Introducere

Informații de bază și perspectivă didactică

Water is essential to life. It is the birthplace of life, and life without water is not possible. Water covers three quarters of the Earth’s surface; it makes up a large proportion of all living organisms. Because water is everywhere, it could seem as if it is infinite. In reality, however, water is a limited resource; how we use and manage water has an impact on people and on all other living beings on the planet.

This module combines the approaches of ‘philosophy for children’ and ‘global learning’ to research the use, misuse, availability and pollution of water from various different points of view. The exercises encourage us to reflect on our own consumption of water and that of humanity as a whole and on the relationship between the causes and effects of water pollution; they are also intended to support pupils in researching topics such as the availability of water to children around the world and the water footprint of everyday items.

This module includes 10 lessons. You can work through the module as a whole, select only “global learning” lessons (the first two lessons) or only “philosophy for children” lessons or you might decide to pick only specific topics and lessons that are important to your class.

Rezultatele învățării

Competențe
  • Communication skills: formulating arguments and sharing them within a group, dialog
  • Social skills: Ability to switch perspectives, developing empathy
  • Forming judgements and opinions that draw on sound evidence
  • Acquiring knowledge about global interconnections
  • Critical thinking, creative thinking
Subiecte / Curriculum național
Water, water pollution, fishing, human rights, use and stewardship of resources and commodities, production of goods, life and economic activity on earth, sustainability, consumption, understanding and critical thinking in relation to water
  • Play
Vârsta potrivită 10-14
Perioada de timp 10 x 50-60 min.
Materiale necesare board/flip chart; copies of exercises;
Descriere This module explores the relationship between people and water, the right to water and the availability of water around the world.
Subiect/Arie tematică Studii sociale/Educație civică Geografie Biologie Ethics/values education

Plan de lecție

Abbreviations:

  • A = Activitate
  • D = Discuție
  • GL = Grup de lucru
  • IW = Individual work
  • TA = Temă pentru acasă
  • LP = Lucru cu un partener
  • PP = Pregătire (profesor)
  • OE = Opiniile elevilor
  • PE = Prezentările elevilor
  • PP = Prezentarea profesorului

Descarcă

Fază Conținut Media, material

Introducere
(10 min.)

  • PP
Pregătire
  • Prepare/provide the following: Bucket/bowl of water, numbered pebbles/small stones (1- 28), large Peters world map, Post-It notes.
  • Print out M2 (Water stories) and M3 (Exercise ‘A step ahead’).
Acces
  • The teacher gives a short introduction to the topic of access to water/the human right to water.
M1
Water: a human right

Activitate
(5 min.)

  • PP
  • The teacher places a bowl or bucket of water in the centre of the circle in which the pupils are sitting. As well as the water, the bowl or bucket contains pebbles/small stones labelled with the numbers 1 to 28. The teacher explains that whether people’s access to water is good or poor is a twist of fate – a lottery – and that the class is now going to recreate a ‘water lottery’, each drawing out a number corresponding to the story of a young person from another country. Each pupil takes a small stone out of the water. They then find the ‘water story’ that corresponds to the number on their stone. (These stories are in a pile next to the bowl or bucket).

Notă

  • It is important to explain that the ‘water stories’ are fictitious accounts created especially for this exercise. Their intent is to cover a range of water-related topics and exemplify possible real-life situations in various countries. Teachers should also emphasise that pupils should avoid reading these fictional stories as descriptions of how all people in the country in question live; people’s circumstances will vary.

M2
Water stories

Work phase
(10 min.)

  • A
  • All pupils now read silently through their ‘water story’, asking the teacher for help with anything they do not understand. Pupils write the names of the child/young person from their story on a Post-It note, find the young person’s home country on the world map and stick the Post-It on that country.
M2
Water stories

Grup de lucru
(15 min.)

  • GL
  • In groups of 3, pupils share information about their ‘water stories’, using the following points/questions as prompts (the teacher will have written these on the board):
    • Tell the other members of the group something about your young person.
    • Where does the young person come from? Who do they live with? Where do they get their drinking water and water for washing, brushing teeth, doing laundry, or cleaning?
    • Are there any notable similarities or differences among your stories? What are they?
M2
Water stories

Activitate
(20 min.)

