Module III Teacher Training - Lesson Model!
Subject: Water Conservation!
Grade Level Grouping: Third through Fifth Grade!
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Objectives:!
• The pupils will be able write three to five sentences explaining the
importance of conserving water.!
• Vocabulary objective: The pupils will be able to use the words water,
conserve, arid, and scarce correctly in writing and conversation.!
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Supplies:!
• Chalk board or whiteboard!
• Composition notebooks!
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Anticipatory Activity or Set:!
15 minutes!
• Before the lesson, the teacher might want to write the following words on
the board or poster where pupils can see it during the lesson.!
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Water Conservation Terms
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arid: very dry!
scarce: hard to find!
water conservation: keeping or saving water and protecting it from
contaminants!
contaminant: something that makes water unclean!
rainwater harvesting: getting clean water by storing rain!
catchment: a place in nature or an object that stores water!
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The teacher explains that today the class is going to think about why it is
important to conserve water. Then, pupils will do some writing to explain
what they know. !
The teacher should then explain the terms arid, scarce, water
conservation, contaminant, rainwater harvesting, and catchment.
Each time the teacher introduces a new word or term, he or she can say,
“Say the word after me.” The pupils then say the word back to the teacher.
Repeat this process as needed until the word is pronounced correctly. !
Then, the teacher gives the definition for each term. !
The teacher has pupils turn to a partner and teach the words and the
definitions. The teacher may either listen to pupils in partners or call on a
few pupils to share after partner discussions to determine that pupils
understand the terms.!
Class Work (Reading):!
15 minutes!
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The teacher tells the class that he or she is going to read two paragraphs.
The first is about water in Kenya and the second describes a way to
conserve it.!
The teacher then begins reading the first paragraph of the article, “Rain
Harvests and Catchments”. After reading the first paragraph, instruct
pupils to turn to a partner and summarize what was read. After pupils
have shared, the teacher calls on a few pupils to share key facts from the
paragraph. !
It would be helpful to list key facts on the board if possible so pupils can
see them when they write.!
Read the second paragraph in the same way, having pupils summarize
afterward.!
Class Work (Writing):!
25 minutes!
• After reading the article and assessing that pupils understood what they
read, the teacher explains it is time to practice writing about conserving
water. Pupils are to pretend they are writing a one-paragraph letter to
someone who does not know about conservation. !
• In the one paragraph, pupils are to write about why conserving water is so
important. First, pupils need to explain what conserving water means.
Instruct pupils to think of ways to write a sentence that defines conserving
water. !
• After the teacher has called on a few pupils to share their ideas, the
teacher gives pupils time to write the first few sentences. !
• Second, pupils need to use words like arid and scarce in explaining why
conservation is so important. Again, the teacher instructs pupils to think
and share with a partner what these terms mean and how they could be
used in the letter, recalling details from the article.!
• After the teacher has called on a few pupils to share their ideas, the
teacher gives pupils time to write the rest of the letter. !
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Closing: !
5 minutes!
• The teacher instructs pupils to read their completed letter to their partners.
The partners are to listen specifically for the following: !
o How the term water conservation was defined.!
o How the word arid was defined.!
o How the word scarce was defined.!
• The teacher also instructs that if these words are incorrectly defined or
missing, the partner needs to let the writer know that to correct it.!
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Modifications: !
• The length of the composition may be changed to meet the ability level of
pupils.!
• Additionally, teachers might have pupils draw catchments to help them
visualize the concept.!
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For classes with more advanced readers, there is a supplemental article
titled “Improving Water for Millions in Kenya”.!
Homework Assignment: The teacher may assign pupils to write a second
paragraph (3-5 sentences) of the letter explaining how people can conserve
water. Again, pupils must be sure to define terms like “rainwater harvesting” and
“catchment” before using them in the letter.!
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Approximate class time needed for this lesson: 60 minutes!
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Rain Harvests and Catchments!
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All living creatures, including humans, need water to survive. A
person needs 4 to 5 gallons of clean water per day. But, the earth has a limited
amount of water. Less than 1% of the world’s fresh water is available for human
use. Each year, much of Kenya typically receives less than 800 millimeters, or
31 inches, of rainfall, which leaves these areas arid or semi-arid. The dry season,
which occurs from June to October, makes water scarce for many communities in
rural Kenya. !
There are ways that people can conserve water. One way is to collect
water when it rains, called rainwater harvesting. In nature, when it rains, water is
collected into catchments in some places. A water catchment area is a place that
collects and natural water like rain, dew, and snow. In more arid places, where
water is scarce, people might build catchments on top of buildings or on the
ground, any place where rain can be “caught”.!
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Sources:
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http://www.wrma.or.ke/index.php/component/content/article/4-services/catchment-areas/58catchment-areas.html
https://www.amshaafrica.org/projects-and-clients/projects-pipeline/rain-water-harvesting.html
http://www.gdrc.org/uem/water/rainwater/introduction.html
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Improving Water for Millions in Kenya Inside Africa's First Water Fund !
The Tana River supplies 95 percent of the water for Nairobi’s 4 million residents,
and for another 5 million people living in the watershed. It also feeds one of the country’s
most important agricultural areas and provides half of the country’s hydropower output.
Since the 1970s, forests on steep hillsides and areas of wetlands have been
converted to agriculture, removing natural areas for storing runoff water and soil from the
land. Now, as rain falls over farms, soils are washed down into the river, which reduces
the productivity of farmland and sends sediment into the rivers. This increased
sedimentation can choke water treatment and distribution facilities causing complete
service disruptions for days or weeks at a time. Today, 60 percent of Nairobi’s residents
do not have access to a reliable water supply.
This growing challenge requires something innovative to protect the Tana River,
increase downstream water quality and quantity and provide positive benefits for tens of
thousands of farmers in the watershed. Enter the Upper Tana-Nairobi Water Fund. Water
funds are founded on the principle that it is cheaper to prevent water problems at the
source than it is to address them further downstream. Public and private donors and major
water consumers downstream contribute to the Fund to support upstream water and soil
conservation measures, resulting in improved water quality and supply.
The Nairobi Water Fund builds on the Conservancy’s experience addressing
similar issues in Latin America, where more than 30 water funds are either underway or
in development. This fund is now the first of its kind in Africa, and will serve as a model
as leaders across the continent look for innovative ways to solve ever-increasing water
challenges.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF FARMERS There are 300,000 very small farms on the steep slopes in the Upper Tana
watershed. Land scarcity and declines in soil productivity drives farmers to
expand cultivation into steeper and steeper slopes and riparian catchments.
Working with these farmers – starting with those in the steepest and most critical
areas – is imperative to reducing the many impacts that are caused by
deforestation and this massive sediment runoff. !
Together with our Water Fund partners, we are providing nearly 15,000
farmers, like Jane Kabugi, with the training, resources and equipment they need
to help keep the river healthy, conserve water and reap the benefits of higher
crop yields and more stable farms. !
“I had a lot of challenges [living and farming on this hillside],” Jane said.
“They showed us the benefits of making trenches to save our soil and save our
lives.” !
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Source: http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/africa/explore/nairobi-water-fund.xml 2/4 5/30/2016 Nairobi Water Fund | The Nature Conservancy
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