Water A Valuable Resource – Part 2

 

Objectives

To appreciate the abundance of clean water in North America

To develop an awareness that our supply of drinking water should not be taken from granted

 

Subjects

Science, human geography, health

 

Nature

Cognitive, reflective

 

Rationale:

Water is a priceless commodity. Those of us who have access to abundant clean water often take it for granted. Many people in other parts of the world spend long hard hours every day fetching wather to their family. Often this water is dirty and unsafe to drink, a cause of disease and sickness. This activity will highlight the abundance of clean water available in most North American families and encourage participants to avoid wasting water.

 

Prerequisite:

Water: A Valuable Ressource – Part 1

 

Method:

Ask each participant to make a concise list, when they are at home, of all the uses they have for water from 6 p.m. until they go to bed. How many times did you flush the toilet? How much water did you use to brush your teeth? Was the tap left on during this activity? Did you have a shower or a bath? How long was the shower? How many times did you wash your hands? Did you use any water for washing the dishes, wiping the table, drinking? Make an estimate of how many litres you used?

 

Share the facts with the rest of the group (these could be graphed). Encourage discussion of the following points: Do you think we waste a lot of water in our society? Could you manage with only two 5-litre buckets for an evening? How many litres does it take to flush one toilet? (Answer: 22 litres)

 

Think of ways in which you and your family could conserve water without necessarily cutting down on your activities: e.g. turn the tap off while brushing your teeth or have a shorter shower.

 

Make some conclusions based on the group’s findings.

 

Ask participants to research facts about household water consumption in other parts of the world.   They can compare these facts with the facts they gathered about their own water consumption.

 

Materials:

Text: Families of the World

Graph paper