cycle.

Alternatively they could write or draw a story about the travels of a raindrop as it goes around the water cycle.

(Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence)

Geography Extension Activity

To demonstrate that the water cycle purifies water you could repeat the model in Task 1, but this time use salty water to model sea water. The rain drops can be collected and tasted (you will have to make sure that all the equipment used is scrupulously clean if you are going to allow tasting – the children should only taste a very small amount of the salty water, perhaps by dipping their finger in) and compared with the salty water.

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Geography Task 2GeographyLearningTarget13andScienceLearningTarget6

Researchactivity

As a class, look at an aquarium as a closed system. Explain to the children that there is a limited amount of water for the living creatures to survive in. Discuss what needs to be added to the aquarium for the fish or other animals to survive, for example, food, air, heat, clean water, etc.

Then discuss with the children what might need to be taken out of the aquarium to keep it clean, for example, waste materials, green algae, etc.

Show the children different ways of keeping the water clean – water snails, bottom feeding fish, activated carbon filters, etc. and ask the children to try to find out how these help to clean the water.

The children should then discuss what might happen to the organisms if the water was not kept clean.

Recordingactivity

The children should draw a diagram showing what needs to go into and come out of the aquarium to keep it healthy. They can represent this pictorially or like the diagram below.

Clean water Air Fish Food New Carbon Filter Snails

(Verbal-Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical Intelligences)

4healthygoldfish

Carbon filter removes algae, faeces and leftover food

Remove fish waste every week Snails remove algae by eating it

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ICT Learning Targets

Children will:

2.4 Be able to find and use stored information from a variety of sources on the Internet

2.5 Be able to use ICT to support and present their work

2.7 Be able to make choices to gather information and solve problems

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ICT Task 1LearningTargets4,5,7

Researchactivity

Using the Internet, ask the children to find out:

• What the causes of water pollution are

• About examples of local and/or global water pollution

Suitable websites include: www.whyfiles.org/168oil_spill and www.moafs.org/rivers/waste.htm

(See the Resources section of this unit for more websites.)

Recordingactivity

Pool the information that the children have found by writing notes on a board that they can all see, or by printing out their notes. An interactive whiteboard would be good for this.

Each child should then draw up a simple table of common water pollutants and their source.

The children should then write a conclusion about how they feel about their findings. (This leads into the following Science activity.)

(Verbal-Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Intrapersonal Intelligences)

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CLEAN WATER, DIRTY WATER

Science Learning Targets

Children will:

2.1 Be able to carry out simple investigations

• Suggesting ways of collecting evidence

• Preparing a simple investigation which is fair with one changing factor

• Predicting the outcomes of investigations

• Using simple scientific equipment

• Testing ideas using evidence from measurement and observation

• Linking the evidence to broader scientific knowledge and understanding

• Using evidence to draw conclusions

• Recording and communicating their observations and findings in a variety of ways

• Explaining their observations and findings

2.3 Understand the importance of collecting scientific evidence

2.4 Understand some of the effects of what they learn on other people’s lives

2.29 Know about the changes that occur when materials are mixed

2.30 Know that some substances dissolve in water and others do not

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Science Task 1LearningTargets1,3,4,29,30

Researchactivity

The children should work in small groups in this activity.

The children found out about some common water pollutants in ICT task 1: for example, salt, earth, oil, etc. They should set up an investigation to find out how easily the water is polluted by each of these pollutants.

The children should first decide which pollutant they think dissolves most easily.

The children should now dissolve equal quantities of each of the pollutants they wish to investigate in equal quantities of water and observe how differently they behave.

Recordingactivity

The children should record their observations in a table so that they can make comparisons between the different pollutants and their results. They should write a report of their results and observations noting whether their prediction was correct. This should include ideas on how they think the water might be cleaned up.

(Verbal-Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Interpersonal Intelligences)

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CLEAN WATER, DIRTY WATER

Science Extension Activity

The children could look at the differences in how pollutants dissolve when using hot and cold water.

Most things dissolve faster in hotter water. This is relevant as many industrial installations use cold river water to cool their machinery and discharge hot water which can have a significant effect on the local environment. Many animals (particularly river fish and invertebrates) live happily in a fairly narrow temperature range: when temperatures are artificially raised for short periods of time this causes significant physiological stress and can cause death. It also increases the chance of pollutants being present in the warmer water.

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Technology Learning Targets

Children will:

2.1 Know that the way in which products in everyday use are designed and made affects their usefulness

2.7 Be able to identify the ways in which products in everyday use meet specific needs

2.8 Be able to suggest improvements to the design of the water supply to the school and its waste system

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Technology Task 1LearningTargets1,7

Researchactivity

Show the children how a beaker of dirty water can be cleaned by pouring it through a filter (you can use a filter paper in a funnel or sand packed in a tube for this).

