Working for our future – today
Make your watermark!
Watersaver education program
Year 5
Lesson plans
Lesson plan 1
Year 5
Theme: Where water comes from
Lesson: The dam and its catchment
Information for
teachers
Learning objectives
Students will be able to:
●
understand how water moves through the water cycle
●
understand the terminology associated with the water cycle.
Learning outcomes
Subject
Strand and content descriptors
Science understanding:
●
Solids, liquids and gases have different observable properties
and behave in different ways. (ACSSU077)
Science as a human endeavour
Science
●
Science involves testing predictions by gathering data and using evidence
to develop explanations of events and phenomena. (ACSHE081)
Science inquiry skills
●
Geography
With guidance, pose questions to clarify practical problems or inform a scientific
investigation, and predict what the findings of an investigation might be. (ACSIS231)
Geographical knowledge and understanding
●
Human activities can change environments and places over time.
Literacy
English
Make your water mark!
●
Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations for defined audience and purposes incorporating
accurate and sequenced content and multimodal elements. (ACELY1700)
Year 5 - Information for teachers
Lesson plan 1
Important questions
●
Why is water important?
●
How does water move through the environment?
●
What is evaporation, transpiration, condensation,
precipitation and infiltration?
●
Elements of the water cycle can be easily
observed in your local suburb:
●
Rainfall evaporating from a footpath.
●
Clouds of water vapour moving from the
ocean toward the hinterland.
●
The rain from summer storms rushing towards the ocean.
Discuss: Do we drink the water we swim in at the beach?
Background information
– the dam and its catchment
More than 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface is covered by
water. However, most of it – 97 per cent is salt water. Ice makes
up two per cent and only one per cent is suitable for drinking.
The amount of water on our planet does not change. It is
recycled continually through the hydrological or water cycle.
As water travels through the cycle it changes taste, shape and
form. Three major processes drive the water cycle: evaporation,
condensation and precipitation. Transpiration is also important.
●
Linking locally
Evaporation: when water is heated it changes from
liquid to gas (water vapour) – the sun heating the ocean
produces most of the water vapour in the atmosphere.
●
Condensation: as water vapour rises, it cools and changes
into tiny droplets of water seen as clouds, fog or mist.
●
Precipitation: rain, hail or snow – as water vapour
condenses, the water drops join and become
heavier and eventually fall out of the air.
●
Transpiration: water emitted by plants through
pores in the leaves is evaporated and released
into the atmosphere as water vapour.
●
Runoff: water that flows directly into
rivers, streams and dams.
●
Infiltration: water that soaks into the soil to be
used by plants or stored as groundwater.
●
Groundwater: rain that has drained underground
and collected in impermeable layers.
Make your water mark!
The Hinze Dam at Gilston collects runoff from
local rainfall and is the major water source used
for drinking, washing and growing food.
Water vapour cools as it rises over the hinterland and rain is
produced. Valleys and creeks funnel this rain into the dam.
Please review ‘Our urban watercycle’ poster
included in the appendices of this kit.
Lesson plan
– the dam and its catchment
✪ Initiate a discussion to establish student
knowledge of water and how it is used.
✪ Reinforce or introduce key elements of the water
cycle. (Activity sheet 1 ‘The water cycle’) Discuss how
water moves through the environment and how it
changes form, explaining the processes of evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, infiltration and transpiration.
✪ In pairs or small groups ask students to develop simple
experiments that could model a process from the water
cycle; students should identify tools required and a
suitable techniques for collecting and recording data.
✪ Students should be encouraged to make predictions
regarding the experiment; compare results with
other groups or students and determine if the
test was fair. The results of the experiments can
be presented utilising multi model texts including
diagrams and appropriate scientific terminology.
✪ Note: Common experiments may include evaporation
tests undertaken using a variety of materials and vessels
situated in different locations; transpiration – bagging
leaves on a variety of plants and recording water loss.
Investigating the ways solids, liquids and gases perform
under different situations such as heating or cooling.
Lesson plan 1
Resource requirements
●
Activity sheet 1 ‘The water cycle’
●
Poster of - 'Our urban watercycle’ (see
appendices or online resources)
Year 5 - Information for teachers
Additional activities
Geography: Utilising knowledge of natural water cycle
processes students investigate the environmental impacts
of human activity, such as wetland reclamation; river
engineering and urban development, and influence on
processes associated with the natural water cycle.
