THE WATER TANK PROJECT / NEW WATER CULTURE
TRACE
THE
TAP
WATER: Art, Science, Social
Studies & Human Rights
Written by Generation Human Rights, Inc.
CURRICULUM RESOURCE GUIDE
(9TH-12TH GRADES)
Editors: Bettina Bryant, The Water Tank Project, Generation
Human Rights in collaboration with Kim Estes-Fradis of
the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, which
protects public health and the environment by supplying
clean drinking water; collecting and treating wastewater;
and reducing pollution.
Creative Direction: Mary Jordan
Design: Alejandro Jassan
Trace The Tap is a New Water Culture Publication written
by Generation Human Rights, Inc.
Copyright: 2014 Generation Human Rights, Inc.
Images reproduced in this guide are owned by their original
creators.
WATER ABOVE ALL
New Water Culture
New Water Culture offers art as social intervention and seeks to inspire awe,
bring joy, educate global citizens, change attitudes and alter habits by creating a
meaningful experience that makes long-term impact. We are a social enterprise
dedicated to fostering environmental awareness and social advocacy through art
and technology for the purpose of safeguarding our planet’s precious resource
of water. Our projects include The Water Tank Project, which transforms the
New York City skyline with artwork by acclaimed artists that is wrapped around
rooftop water tanks throughout the city, celebrating the talents of established
and emerging artists, and calling attention to the global water crisis.
Generation Human Rights, Inc
Generation Human Rights (GenHR) is a non-profit human rights education
agency that empowers and engages youth locally and globally to chart a
world free from human rights abuse and genocide through the development
of multidisciplinary curricula and custom education programs. GenHR equips
children and youth with the tools to creatively shape and adapt to a rapidly
changing world. Our two decades of classroom experience in NYC and postwar Bosnia and Herzegovina have led us to focus on critical gaps in human rights
education today. In an increasingly global and connected world, we believe in
the importance of fostering cross-cultural dialogue and understanding. Human
rights education is our main focus and it is our mission to empower a new
generation of engaged and inspired global citizens.
TRACE
THE
TAP
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
2
8
14
21
26
30
32
37
43
51
53
61
69
71
INTRODUCTION
LESSON 1 - YOUR LIFE: YOUR WATER
LESSON 2 - WATER QUALITY
LESSON 3 - NEW YORK STATE WATERSHEDS
LESSON 4 - WATER TOWERS & WATER TANKS
LESSON 5 - PUBLIC ART FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
LESSON 6 - ARTISTIC RESPONSE: WATERCOLORS
LESSON 7 - PATH OF WATER
LESSON 8 - WATER IN SOCIETY & CULTURE
LESSON 9 - WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT
LESSON 10 - INFOGRAPHICS
LESSON 11 - SOCIAL JUSTICE: DOMESTIC WATER ISSUES
LESSON 12 - GLOBAL WATER ISSUES: WATER DIPLOMACY
FIELD TRIP GUIDE
GLOSSARY
INTRODUCTION
While singular in focus, what distinguishes the Trace the Tap curriculum is its multifaceted
approach to learning. Recognizing that the way we each learn and engage is unique, the
curriculum combines science, social studies, the humanities, human rights and art making
to provide students with a profound learning experience about our most valuable resource:
WATER.
Through Trace the Tap students gain an understanding of the vital importance of water as
the source and sustainer of life and are empowered to investigate water issues, whether they
are local, national or international. It is our hope that Trace the Tap serves equally as program
and platform fostering youth leaders to educate their communities about one of the most
compelling topics of our time: the sustainability of water.
To help educators integrate Trace the Tap into their existing curriculum, we have ensured that
each lesson plan meets national standards in science and social studies as well as the New
York City Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts. Though we recommend adopting
the entire program, lessons may be taught in any quantity or sequence.
METHODOLOGY
Trace the Tap is designed to maintain class flow, even if learning is conducted on a weekly
or bi-weekly basis. A personal Water Journal, Trace the Tap glossary and art making projects
provide further tools to support and foster students’ educational exploration and engagement
with course material.
Central to the experience is the personal Water Journal to be used to record homework,
personal reflections and glossary definitions from each lesson. Maintaining a personal
notebook that is unique to the course and distinct from other coursework fosters a more
personal experience. Students should select a notebook that can serve as their personal
Water Journal. If possible, create time for students to decorate the cover.
The Trace the Tap glossary should be made visible in the classroom, keeping water themes
present and tangible in the classroom environment. Students will also write all glossary words
in their water journals.
The pedagogical approach of Trace the Tap incorporates critical thinking, decision-making
and communication skills. This is further amplified by the use of images and art making in
lessons, which provides students with visual and tactile learning of the material at hand.
LESSON 1 / YOUR LIFE: YOUR WATER
LESSON 1
YOUR LIFE: YOUR WATER
GRADE LEVEL: 9TH - 12TH TIMING: 45 MINUTES
E. Students will compare their water usage to that of
O STANDARDS MET
people in other nations.
NSS-G.K-12.5
Environment and Society: Understand how human actions
modify the physical environment/ Understand how
physical systems affect human systems/ Understand the
changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution, and
importance of resources.
J GLOSSARY
d FRESH WATER
Water with less than 500 parts per million (ppm) of
dissolved salts.
d POTABLE WATER/DRINKING WATER
Water that can be safely consumed by humans.
d SALINITY
Measures dissolved salt content in a body of water.
d RESERVOIR
A large natural or artificial lake used as a water source
d WATERSHED
An area of land that drains all the streams and rainfall to
a common body of water, such as a bay, lake, reservoir, or
any point along a stream channel.
NS.9-12.6
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Personal
health/Populations, resources, and environments/Risks
and benefits.
NSS-G.K-12.3
Physical Systems: Understand the physical processes that
shape the patterns of the earth’s surface/ Understand the
characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on
the earth’s surface.
o MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTORS
NL-ENG.K-12.12
Applying Language Skills: Students use spoken, written
and visual language to accomplish their own purposes
(e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion and the exchange
of information).
d 1-liter bottle filled with water
d Small measuring cup (to measure 5 - 25 ml)
d Five small transparent cups
d Dropper
d Small dish (petri dish if possible)
d Teaspoon
d Empty gallon jug
d Pen/marker
d Tape for labels
CCSS.Math.Content.HSN-Q.A.1
Use units as a way to understand problems and to guide
the solution of multi-step problems; choose and interpret
units consistently in formulas; choose and interpret the
scale and the origin in graphs and data displays.
G MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS
M OBJECTIVES
d Water Journal
d How Much Water Do You Use? Recording Sheet
A. Students will understand the vital importance of water.
B. Students will identify how water is used by individuals
Q ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
and by society.
C. Students will learn that 71% of the earth’s surface is
water, but less than one percent is drinkable.
D. Students will make an assessment of their own
personal water usage.
d Why do we need water?
d How do we use water as individuals and as a society?
d Why is access to clean, fresh, water so
important to humans?
2
YOUR LIFE: YOUR WATER / LESSON 1
b I. INTRODUCTION: WHY DO WE NEED WATER? 10 MINUTES
z Distribute a Water Journal to each student. Tell them they will be using these journals throughout the lessons in this
curriculum.
z Have students list the first three things they did after they woke up this morning. They should do this in their journals.
z List some responses on the board and discuss the common thread of water use in their responses.
z Lead a short visualization exercise imagining where the water from your faucet is coming from:
m Close your eyes. See yourself walking over to the sink to brush your teeth or to get a glass of water. Watch
your hand as you turn on the faucet and watch the water as it begins to come out of the faucet and hit the
bottom of the sink. Now, see yourself going inside the faucet and follow the pipes to the source of your water.
Are you led to a water tank above the building? Do you follow pipes throughout the city and end up in a
reservoir? What do you imagine?
z Follow the visualization exercise by asking students to share their thoughts on where the water they use originates.
z Lead a discussion on the importance of water
q WATER AND THE HUMAN BODY FACTS
PROMPTS:
UP TO 60% OF THE HUMAN BODY
IS COMPOSED OF WATER:
d How many days can you survive without water?
d How much water is required on a daily basis?
d Humans can survive only 3 - 5 days without water.
d Humans need approximately 2.4 L (0.8 gal) of water
BRAIN
LUNGS
each day.
W
d Why do we need water?
MUSCLE TISSUE
FAT TISSUE
BONE
BLOOD
70%
90%
75%
10%
22%
83%
WATER
WATER
WATER
WATER
WATER
WATER
a II. WHERE IS WATER FOUND ON THE EARTH? 10 MINUTES
z Demonstration of where water is found on the earth in order to relate percentages and volume: Ask students how
much of the earth is covered by water. 71% of the earth is covered by water. Where is that water?
DEMONSTRATION:
1. Show students a 1-liter bottle filled with water. This represents all water on earth.
2. Tell students the oceans hold 97.5% of the world’s water. Ask students how many ml that is out of the liter (1000 ml) of
water in the bottle. Explain that this water has a high salinity and is not available for use.
975 ml -- Using a measuring cup pour 25 ml into a small cup. Label the 1-liter bottle “Salt Water”. Only 2.5% is fresh water:
This is represented by the 25 ml in the measuring cup. Ask students what is meant by “fresh water”? Where is fresh
water found on the earth?
3
LESSON 1 / YOUR LIFE: YOUR WATER
3. Of the 25 ml [of the 2.5% of freshwater]: 78% of this is frozen (polar ice, glaciers and permanent snow). Tell students
this water is unavailable for use. Using the measuring cup pour out 5 ml into one cup and 20 ml into another. (If the measuring cup is too big, use about 2 teaspoons as a measure of 5 ml). Label the 20 ml of water “Frozen Water”. The 5 ml in
the small cup represents the remaining fresh water.
4. Of this remaining 5 ml of water, 75% is underground and is too deep for human use. Use a teaspoon to take out 1 ml
of water (about 1/4 - 1/2 of a teaspoon) and pour it into a small cup. The 4 ml of water remaining in the cup represents
groundwater. Label this “Groundwater”. The surface water available is represented by the 1 ml of water. Label this cup
“Surface Water”.
5. Then use a dropper to take one drop from the remaining 1 ml and place it on a dish. This represents clean, fresh water
that is not polluted and is available for human consumption and use.
6. Line up all of the containers to illustrate the small amount of water available compared to all of the water on the earth.
y REFLECTION AND SHARING: 10 MINUTES
z Write the following statement on the board:
LESS THAN 1% OF ALL THE WATER ON THE EARTH IS CLEAN,
FRESH WATER THAT IS NOT POLLUTED AND IS AVAILABLE
FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION AND USE.
z Have students complete a short writing exercise in their Water Journals reflecting on the above quote.
PROMPTS:
d Is this fact surprising to you? How so?
d How does this information affect your understanding of our water supply? Does knowing this inspire you to use
water differently than you currently do? How so?
V III. HOW DO WE USE WATER? 10 MINUTES
z Have students work in teams of 3 - 4 for 3 minutes to brainstorm a list of how we use water.
z Have students share responses while you record them on the board.
z After the list is completed tell students there are three basic categories of water use:
Domestic, Industry and Agriculture.
z Have another student circle all responses for the industrial use category and another for agricultural.
Student responses will most likely revolve around domestic use. This lesson will help students appreciate that
most water use is not in fact domestic, even though this is their reality of water use.
z Tell students to draw a circle on their paper and divide it into three parts in a way they think accurately represents the
percentages of water used for agriculture, industry and in the home.
4
YOUR LIFE: YOUR WATER / LESSON 1
z After students make their determinations draw a pie chart on the board that illustrates the following percentages:
AGRICULTURE: 70%
INDUSTRY: 20%
DOMESTIC: 10%
SHARE SOME OF THE STATISTICS TO ILLUSTRATE THE IMPACT OF AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY ON
WATER USAGE:
z Use one empty gallon jug to give students a visual for the following numbers:
d 1 pair of jeans – 1,800 gal
d 1 cotton t-shirt – 400 gal
d 1 bottle of water – 1.85 gal
d 8 oz. of coffee- 30 gal
d 1 lb. chocolate – 2850 gal
d 1 lb. of chicken – 815 gal
d 1 lb. beef – 3500 gal
d 500 sheets of paper – 1,300 gal
d 1 car – 100,000 gal
d 1 loaf of bread – 150 gal
d 1 lb of steel – 25 gal
Note: The water footprint of a product is the total amount of water used over the entire
supply chain of a product. This includes manufacturing and agricultural resources.
b IV. HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU USE? 5 MINUTES
AVERAGE WATER USE PER PERSON PER DAY
z Hand out the “ How Much Water Do You Use?” water
calculation sheet to students.
D
D
D
D
D
z Tell students that they will calculate their water
consumption by measuring and charting their daily
water use for one week. They will then compare their
water use to that of people in other countries.
ITALY: 375 L per day/person
PERU: 150 L per day/person
BANGLADESH: 50 L per day/person
CAMBODIA: 18 L per day/person
RWANDA: 15 L per day/person
* Students will share the results of their water usage
during a follow-up lesson.
z This information is on the “How Much Water Do You
Use?” Water Usage Calculation Sheet.
5
LESSON 1 / YOUR LIFE: YOUR WATER
HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU USE?
ACTIVITY
Number of times
performed
each day
Approximate
quantity of water
used each time
Number of days
Total amount of
water used
Flushing Toilet
x 3.5 gallons
x
days
=
gal.
Washing hands
and face
x 3 gallons
x
days
=
gal.
Short shower
[5-10 minutes]
x 25 gallons
x
days
=
gal.
Longer shower
[ > 10 minutes]
x 35 gallons
x
days
=
gal.
Tub Bath
x 30 gallons
x
days
=
gal.
Brushing Teeth
[running water]
x 2 gallons
x
days
=
gal.
Brushing Teeth
[water turned off]
x 0.25 gallons
x
days
=
gal.
Washing Dishes
[running water]
x 30 gallons
x
days
=
gal.
Washing Dishes
[filling a basin]
x 10 gallons
x
days
=
gal.
Running a
Dishwasher
x 15 gallons
x
days
=
gal.
Washing Machine
x 30 gallons
x
days
=
gal.
=
gal.
TOTAL WEEKLY WATER USE
1. Divide your weekly water use by 7 days to calculate your approximate daily water usage.
2. Convert your usage from gallons to liters [ 1 gallon = 3.785 liters ]
Multiply gallons used times 3.785 to get liters
3. Compare your weekly water usage to people in the following countries:
Bangladesh: 50 L per day/person
Rwanda: 15 L per day/person
Cambodia: 18 L per day/person
Italy: 375 L per day/person
Peru: 150 L per day/person
The amount of water used for each activity above can vary depending on your plumbing fixtures and
conservation efforts.
