GOLD COAST CITY. . . Naturally the best place to learn
Waterwise Program
TEACHER
Years 7-8
INFORMATION
1. TOPIC: EDUCATING THE PUBLIC: WATER CONSERVATION POSTER
2. AIM:
The purpose of this activity is to develop students’ knowledge, skills and concepts about local water conservation. The nature of
this task is to promote creativity and enjoyment, and a deeper appreciation of the visual arts medium. Students are actively
encouraged to investigate water conservation in their world by investigating the Gold Coast context, while developing an
ecological conscience about humans, animals and the environment.
3. PRIOR KNOWLEDGE:
•
Students should demonstrate an understanding of the water cycle, water conservation, drought and the role of the
individual in conserving water in the community.
4. FOCUS QUESTION:
How can I educate the community to be Waterwise citizens?
5. CORE LEARNING OUTCOMES, STRANDS AND PROCESSES:
•
Studies of Society and Environment Key Values: Ecological and economic sustainability
Strand: Place and Space
Strand: Systems Resources and Power
Investigating
Creating
PS4.3 Students participate in a field study to recommend
the most effective ways to care for a place.
SRP4.2 Students plan and manage an enterprise that
assists a community or international aid project.
Creating
Participating
PS5.2 Students design strategies for evaluating
environment impacts of a proposed project, highlighting
relationships between and within natural systems.
SRP5.3 Students use a structured decision-making
process to suggest participatory action regarding a
significant current environmental, business, political or
legal issue.
•
Science
Strand: Earth and Beyond
EB4.3 Students summarise information to compare ways in which different communities use resources from the Earth and beyond.
EB 5.3 Students prepare scenarios about the use of renewable and non-renewable resources of the Earth and beyond.
•
English (Draft)
Strand: Operational: operating language systems
Reading and viewing
Writing and shaping
Op4.2 Students interpret use of patterns in generic
structures, paragraphs, sentence and clause structures;
and interpret simple figurative language as well as
written and visual resources that evaluate and indicate
modality; and use word origins with sound, visual and
meaning patterns to decode words and use contextual
clues to work out word meanings.
Op4.3 Students organise and link ideas using generic
structure, paragraphs, topic sentences and theme
position; indicate certainty using modals; elaborate ideas
through dependent and independent clauses, extended
noun groups, phrases, words, and visual resources;
indicate direct speech and use a multistrategy approach
to spelling.
•
Visual Arts
Strand: Visual Arts
VA4.1 Students deconstruct and reconstruct images and objects to manipulate meaning through explorations of elements and
additional concepts.
VA4.2 Students make and display images and objects, considering purposes and audience.
VA5.1a Students make images and objects to express personal responses to researched ideas.
VA5.1b Students research and analyse the images and objects of artists/designers/craftspeople to construct visual responses for display.
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Years 7-8
6. SYLLABUS LINKS:
Lifelong Learners
Curricular Priorities
Learners and Learning
Equity
- Creative person
- Futures perspective
- Inclusive and supportive
- Provides equal opportunity
for students to show what
they know
Intellectual Quality
Supportive Classroom
Environment
Recognition of Difference
Connectedness
- Deep understanding
- Social support
- Inclusivity
- Knowledge integration
- Substantive converstaion
- Self-regulation
- Group identity
- Connectedness to the world
•
•
Productive Pedagogies:
New Basics (alternative curriculum organiser):
Life Pathways and Social
Futures
Multiliteracies and
Communications Media
Active Citizenship
Environments
and Technologies
- Developing initiative and
enterprise
- Making creative judgments
and engaging in
performance
- Interacting with local and
global communities
- Building and sustaining
environments
- Collaborating with peers
and others
•
Rich Task (culminating activity):
Create a School or Class Art Gallery Walk to showcase students’ work and celebrate with a gallery evening viewing for
parents and friends.
7. SUGGESTED FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHERS:
• Discuss the water cycle, e.g. evaporation, condensation, precipitation, water collections (dams, rainwater tanks, etc.) and
distribution (Mains water, taps, and faucets).