English: Develop and deliver presentations
on their area of investigation, incorporating
graphics, sounds and visual elements.
Make your water mark!
Lesson plan 2
Year 5
Theme: How water gets to our houses
Lesson: Dams, pipes and taps
Information for
teachers
Learning objectives
Students will be able to:
●
understand how water is collected and treated before it reaches our homes
●
undertake an assessment of domestic water consumption through water meter readings.
Learning outcomes
Subject
Strand and content descriptors
Science inquiry skills
Science
●
With guidance, pose questions to clarify practical problems or inform a scientific
investigation, and predict what the findings of an investigation might be. (ACSIS231)
●
With guidance, plan appropriate investigation methods to
answer questions or solve problems. (ACSIS086)
●
Construct and use a range of representations, including tables and
graphs, to represent and describe observations, patterns or relationships
in data using digital technologies as appropriate. (ACSIS090)
Statistics and probability
Mathematics
●
Construct displays, including column graphs, dot plots and tables, appropriate
for data type with and without the use of digital technologies. (ACMSP119)
Literacy
●
Navigate and read texts for specific purposes applying appropriate
text processing strategies, for example predicting and confirming,
monitoring, meaning, skimming and scanning. (ACELY 1702)
●
Use comprehension strategies to analyse information, integrating and
linking ideas from a variety of print and digital sources. (ACELY 1703)
English
Make your water mark!
Year 5 - Information
for teachers
Lesson
plan 2
Lesson plan 2
Important questions
●
Where and how is water used in the home?
●
How is water treated before it reaches our homes?
●
How are charges for water determined?
●
How did we get water before dams, pipes and taps?
Linking locally
Most of the water used by Gold Coast residents is
collected in the Hinze Dam – which holds more than
310,000 million litres. This supplies a population
of more than 500,000 plus ten million tourists
annually. A good reason to be a Watersaver.
The Little Nerang Dam, upstream from the Hinze
Dam also collects and supplies water to the Gold
Coast and has a capacity of 6,700 million litres.
Background information
– dams, pipes and taps
Finding drinking water is as easy as turning on a tap, but it
was not always so. It is no accident that most major cities
are close to rivers, enabling water to be easily transported
to towns or cities. Indigenous Australians had an intimate
knowledge of their environment, reliable water sources
were critical and they made use of permanent rivers
and water holes which were dug for groundwater.
In Australia we collect water from three main
sources; groundwater, surface water and the
ocean. Groundwater or bore water is rain collected
underground in impermeable layers. It is drawn by
using a pump attached to a drilled hole or bore.
Surface water is rain that drains into rivers or creeks or
has been collected in dams or water tanks. Water from
the ocean is treated by desalination, to remove salts and
other minerals and transform it into drinking water.
Dams are strategically built in catchment areas to collect
surface water. Their walls are made from concrete or
Earth fill and are often in an elevated position so water
can flow by gravity to water treatment plants.
Before water can be used for drinking or washing it
must be cleaned at a water treatment plant through a
number of processes. Mixing alum (aluminium sulphate)
with water and allowing it to settle will remove mud,
dirt and other particles. Filters filled with sand or gravel
remove tiny particles. Chlorine is added to kill bacteria.
Once treated, water is pumped to reservoirs for
storage. Reservoirs are usually on high ground to help
the water flow into underground pipes (water mains)
and into the house when you turn on the tap.
A water meter measures the amount of water used
by a house or business. As water moves through the
water meter it turns a turbine (wheel) connected to
a numerical readout measuring the water used.
Make your water mark!
Water from the dams is treated at water treatment plants
at Mudgeeraba and Molendinar and delivered through
more than 3000 kilometres of pipes – the equivalent
to the distance from Cairns to Sydney. The plants
can produce 290 million litres of water every day.
Year 5 - Information
for teachers
Lesson
plan 2
Lesson plan 2
• Swimming pool covers or similar devices.
Lesson plan
– dams, pipes and taps
• Water efficient garden – Watersaver
plants; reduced lawn areas.
