All the Water in the World Understanding Water Sources and Water Conservation

Transcription

1 All the Water in the World Understanding Water Sources and Water Conservation Learning Environment: In Classroom Prep Time: 15 minutes (printing + distributing paper handouts; worksheet in kit). Filling container with water and setting up cups and measuring tools Length of Lesson: 1 hour (+ 1 hour optional extension activity) Image of Eastern Georgian Bay from Fox Island (Peter Van Rhijn, 2015) Description Through this lesson, students will recognize that even though there is a lot of water in the world, only a small amount of it can be used for our drinking water and other water needs. They will become familiar with the quantity of water Canada has in its different regions compared to other countries in the world, and the main ways water is used in Canada. They will gain an appreciation of the need for water conservation, given the small amount of fresh water we can access. The activity demonstrates this physically by having students help the teacher measure and remove amounts of water from the global water supply, with each amount removed representing water from a different source. After understanding the distribution of the world s water between these sources, students will individually graph their results. Discussion questions will allow students to talk about what they found surprising about the world s water supply and ways that they can help conserve and protect fresh water. Extension activities will bring more specific focus to the Georgian Bay area once students complete initial activity and become familiar with concepts. Key Vocabulary: Conservation, glaciers, ice sheets, groundwater, surface water, fresh water, aquifer, wells, groundwater, water cycle, precipitation, evaporation, condensation Staffing: 1 educator Resources: Groupings: Map of the world PowerPoint Pictures of water sources 13.5 litre bucket Measuring cup Tablespoon measure 4 cups Student worksheets Graph paper Whole class Individual work Teaching/Learning Strategies: Presentation of information Discussion Individual problem solving 1

2 Expectations: Overall Expectations Specific Expectations Grade Five Science Curriculum: Understanding Earth and Space Systems 1. Analyse the immediate and longterm effects of energy and resource use on society and the environment, and evaluate options for conserving energy and resources 1.1 analyse the long term impacts on society and the environment of human uses of energy and natural resources, and suggest ways to reduce these impacts Grade Five Math Curriculum: Data Management and Probability Collect and organize discrete or continuous primary data and secondary data and display the data using charts and graphs, including broken-line graphs Collect and organize discrete or continuous primary data and secondary data and display the data in charts, tables, and graphs (including brokenline graphs) that have appropriate titles, labels (e.g., appropriate units marked on the axes), and scales that suit the range and distribution of the data Background: All the Water in the World Almost three quarters of the earth s surface is covered by water. So you might think that that there is lots of water to go around, and we will never be able to use it all up. The reality is that only a small amount of this water is usable for humans. Most of the water on earth, over 97 percent, is salt water in the earth s oceans. Of the remaining three percent of the fresh water on earth, two percent is frozen in glaciers, ice caps, and snow in the mountains, and is not accessible to us. So our daily water needs have to be satisfied by the remaining one percent of fresh water, stored in pockets in the soil (aquifers), in cracks in bedrock underneath the earth s surface (ground water) or above ground in streams, rivers and lakes (surface water). Water is needed by all living creatures on earth. Plants need water to grow, and animals need water to drink. Fish and other aquatic animals need water to live in. We need clean drinking water to survive as well too. Did you know that the human body is made up of 60 percent water? We need fresh water for a variety of other purposes. In Canada, the largest amount of fresh water is consumed by agriculture, at 66%, followed by electricity generation at 12 percent. Roughly 10 percent of the fresh water we consume is used by manufacturing and industry; 8 percent by residences and businesses in cities, towns and rural areas, with the remaining 4 percent being used by mining and petroleum industries. Growth of cities and industry, and changes in our climate mean that there is more and more pressure on our ability to supply enough water to households. This is why having enough water is a growing concern for many communities. Overall it is estimated that 25% of Canadians rely on groundwater as a source of drinking water. 2