• Gold Coast Water have developed "The Waterwise Program Primary School Kit' to complement your waterwise lessons, it
includes additional lesson plans, activity sheets, BLM's and a CD-Rom. The high school resource CD-Rom 'WaterSustainable Resource Management' provides information and guidance for studying water management from a global,
national and local perspective. Both resources should be available in your school library or from your SOSE Coordinator.
For further information on the Waterwise Program contact 1300 366 692.
8. USEFUL LINKS:
1. Gold Coast Water http://www.goldcoastcity.com.au/gcwater/home.asp
http://www.goldcoastcity.com.au/t_gcw.asp?PID=18
2. Monroe County Water Authority http://www.mcwa.com/kids.htm
This is an excellent site, which includes activities and experiments for students.
3. Yarra Valley Water http://www.yvw.com.au/
See the Water School section of this website, which includes downloadable water activities and a great printable graphic of
the water cycle.
4. United States Environmental Protection Agency – Kids’ Stuff http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/kids/exper.html
There are lots of educational activities grouped by grade level on this website.
9. SOURCES:
Education Queensland, (2001). New Basics – The Why, What, How and When of Rich Tasks. Brisbane.
Queensland Studies Authority, (2000). Studies of Society and the Environment Years 1 to 10 Syllabus. Brisbane.
Queensland Studies Authority, (2003). English Draft Years 1 to 10 Syllabus. Brisbane.
Queensland School Curriculum Council, (1999). Science Years 1 to 10 Syllabus. Brisbane.
Queensland Studies Authority. (2000) Years 1 to 10 The Arts Syllabus. Brisbane.
This Educational Activity was compiled by Dr J.D.G. Goldman, Griffith University, Australia.
10. ANTICIPATED STUDENT RESPONSES TO ACTIVITY SHEET
Questions
1 -2
Students produce a Water Conservation Poster which displays textual and visual features to educate their
community about water conservation. Students plan and have a Class Art Gallery Exhibition.
Question 3
Students self-evaluate their participation in this activity.
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Activity Sheet : Educating the Public: Water Conservation Poster
TEACHERS SHOULD PRINT THIS PAGE FOR STUDENTS.
WATER CONSERVATION POSTER
1. You are a Graphic Design Artist. You have been commissioned
by the Gold Coast City Council to produce a Water Conservation
Poster to educate the community about the preservation of our
precious water supply.
a. Research water-saving tips on the web, at www.goldcoast
water.com.au or at your School or Public Library. Read the
Water Saving Fact Sheets attached that are provided by your
teacher.
b. Choose 3 water-saving tips and compose them in words
that will capture your audience’s full attention.
c. Design your poster with illustrations of your 3 water- saving
tips.
2. With your teacher plan a Class Art Gallery Exhibition of your
class posters for parents and teachers. You will need to consider
the following:
• When, where and how long will be the duration of the viewing.
• Invitations to the Art Gallery.
• Inviting a guest speaker to open the exhibition.
• Plan refreshments and beverages for your guests.
• Write a follow-up Thank You letter to all guests who attended
your Class Art Gallery Exhibition.
3. Complete your self-evaluation of this activity.
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Self Evaluation: Educating the Public: Water Conservation Poster
Name:
Date:
1. What did I do well in this activity?
2. What could I do better next time?
3. What part of the activity did I find interesting?
4. What did I find was the most difficult part of the activity?
5. Self-assess my work on this scale. Tick my mark out of 10.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
6. Write 3 reasons why I self-assessed at that mark.
a)
b)
c)
7. In my future learning I think I should try harder to; (please tick)
listen more carefully
communicate more clearly
control my movements
contribute to class and group discussions
concentrate for longer periods
be polite to other students and my teacher
develop my abilities as a learner
Source: Marsh, C.J. ( 2005). Teaching Studies of Society and Environment. Frenchs Forest, Pearson Education.
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Teacher Assessment Criterion Grid
www.goldcoastcity.com.au/teachers
TEACHERS SHOULD PRINT THIS PAGE FOR STUDENTS.