✪ This lesson engages students in measuring and presenting
data associated with water consumption in order to
gain a better understanding of the processes and
costs associated with water treatment and delivery.
✪ Data should be plotted and displayed;
incorporating a suitable graphical representation
such as column or picture graphs. Compare
date with students’ predictions and discuss.
✪ Using the poster ‘Our urban watercycle’
discuss how water is collected, cleaned and
transported through your district.
✪ Determine students’ knowledge of treatment process
such as filtration and disinfection. Similarly, gauge the
level of understanding associated with the role of dams
and reservoirs and the treatment of wastewater.
Resource requirements
●
Activity sheet 10 ‘Reading a water meter’.
●
Poster – ‘Our urban watercycle’ (see
appendices or online resources).
●
Student self-evaluation sheet 2.
✪ Examining water bills students undertake an
investigation of water consumption trends in their
house; including identifying the volume of water
consumed in the last billing period; the cost of
water and how it is charged (i.e. kilolitre).
✪ Using this information students make predictions
of the level of water consumption over a set period
(e.g. days or weeks); students should consider
any factors that may differ from the information
presented on the bill – such as the time of year
and the number of people living in the house.
✪
Using Activity sheet 10 ‘Reading a water
meter’ explain how a water meter works and
how to read one. Discuss where a water meter
is likely to be located and emphasise the safety
aspects associated with reading water meters.
✪ Record the readings over an agreed period;
wherever possible recording at the same time
of the day (e.g. before school each day).
✪ Students should be asked to identify opportunities
to collect non demographic supporting data
that may assist in clarifying water consumption
trends or explaining differences in consumption
across the class, this could include:
• The water efficiency of appliances such
as washing machines (via water efficiency
(WELS) stickers for example).
• Presence of water efficient fixtures such as low flow
shower roses and flow restrictors in taps (measure
flow by collecting and measuring the amount of water
that comes from the tap or shower over a minute).
• How water from rainwater tanks is used (gardening;
toilet flushing; top up swimming pools).
Make your water mark!
Additional activities
English: Using the information collected in the meter
reading exercise develop a persuasive text that would
persuade members of their household to conserve
water. Students should consider the audience and
utilise appropriate text and graphic resources.
Important safety note: Reading water meters
Please exercise caution when removing water meter
covers. They are homes for spiders and sometimes
snakes. Ensure thick gloves are used by anyone involved
in meter reading. Adult supervision is advised.
Lesson plan 3
Year 5
Theme: What we drink comes back
Lesson: Caring for our water
Information for
teachers
Learning objectives
Students will be able to:
●
recognise that all water is continually recycled and that treatment is important to maintain quality
●
understand the potential impacts of incorrect disposal of materials in sinks and drains
●
undertake experiments to filter water samples.
Learning outcomes
Subject
Strand and content descriptors
Science inquiry skills
Science
●
With guidance, pose questions to clarify practical problems or inform a scientific
investigation, and predict what the findings of an investigation might be. (ACSIS231)
●
With guidance, plan appropriate investigation methods to
answer questions or solve problems. (ACSIS086)
●
Communicate ideas, explanations and processes in a variety
of ways, including multi-modal texts. (ACSIS093)
Geographical knowledge and understanding
Geography
●
Places are locations for a range of activities and functions.
●
Communities manage places and make decisions about
the provision of service for their people.
●
Human activities can change environments and places over time.
●
Sustainability is about managing the capacity of the environment to support our life.
Literacy
English
Make your water mark!
●
Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations for defined audiences and purposes incorporating
accurate and sequenced content and multimodal elements. (ACELY1700)
Year 5 - Information
for teachers
Lesson
plan 3
Lesson plan 3
Important questions
●
What happens to water flushed down the
toilet or drained from the sink?
●
Why is it important to treat water before
pumping it to the ocean?
●
What role does filtration play in maintaining water quality?
The treated wastewater is either discharged to oceans or
rivers or used as irrigation water for sporting fields, golf
courses or horticultural industries. The environmental
impacts of disposing of wastewater vary according to
the level of treatment. If not treated properly impacts
may include changes in oxygen and nutrient levels
resulting in algal blooms, fish kills and other impacts.
Important: Wastewater is often
confused with stormwater.
