A Long Walk to Water & Earth’s Water Crisis & History of Africa
Grade 6 -8th Grade
Common Core’&
NGSS
Student outcomes
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CCSS ELA Literacy RL.6-8.1
CCSS ELA Literacy RL.6-8.2
CCSS ELA Literacy RL.6-8.4
ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems
ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth's Processes
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Specific Learning
ELA (STEM)
Objectives
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Reading & Writing
Skills
Social Science
Objective (s)
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To ask question regarding the water crisis in different countries and on earth
To obtain, evaluate, and communicate information and plan an investigation that
determine a way to build bridges that can withstand the severe changes in our climate
To develop and create a scale model or prototype of a bridge that is better able to
withstand a heavier load//weight
To learned about four manifestations of the world water crisis: ◦ lack of access to clean
water in Sudan and Ethiopia, the unsustainable water policy in Yemen, the inadequate
sanitation in Kenya and the climate change in Nepal
Learn about the role of water in natural and human-made environments
Discover how the political and social conditions of developing nations effect the
country ability to obtain water
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide
an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and
ideas
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Evaluate various explanations for the actions or events and determine which
explanation best accords with textual evidence
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats
and media in order to address a question or solve a problem
Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the authors
claims
Research water crises conditions for one of the following countries: Sudan, Ethiopia,
India, Bangladesh, Honduras or Kenya and record findings on the Global Water Crisis
Work Cooperatively with in Teams
Look for patterns, while conducting research on the History and facts on several
countries in Africa and India on its Water Crisis
Understand what Youth Civic Engagement means
Central Idea
Theme
Literary Devices – 10 most common
Word Skills – Vocabulary
Write a Summary
Write an Argumentative essay
Write a Proposal
Understand that global connections are rapidly accelerating across cultures and
nations and can be both positive and negative effects on nation and individuals
Understand the solutions to global issues may involve individual decision and actions,
but require national and international approaches
Analyze the causes and effects of persistent contemporary and emerging global issues
and evaluate possible solutions
Use maps, charts, and databases to explore patterns and predict trends regarding
global connections at community, state or national levels
Overview
A Long Walk to Water Novel http://www.amazon.com/A-Long-Walk-to-Water/dp/B00GJ6LE6S
Meet the author Linda Sue Parks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkxkisRUmMM
Salva’s Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuLbHz7k9xg
Salva Talk to Kids about Water for Sudan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D33I3Uqr8VE
Lost Book of Sudan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kQSg0z6vEA
A Long Walk to Water & Earth’s Water Crisis & History of Africa
Grade 6 -8th Grade
A long Walk to Water Resource
http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/skins/uqp/_uploads/TeachersNotes/A%20Long%20Walk%20to%20Wate
r.pdf
The Problem
Students will explore issues including water scarcity, the effects of dirty and unsafe water, and the lack of
proper sanitation and hygiene in a community. Using our website as a research tool, they'll be led to a
deeper understanding of these issues. We've put the information you need right at your fingertips.
The Exploration on Solutions
Students will learn about the different methods available to bring clean, safe water to a developing
community. They will wrestle with the challenges of competing ideas and technical solutions. Then they'll
work as a team to discover the best way forward in a particular setting.
 Engage in the activities, like a of Scientist, Historian, and or related fields by
asking questions, researching, and contributing information regarding
solutions for our water Crises on Earth and in Sudan
 Explore the Water Crisis on earth, and other countries
 Your Daily Water Usage
 Water Crisis Essay
 Water Crisis Debate
Instructional Tasks
& Activities
Instructional
Strategies &
Resources
Round Table( You tube Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNHeD5i0Teg
http://www.kaganonline.com/index.php
Water on Earth http://water.org/news/lesson-plans/
Water Theme Unit Plan http://gcc.concernusa.org/content/uploads/2014/07/Water_UnitPlan.pdf
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"Just the Facts: The Water Crisis by the Numbers" is a list of some of the most commonly
used, compelling and interesting facts about the world water crisis. Citations are included.
