Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
LP6_Tikho’s Story - Part 2
Lesson Plan 6: Tikho’s Story – Part 2
Overview
In Tikho’s Story - Part 2, students watch the first half of Tikho’s Story: A Quest for Clean
Water in Zambia to learn about how water can be contaminated and to find specific
sources of contamination that appear in the story. It’s recommended that this lesson be
done in conjunction with the lesson “How did the Boy Get Sick?
Background Knowledge:
Prior to this lesson students should complete Tikho’s Story - Part 1. They should also do
the “How did the Boy Get sick lesson” Part 1 just before or directly after the lesson.
To optimize learning from Tikho’s Story it’s recommended that student watch it at least
three times during a unit:
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1st viewing: Students watch the complete Tikho’s Story presentation focusing on
her story, and the similarities and differences to their own lives. See Tikho’s Story
Introduction lesson.
2nd viewing: Students watch the first part of Tikho’s Story concentrating on how
the people in Tikho’s community are getting sick from the water (this lesson)
3rd viewing: Students watch the second half of Tikho’s Story to discover the
solutions the community used to improve their access to safe water. See Tikho’s
Story – Part 3.
Time Required: Approximately 1 hour
Grade Level: Grades 5 and 6
Subject Area: Language Arts, Social Studies, Science
Key Words: Pathogens, Microscopic, Visible and Non-Visible
Alberta Curriculum Links: See curriculum link table
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Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
LP6_Tikho’s Story - Part 2
Lesson Plan 6: Tikho’s Story - Part 2
1 hr
Learning Expectations
1. List some examples of pathogens.
2. Discuss how pathogens from feces can make us sick.
Materials
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LCD Projector
Computer
Screen
Copy of Tikho’s Story: A Quest for Clean Water in Zambia multimedia
presentation.
Preparation
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Check that equipment and presentation are working.
Introduction
5 minutes
1. Explain that students are going to watch Tikho’s Story again. They should
remember from the first viewing that this is a presentation about a girl in
Zambia and what her community is doing to make their water safe to drink.
2. Tell students to imagine that they are detectives. During the presentation they
need to look carefully at the pictures and explanations to discover ways that
people may be getting sick from the water.
3. Tell them that the first part of the presentation will give them clues of what to
look for.
Basics Concepts related to Pathogens
25 minutes
1. Go through slides 1 to 11 of Tikho’s Story.
2. Stop and review the following questions with students:
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How can water be contaminated? Students will focus on many things, be
sure they recognize feces.
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What are microorganisms? Organisms that are too small for us to see.
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Where do microorganisms that make people sick come from? From poo
that comes from animals and humans.
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Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
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LP6_Tikho’s Story - Part 2
How do people get sick from the microorganisms? They drink unsafe
water, eat or prepare food without washing their hands, eat food that
hasn’t been washed or that has had flies on it.
3. You may want to discuss the word pathogens. Explain that it is a term used to
describe the microorganisms that make people sick.
4. Ask students to provide examples of some pathogens they have heard of:
worms, viruses, bacteria
Identifying Pathogen Paths
20 minutes
1. Explain to students that they are now going to hear about Tikho a young girl
from Zambia, and her community. They need to watch carefully to identify
ways that pathogens could be contaminating water and making people sick.
2. Ask students to raise their hand each time they see or hear an example.
3. Go through slides 11 to 31 of Tikho’s Story . Stop each time a student
identifies an example and discuss their idea.
Review
10 minutes
1. Show an image of a water source in a community other than Tikho’s – it could
be the water source in your community. Ask students to identify ways that the
water could be contaminated by pathogens and make people sick.
Teacher Reflection
You don’t need to go really deep into the different types of pathogens. Students just
need a basic understanding of how pathogens can get into drinking water and make
people sick. They should also recognize that most pathogens are invisible to the naked
eye. Just because water is clear doesn’t mean it’s safe to drink.
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