6
YOUR LIFE: YOUR WATER / LESSON 1
AVERAGE WATER USE PER PERSON PER DAY
U.S.
Australia
Italy
Japan
Mexico
Spain
Norway
France
Austria
Denmark
Germany
Brazil
Peru
Philippines
U.K.
India
China
Bangladesh
Kenya
Ghana
Nigeria
Burkina Faso
Niger
Angola
Cambodia
Ethiopia
Haiti
Rwanda
Uganda
Mozambique
0
75
150
225
300
375
450
525
600
LITERS
Please note that residential water use in New York City is approximately 75 gallons (= 284 liters) per person each
day.
7
LESSON 2 / WATER QUALITY
LESSON 2
WATER QUALITY
GRADE LEVEL: 9TH - 12TH TIMING: 45 MINUTES
d PATHOGEN
O STANDARDS MET
An agent that causes disease; living microorganism such as
bacteria or fungus.
d POLLUTION
Presence or introduction into the environment of a
substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects.
d POLLUTANT
Material that contaminates water, air or soil.
d REMEDIATION
Removal of pollution or contaminants from soil,
groundwater, or surface water.
d SUSPENDED SOLIDS
Small particles that remain suspended in water; do not
settle out.
d WATER QUALITY
A measure of the condition of water.
d POTABLE
Safe to drink; drinkable.
NS.9-12.6
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Personal
health/Populations, resources and environments/Risks and
benefits
NSS-G.K-12.5
Environment and Society: Understand how human actions
modify the physical environment/ Understand how
physical systems affect human systems/ Understand the
changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution and
importance of resources.
NL-ENG.K-12.12
Applying Language Skills: Students use spoken, written,
and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g.
for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of
information).
G MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTORS
NL-ENG.K-12.11
Participating in Society
d 8 “contaminated” water samples.
d Guidelines for Contaminated Water Samples
M OBJECTIVES
o MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS
A. Students will learn what makes water potable.
B. Students will distinguish between types of pollutants
d Pollution and Remediation Activity Sheet
d Methods of Pollution Prevention and Remediation
and sources.
C. Students will develop alternatives and solutions to
problems of water pollution.
D. Students will appreciate the personal actions that can
improve water quality.
Handout
d Water Journal
Q ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
J GLOSSARY
d How is the quality of our water affected by human
activities?
d How can our actions decrease the pollution of water in
our environment?
d ABRASION
Wearing down or rubbing away due to friction.
d EUTROPHICATION
Excessive nutrients in a body of water which stimulate
plant growth.
8
WATER QUALITY / LESSON 2
b I. CLEAN WATER: INTRO: DISCUSSION: 5 - 7 MINUTES
PROMPT QUESTIONS:
d What is “clean water”?
d How do scientists decide if water is “clean”?
d How is our use of water determined by the quality or extent of its “cleanliness”?
d Water may have different quality standards, depending on its use.
d Water requirements are different for drinking and personal hygiene, fisheries, agriculture (irrigation and livestock
supply), navigation for transport of goods, industrial production, cooling in fossil fuel (and later also in nuclear) power
plants, hydropower generation, and recreational activities such as bathing or fishing.
z Ask students if they can come up with some examples demonstrating how the use of water is determined by its level
of quality. Some ideas are listed below:
l Pathogens can be present in water used for power and cooling, but not for human consumption.
l Suspended solids may be present in use for irrigation, but these solids may cause abrasion issues if used for
industrial purposes.
l Nitrates can be beneficial in water used for irrigation but can cause problems (eutrophication) in water that is
used to support fisheries.
l Salts can be present in water used for recreation, but not for human consumption.
(Refer to the Water Quality and Use document in supplemental materials for more examples.)
a II. TYPES/CATEGORIES OF POLLUTANTS: 25 - 30 MINUTES
s The aim of this activity is to familiarize students with types of pollutants and have them understand the difficulty
of remediation.
ASK STUDENTS:
d What are the different types of possible pollutants? Have students brainstorm a list of pollutants.
z Then have students share their ideas and record the list on the board. Tell students that all of the pollutants they
mentioned fit into specific categories which they will explore in the following activity.
z Distribute the Pollution and Remediation Activity Sheet. Divide the class into 8 groups. Give each group one of the
“contaminated” water bottle samples. They will use the guidelines on the Activity Sheet to determine the following:
1. The category of the contaminant
2. Possible sources of the contaminant.
3. A scenario as to how this contaminant could have been introduced into the water.
4. Devise a solution or alternative to your contaminant scenario in order to prevent this from occurring.
z After groups complete the activity with one bottle, have them switch bottles with another group until they have
worked with at least three samples.
9
LESSON 2 / WATER QUALITY
y REFLECTION: 10 MINUTES
z Have a few groups share their scenarios and alternative solutions to one of the samples. Points for reflection:
d Many contaminants are not visible - what is the impact of this?
d A small amount of contaminant can have a large effect on a water supply: A single quart of motor oil, for example,
could pollute as much as 250,000 gallons of water.
z Tell students it is very difficult to reverse the effects of water pollution. Natural processes that cleanse the water can
take years, decades, or centuries. Even with costly technological processes, it can take years to remove all of the
harmful substances from the water. The most beneficial action that individuals can take is to reduce pollution within
their own lives. Have students come up with some ways that they can make that happen in their lives.
z After students come up with some ideas, share the Methods of Pollution Prevention and Remediation Hand
out with students: Challenge them to add to these lists.
z A good example of individual action: “Pooper scooper” laws. Have students discuss which type of contamination this
prevents.
H HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
z Have the students copy the following quote into their water journal:
“IT WASN’T THE EXXON VALDEZ CAPTAIN’S DRIVING THAT
CAUSED THE ALASKAN OIL SPILL. IT WAS YOURS.”
- Greenpeace advertisement, New York Times, February 25, 1990.
z Instruct them to write for 5 - 10 minutes, reflecting on this quote as well as the activities in class today.
A ART EXTENSION - HOW WATER CAN BE PROTECTED.
MATERIALS:
d 11”x17” paper
d Colored pencils
z After the students develop a scenario explaining how the contaminants could have been introduced into the
water, have them create a three-panel storyboard to illustrate the scenario.
z Have students fold an 11”x17” piece of paper into thirds (like a letter). Start with the middle panel and use colored
pencils to illustrate the situation of the polluted water. (Is it a stream, ocean or glass of tap water? What does this
look like?) Then in the left panel, illustrate how the situation happened. (What caused the water to become
polluted?) Fill in the third panel with the outcome of the contaminated water. (What is the impact of the water being
contaminated?) Will you illustrate a solution or the negative effects of the situation if it is unresolved? Finally, have
students write a caption under each of the panels describing what is happening and how water can be protected.
10
WATER QUALITY / LESSON 2
K LESSON 2 RESOURCE
METHODS OF POLLUTION PREVENTION AND
REMEDIATION
INDIVIDUAL ACTION
d Reduce consumption
d Do not litter
d Recycle and reuse
d Dispose of grease and cooking oil properly
d Apply chemical agents sparingly
d Dispose of oils, antifreeze and toxic chemicals at
d Proper sewage treatment
d Management of livestock and domestic animal wastes
d Environmentally sound lawn and garden practices
d Erosion management at construction, mining, logging
and agricultural sites
d Strict regulation of industry for waste disposal control of
emissions from electrical production
d Use of nonpolluting methods such as solar energy
d Energy efficient devices
d Partnerships: government and policy makers working
together with local organizations and citizens.
recycling centers
d Use less toxic cleaning materials
d Encourage local government to enforce environmentally
sound regulations
d Organize clean-up campaigns
d Educate others in your community about water resources
D POLLUTION AND REMEDIATION ACTIVITY SHEET
s In this activity you will explore samples of “contaminated” water.
MAJOR CATEGORIES OF WATER POLLUTION
CATEGORY
EXAMPLES
Sediment
Soil, Sand, Silt, Clay
Organic Chemical
Pesticides, Oil, Detergent
Litter/Physical/Suspended
Debris, Styrofoam
Medical
Antibiotics, Hormones
Inorganic Chemical
Acids, Metals, Salts, Bases (any inorganic chemical)
Pathogen
Viruses, Bacteria, Protozoa, Parasitic Worms
Oxygen-Depleting
Animal Manure, Food Wastes
Nutrient
Nitrates, Phosphates, Ammonium
z Complete the following analysis for each sample: Record your information in your water journal.
1. Record the Sample numbers and label.
2. Record whether or not the contaminant is physically visible.
3. Use the chart above to determine the category of the pollutant. A sample may belong in more than one category.
4. List any possible sources for the contaminant.
5. Develop a scenario explaning how this contaminant could have gotten into the water or environment.
6. Devise a solution or alternative to your contaminant scenario (#4) in order to prevent this from occurring.
11
LESSON 2 / WATER QUALITY
EXAMPLE OF AN ANALYSIS:
1. Bottle X: Paint Solvent
2. Contaminant is not visible in the water sample.
3. Category: Inorganic Chemical
4. Sources: paint manufacturing plant, construction site, home waste
5. A newly developed business has extra paint and solvent left over after completion of the office construction. They
throw it out with the normal trash. Some of it spills onto the road, where it runs into a drainage ditch of a nearby
stream.
6. The owners could have brought the paint and solvent to a secure landfill site or returned it to
the paint store where it could be used.
g WATER QUALITY AND USE
USE
POLLUTANT
Drinking
Water
Aquatic
wildlife
Recreation
Irrigation
Industrial
uses
Pathogens
XX
0
XX
X
Suspended Solids
XX
XX
XX
Organic Matter
XX
X
Algae
5.6
XX
Power and
cooling
Transport
XX
na
na
X
X
X
2
XX
XX
+
XX
5
na
X
7
XX
+
XX
5
1
3
4
X
4
X
X
1
na
na
10
8
Nitrate
XX
X
na
+
XX
Salts
XX
XX
na
XX
XX
na
na
Trace Elements
XX
XX
X
X
X
na
na
Organic
micropollutants
XX
XX
X
X
?
na
na
X
XX
X
?
X
X
na
Acidification
12
WATER QUALITY / LESSON 2: RESOURCES
GUIDELINES FOR CONTAMINATED WATER SAMPLES
INSTRUCTIONS FOR POLLUTED BOTTLE SAMPLES
d Obtain 8 small clear plastic bottles.
d Fill each bottle approximately 3/4 with water.
d Add the “contaminant” and label the bottle according to the following table:
BOTTLE NUMBER: LABEL
#1: Soil
“CONTAMINANT”
TYPE OF
POLLUTION
Small tsp soil
Sediment
None*
Inorganic Chemical
Few mL oil
Organic Chemical
None*
Medical
Few mL unfiltered apple juice
Oxygen-Depleting
None*
Nutrient
Small pieces of plastic straw
Litter
Few drops of red food coloring
Microbiological
#2: Acid Mine Drainage
#3: Oil
#4: Ampicillin [Human Antibiotic]
#5: Food Wastes
#6: Plant Fertilizer
#7: Plastics
#8: Poultry Farm Runoff
* Bottles 2, 4, 6 do not need any specific contaminants as the pollutant will be in solution and therefore not
visible. Since students are not going to perform any chemical analysis on the samples it is not necessary to
include the “contaminant”.
13
LESSON 3 / NEW YORK STATE WATERSHEDS
LESSON 3
NEW YORK STATE WATERSHEDS
GRADE LEVEL: 9TH - 12TH TIMING: 45 MINUTES
J GLOSSARY
O STANDARDS MET
NSS-G.K-12.5
Environment and Society: Understand how human actions
modify the physical environment/ Understand how
physical systems affect human systems/ Understand the
changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution and
importance of resources.
d AQUIFER
Area of subsurface soil and bedrock that is saturated with
water.
d GROUNDWATER
Water held underground in the soil or in pores and
crevices in rock.
d INFILTRATION
The process by which water on the ground surface enters
the soil
d PERMEABILITY
Measure of the ease with which a fluid (water in this case)
can move through a porous rock.
d POROSITY
Measure of how much of a rock is open space. This space
can be between grains or within cracks or cavities of the
rock.
d PRECIPITATION
Rain, snow, sleet or hail that falls to the ground.
d SOIL
Top layer of the earth's surface, consisting of rock and
mineral particles mixed with organic matter.
d SOIL DRAINAGE
The rate at which water moves down through the soil.
d WATERSHED
An area of land that drains all the streams and rainfall to a
common body of water, such as a bay, lake, reservoir, river
or any point along a stream channel.
d RESERVOIR
A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water
supply.
NSS-G.K-12.3
Physical Systems: Understand the physical processes that
shape the patterns of the earth’s surface/ Understand the
characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on
the earth’s surface.
NS.9-12.6
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Personal
health/Populations, resources and environments/Risks and
benefits.
CCSS.Math.Content.HSN-Q.A.1
Use units as a way to understand problems and to guide
the solution of multi-step problems; choose and interpret
units consistently in formulas; choose and interpret the
scale and the origin in graphs and data displays.
M OBJECTIVES
A. Students will understand the concept and importance of
watersheds as an integral part of our drinking water
system.
B. Students will use maps to identify the location and
components of the New York state watersheds.
C. Students will understand how various components such
as soil and plants function in a watershed.
D. Students will recognize that watersheds are living
natural landscapes.
o MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTORS
d Beaker/glass filled with soil
d Water
d String for mapping activity
d Lower Hudson Watershed Mapping Activity Worksheets
d Map of NY State Watersheds [If possible projected]
d Watersheds: Components and Functions Worksheet
14
NEW YORK STATE WATERSHEDS / LESSON 3
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM NEW YORK CITY
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION:
G MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS
d Water Journal
d Piece of string (approximately 20 cm)
d Lower Hudson Watershed Mapping Activity Worksheet
d Watershed: Components and Functions Worksheet
d Human Activity Impact on Watersheds Worksheet
1. Rainstorm Activity:
www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/activity1createarainstorm.pdf
2. Watershed Activity:
www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/activity3whatisawatershed.pdf
3. Educational Page:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/environmental_
education/index.shtml
4. Homepage:
http://www.nyc.gov/dep
Q ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
d What is a watershed and how does it function?
d How does New York City get its drinking water?
d How do humans impact water quality in the watershed?
b INTRODUCTION: 10 MINUTES
Show students the beaker with soil.
Ask students what will happen if water is poured into the soil.
