Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Water Resources: Water Reuse

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The Objectives stage is crucial for establishing a solid foundation of understanding and motivation among students. By clearly detailing what will be learned, students can visualize the importance of the topic in their lives and in society. This stage also aims to spark curiosity and prepare students for practical activities, ensuring that everyone understands the context and relevance of water recycling.

Main Objectives:

1. Understand the importance of water recycling and its impact on environmental sustainability.

2. Identify practical methods for water recycling in daily life and their applications.

3. Discuss how water, as a finite resource, should be managed responsibly.

Side Objectives:

Introduction

Duration: (20 - 25 minutes)

The Introduction serves to engage students with the topic of water recycling, using problem situations that they can relate to their prior studies and the reality around them. Through these issues, students are challenged to think critically about solutions for water scarcity. The contextualization with real-world examples and curiosities about water use in different parts of the world aims to broaden understanding of the topic's importance and stimulate students' interest.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine that a school needs to reduce its water consumption by 30% due to a severe drought in the region. What water recycling strategies could be implemented to achieve this goal?

2. Consider a rural community that relies exclusively on a small reservoir for all its water needs. How could efficient water recycling help this community during periods of low rainfall?

Contextualization

Water recycling is not just a conservation practice; it is an urgent necessity in many parts of the world where water is scarce. For example, in countries like Israel, advanced water recycling techniques, such as treating and reusing wastewater, are vital for agriculture and sustainability. These practices show how innovative solutions can be applied in real situations, highlighting the importance of adopting such methods globally.

Development

Duration: (75 - 85 minutes)

The Development stage is designed to immerse students in the practical application of water recycling concepts. Through playful and practical activities, this section aims to solidify the theoretical knowledge acquired, allowing students to explore real and tangible solutions. The activities are designed to stimulate creativity, teamwork, and environmental awareness, essential for forming responsible and proactive citizens in managing water resources.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - Water Detectives

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop observational and critical analysis skills regarding water usage, promoting awareness of the importance of recycling.

- Description: Students will transform into environmental detectives searching for clues about the use and recycling of water in the school. The activity begins with forming groups, each receiving a map of the school and a list of locations to investigate, such as faucets, bathrooms, the kitchen, and garden. Students must observe and record water usage in these areas, identifying opportunities for recycling.

- Instructions:

• Form groups of up to 5 students.

• Distribute a map of the school to each group.

• Explain the marked locations on the map where students should investigate water usage.

• Instruct students to observe and note the current water use and suggest recycling methods.

• Gather all groups at the end for a discussion and presentation of findings.

Activity 2 - Reuse System Builders

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Encourage creativity and the application of science and math knowledge in building practical solutions for water recycling.

- Description: In this practical activity, students will be challenged to create simple models of water recycling systems using recyclable materials. They will design a system that can collect and reuse rainwater for watering plants or other activities at school. The teacher will provide materials such as plastic bottles, hoses, and basins.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Distribute the recyclable materials and explain how they can be used to construct the system.

• Guide students in building the system, discussing the best practices for simple engineering.

• Allow students to test their systems with water to verify functionality.

• Conclude with a presentation by each group explaining how their system works and how it could be implemented at school.

Activity 3 - The Sustainable Water Cycle Game

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Promote understanding of the water cycle and the importance of conscious use and recycling through a playful and interactive approach.

- Description: Using a custom game board, students will traverse the water cycle, facing challenges and making decisions on how to save and reuse water in different scenarios. Each group of students will receive a game board, tokens, and challenge cards that include questions about water recycling and sustainability.

- Instructions:

• Explain the game rules, including how to move the tokens and how to answer questions from the challenge cards.

• Distribute game materials to each group.

• Monitor the progress of the groups, clarifying doubts and encouraging discussions about the decisions made during the game.

• At the end of the game, promote a group discussion about the lessons learned and how they can be applied in real life.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to consolidate the practical and theoretical learnings acquired during the class. By sharing and discussing their experiences, students reflect on the importance of water recycling, gain a better understanding of their own contributions, and learn from their peers' discoveries. This discussion helps reinforce awareness about the sustainable management of water resources and encourages students to think about how they can apply the knowledge gained in their own lives.

Group Discussion

Initiate the group discussion by gathering all students and inviting each group to share their findings and creations. Use the following script to facilitate this stage: First, ask a representative from each group to briefly describe what they investigated or created. Then, encourage other students to ask questions or suggest insights about the presented work, promoting constructive interaction. Finally, highlight common points in the discussions, emphasizing the importance of water recycling and the solutions found.

Key Questions

1. What were the main difficulties encountered when trying to recycle water during your investigations or constructions?

2. How can the solutions found be applied in your homes or community?

3. What have you learned about the importance of saving and reusing water?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to consolidate all the learnings from the lesson, ensuring that students understand the importance and applicability of water recycling concepts. By summarizing the main ideas, we reinforce the connection between learned theory and observed practices, and highlight the relevance of this knowledge to students' daily lives, promoting reflection on how they can contribute to water sustainability.

Summary

To conclude, we recap the essential concepts about water recycling, focusing on its environmental and practical relevance. We discussed effective strategies for conservation and reuse, illustrated with both theoretical examples and the practical activities carried out by students, who investigated water use at school and developed reuse systems.

Theory Connection

This lesson was strategically designed to connect theory with practice, allowing students to apply the knowledge acquired in real and theoretical situations. Through activities like 'Water Detectives' and 'Reuse System Builders,' they were able to see how the studied concepts manifest in the real world.

Closing

The study of water recycling is crucial for our society, especially considering the increasing scarcity of water resources. The skills and knowledge acquired today by students have direct applications in their daily lives, encouraging them to be agents of change for a more sustainable future.