Water, in particular clean water, is vital for all our lives. Designed for KS2 (7-11 years) this resource enables pupils to explore access to water, what it is used for, how much they need and how it can be cleaned.
Comprehensive teacher's notes, pupil worksheets and a range of support materials, including Powerpoints, technical briefs and videos, reduces preparation time to a minimum and results in a series of rich, engaging, inquiry-based lessons backed up by secondary sources of information.
The unit is divided into three pairs of lessons as shown below. The first lesson in each pair can be used in isolation, each pair can be taught, or the unit can be taught as a sequence of six lessons. Each lesson is designed to fit into normal science curriculum time but there are opportunities for further work making the material well suited to off timetable activities such as STEM clubs and collapsed curriculum days.
Three lessons:
1: It's a lot to carry
2: Using water
3: Top toilets!
Author: Practical Action
Year: 2015
Languages: English
Typology of education resource : Learning unit
GCE Issues: Environment
Author: Practical Action
Specific sub-thematic area(s): Social justice, human rights
Key word(s):
Tags:
water
School subject(s)/field(s) of studies in which the educational resource can be used: Science
Activity’ objectives:
This unit for KS2 (age 7-11 ) pupils examines something that is essential to all life anywhere in the world - water. In particular clean, drinkable water.
It asks pupils to consider where their water comes from and what life would be like if it were not so readily available. It examines the importance of the water we use being clean and the consequences if that water is not clean. Pupils investigate simple ways of making dirty water clean and improving sanitation.
Pupils’ learning competences (SUBJECT- specific) addressed: Science learning outcomes - Working scientifically (English curriculum) Pupils should be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills through the teaching of the programme of study content: • planning different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary • taking measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate • recording data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs • using test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests • reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations • identifying scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments. Properties and changes of materials Pupils should be taught to: • know that some materials will dissolve in liquid to form a solution, and describe how to recover a substance from a solution • use knowledge of solids, liquids and gases to decide how mixtures might be separated, including through filtering, sieving and evaporating
Pupils’ learning competences (CGE) addressed: • Understand the pressures caused, particularly for women and girls, by having to walk long distances to collect water for their families. • Understand how people in water-scarce countries use technologies to collect and store water. • Identify ways in which they could reduce water use. • Understand how people in water-scarce countries use technology to store water. • Understand that more than a billion people across the world do not have access to clean water. • Investigating ways to clean water using simple local materials • Understand how bacteria in water can be killed so that water can be made safe to drink.
Methodology: Cooperative-learning, Problem-based learning, Input-orientation
Age range: 7-11
Duration: 6.00.00
Link to website: http://practicalaction.org/mtl-water-water