Have students explain why/how water travels through the soil
Ask students if the water would have traveled in the same manner if the beaker were filled with marbles. What if the
beaker were filled with concrete?
z Use these comparisons to get students to think about pore space, porosity and permeability and how these factors
determine the soil drainage of an area.
z Define the terminology (porosity, permeability and infiltration) as the discussion unfolds.
z Have students record the terms in their Water Journals.
z
z
z
z
a II. TYPES/CATEGORIES OF POLLUTANTS: 25 - 30 MINUTES
z Now that students have reviewed how water travels
z Explain to students that each colored area represents a
through the ground, explain that they will now explore
areas called watersheds.
z Show students a map of NY State Watersheds.
http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/60135.html
watershed.
z Ask students what they think the term “watershed”
means.
z After students share responses, write the definition of
watershed on the board.
WATERSHED:
AN AREA OF LAND THAT DRAINS ALL
THE STREAMS AND RAINFALL TO A
COMMON BODY OF WATER, SUCH AS
A BAY, LAKE, RESERVOIR, RIVER OR ANY
POINT ALONG A STREAM CHANNEL.
15
LESSON 3 / NEW YORK STATE WATERSHEDS
z Support students in their understanding of watersheds by offering the following example of a watershed:
A small brook flows into a river and the river then flows into a reservoir. All the land that surrounds the brook, river
and lake is in one watershed.
b III. NEW YORK CITY WATERSHEDS: 15 MINUTES
z Tell students that three watersheds provide New York
City with its drinking water supply.
z Ask students how water travels from the reservoirs to
z Look at the New York City Water Supply Map to see
their homes. Use the map below to show students the
path of water from the Croton, Catskill and Delaware
Watersheds to New York City.
where your water comes from.
z Explain to students that:
d New York City’s water supply comes from the rain
z Give students a handout of the New York City Water
Supply System map.
and snow that fall on the Croton, Catskill and Delaware
Watersheds, which encompasses an area of 2,000 square
miles.
d It serves almost 9 million people using about 1 billion
gallons of drinking water each day.
d The watersheds contain 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled
lakes, some more than 100 miles away, which store the
water before it is delivered to the city. Approximately 97%
of New York City water is delivered by gravity.
Additional Images Available: https://www.flickr.com/
photos/nycwater/sets/72157645659209559/
Source: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/
drinking_water/wsmaps_wide.shtml
16
NEW YORK STATE WATERSHEDS / LESSON 3
b IV. A CLOSER LOOK AT WATERSHEDS: FORM AND FUNCTION: 15 MINUTES
Why are watersheds important to us? The following activity will enable students to understand the significance of
watersheds in terms of the functions they provide.
Functions:
1. Transports water and sediment through the watershed
2. Provides water during periods of low precipitation
3. Helps recycle nutrients
4. Provides a source of water
5. Provides place for water storage
6. Provides habitat for animals and plants
7. Filters pollutants from water
8. Aerates soil to ensure healthy plant growth
9. Provides anchorage for plants
10. Provides site for chemical reactions
11. Provides outdoor activities such as swimming and
boating
z Show students picture of a watershed:
z After students complete the handout they can compare
answers with a peer or share responses as a class.
Homework or Extension Activity:
z Ask students if humans are a part of the watersheds in
which they live. Discuss why this is true.
z If time permits, have students list the ways that human
activities can impact watershed functions.
Source: http://www.riverlorian.com/riversforkids.htm
Some possible answers:
Creation of buildings
Pavement of land for parking lots and roads
Cutting down forests
Mining activities
Agriculture activities
Building over wetland areas
Discharge of pollutants
Partnerships and education
Well maintained forests
Stream management
z Ask students to come up with a list of the watershed
components. After student responses, add to the list to
make sure it has terminology below. Then distribute the
Watershed: Component and Function Worksheet. Tell
students they will use this worksheet to determine the
function of each component of a watershed.
Watershed Components:
d Animals
d Groundwater
d Aquifer
d Rain
d Soil
d Rivers/Streams/Lakes
d Trees/Vegetation
z After students generate a list, they should write an
explanation of how this activity impacts the function of a
watershed and/or discuss this as a class.
z If there is not time for the discussion, hand out the
worksheet Human Activity Impact on Watersheds as a
homework assignment.
17
LESSON 3: RESOURCES / NEW YORK STATE WATERSHEDS
HUMAN ACTIVITY OF WATERSHEDS
The following human activities can have an impact on watersheds. Write a sentence or two for each activity explaining
how they may impact watersheds and what can be done to minimize the impact on watersheds and water quality.
1.
Building near a stream
2.
Paving land for roads or parking lots
3.
Cutting down trees
4.
Mining activities
5.
Fertilization of crops
6.
Building over wetlands
7.
Discharge of pollutants as surface spills, underground storage tanks, illegal dumping
8.
Failing Septic Systems
HOW DO THESE ACTIVITIES HELP TO PROTECT WATERSHEDS AND WATER QUALITY?
1.
Managing watershed land to protect water quality
2.
Protecting and managing streams to prevent erosion
3.
Building effective wastewater treatment plants
4.
Educating youth and adults about local drinking water resources
5.
Partnering with watershed residents and businesses to create ways to ensure clean water
18
NEW YORK STATE WATERSHEDS / LESSON 3: RESOURCES
WATERSHEDS: COMPONENTS AND FUNCTIONS
Directions: Match the list of functions below with the watershed components discussed in class.
Use this list for your answers. [Animals, Aquifer, Groundwater, Lakes, Rain, Reservoirs, Soil, Streams, Trees,
Vegetation]
A function may be matched with more than one component.
Function:
1. Transports water and sediment through the watershed
2. Water absorbed by the soil
3. Helps recycle nutrients
4. Provides a source of drinking water
5. Provides place for water storage
6. Provides habitat for animals and plants
7. Filters pollutants from water
8. Aerates soil to ensure healthy plant growth
9. Provides anchorage for plants
1O. Provides outdoor activities such as swimming and boating
19
LESSON 3: RESOURCES / NEW YORK STATE WATERSHEDS
WATERSHEDS: COMPONENTS AND FUNCTIONS
WITH ANSWERS
Directions: Match the list of functions below with the watershed components discussed in class.
Use this list for your answers. [Animals, Aquifer, Groundwater, Lakes, Rain, Reservoirs, Soil, Streams, Trees,
Vegetation]
A function may be matched with more than one component.
Function:
1. Transports water and sediment through the watershed: Rivers/Streams
2. Water absorbed by the soil: Groundwater
3. Helps recycle nutrients: Animals
4. Provides a source of drinking water: Rivers/Streams/Lakes/Reservoirs
5. Provides place for water storage: Aquifer/Reservoirs
6. Provides habitat for animals and plants: Soil/Rivers/Stream/Lakes/Vegetation
7. Filters pollutants from water: Soil
8. Aerates soil to ensure healthy plant growth: Animals
9. Provides anchorage for plants: Soil
10. Provides outdoor activities such as swimming and boating: Rivers/Streams/Lakes
20
WATER TOWERS & WATER TANKS / LESSON 4
LESSON 4
WATER TOWERS & WATER TANKS
GRADE LEVEL: 9TH - 12TH TIMING: 45 MINUTES
d WATER TANKS
O STANDARDS MET
Large vessel that holds water
d WATER TOWER
Elevated structure holding a water tank
d GROUNDWATER
Water held underground in the soil or in pores and
crevices in rock.
d WATER MAINS
Underground pipes that transport water.
NSS-G.K-12.5
Environment and Society: Understand how human actions
modify the physical environment/ Understand how
physical systems affect human systems/ Understand the
changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution and
importance of resources.
NS.9-12.6
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Personal
health/Populations, resources and environments/Risks and
benefits
o MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTORS
d Designing a Water Tower Handout
d Article:
NSS-G.K-12.3
Physical Systems: Understand the physical processes that
shape the patterns of the earth’s surface/ Understand the
characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on
the earth’s surface
“Getting Water to New Yorkers Is a Family Business” by
Elizabeth Harris in The New York Times (December 17th,
2012): http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/nyregion/for-3families-wooden-water-tanks-are-in-the-blood.html
d Answers to Introductory Questions for student-oriented
sharing.
NL-ENG.K-12.12
Applying Language Skills: Students use spoken, written,
and visual language to accomplish their own purposes
(e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange
of information).
G MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS
A. Students will explore the mechanisms of water tanks.
B. Students will understand how the structure of water
d Water Journal
d Designing a Water Tower Handouts
d Graphing paper
d Rulers
d Pencils
d Article:
tanks relate to their function.
C. Students will create a water tower design based on its
functional components.
(citation above)
d Optional items: Protractor, Paints, Markers, Color Pencils
M OBJECTIVES
“Getting Water to New Yorkers Is a Family Business”
J GLOSSARY
Q ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
d PRESSURE
d Why are water tanks used in New York City?
d How do water tanks function to supply our drinking
Continuous physical force exerted on or against an object
by something in contact with it, commonly measured in
units of pounds per square inch or PSI.
water?
d What components will make the most unique and
functional water tower design?
21
LESSON 4 / WATER TOWERS & WATER TANKS
b I. INTRODUCTION: I KNOW, I THINK: 10 MINUTES
z Show students an image of a New York City wooden
water tank and ask them to spend a few minutes studying
the image.
z Ask students to think about and write down the
answers to the following questions in their water journals:
d What materials are used to make water tanks?
d How long do you think water tanks have existed? How
old might the first New York City water tank be?
d Why are water tanks built on rooftops?
d Do cities without tall buildings need water tanks? Why or
why not?
b II. WATER TANK FACTS: 15 MINUTES
z Have students share some of their responses to the questions one at a time. After students share responses pick a
volunteer to read the information concerning each question. Students should take notes in their Water Journals as this
material is covered.
WHAT MATERIALS ARE USED TO MAKE WATER TANKS?
New York City’s skyline is dotted with wooden water tanks that are easy to mistake for vanishing relics of the bygone
eras of seltzer bottles and gas street lamps. But what many New Yorkers do not realize is the tanks are hardly antiques —
in fact, most people drink and bathe from the water stored in them every day.
Most buildings in the city taller than six stories need some sort of pumping system to get water from water mains to
water towers to provide water pressure for tenants. So why do people think wooden water tanks are relics of the past?
Because they look as though they are. While many are more than 30 years old, even new ones look old because they
are made of wood that is not painted or chemically treated (to prevent drinking water from becoming tainted).
Though the technology has become more efficient, the concept of gravity delivering water from a wood tank has not
changed in decades. And while steel tanks are an option, they are more expensive, do not provide as much insulation,
require more maintenance and take longer to construct. The average wood tank holds 10,000 gallons of water and costs
around $30,000. A steel tank of similar size could cost up to $120,000. But different buildings have their own specific
needs.
According to Rosenwach Tank, a New York City water tank manufacturer and installer established in the late 19th
century, a crew of six workers can tear down an old tank and construct a new one in 24 hours. It takes two to three hours
for pumps to fill them up.
When a tank is first installed, it leaks. But after being filled with water, the wood expands to become watertight. When
a building’s inhabitants use water, the level in the tank diminishes. More water is pumped from the basement, and a
special mechanism lets it into the tank. A wood water tank can last for 30 to 35 years, depending on its exposure to the
22
WATER TOWERS & WATER TANKS / LESSON 4
elements. Eventually, though, the tank’s wood rots and must be replaced, keeping Rosenwach working on the same New
York City buildings for generations.
HOW OLD IS THE FIRST NEW YORK CITY WATER TANK?
Water tanks first became popular in the city in the late 19th century, as buildings grew taller. With the advent of
skyscrapers came a need to deliver water to the upper floors beyond the natural water pressure. Today we may think of
these tanks as technology of a past age, and look to them more as a decorative element of the city landscape. Still, it is
worth looking past their aesthetic and sentimental aspects to their remarkably simple, yet effective technology.
Even though newer buildings use more modern basement pump systems, roughly 10,000 to 15,000 water tanks are still
used throughout the city. Take a close look at some of the tall residential buildings around you. You can often see the
water tank or the tip of the water tank peeking out from an enclosed rooftop structure.
WHY ARE TANKS LOCATED ON BUILDING ROOFTOPS?
An underground system of water mains can push water about 60 feet (or 6 floors) purely by gravity due to the distance
and elevation of NYC’s 19 reservoirs. With a water tank storing water on the building’s roof, gravity does the work
distributing water to the lower floors. The tank is filled with water from the water mains by basement pumps, and as the
tank empties, it triggers the pumps to refill it. In this way, the tower acts as both a water source and reservoir.
DO CITIES WITH NO TALL BUILDINGS NEED WATER TOWERS? WHY? WHY NOT?
Water towers are tall to provide pressure. Each foot of height provides 0.43 PSI of pressure. A typical municipal water
supply runs at between 50 and 100 PSI (major appliances require at least 20 to 30 PSI). A water tower must be tall
enough to supply that level of pressure to all of the houses and businesses in the area of the tower. Because of this,
water towers are also typically located on high ground. In hilly regions, a tower can sometimes be replaced by a simple
tank located on the highest hill in the area.
A water tower is an incredibly simple device. Although water towers come in all shapes and sizes, they all do the same
thing: A water tower is simply a large, elevated tank of water.
b III. THINK LIKE AN ENGINEER: DESIGNING A WATER TOWER OR WATER TANK: 20 MINUTES
z Now that students have learned about water tanks and water towers, they will have an opportunity to design their
own water tank or water tower.
z Give students the Design a Water Tower or Water Tank worksheet.
23
LESSON 4 / WATER TOWERS & WATER TANKS
z Use the diagram below as a guideline. All designs need Sharing exercise:
to show the following:
1. Pumping station
2. Tower
3. Water user
During the following class students can post their designs
and view and comment on each design. Their feedback
can be guided by questions such as, “What do you like
about this design” and “What is one question you have for
the designer?”
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Roihuvuori_watertower3.png
Some examples of water towers:
H IV. HOMEWORK/REFLECTION
z Hand out the article, “Getting Water to New Yorkers
is a Family Business” by Elizabeth Harris. Students should
read the article and then list five things they learned from
the article concerning water towers.
24
WATER TOWERS & WATER TANKS / LESSON 4: RESOURCES
DESIGN A WATER TOWER OR A WATER TANK
You will have an opportunity to make a drawing of your own design for a water tower or a water tank. As you create
your design, consider the following:
d Type of material for your tower or tank
d Tower or tank shape
d Tower or tank size
d How much pressure will your water tower or tank produce?
d How many people will your tower or tank serve? How many gallons of water does your water tower or tank hold?
d What is the topography of the area? Will your tower or tank be on a hilltop or on top of a building?
d Where is the source of the water you will use?
d All designs need to show the following:
1.
2.
3.