3 Oh Canada - How Much Water Do We Have? Living near the Georgian Bay, you might feel that we have more than enough water. In fact, many populated areas of the country are found near large bodies of water, including the Great Lakes, and the St. Lawrence River, the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. The Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River basin contain almost one - fifth of the world s fresh surface water. We are lucky in Canada to have lots of water, but many Canadians think we have unlimited water, and they use and waste too much of it. Domestic per capita water consumption was at 326 liters per day in 2012, the second highest amount per person in the world after the USA. Here are a few other facts about Canada's water supply: Canada has about 7% of the world s renewable freshwater supply. (So does China, but more people live in China) Over half of Canada s fresh water drains north, while 85% of Canadians live within 300 kilometres of the U.S. border. Canada s glaciers contain more water than the Great Lakes Canada s rivers and lakes contain enough water to flood the country to a depth of more than 2 metres Lake Huron is the second largest of the Great Lakes and ranks as the fourth largest lake in the world (by surface area). Georgian Bay is about 190 kilometres long by 80 kilometres wide and covers approximately 15,000 square kilometres, making it nearly 80% as large as Lake Ontario Water is on the Move Water doesn t stay in one place for a long time. It is forever traveling between the earth and sky on a cyclical journey that never ends. We call this process the water cycle, or hydrologic cycle. During this journey, water is continuously recycled and reused. Its form also changes. It falls to the earth as a liquid or solid in rain, snow, sleet, or hail, and returns to the atmosphere as water vapour as it evaporates from the earth. The form water takes and where it will go when it arrives at the earth s surface depends on where it lands. It could soak into the ground slowly and become part of the ground water that feeds a nearby lake, river or stream. Or, once it has seeped into the earth, a plant might drink the water up through its roots to its leaves, and release the water back into the atmosphere through evaporation (transpiration). If it falls into a lake or pond, it could spend a couple of seasons changing from liquid to solid, and solid to liquid again (freezing and thawing), as temperatures change. Water that lands in rivers and streams could be carried to the ocean. The heat of the sun might cause it to evaporate into the atmosphere, where it will condense into droplets, forming clouds. The journey begins again as the water from the cloud falls back to the earth s surface. References Soil and Water Conservation District Wayne County, NY. Water. [Online]. Accessed March 23, 2015, from National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy. (2010). Changing Currents: Water Sustainability and the Future of Canada s Natural Resource Sectors. [Online]. Accessed March 15, from ging-currents-water-report-eng-1.pdf Environment Canada. (2014). Residential Water Use in Canada. [Online]. Accessed March 15, 2015 from Environment Canada. (2013). Water Withdrawal and Consumption by Sector. [Online]. Accessed March 15, 2015, from Planet H2O. (2006). Lesson Plans for Educators: Water Use and Conservation. [Online]. Accessed March 15, 2015, from 3

4 Teaching and Learning: Part A: Exploring our Watery World 1. Look at the world map with the students (PowerPoint projection). See if they can find where they live on the globe. Have them point out lakes, rivers, and oceans. Explain that these are called surface waters. Use the pictures of water bodies provided to help emphasize the definition of surface water. 2. Ask the students if they know which kinds of waterbodies are salt water and which are freshwater. Have they ever tasted salt water? Was it good? 3. Ask the students if they think there is more water or land on the globe. Is there water beneath the surface of the ground that we cannot see? Part B: Water in the Bucket Demonstration As you do this experiment, stress that the amounts represent relative quantities of different types of water, not actual amounts. Use the pictures provided to help define different types of water. 1. Put 9.5 liters of water in an aquarium or bucket. Tell students to imagine the container represents all the water in the world. 2. Have a student helper remove 17 tablespoons of the water and put them into a cup. Tell them this amount represents all the water in the world that is not ocean. Use the picture of the ocean 3. Have a student helper remove 13 tablespoons of water from the cup containing the 17 tablespoons of water and put it in a separate cup. This amount represents the world s ice caps and glaciers. Use the picture of the glacier to reinforce the definition of a glacier 4. Have a student remove another 4 tablespoons of water from the cup containing the 17 tablespoons of water. The 4 tablespoons represent the world s fresh water (ground water and surface water). Use the picture of an aquifer to talk about groundwater. 5. Remove a fraction of a tablespoon (1/20) and place in another cup. This represents the world s fresh water lakes and rivers (including our own Georgiana Bay). Of that, all rivers amount to less than half a drop. Show the class the picture of Georgian Bay. 4. Be sure to recycle the water. Use it to water plants. Part C: Worksheet 1. Ask students to complete an activity worksheet, adding up the percentages of water available for drinking water. Answers: 0.419% total and 2.799% grand total. 2. Ask students if the numbers surprised them. Did they realize that such a small percentage of the water in the world is fresh? 3. Ask the students how much fresh water they think Canada has, and what are the main places it can be found. (Answer: 7% of fresh water in world in Canada; Main places: Great Lakes, Georgian Bay) 4