EDUCATING THE PUBLIC: WATER CONSERVATION POSTER
Name:
Date:
Category
Excellent
Good
Satisfactory
Needs Improvement
A) Research
Very high level of
research including note
taking.
Good level of
research including note
taking.
Satisfactory level of
research including note
taking.
Low level of
research including note
taking.
Very extensive use
of multiple sources e.g.
Web, books, and
librarian.
Good use of
multiple sources e.g.
Web, books, and
librarian.
Satisfactory use of
multiple sources e.g.
Web, books, and
librarian.
Low ability use of
multiple sources e.g.
Web, books, and
librarian.
Very high level of
understanding and
logical relationship
between relevant
topics and sub-topics.
Good understanding
and logical relationship
between relevant
topics and sub-topics.
Satisfactory level of
understanding and
logical relationship
between relevant
topics and sub-topics.
Low level of
understanding and
logical relationship
between relevant
topics and sub-topics.
Very high level
ability to reconstruct
images to manipulate
meaning through
explorations of
elements and
additional concepts.
Good level ability to
reconstruct images to
manipulate meaning
through explorations of
elements and
additional concepts.
Satisfactory level
ability to reconstruct
images to manipulate
meaning through
explorations of
elements and
additional concepts.
Low level ability to
reconstruct images to
manipulate meaning
through explorations of
elements and
additional concepts.
B) Poster Design
Very high level
ability to make and
display images,
considering purposes
and audience.
Very high level
ability to make images
and objects express
personal responses to
researched ideas.
Very high level
ability to research and
analyse the images to
construct visual
responses for display.
C) Class Art Gallery
Exhibition
Good level ability to
make and display
images, considering
purposes and
audience.
Good level ability to
make images and
objects express
personal responses to
researched ideas.
Good level ability to
research and analyse
the images to construct
visual responses for
display.
Satisfactory level
ability to make and
display images,
considering purposes
and audience.
Satisfactory level
ability to make images
and objects express
personal responses to
researched ideas.
Satisfactory level
ability to research and
analyse the images to
construct visual
responses for display.
Low level ability to
make and display
images, considering
purposes and
audience.
Low level ability to
make images and
objects express
personal responses to
researched ideas.
Low level ability to
research and analyse
the images to construct
visual responses for
display.
Very high level
ability to plan, organize
and execute a group
activity.
Good level ability to
plan, organize and
execute a group
activity.
Satisfactory level
ability to plan, organize
and execute a group
activity.
Low level ability to
plan, organize and
execute a group
activity.
Very high level
participation skill in
group activity.
Good level
participation skill in
group activity.
Satisfactory level
participation skill in
group activity.
Low level
participation skill in
group activity.
Comments:
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FACT SHEET: SAVING WATER IN YOUR GARDEN
Outside water use accounts for a substantial amount of all household water use and it is one area where we can easily
make big reductions. By following the water restrictions you will be reducing water, but there are many other things you can
do.
•
We can save water in our gardens and by not wasting water on paths, patios and driveways and when washing our
cars.
•
A running hose will use 1000 litres of water every hour whether you are watering the garden or topping up the pool.
•
Hosing your garden for 10 minutes, once a week will use approximately 170 litres.
•
Filling the average backyard pool will take a whopping 50,000 litres.
•
To wash a car using three buckets of water will use 30 litres, but using a hose for 15 minutes will use 255 litres.
Here are some great tips to being waterwise outside your home:
•
Keep the grass 25mm or longer to trap moisture.
•
Sweep patios, driveways and paths instead of hosing them.
•
Mulch all garden beds to prevent evaporation and to stop weeds that compete with plants for water. Some of the best
mulching materials are woodchips, chipped tree waste, gravel and stone.
•
When adding new plants, prepare the garden bed with good soil, water storing granules and a wetting agent. Consider
the water needs of each plant and group plants with similar water requirements together.
•
Try to use water-efficient plants.
•
Water only until the top 15-20cm of soil is wet – this is a standard drink. More than 10mm of water pooling above the
soil will result in the water seeping past the feeder root zone and being wasted.
•
Check to make sure your soil is not water repellant and apply wetting agents in Spring to prevent soil from developing
non-wettable characteristics.