Pumping station
Tower or tank
Water user
25
LESSON 5 / PUBLIC ART FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
LESSON 5
PUBLIC ART FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
GRADE LEVEL: 9TH - 12TH TIMING: 45 MINUTES
O STANDARDS MET
Common Core: SL.5.1.
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led); SL.5.2. Summarize
a written text read aloud or information presented in
diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively
and orally.
Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts: Visual
Arts Benchmark:
1. Students recognize the societal, cultural, and historical
significance of art; connect the visual arts to other
disciplines; apply the skills and knowledge learned in visual
arts to interpreting the world.
2. Examine a work of art as a primary document; based on
visual evidence, write hypotheses about the time period,
culture and political context.
d MEDIUM
A substance through which something is accomplished,
conveyed or transferred.
d PUBLIC ART
Works of art in any medium that have been planned and
executed with the specific intention of being sited or
staged in the public domain usually outside and accessible
to all.
o MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTORS
d Images
d Projector
d Computer
d Screen
G MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS
d Paper
d Colored pencils
d Water Journal
M OBJECTIVES
A. To acquaint students with examples of activist art.
B. Students explore how art and culture impact
communities and how creative work has the power to
address pressing social issues.
C. Students will be able to discuss social issues in the
context of a public artwork.
D. Students will be prepared to visit The Water Tank
Project’s water tanks.
Q ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
d What are the roles and responsibilities of artists in
response to social issues?
d How can art bridge differences to bring people
together?
d Can art save lives?
d What are the ethics behind community-based art?
J GLOSSARY
d ACTIVISM
Efforts to promote or create social, political or
environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of
forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians,
political campaigning, boycotts, marches or protests.
d ETHICS
A set of principals or system of moral values
26
PUBLIC ART FOR SOCIAL CHANGE / LESSON 5
b INTRODUCTION: 5 MINUTES
z Tell the students that part of your study of the water crisis involves a public art project called The Water Tank Project.
The Water Tank Project aims to raise public awareness about water issues in New York City and around the world.
b VISUAL THINKING STRATEGY 25 MINUTES (IMAGES FOLLOW LESSON PLAN)
z Tell students that they are going to experience several works of art together so that they can better understand the
connection between public art and raising awareness for social issues.
z Show: Picasso’s “Guernica”
(use the VTS worksheet for instructions on guiding this activity)
z Student responses can be verbal in a large group discussion format or you can give them a few minutes to write
down responses and then have them share aloud. Once students have shared their thoughts, tell them about the
painting.
“Guernica” was painted by Pablo Picasso in 1937. It was conceived as a response to the bombing of Guernica – a
Basque village in northern Spain – by Nazi forces supporting Spanish Nationalist leader Francisco Franco. The village
was considered the northern stronghold of the resistance movement (which represented numerous ideologies,
including Communism, Anarchism and Socialism). It was also the center of Basque culture. Not only was the site of
the bombing significant, but the timing was as well, as it was market day, a day when much of the community would
gather at the town center. As the men of the village were mostly away fighting with the resistance force, the brunt
of the bombing was felt by women and children. In the painting, Picasso dramatically captures their vulnerability
and innocence. “Guernica” has become a worldwide symbol of the atrocities of war. Its searing imagery has become
synonymous with anti-war demands, and has even been depicted as a tapestry at the United Nations in New York
City.
z Show: Image of the Aids Memorial Quilt Project
(follow the same protocol from the previous image) Once students have had a chance to respond, tell them:
The AIDS Memorial Quilt is an enormous quilt made as a memorial to and celebration of the lives of people who have
died of AIDS-related causes. Weighing an estimated 54 tons, it is the largest piece of community folk art in the world.
Throughout the 1980s and 90s, AIDS activists protested in the streets and put up posters, effectively bringing
together millions of participants for the AIDS Memorial Quilt Project. Bearing testimony to its capacity to capture
the thoughts of those coping with personal crisis, the AIDs Memorial Quilt is 1,293,300 square feet and has names of
more than 91,000 individuals who succumbed to AIDS-related illness. Moreover, the quilt raised over 4 million dollars
for HIV/AIDS prevention and education.
27
LESSON 5 / PUBLIC ART FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
z Show: Image of the War Protest sign
(follow the same protocol as the previous images)
After students respond, use the image to demonstrate that public art can be created in many different forms. Artists may
be invited by an official entity, a project may be artist-initiated, or work may take the form of a non-sanctioned artistic
endeavor (like the protest sign). However, artists inevitably bring unique and personal interpretations to each idea, site,
social construct, and aesthetic potential. In this way, artists can be social and civic leaders, advocating for alternative
perspectives through art that challenges assumptions, beliefs, and community values.
z Show: ICY and SOT’s image for The Water Tank Project
(follow the same protocol as the previous images)
This design was created by ICY and SOT.
ICY and SOT are stencil artists and brothers from Tabriz, Iran. Their artistic career began in 2008 and their work deals
with peace, war, love, hate, hope, despair, children, human rights and Iranian culture. The brothers have been included in
numerous exhibitions and have created street works in Iran and other countries.
z After students respond, ask them: Why would the issue of water be considered a topic for social change? Chart
students’ responses.
z Tell students:
By 2025, it is predicted that the global demand for clean water will exceed supply by 56%. This suggests a looming
crisis of massive proportions that goes largely unnoticed, especially where safe water is plentiful. Public art projects
like The Water Tank Project draw attention to the global water crises. The goal of the project is to raise awareness
and promote dialogue focused on the shrinking availability of clean water.
b REFLECTION: 10 MINUTES
z Ask students to illustrate a response to the following fact:
Of the 7 billion people on earth, 1.1 billion do not have access to safe, clean drinking water.
Sharing: 5 minutes
z Ask one or two students to share their illustrations.
28
PUBLIC ART FOR SOCIAL CHANGE / LESSON 5: RESOURCES
VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES (VTS)
Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) is an inquiry-based teaching strategy for all grade levels. You do not need any
special art training to use this strategy. The goal of VTS is not to teach the history of a work of art but
to encourage students to observe independently and to support their comments with evidence. By using VTS,
students learn to make meaning from the world around them, to gain confidence in their own ideas while respecting
those of others, and to contribute to a thoughtful debate amongst a group of peers.
The routine works well in a group discussion, but in some cases you may want to ask students to try the routine
individually on paper or in their heads before sharing as a class. Student responses to the routine can be written down
and recorded so that a class chart of observations, interpretations and wonderings are listed for all to see and return to
during the course of study.
How to do VTS
1. Choose a representational (nonabstract) artwork and project it for the class to see. Ask students to look closely and
silently at it for a minute or two. Three questions guide the discussion. Open by asking “What’s going on here?”
d Summarize student responses using conditional language (“Raoul thinks this could be…”). This keeps the conversation
open to other interpretations by other students.
d If appropriate, ask: “What do you see that makes you say that?”
d This encourages students to support their statements with their observations of the artwork.
d Ask the group: “What more can we find?” This continues the conversation.
Tips for doing VTS
During discussion, link, compare and contrast students’ responses. Avoid adding information. Let students look closely
and reason out their responses, rather than discussing the facts. If a student comes to a factually incorrect conclusion,
gently correct it if absolutely necessary during your classroom lesson, not during the VTS conversation. Allow the
conversation to go where it will, even if it gets off topic. Remember, the goal is not to share information, but to
encourage critical thinking.
At the end of the conversation, continue with your lesson, linking the content with students’ comments.
Purpose
What kind of thinking does this encourage? Careful observations. Thoughtful interpretations. Stimulates curiosity. Sets
the stage for inquiry.
Application
When and where can it be used? When you want students to think carefully about why something looks the way it does.
At the beginning of a new unit to motivate interest. Try it with an object that connects to a topic during the unit of study.
29
LESSON 6 / ARTISTIC RESPONSE: WATERCOLORS
LESSON 6
ARTISTIC RESPONSE: WATERCOLORS
GRADE LEVEL: 9TH - 12TH TIMING: 45 MINUTES
Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts: Visual
Arts Benchmarks
Students recognize the societal, cultural, and historical
significance of art; connect the visual arts to other
disciplines; apply the skills and knowledge learned in visual
arts to interpreting the world.
1. Examine a work of art as a primary document; based on
visual evidence, write hypotheses about the time period,
culture and political context.
2. Through close observation and sustained investigation,
students develop individual and global perspectives on
art; utilize the principles of art; solve design problems; and
explore perspective, scale and point of view.
G MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS
d Field notes worksheets
d Watercolor paper or Bristol board
d Pencils
d Watercolors
d Sharpies
d Water Journal
Q ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
d What is the role and responsibility of the artist in
response to social issues?
M OBJECTIVES
To allow students an opportunity to create a visual artistic
response to The Water Tank Project. Students explore
how art and culture impact communities and how creative
work has the power to address pressing social issues.
Students will be able to communicate information through
the context of their own visual art- work. Students will
create original works of art in response to The Water Tank
Project.
J GLOSSARY
d SOCIAL ISSUES
Issues that relate to society’s perception of people’s
personal lives; e.g.. access to medical care, welfare
assistance programs, safety services.
o MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTORS
d Refer to “Tips on using watercolors in the classroom”
30
ARTISTIC RESPONSE: WATERCOLORS / LESSON 6
b INTRODUCTION/DISCUSSION: 10 MINS
z Have students take out their field notes and spend a few minutes reviewing them.
z Ask students: (responses can be written, oral or a combination of both)
d What was the most interesting or surprising aspect of the work you saw and why?
d What were some of the artistic choices made in the work that stand out in your memory?
d If you were the artist what would you have done differently?
d How is water meaningful and important to you personally?
b ART EXERCISE: 30 MINUTE
z Give each student a 5.5”x 8.5” piece of Bristol board and have them write their name on the back. Have students
create a pencil illustration that represents their personal relationship with water. This could be a memory about a day at
the beach, being caught in a rainstorm or it can reflect some of the new information they have learned about the water
crisis and its impact on the world. Whatever it is, it should have personal meaning for the student. (Give students about
10 minutes to complete this part of the task.)
z Give each student a Sharpie marker. Tell students to trace the pencil lines in Sharpie. Any lines that are not traced
will not be visible once the paper is painted. (5 minutes )Have students add color to their illustrations using watercolor
paints. See watercolor technique tips below. (15 minutes)As students finish their paintings, move them to an area where
they can dry. (5 mins for clean up)
Share: 10 minutes
z Allow students to circulate and look at each other’s work.
b TIPS ON USING WATERCOLORS IN THE CLASSROOM
Watercolors are great for the classroom because they are quick to clean up and you do not need to be a trained artist to
get fantastic results. In addition to watercolor sets, you will need paper towel and cups or other small containers to hold
water. It does not take much water and students can easily share containers.
A. Watercolor painting – Using little water and loading your paintbrush up with paint, brush across the paper. Next, add
water to the brush and continue to apply paint to the paper. What happens? What changes?
B. Blotting – Use a bit of paper towel to soak up the paint. What happens when I blot the paint?
C. Dry Brush – Add color to a dry brush and apply paint to the paper. What do you notice? What happens when the
paint is applied with a dry brush? What is different?
D. Wet on Wet – Wet the paper with clean water. Then add paint to a paint brush and apply paint to the wet paper.
What do you notice? What happens? How can you make it darker?
Lighter?
E. Bleed – Using the wet on wet technique, drop a brush in a spot on the wet paper. The paint will spread out (this
is called a “bleed effect”). What happens when a drop of paint is added? Identify that “bleed” is an artist term for this
technique.
Different colors can create different moods:
Warm Colors: Red, yellow, orange. (Fire. Strong feelings. Excitement. Anger. Happiness. )
Cool Colors: Blue, green, purple. (Calming. Soothing. Upset. Sad. Lonely. Sick.)
31
LESSON 7 / THE PATH OF WATER
LESSON 7
THE PATH OF WATER
GRADE LEVEL: 9TH - 12TH TIMING: 45 MINUTES
O STANDARDS MET
NSS-G.K-12.3
Physical Systems: Understand the physical processes that
shape the patterns of the earth’s surface/ Understand the
characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on
the earth’s surface.
NL-ENG.K-12.12
Applying Language Skills: Students use spoken, written
and visual language to accomplish their own purposes
(e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion and the exchange
of information).
NSS-G.K-12.5
Environment and Society: Understand how human actions
modify the physical environment/ Understand how
physical systems affect human systems/ Understand the
changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution and
importance of resources.
NS.9-12.6
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Personal
health/Populations, resources and environments/Risks and
benefits.
d CONDENSATION
Conversion of water from vapor to liquid
d TRANSPIRATION
Release of water vapor from vegetation
d PRECIPITATION
Any form of water falling to the earth’s surface
d RUNOFF
Water which runs along the earth’s surface
d GROUNDWATER
Water stored in underground caverns and porous layers of
rock and soil
d SURFACE WATER
Freshwater on the earth’s surface, such as rivers, streams,
ponds, lakes, wetlands
d INFILTRATION
Seepage of water into underground porous layers of rock
and soil
d RESIDENCE TIME
Average length of time that a water molecule will remain in
a reservoir
d RESERVOIR
Naturally occurring body of water, such as a pond, and a
forced or controlled body of water, such as a reservoir
d WATER CYCLE
The cycle of processors by which water circulates between
the earth’s oceans, atmosphere and land
M OBJECTIVES
A. Students will understand how water travels through an
ecosystem.
B. Students will understand how water travels through
their community.
o MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTORS
d Projector and Screen
d Urban Water Cycle Computer Image
d Hydrologic Cycle Terminology Worksheet Answer Key
J GLOSSARY
d ECOSYSTEM
A biological community of interacting organisms and their
physical environment
d EVAPORATION
Conversion of water from liquid to vapor
32
THE PATH OF WATER / LESSON 7
G MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS
d Hydrologic Cycle Terminology Worksheet
d Hydrologic Cycle Diagram Handout
d Urban Water Cycle Image (If unable to project)
d Water Journal
Q ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
d How is water transformed as it travels through the
ecosystem? What is the path of water in our community?
b I. INTRODUCTION: 15 MINUTES
z Begin the lesson by writing the phrase, “ I am a drop of water falling from the sky...”
z Have students copy the phrase in their journals and allow them to write for 5 minutes, thinking about how water
travels through our environment.
z Select students to share their responses.
Prompt:
z After sharing ask students:
What were some of the means by which water traveled and/or changed during the course of its path? Where does
water come from? How old is the water that is on the earth today?
z Tell students that the water on the earth today is several billion years old. How is this possible? This water is recycled
over and over through the hydrologic cycle.
b II. HYDROLOGIC CYCLE: 15 MINUTES
A. Distribute a copy of the Hydrologic Cycle Terminology worksheet to each student. Give students 5 minutes to
complete this and then review the answers as a class.
