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Water for Us

Elementary

Description

This resource is designed to help young children become aware of the scarcity of clean water, learn where fresh water comes from, and recognize the need to protect it.  There are three lessons and each one is based on a different narrative.

In the first lesson students listen to one of the suggested stories that serves to introduce the importance of fresh water. In the second lesson the students are read a story about a well in Africa and learn about water resources around the world and the many ways that people access water.  In the final lesson a third story selection helps students explore the issue of water conservation.

There are worksheets to accompany each lesson as well as a self-assessment questionnaire.  The resource identifies a number of supporting web resources which can be accessed as part of the lessons or used as extensions to the learning.

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

The resource explicitly teaches analyzing one's ecological footprint by being aware of how important water is for living.

Strengths

Good teacher-directed materials and worksheets with many references to websites and supplementary resources for teachers.

Weaknesses

The students need to be discovering and inquiring about the importance of water conservation in order to take more ownership of the learning process. Cooperative learning strategies are not included or encouraged in the resource. Disseminating information through an extensive action plan is not included in the resource.  Having the students become more conscientious citizens by doing their part at home and school is not emphasized. 

Relevant Curriculum Units

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  • Alberta
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        • Earth Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened through investigating natural systems and their interactions.
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        • Living Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened through investigating natural systems and their interactions
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        • Science 1: Living things have features and behaviours that help them survive in their environment
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        • Science 2: Water is essential to all living things and it cycles through the environment
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        • Science 2: Water is essential to all living things and it cycles through the environment

Themes Addressed

Water (5)

  • Water Cycle
  • Water Quality
  • Water Treatment and Distribution
  • Water Use
  • Watershed Protection

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Good

There are opportunities to raise different points of view  after the reading of the various recommended stories in the unit.  Any bias is a positive one for the importance of water conservation.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Satisfactory

Through the web resources, recommended readings, discussion and research activities, many dimensions of the issues are explored.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Good

The unit discusses the problems of water conservation in different parts of the world as well as making students aware of how much water they use at home.

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Satisfactory

Actions of others are presented in the resource material which can be researched.  However no authentic action experience is included.  A poster to inform others of the importance of water conservation is suggested after a discussion about ways to make better use of water.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Good

This occurs through discussion and reflection relating to the recommended resources accompanying each lesson.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Satisfactory

This is addressed in the reading material that accompanies each lesson as well as in the supplemental resources.

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Poor/Not considered

The entire unit is designed to be taught in the classroom with no suggestions of taking activities out-of-doors.

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Good

Students are asked to brainstorm ways to take care of our water and not waste it.  They discuss this in groups in the classroom and are asked to reflect specifically in lesson three.

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Satisfactory

In the reading and web resources an understanding of the past and present is included and a positive vision for the future is only presented if the students try to conserve water.

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Good

This occurs during the discussion and reflection that concludes each lesson.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Satisfactory
  • Language Arts through the reading and discussion of the recommended books
  • Social Studies and Science are integrated into the unit.
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Satisfactory

The discovery learning is incidental.   No hands on experiments are provided.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Poor/Not considered

No suggestions are provided for activities to address a range of learning styles.  Adaptations can be made to the worksheets included in this resource.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Satisfactory

The extra resource materials provided such as Ryan's Well and the other stories do a good job describing authentic experiences by others.

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Poor/Not considered

Students listen, discuss and complete worksheets.  The resource does not encourage the use of cooperative learning strategies.

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Satisfactory

Questions for discussion are provided and a self-assessment tool is also included.

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Poor/Not considered

This is not considered in the lessons which are teacher directed.

Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Poor/Not considered

These are embedded in the suggested web resources.

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Satisfactory

This can occur through the discussion and reflection of the material presented in the stories and by making use of the web resources.  

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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