5 Part D: Bar Graph 1. Distribute graph paper. 2. Ask students to create a bar graph that shows 97% ocean, 2% ice caps and glaciers, and 1% fresh water. Follow-up Questions 1. Why isn t all fresh water usable? Answers: Some is not easy to get at; it may be frozen or trapped in unyielding soils or bedrock fractures. Some water is too polluted to use. 2. Why do we need to take care of the surface water/ground water? Answer: Water is very important for humans, plants/crops, and animals. If we waste water or pollute it, we may find that there is less and less of it available for us to use. 3. We are lucky to have lots of water in Canada. Are there places in the world that don t have enough? Answer: Yes, for example many African countries don t have enough water 4. Do you think we might have problems with not enough water to supply our needs (water scarcity) in the future? Why or why not? If you answered yes, what might the causes be? 5. How could water scarcity affect your family, and your community? Answer: Would need to reduce water use, might have to pay lots of money for water, might have to ration water. 5

6 All the Water in the World Activity Sheet : Oceans % Earth Did is you called know? the water planet Ice caps/glaciers 2.380% Earth is called the water planet Almost ¾ of the earth s surface Almost ¾ of the earth s surface is is covered in water covered in water The Earth has many different The types Earth of water has many different Canada has 7% of the world s fresh types of water water Much of that water is in the Great Lakes Georgian Bay is almost as large as Lake Ontario (80%) Ground water 0.397% Surface water (lakes, rivers, streams, ponds) 0.022% Atmosphere 0.001% Add up the percentages for water available for drinking water. Ground water Surface water Total Now add Ice caps/glaciers Grand Total Remember: Only a small percentage of water is suitable for humans to drink. Not all of the water in the ground and in lakes and rivers is easy to reach or clean enough to drink. Ice caps and glaciers are certainly hard to use for humans, plants, and animals. Some work is being done to take the salt out of ocean water (desalinate the water), but that is an expensive process. 6

7 Graphing All the Water in the World LET S GRAPH IT! On the graph paper provided, create a bar graph showing the distribution of water in the world between 1) saltwater, 2) rivers, lakes and groundwater, and 3) glaciers. Be sure to label your x and y axis and include appropriate units in your graph. Make sure your graph has a descriptive title. (Image credit: Wayne County Soil and Water, 2015) 1. Why isn t all fresh water usable? LET S TALK ABOUT IT! 2. Why do we need to take care of the surface water/ground water? 3. Do you think we might have problems with not enough water to supply our needs (water scarcity) in the future? Why or why not? If you answered yes, what might the causes be? 4. How could water scarcity affect your family, and your community? 7

8 Vocabulary Aquifer a geological formation, often like a pocket under the ground, containing ground water Condensation When water vapour changes from a gas back to a liquid as it cools, forming tiny droplets Evaporation When water changes from a liquid to a gas (water vapour when it is heated (often with the sun s rays). Fresh water Water that is not saltwater. Fresh water is required by all living creatures to maintain life. Glacier - A huge mass of ice, often found in near the North and South Poles, or in mountain regions. Groundwater Water that is held in the ground in the soil or in rock. Ground water is often a main source of drinking water. Hydrological cycle (water cycle) the circular journey of water as it travels from the atmosphere to the earth, and then back to the atmosphere. Along the way water changes form from water vapour to liquid water to ice and back again. Ice sheets - An ice sheet is a glacier covering the land that is larger than 50,000 kilometers wide. There are massive ice sheets in the Arctic and Antarctic called the polar ice sheets Precipitation Liquid or solid water that falls from the atmosphere to the ground in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail. Surface water Water that is found above ground on the surface of the earth. Our lakes, rivers, streams and oceans are surface water. Well - a hole drilled or bored into the earth to obtain water 8