GLOSSARY
d EVAPORATION: conversion of water from liquid to vapor
d CONDENSATION: conversion of water from vapor to liquid
d TRANSPIRATION: release of water vapor from vegetation
d PRECIPITATION: any form of water falling to the earth’s surface Runoff: water which runs along the earth’s surface
d GROUNDWATER: water stored in underground caverns and porous layers of rock and soil Surface water: freshwater
on the earth’s surface; rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, wetlands
d INFILTRATION: seepage of water into underground porous layers of rock and soil
B. Provide students with a copy of the hydrologic cycle and have them fill in the terms from the worksheet at the proper
locations on the cycle. For example, they should label the clouds as “condensation”.
C. After students finish labeling the cycle, direct student attention to the chart of residence times on the
Hydrologic Terminology Worksheet. Define “residence time” as the average length of time that a water molecule will
remain in a reservoir (a body of water).
33
LESSON 7 / THE PATH OF WATER
Residence Times of Water
Oceans: 3,200 years
Glaciers: 20 to 100 years
Seasonal snow cover: 2 to 6 months
Soil moisture: 1 to 2 months
Groundwater: shallow: 100 to 200 years
Groundwater: deep: 10,000 years
Lakes: 50 to 100 years
Rivers: 2 to 6 months
Atmosphere: 9 days
z Considering residence times, ask students which parts of the water cycle they think might be the “cleansing” phases.
Where does water have the most opportunity to be recycled and renewed? Where in the water cycle can we have the
most impact on water quality? Is there such a place?
Notes for instructor:
z Cleansing phases of water cycle are points of evaporation as most contaminants are left behind in this process.
Infiltration can also be a cleansing process as some contaminants will have a stronger attraction for soil particles and will
therefore be removed from the water.
z There is no “right or wrong” answer for where we have the greatest impact on water quality. The intent is to have
students understand that humans can have an impact at any point in the cycle.
b III. PATH OF WATER IN YOUR COMMUNITY: 15 MINUTES
z Ask students if the hydrologic cycle happens in the city. How does the “urban” water cycle differ from the diagram of
the hydrologic cycle they worked with in Part II of the lesson?
z Instruct students to add “urban” components to their diagram. Prompt students with questions such as:
d Where is your water from?
d How is water managed before it comes out of your tap?
d How does it get to your house?
d What happens to water before it comes out of your tap?
d What happens to water after it goes down the drain?
b REFLECTION/REVIEW: 5 MINUTES
z Share the Urban Water Cycle Diagram with students.
While reviewing the image, students should add the
following components to their diagrams:
d Rain, watersheds, reservoirs
d Streams and rivers
d Reservoir for water storage
d Water treatment facility
d Pipes/Tunnels to transport water
d Scientist Testing
d Storage facilities such as water tanks
d Water use at home
d Sewer pipes to bring wastewater to a treatment facility
d Wastewater treatment facility
d Pipes to outlets such as rivers or oceans
34
THE PATH OF WATER / LESSON 7
Source: http://www.pacificwater.org/pages.cfm/water-services/water-demand-management/waterdistribution/the-water-cycle.html
35
LESSON 7: RESOURCES / THE PATH OF WATER
HYDROLOGIC CYCLE TERMINOLOGY WORKSHEET
The following terms are associated with the processes within the hydrologic cycle. Match each term with its
corresponding definition.
1. Evaporation
A. water stored in underground caverns and porous layers of rock and soil
2. Condensation
B. conversion of water from liquid to vapor
3. Transpiration
C. any form of water falling to the earth’s surface
4. Precipitation
D. seepage of water into underground porous layers of rock and soil
5. Runoff
E. conversion of water from vapor to liquid
6. Groundwater
F. freshwater on the earth’s surface; rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, wetlands
7. Surface water
G. release of water vapor from vegetation
8. Infiltration
H. water which runs along the earth’s surface
RESIDENCE TIMES OF WATER
Oceans
3,200 years
Glaciers
20 to 100 years
Seasonal snow cover
2 to 6 months
Soil moisture
1 to 2 months
Groundwater: shallow
100 to 200 years
Groundwater: deep
10,000 years
Lakes
50 to 100 years
Rivers
2 to 6 months
Atmosphere
9 days
36
WATER IN SOCIETY AND CULTURE / LESSON 8
LESSON 8
WATER IN SOCIETY AND CULTURE
GRADE LEVEL: 9TH - 12TH TIMING: 45 MINUTES
O STANDARDS MET
NL-ENG.K-12.12
Applying Language Skills: Students use spoken, written
and visual language to accomplish their own purposes
(e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange
of information).
NSS-G.K-12.5
Environment and Society: Understand how human actions
modify the physical environment/ Understand how
physical systems affect human systems/ Understand the
changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution and
importance of resources.
NS.9-12.6
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Personal
health/Populations, resources and environments/Risks and
benefits.
o MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTORS
d Projector
d Screen
d Computer Images
d Discussion talking points
G MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS
d Water Journal
Q ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
d Why are rituals and traditions an important part of our
societies and cultures?
M OBJECTIVES
A. Students will understand how water plays a significant
role in world culture and religion.
J GLOSSARY
d RITUAL
Set of actions performed mainly for their symbolic value. It
may be prescribed by the traditions of a community.
d SYMBOLISM
The practice of representing things by symbols, or of
investing things with a symbolic meaning or character.
A symbol is an object, action or idea that represents
something other than itself, often of a more abstract
nature.
d CULTURE
The beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society,
group, place, or time
37
LESSON 8 / WATER IN SOCIETY AND CULTURE
b I. INTRODUCTION: 15 MINUTES
Water is fundamental. For the ancient Greeks it was one of the four components of the universe
(earth, air, fire, water) and the notion continued to be widespread throughout the pre-scientific era.
It is the source of customs that have created a true water culture which, today, is the echo of a multiple and global
approach to the environmental, social, human, ethical, religious and economic dimensions of water and ecosystems.
At a time when the resource is the focus of global attention and disquiet regarding our common future, the culture of
water must be well understood so that its management and care can be efficient, productive and satisfy a vital need:
saving what is becoming a threatened resource. Humankind’s cultural imagination displays an extraordinary uniformity
and endurance around the way water is personified and interpreted in different locations and belief systems around the
world.
z Show or read out loud:
“Water is not just a resource. It is a key issue of civilization.”
- Domenico Luciani, President of the International Water Civilization Center
z Ask students to respond to the quote in their water journals. 5 minutes
z Tell students:
Hundreds of years ago, when much of the globe was unmapped, what was beyond the ocean was literally unknown.
Water is almost universally a symbol of purity and fertility. In countless creation myths, life emerges from primordial
waters. Interestingly, humans are more than 50% water and so we can liken many of these myths and allegories to our
own existence.
z Ask students to brainstorm some of the symbolic meanings that water can have. 5 minutes
d Symbolic meanings for water include (but are not limited to):
Transformation, subconscious, fertility, purification, reflection, renewal, blessing, motion and life.
b ACTIVITY I: 10 MINUTES
z Tell students they will view images of how water is used within different cultures and societies. While they
consider the images ask students to record their thoughts on the uses and symbolism of water in each image in their
journals using the following prompts:
What do you notice?
What do you wonder?
What purpose do rituals and traditions serve?
Do you believe it is important that these rituals are kept alive? Why?
z Use the talking point found in the Resources section to guide the class discussion.
38
WATER IN SOCIETY AND CULTURE / LESSON 8
b ACTIVITY II: 10 MINUTES
z Read this Haiku by Nizamettin Esen Haymanali aloud:
Wonderful water
divine chameleon forming
itself and our life
z Ask the students to write their own haikus. Here are some guidelines: Haikus are divided into three lines of 5, 7 and 5
syllables each. The haiku is divided in two parts with a certain imaginative distance between the two sections. Line one
and two should evoke different images. Line three brings the two images together. A haiku often contains a kigo, a word
which indicates in which season the haiku is set. For example, cherry blossoms indicate spring, and snow indicates winter.
The season word is not always obvious.
z Ask students to write a haiku that is personal, to write when they have been deeply moved. Haikus should be honest,
simple, clear and modest. They should need no explanation.
b IV. REFLECTION AND SHARING: 5 MINUTES
z Debrief by having students share their reflections on images. Ask students to share their haikus.
39
LESSON 8: RESOURCES / WATER IN SOCIETY AND CULTURE
Water rituals are central to many religious practices. Here are some talking points for leading discussions. Use this text
as you look at the slideshow of images.
CHRISTIANITY
Almost all Christian churches or sects have an initiation
ritual involving the use of water. Baptism has its origins
in the symbolism of the Israelites being led by Moses out
of slavery in Egypt through the Red Sea and from the
baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan River.
The use of water has important symbolic value in three
ways: many Christians believe it cleanses and washes away
dirt; it fills everything it enters as God fills those who are
immersed in Him; and water is needed to survive physically
as we need God to survive spiritually. In the early church,
baptism was usually performed with the person standing
in water and with water being poured over the upper
part of the body. This was called ‘immersion’, but today
the term refers to the method of dipping the whole body
under water which is used, for example, by the Baptist and
Orthodox churches. In most Western churches today, the
rite is performed by pouring water over the head three
times (affusion) and sometimes sprinkling water over the
head (aspersion).
Source: http://www.greencastlebaptist.org/Our-Staff.html
HINDUISM
From Swami Tyagananda, Ramakrishna Vedanta Society,
Boston
Hindus use water to cleanse themselves before prayer.
Most traditional temples have an area for washing hands
and feet before entering the main sanctum. Hindus also
believe that water from the River Ganges in India is
sacred, and that bathing in the river washes away sins,
though there is no formal ceremony attached to the
popular practice. Those who visit the river often collect its
water in bottles for later use. Believers sprinkle the river
water on themselves before prayer and worship to purify
themselves.
Source: http://observatory.designobserver.com/media/
images/water-temple-bali.jpg
40
WATER IN SOCIETY AND CULTURE / LESSON 8: RESOURCES
ISLAM
From Imam Talal Eid, Islamic Institute of Boston
Muslims use water to cleanse themselves in preparation for
their five daily prayers. The ritual ablution takes place in a
special room inside the mosque. Muslims wash their feet up
to the ankles, and arms, up to the elbows, as well as their
faces, before entering the prayer room. Mouths, noses, and
ears are also rinsed, and water is smoothed over the hair
and neck. The cleansing – known as Wudu – can be used for
several prayers, but must be done again if a person goes to
the bathroom, becomes otherwise unclean, or falls asleep.
The prayer itself cleanses the spirit, while water cleans the
body.
Source: http://www.barenakedislam.com/2009/08/29/
muslim-footbaths-on-the-march/
JUDAISM
From Aliza Kline, Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters
Community Mikveh and Education Center, Newton, MA
The mikveh, or immersion in a “gathering of water,” is a ritual
traditionally required prior to conversion, marriage, and
the Sabbath. Long considered an Orthodox or traditional
practice, the ritual is also gaining popularity with less
observant followers to mark various rites of passage: for
celebrations, mourning periods, life transitions, pregnancy
and healing. It can take place in any natural body of
water, or in specially constructed pools that incorporate
natural waters. Traditionally, the focus of the mikveh was
on achieving purity, but now calm and healing are often
emphasized. Mikveh is considered the chronological
precursor to baptism.
Source: http://forward.com/workspace/assets/
images/articles/blog-mikveh-022411.jpg
41
LESSON 8: RESOURCES / WATER IN SOCIETY AND CULTURE
NATIVE AMERICAN
Ritual purifications, such as those using a sauna or sweat
lodge, exist within the traditions of many indigenous
people of the Americas. Some indigenous groups also
believe that the burning of smudge sticks cleanses an area
of evil. Moving bodies of water, such as rivers or streams,
figure into the traditions of the Cherokee and some other
tribes of the southeastern United States, for daily rituals or
special ceremonies.
Source: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/annishinabewater-ceremony-annishinaabe-ho-chunk-sioux-scottridgway.html
SHINTO
Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan and is based
on the veneration of the kami – the innumerable deities
believed to inhabit mountains, trees, rocks, springs and
other natural phenomena. Worship of kamis, whether
public or private, always begins with the all important act
of purification with water. Inside the many sacred shrines
troughs for ritual washing are placed. Waterfalls are held
sacred and standing under them is believed to purify.
Source: http://www.nipponnews.net/en/news/japanesenew-year-ice-bath/
42
WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT / LESSON 9
LESSON 9
WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT
GRADE LEVEL: 9TH - 12TH TIMING: 45 MINUTES
O STANDARDS MET
ANSS-C.9-12.5
Roles of the Citizen: What are the responsibilities of
citizens?/ How can citizens take part in civic life?
NL-ENG.K-12.12
Applying Language Skills: Students use spoken, written
and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g.
for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of
information).
NSS-EC.9-12.1
Productive Resources: Scarcity
NSS-G.K-12.1
The World in Spatial Terms: Understand how to use
maps and other geographic representations, tools, and
technologies to acquire, process and report information
from a spatial perspective.
NS.9-12.6
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Personal
health/Populations, resources, and environments/Risks
and benefits.
M OBJECTIVES
d HUMAN RIGHTS
Fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled
simply because she or he is a human being.
d UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Document drafted by the United Nations Commission on
Human Rights in 1948 to more clearly define the rights
mentioned in the Charter of the United Nations, while also
providing a clear and general definition of human rights for
all nations. The Declaration has since been translated into
over 300 languages, and is widely referenced around the
world.
d UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION 64/292
On 28 July, 2010, the United Nations General Assembly
explicitly recognized the human right to water and
sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water
and sanitation are essential to the realization of all human
rights.
Q ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
d What are your rights as a human being?
d Do you think the UDHR mentions all human rights?
d Is clean water a human right?
o MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTORS
A. Students will review and discuss articles in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR).
B. Students will write articles they feel should be added to
the UDHR; Rights of Teenagers.
C. Students will discuss clean water as a human right.
D. Students will read and discuss United Nations
Resolution 64/292.
E. Students will review current statistics on the water crisis.
J GLOSSARY
d Blackboard
d Smart board
d Easel G MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS
d Water Journal
d Universal Declaration of Human Rights worksheets
d Copies of water statistics for an info graphic
d Water Global Crisis Statistic worksheet
d CAPACITY-BUILDING
Ongoing process through which groups such as
organizations and societies enhance their ability to identify
and meet development challenges.
43
LESSON 9 / WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT
b DISCUSSION: 8 MINUTES
z Open the discussion by asking students what their rights are as a human being. Ask students if they know there is a
document that lists human rights for all human beings. Share the definition of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
with the class.
b REVIEW AND WRITING: 30 MINUTES
z Distribute the Universal Declaration of Human Rights worksheets. Have students review the document with a partner.