Explain to the children that there are many different ways that water can be ‘cleaned’. Divide the class into small groups and ask them to try to discover what different ‘cleansing’ techniques are used in different situations, for example, factories, home, etc. The children should also find out how clean the water is when it has been cleaned using this technique and how the cleaning process works.

Give each group a different water purification/filtration technique to research:

• Ultra sound

• Chemical (e.g. Chlorine)

• Bacteria

• Boiling

• Reed beds

• Ceramic filter

If possible, it would be useful to visit a wastewater treatment facility at this stage.

Recordingactivity

Each group should present their information to the rest of the class. They should explain how the process they have researched actually works and where it is most useful.

This could be in the form of a presentation or demonstration of the technique.

(Verbal-Linguistic, Interpersonal Intelligences)

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Technology Task 2LearningTarget8

Researchactivity

Divide the class into 3 groups.

Group 1 should research how water is supplied to their homes and to the school, where this water comes from and what processes are used to make it suitable for use.

Group 2 should find out where water enters the school building or their home, what it is used for and the variety of ways it leaves the building/ their home.

Group 3 should find out what happens to waste water from the school/home.

The groups can divide into subgroups to research more detail of the overall process.

Recordingactivity

As a class the children should tell the story of the water’s journey from its source to its use in school and in their homes and then how it is returned to the environment.

Can the children identify more effective ways of using/saving water in school?

(Verbal-Linguistic, Interpersonal Intelligences)

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CLEAN WATER, DIRTY WATER

Society Learning Targets

Children will:

2.2 Know that different groups have different purposes

2.4 Know that they have rights and responsibilities

2.7 Understand that people can affect their own health and safety

2.8 Understand that people’s health and safety can be affected by a variety of factors including the availability of clean water

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Society Task 1LearningTargets4,7,8

Notefortheteacher

For this activity you will need one bucket and several smaller water containers.

Researchactivity

Choose 6 children from the class to demonstrate. The 6 children should stand at the front of the class so that everyone can see. Give each child in the group a container of water and ask them to add something to make the water dirty (ink from a pen, dust from the floor, some soap, etc.). This represents a human process or use of water.

Arrange the children in a line and give the first child a bucket of clean water. Explain that the bucket represents river water flowing from the mountains to the sea. Each child is a different town along the river bank. As the bucket is passed down the line each child takes out some water (using a beaker tied to the bucket) from the ‘river’ and puts back in their dirty water. This represents used water.

Discuss with the whole class what happens to the water as it flows downstream (it will get dirtier and dirtier). Discuss if the water is being used responsibly and shared fairly. Ask the children who are downstream how they would feel about receiving dirty water from the communities upstream. (See The Big Picture notes for more information on river contamination.)

Recordingactivity

Ask the children to develop a short play to demonstrate the causes of river pollution and the effects that it has on places downstream. Try to get them to show how it is important for each community to behave responsibly and to return water to the environment in a usable form, and how what we do impacts on others’ access to clean water.

(Interpersonal Intelligences)

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Society Task 2LearningTargets2,4,7

Researchactivity

Ask the children to investigate their local area to find out if there are any water pollution and water availability issues. They can start by finding out where the water supply for the school comes from. Then they should contact local organisations who are responsible for and/or concerned for local aquatic environments and water supplies.

This activity could be ongoing throughout the teaching of the unit.

Recordingactivity

Have a local water issues board in the classroom. As children find out about the organisations and their concerns they should write up a short outline and pin it up on the board.

When you are coming to the end of this unit, gather the children together and see if they can work out the main local water issues. They should start to discuss what they could do to help improve the situation, either by raising money or by active participation.

(Verbal-Linguistic, Interpersonal Intelligences)

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CLEAN WATER, DIRTY WATER

International Learning Targets

Children will:

2.1 Know about some of the similarities and differences (in relation to water) between the different home countries and between them and the host country

2.2 Know about ways in which these similarities and differences affect the lives of people

2.3 Be able to identify water related activities in cultures which are different from but equal to their own

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International Task 1LearningTargets1,2,3

Researchactivity

Ask children to use the Internet, books, atlases and other resources, and to ask their friends and family to find out about places in the world where humans have restricted access to clean water.

Initially it would be good idea to have the children research their home country - depending on the demographics of the class try to get a range of home and host country examples, looking further afield if necessary to get some useful contrasting stories.