"Keep on Digging" is an annotated bibliography highlighting many of the top sources and
agencies from across the water and sanitation sector. It is an excellent resource for additional
research.
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Problems Resources
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"Water Water Anywhere" illustrates the principal of water abundance versus water
scarcity, both physical and economic, by having students move through three stations in
which they must fill a water bottle using different rules at each station.
"Dirty Water... So What?“Uses a jigsaw approach to have students teach each other about
four potential effects of dirty water: poor health, increased hunger, perpetual poverty, and
lack of access to education.
"Hand Washing Hang Ups" explores the challenges of teaching hand washing and
introduces students to the innovative, low cost solution of the tippy-tap before having
them get creative in their own solution making.
Solutions Resources
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"Village Voices" is a small-group, role-play simulation activity in which students must use
their own skills of deduction, along with The Water Project website to determine which
type of water technology is best for four distinct villages.
"Water Projects Word Search" harness the information found in the Types of Projects
section of The Water Project website as students use clues to determine what vocabulary
A Long Walk to Water & Earth’s Water Crisis & History of Africa
Grade 6 -8th Grade
words they must find in the puzzle.
Can We end the Water Crisis http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/06/10/can-we-end-theglobal-water-crisis/
Drinking Water http://water.epa.gov/learn/kids/drinkingwater/gamesandactivies.cfm
Water Crisis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkNY78B2Jio
National Geographic’s Water Crisis
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/freshwater-crisis
Water for Sudan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7gf2i1aQPI
http://www.charitywater.org/whywater/
http://thewaterproject.org/resources/lesson-plans/water-water-anywhere
Vocabulary
https://quizlet.com/22778044/a-long-walk-to-water-vocabulary-flash-cards/
https://quizlet.com/7571090/a-long-walk-to-water-vocabulary-flash-cards/
Students Do
Bell Ringer/Do now
Warm up
Round Table– (Kagan) Teacher will ask students -.
1. Open up the review what is meant by the term global warming, and climate change, and how
Teacher Says
Teacher will
2.
has it affected the Earth. Each design team will be given a question that should be answered
by its members. These questions are basically review questions.
Next, the student‘s will complete the warm-up activity entitled
Tell Students that it's the steady depletion of groundwater, incremental shifts in rainfall over decades
or the drumbeat of deaths from diarrheal disease; water issues don't often generate headlines. Water
is a quiet crisis, but it's fundamental to human and environmental health, robust economies, and
peace.
With rising populations, increasing standards of living, and climate change, the challenge is only
becoming more difficult. Nearly 900 million people lack access to clean water, 2.6 billion don't have a
safe way to dispose of feces and urine, and climate change is altering historical weather patterns,
affecting where water is found and how much is available.
Few know the extent of the crisis. The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting has spent the last three years
covering the water crisis with seventeen multimedia projects from across the globe. These reports are
collected on our special Global Gateway, Downstream.
Student Preparation/Background Information
Country Background
1.
Begin this lesson by having your students use a political world map to locate each of
the countries that will be highlighted in the videos: Yemen, Kenya, Ethiopia, and
Nepal using a political world map. Depending on the level of background knowledge
your students have on these four countries, you may choose to use one, or both of the
student preparation activities described below.
Option A
A Long Walk to Water & Earth’s Water Crisis & History of Africa
Grade 6 -8th Grade
1.
Once they have located the countries, have them complete the country profile sheet
(Attachment A) – all of the information required to complete the profile sheet can be
found on the C.I.A.'s World Fact book.
2. After completing the activity, have a brief discussion with your students asking them
to imagine life in each of the four countries as compared to living in the United
States. Ask students to identify information that was surprising (both positive and
negative aspects) and elaborate on why this information surprised them.
