ArantxaSimal Monday,October31st,2016

Grade:Fourth Time:TBD

RolesofWaterinOurLives

LessonEssentialQuestions:Whatisthedifferencebetweenneedsandwantswhenitcomesto
waterconsumption?Whatarewaystoreduceunnecessarywaterconsumptioninyour
community?

Standards:

6.1.4.C.9Compareandcontrasthowtheavailabilityofresourcesaffectspeopleacrosstheworld
differently
6.1.4.C.2Distinguishbetweenneedsandwantsandexplainhowscarcityandchoiceinfluence
decisionsmadebyindividuals,communities,andnations.

LessonObjectivesandAssessments:

LessonObjectives Assessments

Studentswillbeabletodifferentiatethe Studentswillcompleteareasoningguide
differencebetweenneedsandwants. distinguishingifastatementaboutwater
consumptionisaneedorawant.Studentswill
needtodefendtheiranswerwithreasoning.

Studentswillbeabletocompareand StudentswillcompleteaVennDiagram.
contrastthedifferencebetweenwater Studentswillrecordnotesregardingdifferences
consumptionintheUnitedStatesandwater andsimilaritiesbetweenhowAmericansand
consumptionindevelopingcountries. Africansusewater.

Studentswillbeabletoimplementwaysto Studentswillwritelettershometofamily,
reducewaterconsumptiononanindividual friendsortoschoolofficialstoinformothersof
andcommunitylevel. waystoreducewaterconsumption.

Materials:
ReasoningGuide
Letterpaper
Venndiagramworksheet
Literbottlewithwater
Separatecontainers
Tapeandmarkers
PriorKnowledge:Thepreviousday,studentswouldhavelearnedaboutfamilylifeandculture
inAfrica.Studentswouldparticipateinanactivityinwhichtheyareputingroupsoffourtosix
students.Eachstudentwouldbeassignedaroleinthatgroupsfamily.Eachgroupwouldhavea
differentfamilywithdifferentfamilycircumstances.Familiesaretoldtheyarerequiredto
makeaspecificamountofmoneythisyearinordertocareforasickrelative,topayforschool
supplies,tocompensatebecausetheweatherhasnotbeengoodtotheircrops,etc.Studentsare
givenscenarios(workatthemarket,comeupwithanalternativeplan,leaveschoolforayear,
etc.)thateachhaveamonetaryequivalent.Studentsmustdecidewhattheywilldotomake
moneytohelptheirfamily.Studentsmustdefendtheiranswer.Theactivityiscenteredaround
thefactthatoftentimes,childreninAfricadonotgotoschoolandworkathometohelpprovide
fortheirfamilieswhichisunlikewhatourstudentsdohereinAmerica.Also,thefactthatthe
resourcesfamiliesinAfricahavearenotassafeastheresourcesfamiliesinAmericahave.The
takeawayfromthisactivityisforstudentstorealizehowdifferentlifeisinAfricathanAmerica
andhowdifferentresourcesaffectindividuals.

LessonBeginning:Studentswillcompletethefirstside(leftside)ofthereasoningguide.(5
minutes)

InstructionalPlan:

TeacherswillasktheclassDoyouthinkyouandyourfamilycouldmaintainyour
lifestyleusingfivegallonsofwateraday?.Studentswillgiveathumbsupforyesanda
thumbsdownforno.Teacherswillaskafewvolunteersdefendtheiranswerbyasking,
Whydidyousayyes/no?.
Teacherswillplay5GallonsvideofromVimeo.(https://vimeo.com/18937453).
Teacherswillaskagain,Doyoustillthinkyoucouldmaintainyoursandyourfamilys
lifestylewithfivegallonsaday?.Classwilldiscussiftheystillthinktheycouldsurvive
adaywithfivegallonsofwater.(5minutes)
Teacherswillshowstudentsatwoliterbottlefilledwithcoloredwater.Teacherswilltell
theclassthebottlerepresentsallthewateronearth.Teacherswillasktheclasstowrite
downhowmuchtheybelieveisconsideredusableforhumansandwhy?Teacherswill
verballyask,Howdidyouarriveatyouranswer?.Teacherswillaskforvolunteersto
sharetheiranswers.
Teacherswilldemonstratehowmuchwaterisavailableforhumanconsumptionby
pouringthecoloredwaterintoaseparatecontainer.Therewillbe50millilitersthatis
usable(3%).Teacherswillexplaintotheclassthatwithinthese50milliliters,35
millilitersarefrozeninicecaps.So,35outofthe50millilitersisnotavailableforuse.
14.5millilitersfromthe50millilitersisfoundintheairandsoil.Thatalsoisnot
availableforuse.Intotal,only.5millilitersareavailableforuse.Therest(1,950
milliliters,97%)representssaltwater.
Teacherswillexplainthatwaterisnecessaryforlife.Sincethereissolittlewater
availableforustouse,itisimportanttoconservewater.Teacherswillexplainthat
Americanfamiliesuse552gallonsofwateraday.Othercountriesarenotasfortunateto
 havecleanwateravailable.FamiliesinAfricauseonly5gallonsofwateraday.(15
minutes)
ThepaperpasserwilldistributeVenndiagrams.TeacherswillexplainthatVenn
diagramsareusefultools.Today,theVenndiagramswillhelptheclassorganizetheir
thoughts.StudentswilltakenotesontheirVenndiagramsduringtheteacherslesson.
Studentswillcompareandcontrastthedifferencesbetweenwaterconsumptionin
AmericaandAfrica.Teacherwillaskstudentstoturnandtalkanddiscusshowtheuseof
waterisdifferentthanwaterusageinAfrica.