Ask them to think of any human rights that affect their neighborhoods or school as they review the articles, and to
discuss whether any rights should be added to the Declaration.
z Bring the class back together and ask students if there are rights they feel need to be protected, as teenagers and
young people, that are not in the Declaration. Record students’ responses on the board or flip chart.
z Now ask students: Is access to clean water a human right? Remind students that human beings cannot live without
clean water. Listen to student responses.
z Discuss the topic in more depth. Ask students questions to consider such as:
Who is responsible for providing clean water?
What should someone do if they find their water is unclean?
Are there places in the world where people do not have access to clean water?
b DISCUSSION OF UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION 64/292
z Share with students that on 28 July 2010, through Resolution 64/292, the United Nations General Assembly
recognized the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water and sanitation are
essential to the realization of all human rights. The Resolution calls upon states and international organizations to provide
financial resources, help capacity-building and technology transfer to help countries – in particular developing countries
– to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all.
b WATER GLOBAL CRISIS STATISTICS: 7 MINUTES
z Distribute the Water Global Crisis Statistic worksheet. Have students review the statistic sheet and share what they
find most surprising. If there is time, have students take a few minutes to reflect on what surprised them in their Water
Journal.
44
WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT / LESSON 9: RESOURCES
UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948
PREAMBLE
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is
the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience
of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom
from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and
oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in
the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote
social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of
universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of
this pledge,
Now, therefore,
The General Assembly,
Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all
nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall
strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures,
national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of
Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.
ARTICLE I - All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and
conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
ARTICLE 2 - Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any
kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or
other status.
Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the
country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self- governing or under any other
limitation of sovereignty.
45
LESSON 9: RESOURCES / WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT
ARTICLE 3 - Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
ARTICLE 4 - No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their
forms.
ARTICLE 5 - No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
ARTICLE 6 - Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
ARTICLE 7 - All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the
law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and
against any incitement to such discrimination.
ARTICLE 8 - Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the
fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
ARTICLE 9 - No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
ARTICLE 10 - Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in
the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
ARTICLE 11 - Everyone charged with a penal offense has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty
according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defense.
No one shall be held guilty of any penal offense on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal
offense, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed
than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offense was committed.
ARTICLE 12 - No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor
to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference
or attacks.
ARTICLE 13 - Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State. Everyone
has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
ARTICLE 14 - Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts
contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 15 - Everyone has the right to a nationality.
No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
ARTICLE 16 - Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to
marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
46
WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT / LESSON 9: RESOURCES
The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
ARTICLE 17 - Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. No one shall be
arbitrarily deprived of his property.
ARTICLE 18 - Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to
change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest
his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
ARTICLE 19 - Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions
without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of
frontiers.
ARTICLE 20 - Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. No one may be compelled to
belong to an association.
ARTICLE 21 - Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen
representatives. Everyone has the right to equal access to public service in his country.
The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and
genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free
voting procedures.
ARTICLE 22 - Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through
national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the
economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.
ARTICLE 23 - Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work
and to protection against unemployment.
Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. Everyone who works has the right
to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and
supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
ARTICLE 24 - Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic
holidays with pay.
ARTICLE 25 - Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and of his
family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the
event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his
control.
Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock,
shall enjoy the same social protection.
47
LESSON 9: RESOURCES / WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT
ARTICLE 26 - Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental
stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally
available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for
human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations,
racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
ARTICLE 27 - Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to
share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or
artistic production of which he is the author.
ARTICLE 28 - Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this
Declaration can be fully realized.
ARTICLE 29 - Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is
possible.
In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law
solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the
just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society. These rights and freedoms
may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 30 - Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to
engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
48
WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT / LESSON 9: RESOURCES
GLOBAL WATER CRISIS STATISTICS SHEET
d More than one in nine people worldwide - 780 million - don’t have access to improved water sources. That is 2 and a
half times the population of the U.S. (World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF)
Joint Monitoring Programme on Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP))
d The UN suggests that each person needs 20-50 litres of water a day to ensure their basic needs for drinking, cooking
and cleaning. (World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP))
d 27% of the urban population in the developing world does not have piped water in its house. (UNESCO)
d Water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century. (Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO))
d Water withdrawals are predicted to increase by 50 percent by 2025 in developing countries, and 18 per cent in
developed countries. (Global Environment Outlook: environment for development (GEO-4))
d By 2025, 1 800 million people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the
world population could be under stress conditions. (FAO)
d 1/3 of the world’s population lacks sufficient access to safe drinking water and sanitation to meet their basic needs.
(Pacific Institute 2007 in UNWWDR3 p.36)
d The GDP of many African countries is strongly correlated with rainfall patterns (World Bank)
d Dirty water causes over 170 million deaths each year. This can be compared to 10 jumbo jets crashing every day, 90% of
the passengers being children. (Clark & King 2004:53)
d Unclean water and poor sanitation are the second largest cause of death of children. (UNDP 2006, p.15)
d Close to 50% of all people in developing countries suffer at any given time from a health problem caused by water and
sanitation deficits. (UNDP 2006, p.15)
d An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses
for an entire day. (United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2006). Human Development Report 2006, Beyond
Scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis)
d More people have a mobile phone than a toilet. (Estimated with data from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring
Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation. (2012). Progress on Sanitation and Drinking-Water, 2012 Update.)
d Globally we use 70% of our water sources for agriculture and irrigation, and only 10% on domestic uses. (AQUASTAT.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. “Water Use.)
d Girls under the age of 15 are twice as likely as boys their age to be the family member responsible for fetching water.
(WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation. “Progress on Sanitation and Drinking
Water 2010.”)
d According to the World Health Organization, for every $1 invested in water and sanitation, there is an economic return
of between $3 and $34. (World Health Organization. Executive Summary of “Costs and benefits of water and sanitation
improvements at the global level.)
d The United Nations estimates that Sub-Saharan Africa alone loses 40 billion hours per year collecting water; that’s
the same as a whole year’s worth of labor by the entire workforce in France. (United Nations Development Programme.
“Resource Guide on Gender and Climate Change.” 2009)
d 60% of body is composed of water: Brain: 70% water, Lungs: 90% water, Muscle Tissue: 75% water, Fat Tissue: 10%
water, Bone: 22% water Blood: 83% water.
49
LESSON 9: RESOURCES / WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT
d In Africa alone, people spend 40 billion hours every year just walking for water. (http://www.un.org/womenwatch/
downloads/Resource_Guide_English_FINAL.pdf)
d The average North American uses 400 liters of water every day. The average person in the developing world uses 10
liters of water every day for their drinking, washing and cooking. (Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council
(WSSCC))
d 443 million school days are lost each year due to water-related diseases. (http://www.wateraid.org/us/the-water-story/
the-crisis/statistics)
d Every year, more than 200 million tons of human sewage goes uncollected and untreated, fouling the environment.
Each gram of feces can contain 10 million virus particles, 1 million bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts and 100 parasite eggs.
(UN)
d Surveys from 45 developing countries show that women and children bear the primary responsibility for water
collection in the majority of households. This is time not spent working at an income-generating job, caring for family
members, or attending school. (WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation.
(2010))
d An estimated 200 million hours are spent each day globally collecting water. This is equivalent to building 28 Empire
State buildings in one day. (Estimated with data from: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water
Supply and Sanitation. (2010))
d People living in informal settlements (i.e. slums) often pay 5-10 times more per liter of water than wealthy people living
in the same city. (United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (2006))
d The water needed to manufacture the following products:
1 egg – 400 gallons
1 slice of bread – 10 gallons
1 lb. of chicken – 500 gallons
1 cup of coffee – 35 gallons
1 lb. of corn – 110 gallons
1 lb. of beef – 4,000 gallons
1 cotton shirt – 700 gallons
1 pair of jeans – 1,800 gallons
1 car – 100,000 gallons
1 lb. steel – 25 gallons
500 sheets of paper – 1,300 gallons
$1 worth of computer chips – 8.5 gallons
(National Geographic)
50
INFOGRAPHICS / LESSON 10
LESSON 10
INFOGRAPHICS
GRADE LEVEL: 9TH - 12TH TIMING: 45 MINUTES
G MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS
O STANDARDS MET
NS.9-12.6
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Personal
health/Populations, resources, and environments/Risks
and benefits
NSS-G.K-12.5
Environment and Society: Understand how human actions
modify the physical environment/ Understand how
physical systems affect human systems/ Understand the
changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution and
importance of resources.
NL-ENG.K-12.12
Applying Language Skills: Students use spoken, written
and visual language to accomplish their own purposes
(e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion and the exchange
of information).
d Paper and art materials (glue, scissors, markers, colored
pencils)
d Global Water Crisis Statistics Sheet
Q ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
d What are some other ways in which information can be
passed on to readers other than through text?
d How else can art that is not an illustration or a
photograph be used on a page?
M OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to recognize and produce basic
infographics.
o MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTORS
d Global Water Crisis Statistics Sheet
d Projector
d Screen
d Examples of different water infographics for inspiration
Water shortage infographics: Google Image Search
[https://www.google.com/search?q=water+shortage+infogr
aphic&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=959&tbm=isch&tbo=u&sourc
e=univ&sa=X&ei=nQsHVYroMoK0ogTqwYHgDg&ved=0CB
0QsAQ]
Water conservation infographics: Google Image Search
[https://www.google.com/search?q=water+conservation+inf
ographics&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=959&tbm=isch&tbo=u&so
urce=univ&sa=X&ei=1QsHVZTGLND0oATH9YCwCg&ved=
0CB0QsAQ]
51
LESSON 10 / INFOGRAPHICS
b I. INTRODUCTION: 15 MINUTES
z What is an infographic?
Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended
to present complex information quickly and clearly. They can improve cognition by utilizing graphics to enhance the
human visual system’s ability to see patterns and trends. The process of creating infographics can be referred to as
data visualization, information design or information architecture.
z Look at an example of an infographic together as a class and discuss it using these questions:
d What is the the purpose of visual displays such as charts, maps, graphs, timelines, etc.?
d How can we evaluate an infographic? Is there such a thing as a “bad” infographic?
d What are some of the principles behind successful infographics?
DEMONSTRATION
z Use this statistic:
“Globally we use 70% of our water sources for agriculture and irrigation, and only 10% on domestic uses.”
z Break the process of creating an inforgraphic into steps. Ask students to identify the important facts of this statistic
and to think about how they can represent it visually. Options include creating illustrations to scale - for instance
juxtaposing a drawing a house that is one inch with a drawing of a plant that is 7 inches. Ten houses can be placed next
to 70 plants.
z The graphics should be simple, legible images without a lot of detail so that it can be easily duplicated by hand. The
images can be abstract or representational
ACTIVITY
z Working individually or in pairs
1. Choose a statistic from the Global Water Crisis Statistics Sheet.
2. Think of ways to make these facts and evidence tell a story.
3. Illustrate your data (timelines, flowcharts, graphs, diagrams, size comparisons, show familiar objects/size/values)
4. Keep it simple.
5. Present your infographic.
Infographics can be simple or complex, but they allow students to demonstrate deeper meaning while teaching them
about design thinking. The use of infographics helps reinforce the idea that facts are fine, but placing them in context
creates meaning and leads to learning.
52
SOCIAL JUSTICE: DOMESTIC WATER ISSUES / LESSON 11
LESSON 11
SOCIAL JUSTICE: DOMESTIC WATER ISSUES
GRADE LEVEL: 9TH - 12TH TIMING: 45 MINUTES
O STANDARDS MET
NS.9-12.6
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Personal
health/Populations, resources, and environments/Risks
and benefits
NSS-G.K-12.5
Environment and Society: Understand how human actions
modify the physical environment/ Understand how
physical systems affect human systems/ Understand the
changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution and
importance of resources.
NSS-C.9-12.5
Roles of the Citizen: What are the responsibilities of
citizens?/ How can citizens take part in civic life?
NL-ENG.K-12.12
Applying Language Skills: Students use spoken, written
and visual language to accomplish their own purposes
(e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange
of information).
M OBJECTIVES
A. Students will understand the ways in which water issues
have motivated social activism in the United
States.
B. Students will explore the impact of the production and
consumption of bottled water.
C. Students will evaluate their consumption of bottled
water and consider alternate sources.
D. Students will be introduced to the issues surrounding
hydraulic fracturing, – or ‘hydrofracking’ – a method of
natural gas extraction.
d HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
The process of creating fissures in underground rocks by
introducing liquid at high pressure in order to extract oil or
natural gas supplies. Also known as ‘hydrofracking’.
Q ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
d How does our use of bottled water impact our local and
global communities? Is hydrofracking a viable method of
extracting our natural gas resources?
o MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTORS
d 1 plastic water bottle filled one quarter with “oil” (cooking
oil or a substance that looks like crude oil, such as coffee)
d New York State Watershed image
d Bottled Water: Fact or Fiction PowerPoint presentation
d Projector
G MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS
d Bottled Water: Fact or Fiction Activity sheet
d Bottled Water Fact sheet
d Hydraulic Fracturing Process image
d Hydraulic Fracturing Homework sheet
d Article:
“Some Scientists Say Hydrofracking Benefits Outweigh
Risks” by Nicholas McCrea on syracuse.com (May 2nd,
2010): http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/
some_scientists_sat_hydrofrack.html
J GLOSSARY
d WATERBORNE DISEASE
A disease caused by pathogenic microorganisms that is
transmitted through contaminated fresh water
53
LESSON 11 / SOCIAL JUSTICE: DOMESTIC WATER ISSUES
b I. BOTTLED WATER ACTIVITY: 20 MINUTES
z Begin by asking students to raise their hands in response to the following questions:
How many of you drink bottled water?
How many of you drink one bottle a day? Two bottles? More than two bottles?
z Explain to students that bottled water is a commonly consumed product in our society. We are going to explore some
facts about bottled water.
BOTTLED WATER: FACT VS. FICTION ACTIVITY:
z Divide the room into two sections, one for “Fact” and one for “Fiction”. Distribute the “Bottled Water: Fact or Fiction”
sheet (or use the PowerPoint presentation to introduce the statements). Have a student read the first statement aloud.
z Ask the students to decide whether they believe the statement is fact or fiction. After they have decided, tell them to
move to either the “Fiction” or “Fact” side of the room. After students have chosen sides, have the groups discuss why
they made their decision and select one person in the group to share with the class.
z After students explain their reasoning, you will confirm whether the statement is fact or fiction and share reasoning
that is listed after each statement below. Continue the activity with the remaining statements.