9 Water Conservation Amazing Race Teaching and Learning Optional Extension Activity Description: Students will be divided into teams of 3-4 (depending on class size) to participate in an Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt Activity, visiting different race stations within their school building and outdoor school yard to find clues and complete tasks introducing concepts around water conservation. 1. Use the Water Cycle Diagram (in PowerPoint provided) to quickly review the processes involved in the water cycle 2. Divide students into teams and have them create their own fun, water themed name (e.g. the Soggy Bottoms or the Leaky Taps ) 3. Teacher will provide each team with a first clue/instruction in an envelope in the classroom which will have them go to the library and find a book or magazine article on the topic of water resources of the Georgian Bay area. 4. When students complete this activity, they will show their findings to the teacher who will give them their next envelope with second task: Go to the school yard and collect water from one outside source (puddle, rain barrel) and bring back to the classroom. Answer a series of questions about the natural processes by which water arrived at the collection source. 5. Once the students have answered the questions successfully, give them the next clue to solve a riddle telling them to go to the room in the school where students use the largest amount of water (the school bathroom). Students will find the next clue on the fixture that uses the most water (the toilet). Next set of instructions asks students to return the classroom to complete a matching exercise about common water uses at home and in the community. 6. After successful completion of the questions, students get the last clue to identify 3 places in the school yard where water is used or needed (e.g. lawn, school garden, treed areas, parking lots/walkways). Students cross the finish line when they hand in their correct answers. 7. After race lead discussion about concepts of water conservation reinforced through the game. 8. Penalty for losing team: Each member must do one push-up for every minute the team is behind the second last team. Learning Environment: In Classroom In library Outdoors in schoolyard Prep Time: 30 minutes (printing clues and placing in envelopes and distributing clues to proper locations) Length of Lesson: 1 hour Key Vocabulary: Conservation, glaciers, ice sheets, groundwater, surface water, fresh water, aquifer, wells, groundwater, water cycle, precipitation, evaporation, condensation Staffing: 1-2 adults Resources: Groupings: Water cycle diagram (in PowerPoint) 6 Vials or small jars for collecting water Envelopes for clues Clues Groups of 4-5 students Teaching/Learning Strategies: Researching Group problem solving 9

10 Water Conservation Amazing Race Clues: Clue #1 Go the library and find a book or magazine that talks about water in the Georgian Bay area. Once you find your article or book, show it to the teacher and receive your next clue. Clue #2 Take a collection jar from the front of the classroom. Go outside and collect a small amount of water from the schoolyard. (Hint: water may collect in depressions on the ground, or on other surfaces. Your school might have special containers for collecting water). Bring your water back to the classroom and give your sample to the teacher. TIDAL WAVE!!! To get your next clue, complete the following questions, and hand your answers to the teacher: 1. Where did you collect your water from? 2. How do you think your water got there? 3. Name three other places your water may have been before it arrived at your location (Hint: think about the water cycle we discussed earlier) 4. Name 2 other forms your water may have taken during its lifetime. (Hint: Think of forms water can take other than a liquid) Clue #3 Find the location inside the school that is described by the riddle. You will find your next clue there We use the most water here It s where our water disappears Find the clue where drops flush down The biggest water hog in town Hurry now don t wait or stall To get your next clue and beat them all!!! Clue #4 Return to the classroom and give the teacher this clue to get a word matching exercise. Complete this to get your next clue. Clue #5 List three places that water is used, or where water is needed outside on the school property, and inside the school. (You can go back outside if you need to, to get ideas). Hand in your answers to the teacher to cross the finish line!! 1). 1). 2). 2). 3). 3). 10

11 Amazing Race Water Conservation Matching Exercise Draw a line connecting the box on each side to the term that matches it. Use a pencil in case you need to erase your answers and try again. A The room in our house where we use the most water Agriculture B The part of our economy that uses the most water Georgian Bay C One easy way to save water at home Close taps tightly so they don t drip D The nearest large body of water The bathroom E One easy way to save water at school Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth 11

12 Water Conservation Amazing Race Discussion Questions 1. Did you have a difficult time finding water to collect in the school yard? Why or why not? 2. Where do you think your water will go next? 3. Were you surprised by that the biggest water hog is the toilet? 4. What are some ways that we can reduce our water use at school? At home? 12

13 Water Definition Pictures Ocean (Wallcoo.net, 2015) 13

14 Glacier (Franz Josef Glacier) (Wikipedia, 2015) 14

15 River (French River) (Photo Travel Pages, 2015) 15

16 Lake (Georgian Bay) (Township of Georgian Bay, 2015) 16

17 Aquifer (Artinaid, 2015) 17

18 Becoming Water Wise Calculating our Water Use Learning Environment: In Classroom Prep Time: 15 minutes (printing + distributing paper handouts; Worksheets in kit) Length of Lesson: 1 hour: 45 minutes for Activity #1 (Water Footprint) and 15 minutes for Activity #2 (Water Conservation Pictionary) Key Vocabulary: Conservation, water footprint, efficient, inefficient, consumption Staffing: 1 educator (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012) Description Students will gain awareness about the ways water is used in the Canadian economy. They will learn about the amount of water Canadians consume and how this is divided within the home. Students will compare their own family s and community s water use to averages by calculating the water use of their individual families and using the cumulative data from the class to analyze the water needs of their town. Students will grasp the concept of water conservation through recognizing ways in which water is wasted and how they can save water through easy things they can do at home and at school. During The game of Water Conservation Pictionary, Student teams will draw pictures of water saving and water wasting activities to be guessed by their team members. Class discussion will help students build a deeper appreciation of the importance of conserving water for themselves and their communities. Resources: Groupings: Student worksheet Graph paper Pictionary Cards White board and markers or blackboard and chalk Whole class Individual work Teams of 3 4 (depending on class size) Teaching/Learning Strategies: Presentation of information Demonstration of issue Discussion Individual problem solving 1