The profile sheet can be completed independently, in small groups, or as a class. For a largegroup activity, you may choose to assign one or two sections of the grid to each student, have
them quickly research the answer and contribute to a large, class profile sheet. For a small
group activity, you might assign groups of students a specific country or research area (GDP,
population, etc.) and once the research is completed, have students break into new groups with
one representative from the original country or research area in each new group to share their
findings.
Option B
Video Background
1.
Before watching the videos, ask students to consider the following questions given
the information they have learned about each country.
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In each country, which group(s) of people do you think will be most impacted by the
water shortage, sanitation, or climate change issues?
What do you think will be the primary cause of water and sanitation problems in
each country?
What will be the health, economic, or political implications of the water or sanitation
crisis in each country?
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You may also choose to have students complete a brief anticipatory activity -- asking them to
match the fact to the correct country.
The capital city of this country could be the first to run out of water.
Residents of this country's capital pay approximately 7 cents to use
public toilets each day.
Women in this country carry 20L of water over 3 miles a day.
Yemen
Glacier melt in this country affects rivers in India and Bangladesh.
Nepal
Kenya
Ethiopia
As students watch the videos, have them complete the grid (Attachment B) comparing water
and sanitation issues in Kenya, Yemen, Ethiopia, and Nepal.
World Water Day Videos: Discussion Questions and Follow-Up Activities
1. ETHIOPIA
"Words from a Water Walker", By Sarah Statesville
1.
Why do you the people who live in Fadi Jillo's village get sick from the water? If they
know they will get sick, why do you think they continue to use it?
2. How would a water supply system help the village? Who do you think would benefit
the most from the installation of a water system?
3. How do you think the lack of accessible, clean water influences issues of gender
equality?
4. Students may choose to put together a water awareness event for the school or larger
A Long Walk to Water & Earth’s Water Crisis & History of Africa
Grade 6 -8th Grade
5.
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community. For an example visit the Pulitzer Center's Student Reporting page and
view the Nerinx Hall Water Haul video.
How much is 20L of water? Can you carry 20L of water?
For this activity, you may choose to conduct a water-walking relay in which all of the
students in your class carry a bucket or jerry can of water for a portion of a 3-mile
walk to simulate the experience of women and children around the world. The
bucket of water could also be replaced by a backpack full of textbooks to represent
the weight of a water can.
Additional/Related Reporting: "Wells in Ethiopia Draw on Community Support", By Fred de
Sam Lazaro; PBS Newshour
Students Do
Inquiry Lesson – (60 min) – Research water crises conditions for one of the following countries: Sudan,
Ethiopia, India, Bangladesh, Honduras or Kenya (http://water.org) and record findings on the Global
Water Crisis International Comparison Group Activity graphic organizer. The Student will then record the
remaining information for the other countries on their Activity Chart or Board
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Orally Read Novel: A Long Walk to Water : Make a Journal of Important facts/concepts and
vocabulary to share with the class (Week 1 Activity)
Work in Teams or Groups to discuss the major, health and sanitation issues of their assigned
country along with Sudan and make 3 recommendation for improvement of water and
sanitation conditions
Complete the Weekly Chapter Quizzes on the Class Novel ( A Long Walk to Water)and
Water Crisis Quizzes
http://nanosense.sri.com/activities/finefilters/watercrisis/FF_Lesson1Student.pdf
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Materials
SAFETY NOTE:
Accom/Modificatio
ns
1. A. Lopez
2. K Rucker
3. S Mixon
4. S BoneHerron
Weekly Assessment – Lesson Quiz
 Water Crisis
http://nanosense.sri.com/activities/finefilters/watercrisis/FF_Lesson1Student.pdf
 Pulitzer Center World Water Day DVD
 • World Political Map e.g., Eduplace World Political Map
 • Computers with Internet access
 • Attachments A&B
None
■ Increase the allowable length of time to complete an assessment or assignment and perhaps change the
way
■
Assessment given
Maximize the student's potential for success by providing a balance of visual and auditory
(Videos, Models, etc., with lectures,) stimuli in your teaching.