TeacherswillexplainthatAmericansgettheirwaterdeliveredtotheirhomes(tap,water
bottles,etc.).Teacherswillask,WheredoyouthinkfamiliesinAfricagettheirwater?.
TeacherswillexplainfamiliesinAfricagettheirwaterfromstreams,theymustcarry
theirwaterbacktotheirhomes.ThewaterinAfricanbodiesofwaterisnotalwaysclean
andsanitary.Teacherswillask,Isthewaterinyourhomeclean?Doyouworrywhen
youbrushyourteethordrinkfromthesink?TeacherswillexplainthatinAmerica,the
waterAmericansuseisguaranteedtobeclean.
Teacherswillask,WhatarewaysinwhichAmericansusewaterintheirhomes?
Responsesmightbetowashtheircars,takelongshowers,brushtheirteeth,flushtheir
toiletsetc.TeacherswillexplainAfricanfamiliestypicallyusetheirwaterforagriculture,
verylittleisusedintheirhomes.
Teacherwillexplainthatsincethereissolittleusablewater,itispossibletheremaybea
shortageoneday.TeacherwillasktheclassWhatcanyoudotoconservewaterevery
day?andHowdoyouplanonconservingwaterthisweek?Inschoolandathome.
Examplesmaybeturningoffthewaterwhenbrushingteeth,takingshortershowers,
finishingyourentirewaterbottlebeforefillingitupatthewaterfountainetc.Teachers
willask,Whatisthedifferencebetweenaneedandawant?Teacherswillexplainthe
differencebetweenaneed(needingwatertodrink,tobathein)versusawant(wantingto
takealongshower,wantingtowashyourcarsoitlooksnice).Thenteacherswillexplain
thatwearefortunatetohavecleanwatereverydaywhereasfamiliesinAfricadonot,soit
isourjobtoberesponsibleaboutourusage.(15minutes)
Teacherwillinstructstudentstoturnbacktotheirreasoningguide.Teacherswillask,
Afterdoingthewateractivity,theVenndiagram,andknowingwhattheyknownow,
wouldyouchangeanyoftheiranswersonthereasoningguide?Teacherwillexplain,If
so,usetherightsideofthepapertochangetheiranswers.Or,writedowntheiroriginal
answeroncemore.(5minutes)

Differentiation:
DirectionswillbewrittenontopoftheVenndiagramsothatstudentscanreferbackto
thedirectionsaftertheyhavebeenorallystated.
Howtouseareasoningguidewillbemodeledfortheclasssothatstudentswillseehow
tofillitoutproperly.
Studentvolunteerswillcomeupsothatstudentswhoneedphysicalmovementgetthe
opportunitytogetupandmove.
Studentswhoarevisuallearnerswillgetbothavideoanddemonstration.
 Studentswillworkindependently,withsmallgroups,andasawholeclass.
Studentswhofinishearlycanstarttheirhomeworkassignment(planningandwritinga
lettertheywillwritetoafamilymember,friend,teacher,orschoolofficialonwaysthey
cancometogetherandconservewater).
Questions:
Whatisthedifferencebetweenaneedandawant?
Whatwayscanyouconservewaterathome?Atschool?
HowistheuseofwaterinAmericadifferentthantheuseofwaterinAfrica?
Planwaysyouwillconservewaterthisweek.
Composealettertosomeoneyouknow.Recommendtothemwaysyoucanwork
togethertoconservewater.
ClassroomManagement:
Teacherswillhavematerialspreparedinadvanceandhavepaperpasserstopassout
materials.
Teacherswillfloataroundtheroom,assistinganystudentwhoneedshelpordirecting
studentswhohavestrayedofftaskandredirectthem.
Teacherswillask,Whatshouldyoubedoing?tostudentswhoareofftask.

