Grade 4 children from International School of Palermo marked United Nations World Water Day, March 22nd with a splash!! Here the students tell us more……..
Why did we study water in our class?
The study of water was part of our class project / Unit of Inquiry. We wanted to learn why we have fresh clean water, and why others do not.
How did we learn about the lack of clean water for some people in the world?
We researched the internet to find out which countries do not have clean water. It was shocking to learn that so many people live without a fresh water supply. Because of this, millions of people get si
ck and die because they drink polluted water. Many girls miss out on an education because they have to walk miles to collect water.
What made us understand the difficulties of not having a supply of fresh clean water?
To help us understand how difficult life is for others, our class carried three one litre bottles of water around the school grounds for half an hour. We found that the bottles soon became heavy, especially when we had to walk up stairs! This helped us realize how difficult it is for people who have to walk several miles every day to collect water.
We kept a Water Diary to let us see how much water we use at home. We were amazed at how much we use every day – drinking, bathing, washing clothes and dishes and flushing the toilet!
What did we do in the class to help us understand where and how clean water is available?
We conducted a practical experiment which demonstrated the ‘water cycle’. We used plastic boxes, hot water and ice to show how rain provides certain areas of the world with clean water.
We also learned that water can be cleaned by filtering it through sand and cotton wool.
What did we do to help us help those who do not have clean water?
We held a B
ake Sale in our school and raised over 200 Euros for Water Aid.
How did we share our information with others?
We made posters which we put around the school to inform other students about wasting water.
We made short films, sang songs and shared our information with other students, teachers, families and friends at a special school assembly.
What did we learn?
We have learned that we are very fortunate to have clean fresh water available to us whenever we want. By turning on a tap we have an almost unlimited water supply. We have a greater appreciation of where water comes from and that not everyone has this privilege. It has made us think that we should all try not to waste the water we have.
Support World Water Day, March 22nd, Make a Difference.
http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday
Grade 4 Students with help from Ms Dutton
