Lesson Description:

Objective:
Students will research water crisis conditions for one of the following five countries: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Honduras, India, or Kenya and record findings on the global water crisis international comparison group activity graphic organizer. Students will then report their findings to the class, who will then record the remaining information for the other four countries on their activity charts.

Lesson:
Students will be assigned to research one of the following nations that have received aid from water.org: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Honduras, India, or Kenya. Students will individually visit (http://water.org).

[Website instructions: from the main page click on world water crisis, then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on water crisis in the countries [we help], next under the left hand column heading “where we work” select the icon for the country you have been assigned to research.]

Students will individually complete the activity chart for the country they have been assigned. Students will then work in groups of four or five to organize and present information on the country assigned to their group.

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Lesson Type:

• Project

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Sustainability Topic:

• Water

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GEF Program Category:

• Sustainable Water Challenge

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Standards Addressed:

English/Language Arts Standards:

nl-eng.k-12.1

• Reading for perspective: students read a wide range of print and non-print documents to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the united states and the world.

nl-eng.k-12.3

• Evaluation strategies: students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts.

nl-eng.k-12.4

• Communication skills: students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

nl-eng.k-12.5

• Communication strategies: students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

nl-eng.k-12.6

• Applying knowledge: students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions, media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.

nl-eng.k-12.7

• Evaluating data: students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. they gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.

Science Standards:

ns.9-12.6

• Science in personal and social perspectives: personal health/populations, resources, and environments/risks and benefits

Geography National Standards:

nss-g.k-12.2

• Places and regions: understand the physical and human characteristics of places/ understand that people create regions to interpret earth’s complexity/ understand how culture and experience influence people’s perceptions of places and regions.

nss-g.k-12.3

• Physical systems: understand the physical processes that shape the patterns of earth’s surface/understand the characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on earth’s surface.

nss-g.k-12.4

• Human systems: understand the characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on earth’s surface/ understand the characteristics, distribution, and complexity of earth’s cultural mosaics/ understand the patterns and networks of economic interdependence on 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 earth’s surface.

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.

Ttechnology National Standards:

nt.k-12.1

• Basic technology operations and concepts: students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems/students are proficient in the use of technology.

nt.k-12.2

• Social, ethical, and human issues: students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology/ students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software/students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.

nt.k-12.4

• Technology communications tools: students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences/ students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

nt.k-12.5

• Technology research tools: students use technology to locate, evaluate and collect information from a variety of sources/ students use technology tools to process data and report results/ students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks

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