Global Water Crisis Project
Background:
1 in 10 people in the world lack access to safe water.
Every 90 seconds a child dies from a water-related
disease. Imagine what your life would be like if you
didn’t have clean water!
Write down a list of things you do every day that require water:
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
Go back to your list. Circle the tasks that you would still be willing to do if the water wasn’t
potable (safe to drink).
Your teacher is going to show you a video clip called “Unleashing the Power” from
water.org. What are some thoughts you have after watching this video clip?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Your Task:
You will be getting with a group of students and brainstorming ideas on how to raise money
that can be donated to water.org. It only takes $25 to supply one person with clean water for
a year! Think about the difference you could make! A few things to think about:
• The fundraising idea must be feasible. For example, you can’t suggest selling t-shirts
when we don’t have access to t-shirts.
• How can you encourage other students on campus to get involved? Students will be
more willing to donate if they understand where their money is going.
• Give your project a catchy name- something people will be interested in hearing
about!
• How will you implement your project? Be specific on any materials/resources you
will need.
• What is your goal? How many people do you plan on being able to help?
• How long do you think the project will take?
© 2016 Science Rocks
Group Member Names: ___________________________________________________
Project Name: ___________________________________________________________
After discussing ideas with your group, summarize your proposal here.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Teacher Signature: ________________________________
© 2016 Science Rocks
Teacher Notes:
•
•
•
•
•
The video link is available on water.org’s homepage: http://water.org/ and also on
youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdwinEmUqF0
There are more resources and even a fundraising idea available from The Water
Project: https://thewaterproject.org/
A list of possible things students do every day that require water:
o Drinking
o Shower/Bath
o Brush teeth
o Cooking
o Laundry
o Washing dishes
o Flushing toilets
o Washing hands
o Cleaning (dishes, mopping, etc)
o Watering plants in the yard
o Swimming
After students complete their lists have them share answers with a neighbor and add
to their list if there are things they forgot. Then have a class discussion- would you
still be willing to cook with water that isn’t potable? What about washing your hands?
Make sure school administrators are on board about the proposal before you begin to
collect money. Every school handles fundraising money differently.
Extension activities:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Have your students research water crises such as what occurred in Flint, MI.
Have your students take a daily water usage survey (such as the one available at
http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/publications/files/daily_water_use.pdf) so they can
estimate how much water they actually use each day.
Have students research where the water in your city comes from.
If water test kits are available, test water samples from bottled water, tap water,
irrigation water, well water, etc. and compare results.
Teach students about water treatment methods (filtering, iodine tablets, solar stills,
etc.) If it’s warm enough outside, build your own solar stills.
Tour a water treatment facility in your area.
Have students write in to a local newspaper about how citizens can conserve water.
Copyright ©2016 Science Rocks
All rights reserved by author.
Permission to copy for single classroom use only.
Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.
Not for public display.
© 2016 Science Rocks