19 Expectations: Overall Expectations Specific Expectations Grade Five Science Curriculum: Understanding Earth and Space Systems 1. Analyse the immediate and longterm effects of energy and resource use on society and the environment, and evaluate options for conserving energy and resources 1.1 analyse the long term impacts on society and the environment of human uses of energy and natural resources, and suggest ways to reduce these impacts Grade Five Math Curriculum: Data Management and Probability Collect and organize discrete or continuous primary data and secondary data and display the data using charts and graphs, including broken-line graphs; Collect and organize discrete or continuous primary data and secondary data and display the data in charts, tables, and graphs (including broken-line graphs) that have appropriate titles, labels (e.g., appropriate units marked on the axes), and scales that suit the range and distribution of the data Background: How Much Water Do We Use? Protecting water is very important. We need fresh water for a variety of purposes. For one thing, water is necessary for the economy. In Canada, the largest amount of fresh water uses is by agriculture, at 66%, followed by electricity generation at 12 percent. Roughly 10 percent of the fresh water we consume is used by manufacturing and industry; 8 percent by residences and businesses in cities, towns and rural areas, with the remaining 4 percent being used by mining and petroleum industries. Growth of cities and industry, and changes in our climate mean that there is more and more pressure on our ability to supply enough water to households. This is why having enough water is a growing concern for many communities. Without a reliable supply of clean, fresh water, plant, animal and human life, could not continue. Canada contains 7 percent of all the fresh water in the world. But thinking that we have more than enough water leads people to abuse and waste it: from polluting our waterbodies with sewage, to washing water down the drain with inefficient appliances. While human survival requires a minimum of 5 litres of water a day, in 2012, the average Canadian daily domestic water use per person was 326 litres. This is double the amount used per capita in France and Germany. 2

20 Water Conservation Every Drop Counts We can help solve the problem of our high water consumption by better managing the way we use water and reducing the amount of water we waste. The answer is water conservation. Water conservation means cutting back on our water use where we can, and using water more efficiently to do the same tasks with less water. This will help us to protect water for present and future generations. Wise water use will also lower pollution levels and health risks, to humans and wildlife, and save money. Making small changes to our equipment and to how we use water can help us reduce the amount we use in homes and businesses by more than 40 percent! We can begin by identifying where we use water in our homes. Then we can decide on how to reduce on the water we use by cutting out our wasteful habits or installing more efficient fixtures and water equipment. Where is our water going? Showers and baths account for 35% of our water use, while flushing the toilet accounts for 30 percent. We use 20% of water consumed for laundry, 10% in the kitchen and for drinking water, and 5% for cleaning. How Can We Save Water? Take a quick shower instead of a bath you ll save over 37 liters of water Fill the tub half full if you take a bath Save 7.5 liters by turning the water off while brushing your teeth or washing your hands Fix leaky faucets and toilets. More than 25 L per day, or L per year, of water is wasted by a tap that leaks one drop per second. A leaky toilet could fill up a large swimming pool with the amount of water it wastes in a year (up to L ) Wait to run appliances like the dishwasher and washing machine until they are full. Also, try rinsing dishes less before you put them in the dishwasher, and see if they get just as clean (they probably will). Install water saving fixtures like low-flow shower heads and low volume toilets References Environment Canada. (2013). Water Withdrawal and Consumption by Sector. [Online]. Accessed March 15, 2015, from Environment Canada. (2013). Wise Water Use. [Online]. Accessed March 12, 2015, from Grace Communications Foundation (2015). Water Footprint - Concepts and Definitions. [Online]. Accessed March 14, 2015, from UAF Geophysical Institute. (2008). Water Wise. [Online]. Accessed March 14, 2015, from mp_58_watercycle_waterwise.pdf How domestic water use is divided in Canada (Environment Canada, 2013) United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Be Water Wise! How to Conserve Water and Use it Effectively. [Online]. Accessed March 12, 2015, from, 3