FACT OR FICTION STATEMENTS:
1. Bottled water has fewer contaminants, so it is safer to drink than tap water.
[Fiction: Laboratory tests conducted for Environmental Working Group (EWG) at one of the country’s leading water
quality laboratories found that 10 popular brands of bottled water, purchased from grocery stores and other retailers
in nine states and the District of Columbia, contained 38 chemical pollutants altogether, with an average of eight
contaminants in each brand.] (Bottled Water Quality Investigation: 10 Major Brands, 38 Pollutants Bottled water contains
disinfection byproducts, fertilizer residue, and pain medication. October 2008)
2. Most of the plastic water bottles produced are recycled. [Fiction: Only 13% of the plastic bottles of water end up in
the recycling stream where they are turned into products like fleece clothing, carpeting, decking, playground equipment
and new containers and bottles. Only eleven states in the nation have a bottle bill law, so there is little incentive for
bottles to be returned. Almost 87% of all plastic water bottles go into landfills or become litter. That is seven of every
eight bottles.] (http://www.container-recycling.org/index.php/issues/bottled-water)
3. It is impossible to get a waterborne disease from drinking bottled water. [Fiction: Outbreaks of illness from
contaminated bottled water have occurred and are well documented by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and
others in the scientific literature. For example, in a published 1996 study of waterborne disease in the United States, the
CDC reported a 1994 outbreak of cholera associated with bottled water that occurred in Saipan, U.S. territory in the
Marianas Islands in the Pacific.] (M.H. Kramer, et al., “Surveillance for Waterborne-Disease Outbreaks -- United States,
1993-1994,” Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Surveillance Summaries, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,
vol. 45, no. SS-1, pp. 1-31 (April 12, 1996).)
4. $1.50 spent on tap water gives you the same amount of water as nearly 3,500 bottles of water (20 oz. bottles) [Fact:
Consumer price for 20 oz. tap water is $0.0004] Did you know that if you purchased 3 plastic water bottles a day, you
would spend about $140 a month? That is almost $1700 a year that you could be saving.] (United States Environmental
Protection Agency, ‘Water on Tap: What You Need to Know’)
54
SOCIAL JUSTICE: DOMESTIC WATER ISSUES / LESSON 11
5. Bottled water companies must abide by the same EPA regulations as tap water. [Fiction: According to National
Resources Defense Council (NRDC) research, “in-depth review indicates that, with few exceptions, federal bottled water
regulation is weaker than the tap water regulations facing city water supplies.”] (http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/
bw/exesum.asp)
6. It takes almost three times as much water to produce the amount in one bottle of water. [Fact: Clean, potable water is
wasted in the process of bottling water.] (http://pacinst.org/publication/bottled-water-and-energy-a-fact-sheet/)
7. Americans use more than 17 million barrels of oil every year to support their bottled water habits. (Enough fuel for
1,000,000 cars for one year) [Fact: Present students with a plastic water bottle filled one-fourth of the way with “oil.”
Explain that you brought in this bottle to illustrate that drinking a bottle of water is like using this amount of fossil fuels.
One-fourth of a bottle of oil or other energy source is embedded in the production costs of a bottle of water.] (“The
Pacific Institute estimates that the total amount of energy required for every plastic bottle is equivalent, on average,
to filling each plastic bottle one quarter full with oil.” National Geographic,” Drinking Water: Bottled or From the Tap?;
Catherine Clarke Fox; 2011)
8. It takes 100 years for a plastic bottle to photodegrade in a landfill. [Fiction: It actually takes over 500 years for plastic
to break down in a landfill] (U.S. National Park Service; Mote Marine Lab, Sarasota, FL.)
9. Bottled water is natural. It only comes from springs, glaciers or mountain rivers. [Fiction: 40% of all bottled water is
taken from municipal sources, aka tap water.] (http://savethewater.org/education-resources/water-facts/)
10. Bottled water companies remove water from ecosystems within proper and safe limits. [Fiction: Nestle prefers to
market water from springs. The pumping can have a significant environmental impact, sucking water from underground
aquifers that are the source of water for nearby streams, wells, and farms. In Mecosta County, Michigan, a judge has
ruled that Nestle stop pumping from a site that was threatening the surrounding ecosystem.] (http://www.sierraclub.org)
b REFLECTION: 10 MINUTES
z After the completion of the activity ask students to take a moment to reflect on information about bottled water. Hand
out a “Bottle Water Fact Sheet” which has additional facts about bottled water use.
How can students become activists in terms of the issues surrounding bottled water?
z Ask the students if any of them would consider changing their habits by drinking tap water and not purchasing
bottled water.
z Brainstorm some alternatives to using bottled water:
Use a reusable glass or stainless water bottle
Advocate for water resources such as fountains that accommodate reusable water bottles
z Have students calculate how much they spend on water each week. Are they willing to save this money and instead
donate it to an organization that provides clean water to people in need?
55
LESSON 11 / SOCIAL JUSTICE: DOMESTIC WATER ISSUES
b II. HYDROFRACKING: 15 MINUTES
z Ask students if they have heard the term “hydrofracking”. After listening to their responses, share the following
definition with students:
Hydraulic fracturing, as used for natural gas extraction, is the process by which water, frequently mixed with
proppants – solid material such as sand or ceramic pellets – and chemicals, is forced down a well at extremely high
pressure in order to create or expand fractures to release gas from the rock formation in which it is trapped.
z Hand out the hydrofracturing image and briefly go over the hydrofracturing procedure with the students. Use the
following website for background information on hydrofracturing:
http://www.earthworksaction.org/issues/detail/hydraulic_fracturing_101
z Tell students that this process is highly controversial. In order to explore this issue, students will read an article for
homework and complete a worksheet.
z Distribute the article and worksheet. Tell students they should read the article for homework and complete the
worksheet.
56
SOCIAL JUSTICE: DOMESTIC WATER ISSUES / LESSON 11: RESOURCES
BOTTLED WATER FACTS
1. In 1976 Americans drank an average of 1.6 gallons of bottled water every year. Roughly 30 years later consumption
increased to 30 gallons per person, according to the Earth Policy Institute.
(Earth Policy Institute: Food and Agriculture --- Bottled Water Consumption in the United States 1976-2007)
2. Bottled water can cost anywhere from 240 to 10,000 times more than tap water, which is brought right to your home
for pennies a gallon. The $1.50 spent on tap water gives you the same amount of water as nearly 3,500 bottles of water
(20 oz. Bottles). Did you know that if you purchased 3 plastic water bottles a day that would be about $140 a month. That
is almost $1700 a year that you could be saving.
(Natural Resources Defense Council; Bottled Water; 2008)
3. According to National Geographic,s Americans drink more bottled water than any other nation, purchasing an
impressive 29 billion bottles every year. Making all the plastic for those bottles uses 17 mil- lion barrels of crude oil
annually. That is equivalent to the fuel needed to keep 1 million vehicles on the road for 12 months. If you were to fill one
quarter of a plastic water bottle with oil, you would be look- ing at roughly the amount.
(National Geographic; “Drinking Water: Bottled or From the Tap?”; Catherine Clarke Fox; 2011)
4. The recycling rate for those 29 billion bottles of water is low; only about 13 percent end up in the recycling stream
where they are turned into products like fleece clothing, carpeting, decking, playground equipment and new containers
and bottles. In 2005, that meant approximately 2 million tons of water bottles ended up in U.S. landfills, according to
the National Resources Defense Council. Only 11 states in the nation have a bottle bill law so there is low incentive for
returns of bottles. Almost 87% of all plastic water bottles go into landfills or become litter. That is 7 of every 8 bottles
(Natural Resources Defense Council; Bottled Water; 2008)
5. Bottled water often takes a long journey to U.S. markets. In 2006, the equivalent of 2 billion half-liter bottles arrived
in U.S. ports, according to the NRDC. Fiji shipped 18 million gallons of bottled water to California, releasing about 2,500
tons of transportation-related pollution. Western Europe’s shipment of bottled water to New York City that year released
3,800 tons of pollution. The energy used to pump, process, transport and refrigerate bottled water is over 50 million
barrels of oil annually.
(Natural Resources Defense Council; Bottled Water; 2008)
6. Bottled water is not always as safe as tap water. Roughly 22 percent of the water tested contained contaminant
levels that exceeded strict state health limits. Laboratory tests conducted for EWG at one of the country’s leading water
quality laboratories found that 10 popular brands of bottled water, purchased from grocery stores and other retailers in
9 states and the District of Columbia, contained 38 chemical pollutants altogether, with an average of 8 contaminants in
each brand
7. In theory, bottled water in the United States falls under the regulatory authority of the Food and Drug Administration.
In practice, about 70 percent of bottled water never crosses state lines for sale, making it exempt from FDA oversight.
NRDC research - “Our in-depth review indicates that, with few exceptions, federal bottled water regulation is weaker
than the tap water regulations facing city water supplies”.
57
LESSON 11: RESOURCES / SOCIAL JUSTICE: DOMESTIC WATER ISSUES
8. It is possible to get a water-borne disease from drinking bottled water. Outbreaks of illness from contaminated
bottled water have occurred and are well documented by CDC and others in the scientific literature. For example,
in a published 1996 study of waterborne disease in the United States, the CDC reported a 1994 outbreak of cholera
associated with bottled water that occurred in Saipan, U.S. territory in the Marianas Islands in the Pacific.
(M.H. Kramer, et al., “Surveillance for Waterborne-Disease Outbreaks -- United States, 1993-1994,” Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Surveillance Summaries, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, vol. 45, no. SS-1, pp. 1-31 (April 12, 1996))
9. It takes almost 3 times as much water to produce the amount in one bottle of water. Clean, potable water is wasted in
the process of bottling water.
(http://savethewater.org/education-resources/water-facts/)
10. It takes over 500 years for plastic to break down in a landfill
(U.S. National Park Service; Mote Marine Lab, Sarasota, FL.)
11. Nestle prefers to market water from springs. The pumping can have a significant environmental impact, sucking
water from underground aquifers that are the source of water for nearby streams, wells, and farms. In Mecosta County,
Michigan, a judge has ruled that Nestle must stop pumping from a site that is threatening the surrounding ecosystem.
(http://www.sierraclub.org/)
58
SOCIAL JUSTICE: DOMESTIC WATER ISSUES / LESSON 11: RESOURCES
BOTTLED WATER: FACT OR FICTION?
1. Bottled water has fewer contaminants so it is safer to drink than tap water.
2. Most of the plastic water bottles produced are recycled.
3. It is impossible to get a waterborne disease from drinking bottled water.
4. $1.50 spent on tap water gives you the equivalent of 3,500 - 20 oz. bottles of water.
5. Bottled water companies must abide by the same EPA regulations as tap water.
6. It takes almost 3 times as much water to produce the amount in one bottle of water.
7. Americans use more than 17 million barrels of oil every year to support their bottled water habits.
8. It takes 100 years for a plastic bottle to decompose in a landfill.
9. Bottled water is natural. It only comes from springs, glaciers or rivers.
10. Bottle water companies remove water from ecosystems within proper and safe limits.
59
LESSON 11: RESOURCES / SOCIAL JUSTICE: DOMESTIC WATER ISSUES
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING HOMEWORK ANSWER SHEET
SOME SCIENTISTS SAY HYDROFRACKING BENEFITS OUTWEIGH RISKS
BY NICOLAS MCCREA
The following are possible responses for the Venn diagram worksheet:
Pro-Hydrofracking Ideas
· Reduce carbon emissions by 17%
· Cleanest of all fossil fuels
· Alternative to energy source due to opposition of nuclear power and wind farms
· Only one or two accidents out of tens of thousands of wells – low risk
· Supply New York with necessary energy
· Energy source that is local
· Chemical additives only make up 1% of total fracking fluids too dilute to pose significant risk
· Fracking fluids can be reused in new wells
Anti-Hydrofracking Ideas
· Potential risk to groundwater supplies
· Scarring of natural landscape
· Contamination of drinking water in homes – needed to install permanent water treatment systems
· Environment can be damaged by high salt content of back up fluids
· Need to store fracking fluids in secure landfills
Common Ideas
· General process of hydraulic fracturing
· Industry needs to be heavily regulated
· Use of isolated area of Southern Tier as testing ground
60
GLOBAL WATER ISSUES: WATER DIPLOMACY / LESSON 12
LESSON 12
GLOBAL WATER ISSUES: WATER DIPLOMACY
GRADE LEVEL: 9TH - 12TH TIMING: 3 × 45 MINUTES
including but not limited to, negotiation, mediation,
diplomacy, and creative peace-building.
Forsyth, D. R. (2009). Group dynamics (5th ed.). Pacific
Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
O STANDARDS MET
NSS-C.9-12.5
Roles of the Citizen: What are the responsibilities of
citizens?/ How can citizens take part in civic life?
NL-ENG.K-12.12
Applying Language Skills: Students use spoken, written,
and visual language to accomplish their own purposes
(e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange
of information).
NSS-G.K-12.4
Human Systems: Understand the characteristics,
distribution, and migration of human populations on
the earth’s surface/ Understand the characteristics,
distribution, and complexity of the earth’s cultural mosaics/
Understand the patterns and networks of economic
interdependence on the earth’s surface/ Understand the
processes, patterns, and functions of human settlement/
Understand how the forces of cooperation and conflict
among people influence the division and control of the
earth’s surface.
NSS-EC.9-12.1
Productive Resources: Scarcity
NSS-G.K-12.2
Places and Regions: Understand the physical and human
characteristics of places/ Understand that people create
regions to interpret the earth’s complexity/ Understand
how culture and experience influence people’s perceptions
of places and regions.
o MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTORS
d Mock diplomatic discussion guidelines
G MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS
d Water Journal
d Roles Description Worksheet
d Debrief Worksheet
d Articles:
“Severe Water Crisis Ahead for Poorest Nations in Next
2 Decades” by Barbara Crossette in The New York Times
(August 10th, 1995): http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/10/
world/severe-water-crisis-ahead-for-poorest-nations-innext-2-decades.html
“Age-Old Fixes for India’s Water” by Cheryl Colopy in
The New York Times (October 8th, 2012): http://www.
nytimes.com/2012/10/09/opinion/age-old-fixes-for-indiaswater.html
“A Global Problem: How to Avoid War Over Water”
by Kevin Watkins and Anders Berntell in The New
York Times (August 23rd, 2006): http://www.nytimes.
com/2006/08/23/opinion/23iht-edwatkins.2570814.
html?pagewanted=all
J GLOSSARY
d CONFLICT RESOLUTION
The methods and processes involved in facilitating the
peaceful ending of conflict. Often, committed group
members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively
communicating information about their conflicting motives
or ideologies to the rest of the group (e.g., intentions;
reasons for holding certain beliefs), and by engaging
in collective negotiation.[1]Ultimately, a wide range of
methods and procedures for addressing conflict exist,
61
LESSON 12 / GLOBAL WATER ISSUES: WATER DIPLOMACY
b OPENING WRITING: 5 MINUTES
z Write on the board:
“Whisky is for drinking, water is for fighting over.”