  • A
  • This activity requires a generous amount of physical space; teachers may choose to conduct it outside in the schoolyard.
    • Pupils line up alongside one another.
    • The teacher now reads out a list of statements about water (M3). Pupils take a step forward if the statement applies to the young person from their ‘water story’ (i.e. the young person would be able to respond to the statement with ‘yes’). If the statement does not apply to ‘their’ young person, the pupil stays where they are.
    • If the information needed to answer the question is not available from the story, pupils should make assumptions from what the story has told them about the young person, their circumstances and their community.
M3
Exercise: A step ahead

Reflecție
(20 min.)

  • D
  • OE
  • Questions the teacher can ask:
    • How many steps forward could you take? Could some of you briefly describe why you are standing where you are in comparison to the others? How do you feel about your position?
    • What are the reasons for injustice in access to clean, safe water? What threats are there to people’s water supply in your story (economic interests, climate change, pollution, etc.)?
    • If you made assumptions about your young person’s access to water, what images did you have in your mind? Where did these images come from? Would other assumptions have been possible?
  • To visualize the reasons for unfair water distribution, you can create a mind map together.
Fază Conținut Media, material

Activitate
(15 min.)

  • A
Pregătire
  • Print out M4 for each group of 4.
  • Print out M6 (pictures of foodstuffs and ‘bathtubs’ for every group; a different recipe and the list of ingredients for each group).
Acces
  • How many baths? How much water is hidden in our food?
  • Pupils get together in small groups of about four.
  • Each group is given the same two sets of pictures: pictures of nine different foods and nine corresponding pictures with bathtub symbols to illustrate the amount of water needed to make them. How much water is needed to make each of these foods? Each group arranges the pictures in accordance with the amount of water they think is needed to make one kilogram of the food. They do this by placing the pictures in order, starting with the food that they consider uses the smallest amount of water and ending with the one they think needs the most water.
  • Guided by the teacher, the groups compare their results with one another and adjust them if required, in accordance with the solution to the exercise in M3.
M4
How many baths?

Input
(10 min.)

  • PP
  • The teacher gives a brief overview of what ‘virtual water’ means, covering:
    • green, blue and grey water
    • regional differences in water footprints
    • virtual water of plant products versus animal products
    • virtual water in other products
M5
Background information: Water footprints/virtual water

Work phase
(20 min.)

  • GL
  • Calculating the water footprint of popular dishes:
    • Pupils now calculate the water footprint of some of their favourite meals. They again work in small groups. Each group is given a recipe for a dish and a table showing the virtual water consumption of the various ingredients. Now the groups have to work out the water footprint of their meal. They do this by converting the amount of virtual water per kilogram of each foodstuff included in the recipe to the amount of virtual water in the quantity of the foodstuff needed to make the dish. They then add up the virtual water in each ingredient to calculate the total water footprint of the dish (see M6 for solutions).
M6
Recipes

Presentation
(10 min.)

  • PE
  • Pupils share their results from the work phase with the class.

Reflecție
(15 min.)

  • D
  • OE
  • Pupils share and discuss the personal conclusions they have drawn from working out the water footprint of popular meals.
  • Pupils collect ideas about how they could take action to reduce their own water footprint in their day-to-day lives (there are two aspects to this: 1. reducing virtual water consumption and thinking more carefully about virtual water in the products they use; 2. reducing their direct household water consumption).
  • The teacher and pupils create a mind map for the topic on the board.
Fază Conținut Media, material

Introducere
(5 min.)

  • PP
  • PP
Activitate precedentă
  • The teacher studies previously M7 (Leading Idea “Water is essential for life”) in order to stimulate students’ reflection connected to the exercise.
Pregătire
  • Pregătiți un cerc de scaune
  • Pregătiți un flip chart
  • Înmânează fiecărui elev/fiecărei eleve o copie a fiecărui exercițiu
Acces
  • The teacher hands out a copy of the exercise M8 to each pupil and introduces the subject asking students to consider each of the judgements contained in the exercise M8 and to think if they are referred to causes or to reasons. While the pupils are engaged in the work phase, the teacher writes the information about the activity contained in M8 on the flip chart to stimulate the following discussion.
M7
Leading Idea “Water is essential for life”
M8
Exercise “Distinguishing causes and reasons”

Work phase
(10 min.)

