Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
LP9_Water Audit
Lesson Plan 9: Water Audit
Overview
In this activity students use a water audit to determine how much water their family uses.
They compare their water use to water use in other countries, and look at ways that they
can conserve water.
Background Knowledge
Students should be able to add and multiply whole numbers, and visualize a 1 litre
measure. Ideally they will be able to divide whole numbers to find averages, although
this portion of the exercise can be eliminated if necessary. Some background
knowledge of how to conserve water would be helpful but is not necessary.
Time Required: 2 hours in class, plus 15 – 30 minutes at home for five days to measure
water use.
Grade Level: Grades 5 and 6
Subject Area: Math, Social Studies
Key Words: Audit, Water Conservation
Alberta Curriculum Links: See curriculum link table
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Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
Lesson Plan 9: Water Audit
LP9_Water Audit
~ 2 hours + home work
Learning Expectations
1. Calculate the amount of water used by your family.
2. Develop strategies for conserving water.
3. Compare your water use to the water use of a person from another country.
Materials
1. 1 tracking sheet per student for each location in the house where water is
used
2. One calculating sheet per student
3. Journals
4. 1 litre milk jug full of water
Preparation
1.
Photocopy tracking sheets and calculating sheet.
Introduction
15 minutes
1. Show students a 1 litre milk jug of water, and explain that it is 1 litre of water.
2. Ask students if they can guess how many litres of water that they use in a
day. Get them to write down their estimates in their notebooks, and have
some of them share their responses.
3. Explain that their task over the next week will be to figure out exactly how
much water their family uses.
Audit Preparation
30 minutes
1. Draw examples of the different types of tracking sheets on the board and
show students how to use them.
Note: For showering, students and their family members will need to write
down how many minutes they spend in the shower. For other activities they
need to place a mark or tick for each time they do it – i.e. for each time they
flush the toilet, use the washing machine etc.
2. Hand out one of each type of tracking sheet and provide some scenarios that
students can use to practice filing out the sheets. For example:
o Today your mom flushed the toilet twice, your dad flushed it three times,
and you flushed it once. How many ticks would you need to place on
your sheet?
o Your family used a top loading washing machine. They washed three
loads of laundry today. How would you fill out the form?
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Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
o
LP9_Water Audit
Today your mom showered for 6 minutes, your dad for 5 minutes, and
you for 10 minutes. How would you indicate this on your tracking sheet?
3. Explain that each of them is responsible for teaching their family members
how to use the tracking sheet.
4. Ask them to pick up one tracking sheet for each place in their home where
they use water, and tape it beside the location with a pen or pencil.
5. Explain that they will need to track their water use for 7 days.
6. For each morning of the audit, ask students how it is going and if they are
having any problems. Discuss solutions to the problems as a group.
Calculating the results
1 hr
1. On the last day of the audit ask students to bring back all their tracking
sheets.
2. Show them how to tally their tracking sheets by providing some examples on
the board.
3. Once students have completed tallying their tracking sheet, ask them to
transfer the data onto their calculating form. Provide an example of how to do
this, and how to complete the calculations.
4. Ask student to complete the calculations on their form.
Analyzing results
30 min
1. Divide students into groups of 3 or 4.
2. Ask the groups to discuss the following questions:

How does your actual water use, compare to the amount you estimated
you were using at the beginning of the lesson.

What are the largest water uses in your home? Why?

How does your water use compare to the water use of others in your
group?

How does your water use compare to water use in a developing country?
Note: for this question students can refer to Slide 26 of Tikho’s Story a
Quest for Clean Water in Zambia presentation or use statistics from the
book One Well.

How do you feel about the differences in the amount of water used and
available in Canada compared to other countries?
3. Ask small groups to share key information with the large group.
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Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
Review
LP9_Water Audit
15 minutes
1. Ask students to prepare a journal entry with their responses to the discussion
questions.
Teacher Reflection
The student responses to their water audit were fascinating. There were many, many
light bulb moments. This became the jumping off point to the Photo Essay Lesson, since
it helped students to think about the ways that they are using water.
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Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
LP9_Water Audit
How much water does your family use?
Activity
Bath
Bath (regular size tub)
Use washing machine:
top loading (per load)
Use washing machine:
front loading (per load)
Use dishwasher (per
load)
Handwashing Dishes
Water running from the
tap for handwashing,
drinking etc. (per minute)
Turning the tap off while
brushing your teeth
Running the tap while
brushing your teeth
Leaking faucet (per day)
Shower (regular
showerhead, 5 minutes)
Shower (low flow
showerhead, 5 minutes)
Flush toilet (older toilet)
Flush toilet (low flow
toilet)
Water lawn (per hour)
Total
Litres
used
90
90
180
Total for
7 Days
4
Total Water
Used
360
Average
use per day
51
70
40
63
11
4
32
25
60
45
20
6
950
Total water use for my family over one week: __________________
Average water use of family per day: _________________________
Average water use of person per day: ________________________
The top 3 ways that I can reduce my water consumption:
Adapted from: City of Calgary. Water Works.
http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/BU/water_services/youth_education/ww_student_workbook.pdf
Statistic on dishwashing from: One Green Generation: http://1greengeneration.elementsintime.com/?p=314
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Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
LP9_Water Audit
Tallying Sheets
Running the Dishwasher
Mark
Running Tap
each time someone uses the
dishwasher.
Date: Friday, May 31st
Checks: 
Record the time the tap is left running,
i.e. for handwashing, drink etc..
Total
3
Date: Friday May 31st
Time: 12 min 8min
Total
30 min
10 min
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Time:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Time:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Time:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Time:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Time:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Time:
Flushing the Toilet
Circle type of toilet:
1. Old large style tank
2. New low flow tank
Using the Washing Machine
Circle the type of machine you use:
1. Front loader
2. Top loader
Mark each time you flush.
Date: Friday May 31
Checks: 
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
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Total
10
Mark each time you use it
Total
Date: Friday, May 31
Checks: 
Date:
Checks:
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Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
Taking a Bath
Mark
Hand Washing Dishes
each time someone takes a bath.
Date: Friday, May 31st
Checks: 
LP9_Water Audit
Mark
each time someone washes
Total the dishes.
1
Date: Friday May 31st
Checks: 
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Checks:
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Checks:
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Checks:
Total for 7 Days
Total for 7 Days
Brushing your teeth
Watering your Lawn
Record the number of hours that
you water your lawn.
Record the number of times you and your
family members brush your teeth.
Mark
 if you turn off the tap
Mark X if you leave it on while brushing
Date: Friday, May 31st
Checks: xxx
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Checks:
Date:
Checks:
Total
4
Total
2
3x
Total
Date: Friday, May 31
Time: 1 hour
Date:
Checks:
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Checks:
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