Background information
– caring for our water
When we have finished using water we simply dispose
of it – flush the toilet or pull the plug. We rarely consider
where it goes or what happens to it. Treating and disposing
of wastewater (or sewage) is a critical consideration for all
communities. Inadequate treatment can cause environmental
harm by introducing nutrients, heavy metals and other
pollutants into waterways. Additionally, human health may be
impacted through the distribution of pathogens and bacteria.
Wastewater contains many things that need to be removed
– food scraps, human waste, detergents, grease, toxic
chemicals and plastics. The process and level of treating
wastewater varies. The three main processes are:
Primary treatment
Large objects such as plastics or needles are removed
by passing the water through a series of screens
or bars. The water is allowed to settle so materials
such as grease and oil can be removed.
Secondary treatment
After primary treatment the wastewater is
exposed to naturally occurring microbes that
remove organic matter by "eating" it.
Tertiary treatment
Wastewater may be further treated or 'polished'
to produce recycled water for other use such as
irrigation. Most wastewater on the Gold Coast
is treated to this recycled water level.
Make your water mark!
Stormwater is rainfall runoff from roofs, roads, playgrounds
etc. It travels through pipes to waterways without
being treated. Pollution and rubbish makes its way to
creeks, rivers and oceans unless people are careful.
Wastewater is contained and travels directly
to wastewater treatment plants.
Linking locally
Most wastewater on the Gold Coast is converted to
recycled water and is discharged via an outfall at the
seaway on an ebb tide to ensure it is carried out to sea.
Recycled water, treated to remove harmful bacteria,
is used to irrigate sporting ovals, public parks, cane
fields, dust suppression during road construction
and golf courses on the Gold Coast. Recycled
water users are trained to use the water safely.
Gold Coast businesses, such as Jupiters Casino,
also use recycled water for non drinking purposes,
which helps reduce demand on town supplies.
The Pimpama Coomera Waterfuture Master Plan increases
the use of recycled water. Homes use Class A+ recycled
water (the highest quality recycled water in Queensland)
to flush toilets, for external household cleaning and
watering gardens, through separate purple pipes.
Class A+ recycled water is treated to a higher level than
recycled water used for irrigation and is currently supplied
to Pimpama Coomera residents. Training in its use is not
required, however Pimpama Coomera residents are supplied
with information to assist them in using the product safely.
Year 5 - Information for teachers
Lesson plan 3
Lesson plan
– caring for our water
●
Introducing a range of filtering tools, a funnel,
colander and a fine strainer for example, and
asking students to predict what type of materials
would be trapped by each of the filters and
why will it assist in the planning process.
●
Students then make predictions as to the
effectiveness of their filter and the expected
improvement in quality of the water sample.
●
Students undertake filtering and compare their
results with predictions. Students present their
findings using appropriate terminology and graphical
support, noting how factors such as the speed or
volume of water and the configuration or condition
of filter layers and materials affected the process.
✪ Ask students a series of questions to gauge their
understanding of the natural water cycle and the
way water is collected, cleaned and transported
within your community. For example:
●
The water in the bubbler is billions of years old and
was around when dinosaurs ruled the Earth?
●
The water you brushed your teeth with this
morning and the water you swam in at the
beach in the holidays is the same water?
●
The water in the dam used to be in the ocean?
●
Water comes in three different forms? What are they?
●
When water warms it turns from a gas into a liquid?
Use Activity sheet 1 ‘The water cycle’ if necessary.
✪ In small groups asks students to identify how water
is used in the house and what happens to the water
during this process; for example water used in
showers, sinks and washing machines goes down
the drain; water used to wash the car may flow to
the street drain or soak into the ground; some of
the water in the swimming pool may evaporate.
Resource requirements
●
Activity sheet 1 ‘The water cycle’.
●
Poster – ‘Our urban watercycle’.
●
Water samples.
●
Various filter materials as identified (for
example: filter papers; chux cloths, cotton
wool, sand, aquarium gravel or similar).
●
Filter containers (for example soft drink
bottles or plastic containers).
✪ Discuss what happens to the water that
‘disappears’ down the plughole. Differentiate
between stormwater and wastewater.
✪ Ask students to identify the impact of untreated
stormwater entering waterways and oceans.
✪ Use the poster ‘Our urban watercycle’ to assist.