− Mark Twain
z Ask students to take five minutes and write a reflection on this quote in their Water Journal.
b OPENING WRITING: 5 MINUTES
z Ask students:
d What causes violent conflicts? Can water scarcity cause war? Why?
(Examples include lack of water, unclean water, certain parts of the population are not given the water they need, etc.)
d They are called water wars, hydrological warfare, water conflicts.
d What are some ways to avoid violent conflict?
z Tell students that one way to avoid violent conflict is through conflict resolution.
z Tell students that they are going to take on different roles in a water conflict and participate in a Mock Diplomatic
Discussion. The goal is to work together to cooperate and share resources rather than fight over water. The outcome is
not decided by the teacher and completely depends on the success of their discussion. Ask students: Can you help your
community avoid a major crises?
b MOCK DIPLOMATIC DISCUSSION ACTIVITY PART 1: 35 MINUTES
1. Have all students read the articles and underline points of interest. [15 minutes]
2. Hand out the Roles description worksheet and Debrief worksheet and tell them to read through the roles. [5 minutes]
3. Divide students into groups of 3 or 4 and assign roles for the Diplomatic discussion. [5 minutes]
4. Tell the Discussion Moderator group that they will lead the diplomatic discussion later in class. They must try to stay
impartial and help the community reach consensus.
5. Each group should select a spokesperson. [5 minutes]
6. Distribute the Debrief Worksheet. Have students read it and let them know they will begin to research their positions
and form their arguments during the next class.
62
GLOBAL WATER ISSUES: WATER DIPLOMACY / LESSON 12
b MOCK DIPLOMATIC DISCUSSION ACTIVITY PART 2: 45 MINUTES
1. Ask students to sit in their assigned groups
2. Working in groups the students should begin filling out their Diplomatic Discussion WS
3. Allow students to refer to articles or use computers to do additional research to complete their Discussion WS
b MOCK DIPLOMATIC DISCUSSION ACTIVITY PART 3: 45 MINUTES
1. Students divide into groups and prepare materials. [5 minutes]
2. Review the procedures for role play. [5 minutes]
3. Each group reads their opening statement. [10 minutes]
4. Discussion moderators should keep track of timing and facilitate the process
5. Allow discussion to continue using the protocol. [20 minutes]
6. Debrief as a whole class on the discussion. [5 minutes]
63
LESSON 12: RESOURCES / GLOBAL WATER ISSUES: WATER DIPLOMACY
DIPLOMATIC DISCUSSION GUIDLINES
PROCEDURES FOR THE ROLE PLAY
In designing the role-playing activity, the instructor should judge the extent to which students are ready for greater
freedom in the activity. The following steps will help teachers in designing effective role-play activity.
BEFORE THE MOCK DIPLOMATIC DEBATE
Design the role-play so that there are no right or wrong answers. The final outcome will depend on the persua¬siveness
of the participants and the rationale of their arguments.
Also make it clear that each student must participate in the preparation of the enactment, speak during the enactment,
and actively participate in the analysis and discussion.
The students that are assigned the Discussion Moderator group will be the leaders of the Town Hall style discussion.
These students have the responsibility of making sure the discussion happens fairly and they will decide if the community
reached its goal of coming to an agreement and avoiding conflict.
Assign the roles to student groups. Distribute the briefing sheets that contain information on the various roles.
Prior to the mock debate, each group must research its respective community to determine which facts to pres¬ent to
support its argument and prepare its materials for presentation.
Students should use their journals and notes from this curriculum to add to their research. On the day before the actual
meeting, let each group meet privately to work on sharpening strategies.
Encourage your students to practice their opening and closing statements and their key arguments beforehand. This is
important in developing public speaking skills and in delivering smooth and coherent statements and arguments.
It is important to establish the proper environment for serious debate. Arrange the classroom to resemble a formal
meeting hall or courtroom.
DISCUSSION PROTOCOL
Begin by reviewing the common goals
Allow each group to read their opening statements.
Allow each group to bring up one point or question.
Allow one group to respond to the point or question.
Choose another group to bring up a point or question.
Allow discussion to continue organically or continue to prompt groups.
Questions, arguments or rebuttals should be kept to two minutes maximum.
Make sure to have a debriefing and reflection process on the mock diplomatic discussion. Were the outlined common
goals of the discussion achieved? Why or Why not?
64
GLOBAL WATER ISSUES: WATER DIPLOMACY / LESSON 12: RESOURCES
ROLES DESCRIPTION WORKSHEET
The Scenario: You live in a community about 100 miles from a large city. You are facing a water crisis that involves
pollution, water shortage and the economy of your town. Groups have been arguing with each other and things have
started to get pretty heated. A Town Hall meeting has been called to see if the different groups can come together to
find a common solution to this huge problem. Can you help lead your community and avoid the water crisis?
YOUR ROLES
Industry / Big Business / Shipping
You are polluting the waterways and the water table but are bringing money and jobs to the area. If you are forced
to abide by the new environmental regulations you will lose money and be forced to lay people off. This could cause
thousands of people to lose their jobs and livelihood.
Large Industrial Agriculture Farmers
Inadequate regulation has led you to deplete untold groundwater supplies. In some places the water table is so low it no
longer helps sustain roots, so even more water must be pumped up. In addition, soils have been degraded by chemical
fertilizers, so they require even more water. If you could get the government to approve your new dam, you would not
have to deplete groundwater and could grow more crops.
Small Independent Farmers
As farmers you are struggling to survive financially. Some officials from the Industrial business sector have offered to buy
your water rights but the river cannot satisfy all the needs of both the town and irrigation systems in farms nearby. This
means you wouldn’t be able to grow crops any more but at least you would have some financial stability. The problem
is that there is already not enough food being grown in the region and some of the children and elderly citizens are
suffering from malnutrition.
Public Health Officials
You are concerned because many people have been getting sick from not having proper indoor plumbing and flush
toilets. Girls are often dropping out of schools because of lack of proper sanitary indoor bathrooms. Disease could be
drastically reduced if the government would agree to supply flush toilets for more of the rural towns and villages. In
addition medicine for treating waterborne illnesses are running dangerously low.
City Planners
You have noticed that because of the extreme increase in population growth over the past decade the sewage system is
already overburdened. Much of the waste from the city’s overwhelmed sew- age treatment system ends up in rivers and
streams. Combined with under-regulated industrial effluents, urban waste has turned rivers into cesspools. Your main
priority is to help raise the citizens out of poverty by maintaining and creating more jobs.
Environmental Scientist
You are pressuring government officials to enforce stricter regulations onto industries. It’s not just pollution that is
the problem. The farmers want to build a dam to create more water storage for their farming but the dam is hurting
the ecology of the watershed. You are having a hard time gaining support from the government but you are strongly
supported by the citizens who are affected by waterborne illness.
65
LESSON 12: RESOURCES / GLOBAL WATER ISSUES: WATER DIPLOMACY
Water Rights Advocacy Group
You work for a non-profit group that helps people advocate for themselves. You believe that dirty, diseased water leads
to a cycle of sickness, lack of education, poverty and lost hope. Your organization is committed to helping the community
find a peaceable solution to their community’s problem.
Discussion Moderators
It is your responsibility to facilitate this discussion and help the community come to some type of agreement so that they
can avoid the crisis worsening and possibly turning into a violent conflict. None of you actually live in the community.
One of you is a citizen of a nearby town. Your town has been through similar problems so you are familiar with this
situation. One of you is an overseas diplomat who views these types of issues around water to be a global concern.
One of you is an expert geologist who knows about water tables, drilling wells, and sustainable solutions for creating
community access to water sources.
66
GLOBAL WATER ISSUES: WATER DIPLOMACY / LESSON 12: RESOURCES
PLANNING WORKSHEET FOR QUESTIONS AND ARGUMENT
Water Crisis Diplomatic Discussion to Avoid Violent Conflict: 2013
Each group (committee) must submit a written opening statement and a few key questions that need to be raised during
the debate to the instructor.
Group Name:
The main objective or desired outcome for this group is:
Opening Statement:
Key Questions / Points to be raised during discussion:
1.
2.
3.
67
LESSON 12: RESOURCES / GLOBAL WATER ISSUES: WATER DIPLOMACY
POST DISCUSSION DEBRIEF WORKSHEET
If your discussion is successful that means you will have avoided violent conflict. You will know if you are successful if you
reach one or more of the following goals. The big goals of the discussion are to:
· Find a peaceable solution
· Balance power
· Focus on exchange
· Resist aggression
Reaching an agreement depends on establishing some common goals across the groups differences. Depending on how
your discussion goes you may or may not come to an agreement on some of the following goals:
· Conservation in homes, agriculture, and manufacturing
· Share clean water sources with other entity instead of fighting
· Find new and innovative way of dealing with water shortage
· No polluting our watersheds, wells
· Not taking fresh water for granted and paying attention to ecological stability
· Create water dialogue between leaders before there is a crisis
· Consult experts when available and employ the help of outside entities
68
THE WATER TANK PROJECT / FIELD TRIP GUIDE
FIELD TRIP GUIDE
THE WATER TANK PROJECT
GRADE LEVEL: 9TH - 12TH TIMING: VARIABLE
o NOTE TO INSTRUCTORS
G MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS
d Field Notes Worksheet
d Articles:
“Getting Water to New Yorkers Is a Family Business” by
Elizabeth Harris in The New York Times (December 17th,
2012): http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/nyregion/for-3families-wooden-water-tanks-are-in-the-blood.html
“Water Towers: NYC’s Misunderstood Icons” by Sean
Joseph in AM New York: City Living (April 7th, 2009):
http://www.amny.com/real-estate/city-living/watertowers-nyc-s-misunderstood-icons-1.6982696
Hi Educators, we’re glad you are taking your class to
see some of the fantastic works of art from the Word
Above the Street project. Providing the students with
some context around the project is going to create the
opportunity for students to have a deeper understanding
and richer experience.
Giving some background information on the artists who
created the work will help the students gain some insight
into the artists’ process and choices. The two articles in
this packet give some history and trivia about the water
towers themselves. The articles also discuss the physical
principles of how the tanks are built and how they operate.
The articles can be assigned for homework before the field
trip or they can be read on the bus or subway while you
are in transit to the tanks.
The Field notes worksheet is a structured way for the
students to record what the notice and wonder about
the tanks. Provide the students with one worksheet per
watertank that you plan to view. The students can fill the
worksheets out in pairs or small groups. Their answers to
the questions on the worksheet will also enable them to
have a more meaningful discussion about the project when
they are back in the classroom.
Have fun!
69
FIELD TRIP GUIDE: RESOURCES / THE WATER TANK PROJECT
FIELD NOTES
Complete one worksheet for each tank you visit on your field trip.
Name of artist:
What do you notice about the image on the tank?
Do you notice the use of any symbols or specific imagery in the piece?
If so what do you see?
Does the image remind you of anything else?
Does the image tell a story or contain information about the water crises?
What do you think the artist wants the viewer to think or feel when looking at the piece?
What questions (if any) would you like to ask the artist about this project?
70
TRACE THE TAP / GLOSSARY
GLOSSARY
Activism
Consists of efforts to promote or effect social, political or
environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of
forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians,
political campaigning, boycotts, marches or protests.
Human Rights
Fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled
simply because she or he is a human being
Hydraulic Fracturing
Creating fissures in underground rocks by introducing
liquid at high pressure, in order to extract oil or natural gas
supplies
Condensation
Conversion of water from vapor to liquid
Conflict Resolution
The methods and processes involved in facilitating the
peaceful ending of conflict. Often, committed group
members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively
communicating information about their conflicting
motives or ideologies to the rest of the group (e.g.,
intentions; reasons for holding certain beliefs), and
by engaging in collective negotiation.[1]Ultimately, a
wide range of methods and procedures for addressing
conflict exist, including but not limited to, negotiation,
mediation,diplomacy, and creative peace-building.
Infiltration
Seepage of water into underground porous layers of rock
and soil
Pollutant
Material that contaminants water, air or soil
Pollution
Presence or introduction into the environment of a
substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects
Potable Water
Water which is safe for human consumption
Culture
A modern concept based on a term first used in classical
antiquity by the Roman orator, Cicero: “cultura animi”.
The term “culture” appeared first in its current sense
in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, to connote a
process of cultivation or improvement, as in agriculture
or horticulture. In the 19th century, the term developed to
refer first to the betterment or refinement of the individual,
especially through education, and then to the fulfillment of
national aspirations or ideals. In the mid-19th century, some
scientists used the term “culture” to refer to a universal
human capacity.
Precipitation
Any form of water falling to the Earth’s surface
Public Art
Works of art in any medium that have been planned and
executed with the specific intention of being sited or
staged in the public domain usually outside and accessible
to all.
Reservoir
Body of water
Evaporation
Conversion of water from liquid to vapor
Residence Time
Average length of time that a water molecule will remain in
a reservoir
Fresh Water
Water with less than 500 parts per million (ppm) of
dissolved salts
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their
symbolic value. It may be prescribed by the traditions of a
community, including a religious community.
Groundwater
Water stored in underground caverns and porous layers of
rock and soil
71
GLOSSARY / TRACE THE TAP
GLOSSARY
Runoff
Water which runs along the Earth’s surface
Salinity
Measures the dissolved salt content in a body of water
Surface Water
Freshwater on Earth’s surface; rivers, streams, ponds, lakes,
wetlands
Symbolism
The practice of representing things by symbols, or of
investing things with a symbolic meaning or character.
A symbol is an object, action, or idea that represents
something other than itself, often of a more abstract
nature. Symbolism creates quality aspects that make
literature like poetry and novels more meaningful.
Transpiration
Release of water vapor from vegetation
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
A document drafted by the United Nations Commission
on Human Rights after World War II. The document was
intended to more clearly define the rights mentioned in
the Charter of the United Nations, while also providing a
clear and general definition of human rights for all nations.
The Declaration has since been translated into over 300
languages, and is widely referenced around the world.
United Nations Resolution 64/292
On 28 July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly
explicitly recognized the human right to water and
sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water
and sanitation are essential to the realisation of all human
rights.
Waterborne Disease
A disease caused by pathogenic microorganisms that is
transmitted through contaminated fresh water
72