•
Minimise grassed areas and replaced them with water efficient landscaping.
•
Accept a less than lush lawn during water restrictions.
•
Avoid watering when it is windy. Wind causes the water to evaporate more quickly and blows it onto areas that don’t
need watering.
•
When you have to water, do it early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid evaporation.
•
Give the garden a good soak once a week at most, rather than watering for short periods.
•
Cover the swimming pool to reduce evaporation by up to 90%.
•
Fit hoses with shut off nozzles to easily turn off when moving between garden beds.
•
Use buckets to wash the car instead of the hose.
•
Wash the car on the grass so the lawn gets a drink at the same time.
FACT SHEET: DROUGHT PROOF YOUR GARDEN
Traditionally the Gold Coast has experienced long, hot and wet summers, and mild and dry winters. Over the past couple of
years, however, the summer wet has diminished and the Gold Coast is now facing the prospect of drier weather conditions
all year round, even after the drought has finished. The dramatic decrease in rainfall on the Coast, which charges our dams
and groundwater resources, has resulted in an urgent need to reduce the amount of water that is used, particularly in the
garden. Scattered rain is usually not enough to significantly impact upon the water level in Hinze Dam, although it is good
for our gardens and lawns. Normally after heavy rains, it is not necessary to water gardens for up to three weeks.
In spite of the weather on the Gold Coast, many people are still planting gardens that are based upon northern European
garden designs that focus on cool, wet climates and use plants that are more delicate. As a result, we have had to use a lot
of water to maintain these gardens and plants.
The general principles of saving water through garden design are to:
•
Minimise the area of lawn
•
Choose plants that are suitable for the environmental conditions and have a low water demand
•
Keep planted areas dense, consolidated and well mulched
•
Prepare the ground before planting to ensure that plants can make the most of the water provided
•
Maximise the use of non-planting treatments such as paving (preferably shaded) and mulches
•
Monitor and adjust the amount of water required
•
Make use of windbreaks, pergolas, screens, lattice, shade cloth and vines to shelter the house, outdoor living areas and
plants
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BEFORE PLANTING
Adding organic matter to the soil improves both its moisture and nutrient-holding capacity. This means that less water and
fertiliser need to be applied. As well as saving on water and fertiliser, there is better plant growth with less stress between
watering. It is particularly important to improve the top 15-20cm of soil where a plant’s feeder roots can be found. Compost
and proprietary products are ideal soil improvers. Mix them in equal parts with the garden soil prior to planting.
CHOOSING PLANTS
Wherever possible, choose one-drop plants, which are the most efficient water users and only need occasional watering over
summer – once every two weeks or longer. Two-drop plants are less efficient but still reasonably tough, requiring watering
every 3-7 days in summer. Three-drop plants use a lot of water and need watering every 1-2 days.
Examples of one-drop plants include bougainvillea, star jasmine, cycads, grevillea, guara and juniperus conferta. Two-plants
include jasminium, bromeliads, agapanthus, croton, hibiscus and plumbago. Common three-drop plants include annuals,
ferns, clerodendron and tibouchina.
AFTER YOU PLANT
Apply good quality mulch, which can reduce evaporation loss from the soil surface by as much as 70%. The ideal mulch is
one that consists of large, but irregularly shaped particles that do not hold any water, allowing it all to run through to the
soil below. Raw materials like woodchips or chipped tree waste are the best mulching materials, followed by crushed brick,
stone or gravel. Lucerne hay, pea straw, seaweed and compost should only be used as mulch in areas such as the vegetable
patch or underneath fruit trees. Lawn clippings and sheep manure do not make good mulch. They are best composted. Old
newspapers can be used under mulch for weed control, however thick overlapping layers of newspapers may also prevent
water penetration.
WATERING DURING THE DROUGHT
The feeder roots of plants grow in the top 15-20cm of soil. That’s why soil improvement is confined to that depth and it
also determines how much water needs to be applied. In improved sandy soils of the metropolitan area, a depth of 10mm
of water, applied to the surface, is sufficient to wet down to 15-20cm. Applying more than 10mm results in water seeping
down past the feeder root zone and being wasted.