✪ Make a Water Filter
●
●
Make two samples of dirty water in clear containers,
showing the students the different types and
particle size of the materials; for example: fine dirt
or sand; leaves or grass clippings; small pieces of
plastic litter. Food colouring to represent oil or other
liquids or a squirt of dishwashing liquid to represent
run off from car cleaning can also be added.
Students undertake research and planning to design a
working filter that will remove contaminants from the
water samples. This should include identification of:
• Materials to make the filter body (e.g. soft
drink bottle or other plastic container).
• Filtering mediums (e.g. chux cloths;
filter papers; sand/gravel).
• Filter construction (including explanation
of filter layers and expectations of what
will be trapped in each layer).
Make your water mark!
Additional activities
Water treatment: Explain that treating of water usually
involves a series of steps including filtration (removal of
large particles), settlement (drop out and settlement of finer
particles), nutrient removal (soaps, detergents and fertilisers),
bacteria used to ‘eat’ nitrates and phosphates in these
materials, disinfection (addition of chlorine) to kill pathogens.
Students research water treatment processes and in
small groups, plan, produce and present to the class that
explains the processes in sequence in clear, non-technical
language. Supporting materials such as performance,
visual aids and graphics should be encouraged.
Lesson plan 4
Year 5
Theme: Being a Watersaver at school
Lesson: Saving water
Information for
teachers
Learning objectives
Students will be able to:
●
recognise the many ways water is used in the school
●
plan and undertake an audit to identify water reduction opportunities.
Learning outcomes
Subject
Strand and content descriptors
Science as human endeavour
Science
●
Scientific knowledge is used to inform personal and community decisions. (ACSHE217)
Geographical knowledge and understanding
●
Human activities can change environments and places over time.
Geographical skills and understanding
Geography
●
Pose geographical questions that range in complexity and guide
deep inquiry, then speculate on their answers.
●
Identify a variety of information sources that will be
used for inquiry, considering their validity.
●
Identify and create appropriate materials, geographical tools or equipment to collect data or
observations, using formal measurements and digital and spatial technologies as appropriate.
●
Present findings, choosing an appropriate communication method for more than one
audience, using appropriate geographical tools and skills and geographical vocabulary.
Literacy
●
Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations for defined audiences and purposes incorporating
accurate and sequenced content and multimodal elements. (ACELY1700)
●
Use a range of software including word processing programs with
fluency to construct, edit and publish written text, and select, edit
and place visual, print and audio elements. (ACELY1707)
English
Make your water mark!
Year 5 - Information for teachers
Lesson plan 4
Important questions
●
Where do we use water in the school?
●
What do we use it for?
●
Why is it important to save water?
●
What technological behavioural changes
could help us to save water?.
●
What sustainability measure can we use to
assess our school's water management?
Background information
– saving water
70 per cent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water.
However, almost 97 per cent is salt water and ice makes
up two per cent, with around one per cent suitable for
human needs. Australia is the driest habitable continent,
so we need to be extra careful when we use water.
The volume of water used in schools can be significant.
Schools are mini cities and need to provide the same a
range of water facilities. Heavy use areas include ovals
and toilets. Becoming a Watersaver school can help
staff and students learn valuable lessons about water
conservation and reduce the school’s water consumption.
Linking locally
Water conservation can be achieved by changing watering
practices or through technological developments such
as water timers and infrared urinals. Mulching (using
organic matter such as straw or sugar cane to reduce
evaporation) garden beds, improving oval irrigation and
monitoring taps and bubblers can help save water.
Gold Coast school achievement
Miami State School has adjusted the flushing volumes in
toilets, replacing inefficient toilets and trialling a waterless
urinal, saving a massive 946,000 litres of water.
Lesson plan
– saving water
✪ This lesson engages students in planning and undertaking
a water audit and implementing actions to conserve
water identified in the audit. Prior to the lesson acquire
the school's recent water bills to provide key information
such as the cost and the volume of water consumed.
✪ As a class, students identify the major uses and
users of water in the school; ask students to predict
what uses are likely to consume the most water –
this information could be plotted on a pie chart or
similar for comparison with audit or other data.