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When working with groups , utilize study buddies technique (Pair and regular education
student with a Diverse leaning student)
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Allow students to complete activities, assignments, and assessments in different ways or to
solve or organize problems using some type of assistive device or organizer
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Provide multiple opportunities for practice in different formats. ( Vocab, practice for test,
using games)
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Tests read aloud to student, verbal response acceptable in lieu of written response, fewer
multiple choice responses (2 instead of 4), multiple -choice response instead of fill -in -the -blank or short
A Long Walk to Water & Earth’s Water Crisis & History of Africa
Grade 6 -8th Grade
answer/essay, word banks provided for fill in the blank questions
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Accom/Modificatio
n
1. K Rucker
2. J Elriod
3. A Lopez
4.S Mixon
5.S Bone-Herron
6. D Dukes
Allow students to complete activities, assignments, and assessments in different ways , with
teachers aid, peer buddy, or to solve or organize problems using some type of assistive device or
organizer
■
Tests read aloud to student, ( Teacher Aid) verbal response acceptable in lieu of written response,
fewer multiple choice responses (2 instead of 4), multiple -choice response instead of fill -in -the blank or short answer/essay, word banks provided for fill in the blank questions
■
When working with groups , utilize study buddies technique (Pair and regular education student
with a Diverse leaning student)
■
Maximize the student's potential for success by providing a balance of visual and auditory (Videos,
Models, etc., with lectures,) stimuli in your teaching.
■
Tests read aloud to student, verbal response acceptable in lieu of written response, fewer multiple
choice responses (2 instead of 4), multiple -choice response instead of fill -in -the -blank or short
answer/essay, word banks provided for fill in the blank questions
Check for
understanding
Formative
Assessment
Exit Slips, Thumbs Up for understanding, Thumbs Down if you need more clarity
Observation, Questioning, Graphic Organizers, or Outlines, Presentation , Argumentative
Statements/Responses, Weekly Assessments , Site Analysis /Survey Form, Kagan Grouping
Techniques
Week 1 Daily Activities
Week 2 - Daily Activities
World Water Day Videos: Discussion Questions and Follow-Up Activities
1. ETHIOPIA
"Words from a Water Walker", By Sarah Stuteville
1.
Why do you the people who live in Fadi Jillo's village get sick from the water? If they know they
will get sick, why do you think they continue to use it?
A Long Walk to Water & Earth’s Water Crisis & History of Africa
Grade 6 -8th Grade
2. How would a water supply system help the village? Who do you think would benefit the most from
the installation of a water system?
3. How do you think the lack of accessible, clean water influences issues of gender equality?
4. Students may choose to put together a water awareness event for the school or larger community.
For an example visit the Pulitzer Center's Student Reporting page and view the Nerinx Hall Water
Haul video.
5. How much is 20L of water? Can you carry 20L of water?

For this activity, you may choose to conduct a water-walking relay in which all of the students in
your class carry a bucket or jerry can of water for a portion of a 3-mile walk to simulate the
experience of women and children around the world. The bucket of water could also be replaced by
a backpack full of textbooks to represent the weight of a water can.
Additional/Related Reporting: "Wells in Ethiopia Draw on Community Support", By Fred de Sam Lazaro;
PBS Newshour
2. YEMEN
"Yemen's Water Woes", By Paul Stephens
1.
What are the two main causes of Yemen's water shortage? Describe how Yemeni short-term
solutions to agricultural problems are leading to serious long-term consequences.
2. What role do you believe the Yemeni government, or international governments should play in
addressing the misuse of water in Yemen. What incentives can be put in place to encourage the
people of Yemen to become better stewards of this natural resource?
3. The United Nations has described water as a human right. If a nation is exploiting their water
resources, leaving their population without water, should the international community take
action?