The children should find out about the lives of other children who do not have ready access to clean water and how this impacts on their lifestyles.

Recordingactivity

The children should write a diary entry for a day in the life of a child who has restricted access to clean water, and a diary entry for a day in their own lives.

Ask some of the children to read out their stories to the class and discuss the impact of restricted water access or poor quality water on the lives of children in other countries.

(Verbal-Linguistic, Intrapersonal, Intrapersonal Intelligences)

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International Task 2LearningTargets1,2,3

Researchactivity

Ask the children what traditional and religious ceremonies they know about from their home country and their host country which involve water. They should try to find out as much as they can about these ceremonies, including any special properties that the water has to have or is imbued with.

Recordingactivity

As a class (possibly with a small group of children directing) the children should prepare a demonstration of a cultural ceremony involving water.

(Interpersonal Intelligence)

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Exit Point

Thevalueofwater-celebratingwater

The aim of this activity is to get the children to appreciate the value of water and to increase awareness in others of this valuable resource which is often taken for granted.

Begin a discussion by asking the children to summarise what they have learned about water in this unit. Ask them how they feel about water now - have their attitudes changed at all?

As a stimulus, ask the children to bring in pictures of water and water activities. You can use the materials on the website: www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/water_for_all/water

and in the book:

• Water, Life Force (2004) Maggie Black, Between the Lines Production, Canada

The whole class should prepare an assembly to present to the rest of the school on the value of water. The children can incorporate many of the activities they have done in this unit and use what they have learnt in their ideas.

The research involving development agencies may highlight ways in which the school community could raise funds to help supply clean water to a community or clean up the water in a local freshwater habitat in need. This fundraising activity could be introduced at the end of the assembly. If at all possible, opportunities should be found for the children and possibly their parents to participate in some practical activity locally, such as cleaning up a beach or a river bank.

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Resources

Websites:

The following websites are active at the time of publishing.

www.ecohealth101.org/classroom/water.htmlA lesson plan describing a water cleaning activity.

www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/index.htmlUnited Nations website for information on the UN resolution for the Decade of Water 2005-2015.

www.worldwater.orgThe World’s Water is a site dedicated to providing up-to-date water information, data, and web connections to organisations, institutions and individuals working on a wide range of global freshwater problems and solutions.

www.wssinfo.org/en/welcome.htmlThe website for the WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring programme for water supply and sanitation. Take the short guided tour round the site for good information and reliable statistics.

www.epa.gov/kids/water.htmProvides a range of teaching resources, kid’s pages and activities based on the water cycle and water pollution.

www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/water_for_all/water This is an excellent resource with several good children’s activities on the theme of water.

www.wateraid.orgWebsite for the charity Water Aid. Several good activities and games for children under 11.

www.itdg.orgWebsite for the Practical Action charity. This is a very good site providing a wide range of information and ideas and including personal stories of how improvements in water supply and sanitation has improved peoples lives. Also has links to BBC radio broadcasts on ‘water walks’.

www.cat.org.ukThe Centre for Alternative Technology has a good website although it is geared mainly at adults and full scale intermediate technology solutions rather than classroom models. Useful for teachers.

www.unep.org/TunzaTUNZA –TUNZA is the title given to a concept initiated by the United Nations Environment Programme which aims to engage young people in the work of UNEP and enhance participatory action towards environmental conservation and sustainable development. Download the book: it has facts and ideas for action. For teachers the online edition of Our Planet magazine is useful, especially the 2004 edition Water and Sanitation.

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www.ourplanet.com/imgversn/planethme.html

www.angelfire.com/ak/medinet/arsenic.htmlWebsite describing the problems of arsenic in the groundwater in Bangladesh and what is being done to address the problem.

www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/library/data/34353.aspxThe UK Environment Agency website with up-to-date information on water pollution incidents in England and Wales.

www.sepa.org.uk/water/diffuse_pollution.aspxThe UK Environment Agency website with information on water pollution and its regulation in Scotland.

www.moafs.org/rivers/waste.htmA straightforward fact sheet detailing animal waste pollution and its effect (fish kills in rivers) in Missouri USA caused by intensive agricultural practices.

www.epa.qld.gov.au/environmental_management/water/caring_for_our_waterQueensland (Australia) Government website with clearly written information on water pollution incidents in Queensland.

www.evostc.state.ak.us/facts/index.cfmThe Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council website – information about the oil spill and restoration projects as well as an extensive Teachers Resources section.

whyfiles.org/168oil_spillInformation and stories on oil spills.