✪ Explain that an audit will provide information that will
help to identify opportunities for the school to use
less water. In simple terms water conservation can
be achieved through technological means (installing
flow restrictors on taps; installing dual flush toilets) or
behaviour change (reusing cleaning water; watering
plants in the morning not in the middle of the day).
✪ Students should identify key practices or
fixtures they want to investigate and then
develop procedures to accurately collect data
on water consumption. For example:
• Digital photo records or observational surveys could
be used to record practices at bubblers and taps.
• Measuring the flow rate of taps or
bubblers or calculating the volume of
toilet cisterns or classroom sinks.
• Discussions with ground staff or facilities managers
could determine if some water fixtures are left
on over the weekend (such as automatic urinals);
if the school has showers, are they low flow?
• With appropriate instruction and care students
collate data on the number and type of
toilet flushing systems in the school.
• Survey students to determine how they use water
at school and if they actively try and conserve water
– by using a refillable water bottle for example.
• Investigate how water is used in classrooms.
• Are school garden mulched; is mains
water used for irrigation; are plants at the
school thirsty or water efficient?
✪ Information from the audit is presented to
the class; students compare and categorise
findings (by behavioural/technological or
short term/long term for example).
Make your water mark!
Year 5 - Information for teachers
Lesson plan 4
✪ As a class determine a water sustainability
rating for the school. The sustainability
rating ranks the school on 3 aspects:
Water supply: list the sources of water and the
proportion (approximate) used in the school. Mains
(drinking) water; tank water; grey water; recycled water;
other. A higher ranking is achieved when there is less
reliance on mains water (rainfall dependent sources).
Water management: record the number and type of
water efficient fixtures (low flow showers; flow restrictors
on taps) and appliances (i.e. water efficient washing
machines or dishwashers). Garden design: Are garden
beds mulched; are plants thirsty or water efficient?
Water education and behaviour: is information
and encouragement to save water (signs; assembly
presentations) regularly delivered? Are simple behaviours
such as using plugs in classroom sinks and pouring
suitable cleaning water onto the garden practised.
✪ A number of initiatives are prioritised and in selected
groups students develop an action plan for the
principal and the broader school community that
outlines the finding of the audit; suggested changes
to conserve water and details of cost or other
requirements to successful implementation.
Make your water mark!
Additional activities
●
Present the water conservation action plan
at a school assembly or to the Principal as
part of a water conservation program.
●
Design posters to place above sinks, bubblers and
toilets to encourage water conservation.
●
Start a water conservation club.
Lesson plan 5
Year 5
Theme: Being a Watersaver at school
Lesson: Watersaver garden
Information for
teachers
Learning objectives
Students will be able to:
●
understand the needs of plants
●
identify plants that conserve water or reduce moisture loss
●
understand how water can be conserved in a garden.
Learning outcomes
Subject
Strand and content descriptors
Science understanding:
●
Living things have structural features and adaptations that help
them to survive in their environment. (ACSSU043)
Science as a human endeavour
Science
●
Scientific knowledge is used to inform personal and community decisions. (ACSHE217)
Science inquiry skills
●
With guidance, plan appropriate investigation methods to
answer questions or solve problems. (ACSIS086)
Geographical knowledge and understanding
●
Geography
Make your water mark!
There are a variety of climates and each climate results in a
distinctive type of natural vegetation and use by people.
Geographical skills and understanding
●
Identify a variety of information sources that will be
used for inquiry, considering their validity.
●
Identify and create appropriate materials, geographical tools or equipment to collect data or
observations, using formal measurements and digital and spatial technologies as appropriate.
Lesson plan 5
Important questions
●
For what functions do plants use water?
●
How are some plants adapted to save water?
●
What is mulch and why is it important
for a Watersaver garden?
Background information
– watersaver garden
Plants, like humans, need water to survive. They take in
water through their roots that moves to the rest of the plant
through the stem. Photosynthesis, or, making food using the
sun’s energy, carbon dioxide and water, takes place mainly
in the leaves. Tiny pores or stomata open and close to allow
the exchange of water and gas where most water is lost in
plants. Evaporation from the leaves is called transpiration.
Some plants in Australia, where rainfall is unreliable,
have adapted to reduce water loss. Some plants
have a waxy covering or cuticle on their leaves to
reduce evaporation while others can close their
stomata during the hottest parts of the day.