  • OE
  • The students think individually about the judgements in M8 giving reasons for each of them.

Discuție
(40 min.)

  • D
  • The teacher stimulates the discussion among students about the judgments contained in M8. The judgments should create philosophical dialogue and the teacher as facilitator should ask for good reasons to facilitate critical thinking about the relations between the parts and the whole.
Fază Conținut Media, material

Introducere
(5 min.)

  • PP
  • PP
Activitate precedentă
  • The teacher studies previously M7 (Leading idea “Water is essential for life”).
Pregătire
  • Pregătiți un cerc de scaune
Acces
  • The teacher asks the students to interview their family members to investigate how they are committed to modifying behaviours related to wasting water M9.
M7
Leading Idea “Water is essential for life”
M9
Activity “Interview your family”

Tema pentru acasă

  • TA
  • Each student interviews their family members on the basis of the indications contained in the activity M9.
M9
Activity “Interview your family”

Work phase
(20 min.)

  • PE
  • Students research for information about behaviours, attitudes, and activities regarding the subject of the interviews.

Discuție
(15 min.)

  • D
  • The teacher invites the pupils to discuss about what behaviours, attitudes and activities they implement to avoid wasting water.

Work phase
(15 min.)

  • GL
  • At the end of the discussion, the teacher invites the students to draw up a list of the best behaviours, attitudes and activities to implement to avoid wasting water.
Fază Conținut Media, material

Introducere
(5 min.)

  • PP
  • PP
Activitate precedentă
  • The teacher studies previously M7 (Leading idea “Water is essential for life”).
Pregătire
  • Pregătiți un cerc de scaune
  • Înmânează fiecărui elev/fiecărei eleve o copie a fiecărui exercițiu
Acces
  • The teacher distributes photocopies of the discussion plan M10 to each student and encourages them to reflect.
M7
Leading Idea “Water is essential for life”
M10
Discussion plan “How to describe the water?”

Discuție
(50 min.)

  • D
  • The teacher invites students to share their thoughts, discuss and reflect together.
Fază Conținut Media, material

Introducere
(5 min.)

  • PP
  • PP
Activitate precedentă
  • The teacher studies M11 (Leading idea “Water, a good in danger”).
Pregătire
  • Pregătiți un cerc de scaune
  • Înmânează fiecărui elev/fiecărei eleve o copie a fiecărui exercițiu
Acces
  • The teacher hands out a copy of the exercise M12 to each pupil asking them to read the introduction of the exercise.
M11
Leading Idea “Water, a good in danger”
M12
Exercise “Working with means-ends relationships”

Work phase
(15 min.)

  • OE
  • Students work individually to analyse the cases in the exercise M12 and indicate which is mean and which is the end. Then they consider if the mean is appropriate to get the end and give reasons for their ideas.

Discuție
(40 min.)

  • D
  • The teacher invites students to share with classmates their own explanations of the word “understanding” and to see which of the sentences, contained in the exercise M12, introduce the moral dimension, and which refer only to the explanation.

Tema pentru acasă

  • GL
  • Students in groups should gather information from the City Council of their city on what means they promote to avoid water pollution and to save water. Then they have to present it in class.
M12
Exercise “Working with means-ends relationships”
Fază Conținut Media, material

Introducere
(5 min.)

  • PP
  • PP
Activitate precedentă
  • The teacher studies M13 (Leading idea “Saving water”).
Pregătire
  • Pregătiți un cerc de scaune
  • Înmânează fiecărui elev/fiecărei eleve o copie a fiecărui exercițiu
Acces
  • The teacher divides the class in small groups and hands out a copy of the exercise “Estimating consequences” M14 and asking them to read the introduction of the exercise.
M13
Leading Idea “Saving water”
M14
Exercise “Estimating consequences”

Work phase
(20 min.)