Transitions:
Studentswillbegiventimewarningstotransitionbetweeneachactivity.When
transitioningbetweenactivities,teacherswillwaituntiltheyhavetheattentionofthe
entireclass.

Closure:Teacherwillassignhomeworkasafinalclosuretotheactivity.Studentswillwritea
lettertofamily,afriend,ateacher,schoolofficials,etc.aboutwaystheycancometogetherto
conservewater.
 Name: ___________________________________ Date:
___________________________

Water Consumption Reasoning Guide

Agre Disag Statement Agre Disag

e ree e ree
Your family can maintain your current life
style using five gallons of water a day.
My reasoning:

Agre Disag Statement Agre Disag

e ree e ree
Most of the water on Earth is usable.
My reasoning:

Agre Disag Statement Agre Disag

e ree e ree
American families need an average 552
gallons of water a day.
My reasoning:
Agre Disag Statement Agre Disag
e ree e ree
It is easier to get clean water in American
than it is in Africa.
My reasoning:

Agre Disag Statement Agre Disag

e ree e ree
African families use the majority of their
water in their homes.
My reasoning:

Agre Disag Statement Agre Disag

e ree e ree
There is a possibility of one day having not
enough usable water.
My reasoning:

Agre Disag Statement Agre Disag

e ree e ree
There are many ways to conserve water
every day.
My reasoning:
Agre Disag Statement Agre Disag
e ree e ree
It is our job to be responsible about our
water usage.
My reasoning:

Name: __________________________
Date: ___________________________

Water Consumption in Africa vs. America

Directions: Use the Venn Diagram as a tool to help you take notes. Compare and
contrast the water consumption in America and Africa.
 Roles of Water Rationale

In my lesson, Roles of Water In Ours Lives, students are given the opportunity

to ask questions, think critically, and explore. In this lesson, the students are to

critically think abouttheamountofwatertheyuseandiftheyactuallyneedtouseallthatwater,and

beabletoimplementwaystoreducewaterconsumptiononanindividuallevelandcommunitylevel.To

dothis,Ihaveprovidedmystudentswithdifferentresources,suchasareasoningguide,aVennDiagram,
avideo,andademonstrationtoallowthemtheopportunitytocriticallythinkaboutifthewatertheyuse

everydayiseitheraneedorawantandhowtheycanfindwaystoreducewaterconsumption.

Byusingdifferentauthenticresources,studentswereabletovisuallyseehowwaterconsumption

isaprobleminourcountry.Tobeginourlesson,Iprovidedthestudentswithareasoningguide.The

studentsaretofilloutwhethertheyagreeordisagreewiththestatementandexplainwhy.Theses

statementsareintendedforthestudentstothinkcritically.Thereasoningguideisdonebeforeandafter

ourwaterconsumptiondemonstration.Here,webeginourdemonstrationwithanopenendedquestion:

Doyouthinkyouandyourfamilycouldmaintainyourlifestyleusingfivegallonsofwateraday?This

questionisamisconceptiontostudents,becausemanystudentswillbelievetheycanmaintaintheir

lifestylewiththislittleamountofwater,butwhattheyllrealizeisweusealotmorewaterdailythanfive

gallons,andnotallforourneeds.Aftertheopenendedquestion,wewillshowtheclassthe5Gallons

video.Thisisafunnybutrealisticvideo,wherepeopleareprovidedfivegallonsofwater,andtryto

maintaintheirlifestyle.Thisvideoisanothereyeopeningresourceforstudentstovisuallyseehowmuch

fivegallonsofwateractuallyisandhowyouwoulduseit.

Bytheend,studentswillbeabletobemorecautiousoftheirwaterconsumption;whichisan

occurringproblem.TodothisIhaveuseddifferentresources,eachresourcemeetingdifferentlearning

stylesofstudents,butalsodifferentperspectives,showingwhyweneedtoreduceourwaterconsumption.

Studentswillcriticallythinkoftheirwaterconsumptionandhelpadvocateotherswiththefactsthey

learned,butalsohowtheycanreducetheirconsumptionofwater,tyingitbacktomyessentialquestion:

Isitaneedorwant?