Preparing garden beds and soil can reduce evaporation.
Using mulch, a layer of organic material such as grass
clippings, straw or shredded newspaper, can retain
water. Increasing the organic content of the soil by
digging in compost will also help to retain water.
Watering plants sensibly is important. Water sprayed on
the leaves evaporates quickly and can damage plants
on hot days. Watering the roots using a drip system or
watering can is best – and remember, a good soaking
once or twice a week is better than spraying every day.
Remember to check permanent water conservation
measures before you water your garden.
Year 5 - Information for teachers
Lesson plan
– watersaver garden
✪ This lesson provides background knowledge to
assist students in selecting, propagating and caring
for plants as part of a Watersaver garden.
✪ Why do plants need water? Is it used for the same
functions humans use water? Gauge student
understanding of the use of water by plants and its
movement through the plant. Discuss the role of water in
photosynthesis, delivery of nutrients and plant structure.
✪ Students suggest adaptations that may assist a plant
in using water more efficiently or reducing water loss.
Considering familiar plants in local gardens may be useful
– what type of plants require regular watering; what are
some of the physical characteristics of these plants?
✪ Through group discussion a number of potential
adaptations are listed and discussed.
✪ Note: plants have a number of common
adaptations to conserve water including:
• Small, needle like or rounded to reduce leaf surface
area and water loss through the stomata (plant pores).
• Hairy leaves: Hairs cover the pores
and reduce moisture loss.
• Light leaf colours: Watersaver plants are more likely
to have light green, grey green coloured foliage.
• Water storage: Some plants can store water
in the trunk, leaves or root system.
• Deep root systems: Ability to search for water.
✪ Students are instructed that they will undertake an
assessment of plants in the school grounds (or local
area). To prepare, students should identify criteria for a
data collection sheet that will enable them to undertake
further research on plants in the classroom and produce
the data sheet. Criteria for the data sheet could include:
collectors, name and date of collection, common and
scientific names, location, associated vegetation and
habit (shape, size and general appearance of full plant).
✪ In the classroom students undertake further research
to identify plants and clarify water saving and other
adaptations. Using appropriate technologies students
develop a report on a selected plant clearly explaining
its adaptations in relation to climate and habitat.
Make your water mark!
Year 5 - Information for teachers
Lesson plan 5
✪ Using the information collected and additional research
select a suitable site for a garden. Identify preparation
requirements such as site preparation, composting and
mulching. Ideally a combination of plants for immediate
planting and stock to be raised from seed, cuttings or
tube stock should be used. The latter provides good
opportunity to record life cycles associated with growth,
fruiting or flowering (plants such as rosemary and agaves
will grow from cuttings; acacias will grow from seed).
✪ Adaptations for water conservation can be assessed in
the garden by regulating watering to specific zones and
recording appearance, overall health, soil moisture etc.
Make your water mark!
Additional activities
●
Using a plant press preserve a specimen of
the plant discussed in the final report.
●
Research what plants grew near the school before European
settlement. Is the environment around the school still the
same? You can plant your garden with these species.
Lesson plan 6
Year 5
Theme: Our Waterfuture
Lesson: Drought
Information for
teachers
Learning objectives
Students will be able to:
●
define and understand key weather phenomena such as drought and flood
●
understand the impact of climate on water supply
●
develop and present a report using appropriate climate terminology.
Learning outcomes
Subject
Strand and content descriptors
Science as a human endeavour
●
Important contributions to the advancement of science have been
made from people from a range of cultures. (ACSHE082)
●
Scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions are used to solve
problems that directly affect peoples’ lives. (ACSHE217)
●
Scientific knowledge is used to inform personal and community decisions. (ACSHE083)
Science
Geographical knowledge and understanding
Geography
●
There are a variety of climates and each climate results in a
distinctive type of natural vegetation and use by people.
●
Human activities can change environments and places over time.
●
Sustainability is about maintaining the capacity of the environment to support our life.
Geographical skills and understanding
●
Reflect on what has been learned, feelings about conclusions
and what should happen as a result.
Literacy
English
Make your water mark!