  • GL
  • Every group completes the exercise M14 inserting the data that are missing in the statements.

Work phase
(15 min.)

  • GL
  • The teacher invites the groups to find what other means exist to reduce the excessive consume of water and to compare their research with their classmates to reflect all together on the questions contained in exercise M15.
M15
Exercise/Activity “How the reduce the excessive consume of water”

Discuție
(20 min.)

  • GL
  • The teacher invites the groups to discuss together about their opinions emerged from the exercise M15 and encourage them to give good reasons.
M15
Exercise/Activity “How the reduce the excessive consume of water”
Fază Conținut Media, material

Introducere
(10 min.)

  • PP
  • PP
Activitate precedentă
  • The teacher studies previously M16 (Leading idea “The rain”).
Pregătire
  • Pregătiți un cerc de scaune
  • Înmânează fiecărui elev/fiecărei eleve o copie a fiecărui exercițiu
Acces
  • The teacher hands out a copy of activity contained in M17 to each pupil. Then S/he introduces the subject asking students to read the indications contained in the copy of the M17.
M16
Leading idea “The rain”
M17
Exercise “Detecting cause and effects relationships”

Work phase
(20 min.)

  • A
  • Each pupil completes the activity M17 writing the word CAUSE or EFFECT in relation to the water cycle.
M17
Exercise “Detecting cause and effects relationships”

Discuție
(25 min.)

  • D
  • The teacher stimulates the discussion among pupils about the activity contained in M17 inviting them to discuss with classmates the issues that they think are more relevant. Students do not need to answer all of them. The questions should create a philosophical dialogue and the teacher should always ask for the reasoning behind students’ answers (not allowing “yes” or “no” answers) to facilitate a critical thinking about cause and effects relationships linked to the water cycle.
Fază Conținut Media, material

Introducere
(10 min.)

  • PP
  • PP
Activitate precedentă
  • The teacher studies previously M16 (Leading idea “The rain”).
Pregătire
  • Pregătiți un cerc de scaune
  • Înmânează fiecărui elev/fiecărei eleve o copie a fiecărui exercițiu
Acces
  • The teacher hands out a copy of the exercise to each pupil. They build pairs and the teacher introduces the subject asking students to read the instructions for the exercise M18 (“Classifying: kinds and degrees”).
M16
Leading idea “The rain”
M18
Exercise “Classifying: kinds and degrees”

Work phase
(45 min.)

  • LP
  • Each pair works for indicate what kind of differences has been taken into account in the exercise M18.
M18
Exercise “Classifying: kinds and degrees”

Work phase

  • LP
  • After doing the previous exercise, the teacher asking them about the difference between rain and acid rain, as indicated in the exercise M19 (“Rain and acid rain”).
M19
Exercise “Rain and acid rain”

Discuție

  • D
  • The teacher stimulates the discussion on the base of the indications contained in the first part of the activity M19, inviting the students reflect all together on which are the consequences of acid rain for the subjects indicated in the exercise M19.
M19
Exercise “Rain and acid rain”
Fază Conținut Media, material

Introducere

  • PP
  • PP
Activitate precedentă
  • The teacher studies previously M20 (Leading Idea “Fish”).
Pregătire
  • Pregătiți un cerc de scaune
  • Înmânează fiecărui elev/fiecărei eleve o copie a fiecărui exercițiu
Acces
  • The teacher hands out a copy of M21 to each pupil and introduces the subject asking them to read the introduction of the exercise.
M20
Leading idea “Fish”
M21
Exercise “Detecting ambiguities”

Work phase
(15 min.)

  • OE
  • The students work in groups discussing about meanings and make notes on M21 what meanings it has in each sentence contained in M21 and making notes about them.
M21
Exercise “Detecting ambiguities”

Work phase
(40 min.)

  • OE
  • The teacher invites the pupils to reflect on the question contained in the exercise M22 (“What would happen if all the fish in the world die?”) and ask them to share their opinions.
M22
Exercise “What would happen if all the fish in the world die?”

Tema pentru acasă

  • TA
  • The students have to think which behaviours, attitudes and activities can prevent all the fish from dying. They will present their reflections and discuss it in class together.