21 Teaching and Learning Activity #1 Calculate Your Water Footprint 45 minutes 1. Ask students if they know where their water comes from (municipal water, water from a well). 2. Have students brainstorm how water is used in the Canadian economy (e.g. agriculture, electricity production, industries, use by homes and businesses, mining and oil and gas industries). 3. Ask students to brainstorm ways that they use water at home and at school every day. Have them estimate how much water they might use during one day and compare their guesses with the average Canadian per capita daily water use of 326 litres. 4. Compare this with the minimum amount of water required to maintain life: 5 litres a day. Ask students if they think Canadians use too much water. Why or why not? 5. Introduce the idea of measuring our water consumption, or water-footprint and hand out the Water Wise Student Worksheet. 6. Explain to students that they will be calculating the water footprint of their family and then their community. 7. Have students complete Section I of the worksheet on their own (calculating and graphing their family s water footprint). Then work together as a class to complete Section II (calculating the water usage of the community and average water footprint per person using class data). 8. Have a class discussion about how to conserve water using the post activity discussion questions provided. Activity # 2 Water Conservation Pictionary minutes 1. Divide the class into teams of 3 4 students (depending on class size), and ask them to give themselves a water conservation themed names (e.g. Every Drop Counts, Water Savers, etc.). 2. Have one student from each team select a card from the Water Conservation Pictionary Deck. Cards will contain a water saving or a water wasting activity. Cardholders will take turns drawing the activity on the whiteboard or blackboard, for their team to guess. 3. Teams will have one minute to guess what the picture means. If they are unable to guess, other teams can steal the point if they can guess the correct answer. 4. After each team has had a chance to play one round, have a different student from each team select a card and play another round. Continue playing until desired time has passed or cards are used up. 4

22 Vocabulary Consumption Consumption means to use something up. When we talk about water consumption, we mean the water that we use up and don t return to its source. Efficient to prevent the wasteful use of a resource. Inefficient to be wasteful of resources. Water conservation - Water conservation is reducing our water use and the amount of water we waste. It also means protecting our water from things that might harm it, like pollution. The reason we conserve water is so that we will have enough to meet our needs, the needs of the natural environment, and the needs of future generations. Water footprint - the amount of water a person uses in one day at home, school, or work. It includes the water you use directly (e.g., from a tap). It also includes the water that produces your food, consumer goods, and the energy you use. This hidden water makes up the majority of someone s water footprint 5

23 Water Wise Student Worksheet Section I: Fill out the following table to determine approximately how much water your family uses each day. Activity Showers # per day: # of minutes Total minutes Average Litres/day x = x 7.5 litres/min = Baths Average # per day x 80 litres/bath = Toilet flushes (average is 4 per person) # in family # Flushes per day Total Flushes Average x = x 7.5 litres/flush = Teeth brushing # in family # Brushes per day Total brushes Average x = x 2 litres/brush = Hand washing # in family # Washes per day Total washes Average x = x 2 litres/wash = Dishwashing by hand # times dishes Minutes water Total minutes Average washed per day runs per time water runs x = x 7.5 litres/min = Dishwasher # Loads per week: x 57 litres/load 7 days per week = Laundry # Loads per week: x 132 litres/load 7 days per week = Total Daily Use by Household (litres per day) = Total Daily Use Number of People in the Home (litres per person per day) = 2. Using the graph paper provided, make a bar graph of your family s water consumption, with totals for each category of water use in the chart above 6

24 Section II: 1. Work as a class to determine the average amount of water used per person within the households represented by the class. To do this, add the gallons per person per day results found for question 3 in the data table above for each student, then divide by the total number of students. Show all work below: 2. Determine the daily use for the community by multiplying the answer found in question 1 above by the number of people living in your town (Parry Sound population: 6500). Show all work below. Post Activity discussion questions for class: a. How is water supplied in your community and what are some factors that could influence water availability? b. What are some water-saving measures individuals and the community can follow to reduce water needs? c. Why is it important to reduce our water use, and use water wisely? d. What if there was a drought where you live or the water was turned off for some other reason a chemical spill, for example what would you do? How do we take water for granted? Do you think water will always be available? Why or why not? 7

25 Activity #2 Water Conservation Pictionary Game Cards Brush your teeth with the taps turned off Leave the water running while brushing your teeth Taking a short shower Taking a bath in a full tub Fixing a leaky tap Letting a tap drip Washing your hands with the taps turned off Leaving the water running while washing your hands Using a water saving shower head Fixing a leaky toilet 8

26 Watering the lawn after the sun sets Washing one item in the laundry Washing the dishes in a sink of water Washing the dishes under running water 9