4. If Yemen does run out of water, where do you think their water refugees will go? Why?
5. How does the water shortage in Yemen directly affect U.S. security concerns?
Additional/Related Reporting: "India's Growing Population Strains Water Supplies", By Fred de Sam
Lazaro; PBS Newshour
3. KENYA
"Kenya: Sanitation in the Slums", By Fred de Sam Lazaro; PBS Newshour
1.
Do you agree with Kuria's marketing approach (providing toilets to wealthy neighborhoods first)?
Why or why not?
2. What do you think about Novogratz's theory of "patient capital"? Do you believe it will work?
3. And, do you agree that charity, alone, can never bring about social change? Why or why not? Do
you think a community has to support a project like Kuria's to make it successful? Why or why
not?
Additional/Related Reporting: "The World's Toilet Crisis", By Vanguard Documentary Series
4. NEPAL
"Consequences of Himalayan Glacier Melt", By William Wheeler
1.
As the glaciers in Nepal melt, river levels in India and Bangladesh will drop dramatically. Describe
the political, health, and economic implications a change like this could have.
2. Even if the government of Nepal were able to consistently provide safe drinking water to the
country's population now, scientists are unable to predict the impact climate change will have
across the globe – what challenges does this present as governments, scientists, entrepreneurs,
and NGOs work to address the global water crisis?
A Long Walk to Water & Earth’s Water Crisis & History of Africa
Grade 6 -8th Grade
Additional/Related Reporting: "Bangladesh Reels from the Impact of Climate Change", By Stephen Sapienza
Week 3 – Daily Lesson Activity
1. Creative Writing Project:
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Imagine you live in a country that has completely run out of water. Write a story describing your
day-to-day life. What is the government like? Do people go to school/work? How is water
distributed/rationed? Are there social services in place to support families who cannot purchase
sufficient water? Have water refugees fled the country? Has your family stayed together? Include
as many details as possible to help the reader imagine life in a country without water.
Imagine you are a water refugee. Create journal entries to describe your journey out of your home
country, to a new location. Where was your family living? Where are you moving? Are other people
going with you? Is the new country welcoming you? Where will you live? What will you do? What
have you left behind? What are you looking forward to? What are you worried about?
2. RAFT Assignment
Role
Water Refugees
Audience
Modern-Day American
Citizens
Form
Blog
A Medical
Professional
Future Generations
Creative
Writing Story
Government
Official
Your Community/Your
Peers
Newspaper
Article
A Young Girl
The U.N./The
International Community
Poem
Topic
Life in a country that has
completely run out of water
Clean water is a human
right.
40% of the world's
population lacks access to a
toilet
Life as a water walker
Other Downstream lesson plan ideas from Kristin Collins, Social Studies Teacher, Parkway West High
School, St. Louis, MO
Week 4 – Daily Activities
Host an Awareness Event or Select from the Following
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Have your students create an awareness campaign at school to publicize the plight of people
around the world without access to clean water and/or proper sanitation. This could be done
through posters, a short video, or a "public service announcement" over the school's P.A. system.
For an example of an awareness event hosted at a school in St. Louis, visit our site: Nerinx Hall
Water Haul
4. Hold a class debate on the international community's responsibility related to the issue of water.
5. Have your students research the innovations working to make water safe for people to consume.
6. Have your students research water issues in the United States and/or your local community. What
cities/states are most affected by water issues? How are water issues playing out in your community? How
are different states, cities, communities coping with water shortages or too much water?
7. Have your students research ways to conserve water. Encourage them to calculate how much water
they use on average, on a daily basis. Have them compare this to people living in other parts of the world.
Attachment
Size
A Long Walk to Water & Earth’s Water Crisis & History of Africa
Grade 6 -8th Grade
Attachment
Size
TheGlobalWaterCrisis.pdf
213.91 KB
AttachmentsA_B.pdf
46.4 KB
Week 5 - Daily Activities
Extension Activities
Play Games using Jeopardy on Vocabulary and the Earth’s Water Terms
Daphne Moore Created