FACT SHEET: SAVING WATER IN YOUR HOME
You and your family can save litres of water every day, just by making a few small changes to your daily routine. When you
wake up in the morning and use the toilet, use the “half-flush” button and you’ll save six litres of water in just one flush.
An average family of four can save over 500 litres of water a week, simply by using the half flush button instead of the fullflush.
Fill the sink with a little water to wash your hands and you’ll stop water going down the drain.
Keep your shower short – a five minute shower will use 100 litres of water, but a 15 minute shower will waste 300 litres of
water. Try to limit your shower to 3 minutes when you aren’t shampooing your hair and you’ll use just 60 litres of water. A
family of four, showering once a day for five minutes each shower, will use 2,800 litres of water per week. If that same
family all showered twice a day for 15 minutes each shower, they would waste 16,800 litres a week.
If you are shaving, fill the sink instead of letting the tap run – you can save more than 350 litres a week.
MORE BATHROOM TIPS
• Designate one glass to drink water from each day – saving you extra washing up and saving water. Keep a jug in the
refrigerator instead of running the tap for cold drinks.
• Using the dishwasher only when you have a full load can save up to 394 litres a week. The average dishwasher uses 60
litres per cycle.
• Why not install a flow restrictor on the kitchen tap.
• Collect the water you use to rinse fruit and vegetables and re-use it to water your pot plants or garden.
MORE KITCHEN TIPS
• When doing the washing, make sure you match the water level in your machine to the size of the load. Wait until you
have a full load before you use the washing machine.
• Seven loads per week in a medium sized, top loading machine, uses 1260 litres of water.
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MORE LAUNDRY TIPS
There are other general ways you can save water inside your home.
• Listen for leaks and dripping taps. Grab a spanner and fix that leaking tap. It is simple and inexpensive and you can
save up to 530 litres per week.
• When shopping for new appliances (dishwashers and washing machines) keep in mind that one offering several different
cycles will save water and be more energy efficient.
• Make sure there are aerators on all your internal taps.
• Put indoor pot plants outside during rain for a good soak.
• Read you water meter once a week to estimate your daily, monthly and annual water usage.
• Encourage your friends to be waterwise.
FACT SHEET: SAVING WATER IN YOUR BUSINESS
Non-residential water use accounts for about one quarter of all water use on the Gold Coast.
Different businesses will use water in different ways and therefore can apply different ideas to save water.
Here are a number of tips most businesses can follow:
• Set goals for reduced water use and inform employees.
• Give employees ideas for curtailing water use and ask them for theirs.
• Repair all leaks and dripping taps.
• Urge employees to report leaks.
• Reduce or eliminate routine vehicle cleaning during drought. Use a local commercial car wash facility that recycles water.
• Ensure that all hoses are fitted with shut-off nozzles.
• Postpone routine building washing until after drought.
• Erect signs informing customers of restrictions and ask for their cooperation in reducing water use.
• Turn off all non-recirculating fountains. On windy days, where there is significant water loss, turn off all fountains.
• If you operate a tourism or hospitality business you can play an important role in educating visitors about saving water.
Some tourism operators are taking a strong lead in this area:
• Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove has installed water saving showerheads in guestrooms, reducing consumption from 27
litres to nine litres per minute.
• Royal Pines Resort implemented a water conservation program in 1995, which includes using recycled water for irrigation,
provided free by Council.
• Currumbin Sanctuary installed a recycled water irrigation system more than 10 years ago and plants only native species
to conserve water supplies.
• Sea World Nara Resort has reduced water consumption by 30 per cent since May 2002.
• Sea World, Movie World and Wet ‘n Wild (owned by Warner Bros), have employed a full time person with a special
vehicle to test for leaks and introduce water saving devices at the three attractions.
• Conrad Jupiters has continually improved water efficiency since 1992 when it implemented an energy and water
conservation program across guest rooms, kitchens, laundries and other hotel operations.
• Depending on the nature of your business you may be able to utilise recycled water
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