●
Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive print and
multimodal texts, choosing text structures, language features, images
and sounds appropriate to purpose and audience. (ACELY1704)
Year 5 - Information for teachers
Lesson plan 6
Important questions
●
What can happen when it doesn’t rain for long periods?
●
How can extreme climate conditions
such as drought affect our lives?
●
What meteorological systems influence
rainfall in Queensland and Australia?
Background information
– drought
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on
Earth. Although some regions receive high rainfall,
large areas experience regular droughts.
A drought is a prolonged period without rain that lowers
the expected water storage and flows to reservoirs, and
increases demand for water. The environmental and
economic impacts of droughts include vegetation loss,
erosion, loss of farmland, bushfires and less water supplies.
We need to learn to live with, respect and plan for droughts
because they are a natural feature of our climate. Australians
are among the biggest consumers of water in the world
so we need to start changing the way we view water
and work together to conserve this precious resource.
Make your water mark!
Linking locally
In November 2007 record low levels in South East
Queensland dams saw the introduction of stringent
Level 6 water restrictions to the region.
The drought changed the way South East Queensland
manages water. Low water levels in Wivenhoe, North
Pine and Somerset dams triggered regional water
restrictions. These dams supply approximately 75
per cent of the water in South East Queensland.
As part of Level 6 restrictions residents had to meet a daily
water consumption target of 140 litres per person per day
- Target 140. Following good rain, water levels in the dams
increased and restrictions were lifted in 2008 to high level
restrictions and then to medium level restrictions in 2009.
Permanent Water Conservation Measures are now in
place in all South East Queensland regions, including
Brisbane City, Gold Coast City, Ipswich City, Lockyer
Valley Regional Council, Logan City, Morton Bay
Regional Council, Somerset Regional Council and
Redland City. For further information visit http://www.
qwc.qld.gov.au/efficiency/water-conservation.html
Tighter restrictions will be introduced in the future
at target dam levels identified in the South East
Queensland Water Strategy. For instance Target 1
will be introduced when combined dam levels drop
to 40 per cent, Target 2 to be introduced at 30 per
cent and Target 3 is predicted to be introduced when
the combined dam levels drop to 20 per cent.
Year 5 - Information for teachers
Lesson plan 6
Lesson plan
– drought
Resource requirements
●
Poster – ‘Our urban watercycle’ (see
appendices or online resources)
●
Internet access
✪ This lesson engages students in the understanding
of weather conditions that can affect water supplies
through an investigation into extreme climate events.
✪ Ask students to discuss how they would
determine weather and climate conditions
without broadcasted weather forecasts.
✪ Introducing the Bureau of Meteorology website
Indigenous Weather Knowledge (www.bom.gov.au/
iwk/) and other relevant materials, students are asked to
undertake research to gather knowledge on indigenous
explanations of weather and climate systems and how
indigenous Australians adapted to Australia’s climate.
✪ Use the poster ‘Our urban watercycle’ to
reinforce water supply technologies and networks
in your region. Emphasise the reliance on rainfall in
providing adequate water supplies in Australia.
✪ Using suitable ICT tools examine a range of weather
maps, including satellite images, - ask students
to suggest how particular weather conditions
are identified. Collate and clarify climate related
words such as, low/high pressure; atmospheric
pressure; cold/warm front; humidity.
✪ For further explanation of weather systems that influence
rainfall on Australia’s east coast, such as El Nino and La
Nina phenomenon view the Climate Dogs videos at:
http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/farmingmanagement/weather-climate/understandingweather-and-climate/climatedogs
✪ In small group’s students research conditions that
influenced recent climate events, such as the
Millenium drought or the 2011 Brisbane floods.
Using BOM and other sites to develop a presentation
incorporating key factors, including the use of data
such as rainfall and temperature, to explain the
conditions that contributed to these events.
✪ Using appropriate terminology, and using graphic,
visual and auditory support, students prepare
and present a weather report to the class.
Make your water mark!
Additional activities
Student’s research and present ways that water supplies
could be maintained with less reliance on rainfall (e.g.
desalination, recycled water, rainwater tanks)? What
are the pros and cons of the various options?
Drought: It is certain that Queensland will suffer a serious
drought in the future. What strategies and initiatives
could be implemented to encourage people to use less
water during drought periods? How would you promote
the behaviours you wished people to demonstrate?