Books:

• ‘Water, Life Force’ Maggie Black (2004), Between the Lines Productions, Canada, ISBN: 1896357857. This beautiful book full of photographs, facts and quotes from all over the world provides a great resource for teachers and students

• ‘The A to Z of World Development’ (1999), Andy Crump & Wayne Ellwood (Ed.) New Internationalist Publications Ltd, England, ISBN: 1869847466. A useful staffroom resource on all development issues

• ‘The Backpackers Field Manual’ Rick Curtis (2005 revised updated edition) Three Rivers Press (CA),. Princeton - USA, ISBN: 1400053099

• Chapter 4 of this manual A Guide to Water Purification provides useful detailed descriptions of water purification methods for backpackers. This chapter can also be accessed on the web at www.princeton.edu/~oa/manual/water.shtml (from the first edition by Random House)

• ‘The New Way Things Work’ David Macaulay(2000 revised edition) Houghton Mifflin , London, ISBN: 0395938473

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An excellent classroom resource book for technology

• Earthwise Series: ‘Water’ Jim Pipe (2008), Franklin Watts, England. ISBN: 0749681349

• ‘It’s Science!’ Sally Hewitt Series ‘Water’ (2001 new edition), Franklin Watts Ltd, England. ISBN 0749642726

• Green Alert Series: Polluted Waters Jennifer Stefanow (2005) Raintree Publishers, Singapore (Raintree). ISBN 1844216705

• 21st Century Debate Series: Water Supply – Our Impact on the Planet Rob Bowden (2008) Wayland, England.ISBN: 0750256141

United Nations:

• World Water Development Report 3: Water in a Changing World (2009), UNESCO, ISBN: 9231040952. An excellent resource for teachers for factual information and case studies. This report may be downloaded for free from: www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/index.shtmlVideos

• Eyewitness Series by Dorling Kindersley. Each video is 35 minutes long and explores habitats from the perspective of an organism living within that environment. www.dk.com

Other Resources:

• Sea monkeys are available from pet shops and toy shops. See: www.sea-monkeys.com

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Draft Letter to Parents

Thisletterisonlyforguidance.Pleaseamendittosuityourownpreferredstylebut,ifyoudo,pleaseincludethesameinformation.

Dear Parents,

Over the next 3 weeks those of us in class ___ will be following a unit of work which focuses on the theme of Water, entitled ‘Clean water - Dirty water’.

This unit of work is part of the International Primary Curriculum. This new curriculum sets out very clearly what children will learn – the learning goals – in three different areas:

1. The subjects of the curriculum.The learning goals for each of these subjects are at least as challenging as anything taught in the curriculum taught in your child’s own country. In many cases, the learning goals are more challenging

2. Personal development.These are the characteristics that will help children become responsible, independent learners

3. International understanding. This helps children develop both a sense of the independence of their own country and culture and the interdependence between countries and cultures

Each unit of work is based around specific targets derived from the learning goals for one or more subjects.

During this unit we will be focusing on Geography, Science, ICT, Technology, Society and International aspects of water quality.

In Geography, we’ll be:

• Finding out about the water cycle and how rain is made - we will be ‘making’ rain

• Looking after an aquarium of fish and finding out how to keep them healthy

In ICT, we’ll be:

• Finding out what causes water pollution and looking at some examples of water pollution incidents

In Science, we’ll be:

• Polluting water and finding out which pollutants dissolve most easily

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In Technology, we’ll be:

• Finding out about different ways of cleaning water

• Finding out about the water we use in school, where it comes from and where the used water goes: we will be trying to find ways to improve this system

In Society, we’ll be:

• Finding out about how a river can become more and more polluted as it travels downstream and why

• Investigating who is responsible for rivers getting dirty

• Finding out about local water pollution problems

• We will also be researching life in other countries to see how the quality (cleanliness) and availability of clean water affects children’s lives. We will be looking at how water is used in celebrations around the world and will be acting out one of these celebrations. Finally we will be doing something active (like fund raising or picking up litter) which is needed to improve water quality and/or habitats locally

All of the work we are going to do has been specially written to help your child reach the learning goals. Children will be reading, writing, researching, illustrating and making things on their own and in groups.

We already know the interest you take in your child’s work. If you can, please discuss with you child the work they have done as the unit progresses and let them teach you if they can!

If your child has some work to research please help them – but without actually doing the work! If you have the chance to further their interest in the ideas of this theme please take it – but your enthusiasm and interest are most important.

By the end of the unit, we hope you child will have achieved all of the learning targets. We hope they have had an enjoyable time in the classroom. And we hope you have enjoyed seeing your child work with enthusiasm. If you have any comments about the work your child has done, please get in touch.