Activity Introduction

Quick summary: Students work in small groups to identify as many water related issues as they can think of in 60 seconds. The small groups then collate their ideas to create a class list and add any additional issues they can recall. Students keep the class list to review at the close of the unit of work.

Learning goals:

  • Students develop their knowledge around water issues.
  • Students relate water issues to the sustainable management of a renewable resource.

Australian Curriculum Mapping

Content descriptions:

Year 9 Science

  • People can use scientific knowledge to evaluate whether they should accept claims, explanations or predictions (ACSHE160)

Year 9 English

  • Interpret, analyse and evaluate how different perspectives of issue, event, situation, individuals or groups are constructed to serve specific purposes in texts (ACELY1742)

Year 10 Science

  • People can use scientific knowledge to evaluate whether they should accept claims, explanations or predictions (ACSHE194)

Year 10 English

  • Identify and analyse implicit or explicit values, beliefs and assumptions in texts and how these are influenced by purposes and likely audiences (ACELY1752)

Syllabus Outcomes: SC5-13ES, SC5-13ES, EN5-2A, EN5-8D. 

Topic: Water

Year levels: 9 and 10

Indoor or outdoor activity: Indoor

Time requried: 15 mins.

Learning areas addressed: Science, Geography.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Lead discussion and help the class collate their list of water issues.

Resources required: writing materials and student worksheet.

Keywords: Water, issues, pre-test, brainstorm.

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Teacher preparation

Introduction

This activity may function as a pre-test to enable teachers to gain an understanding of what students already know about issues related to water.

Activity outline

Part 1: Form students into small groups and ask them to nominate one scribe, one reporter and one manager per group.

Part 2: Explain to students that they will be given 60 seconds to write down as many water issues as they can think of.
Idea prompts for the class may include:

  • water supply
  • environment
  • pollution
  • habitat

Part 3: Give the groups 60 seconds to identify and write down their issues. At the end of the 60 seconds ask each of the group reporters to read out the list of issues that their group wrote down in the allocated time. The group manager can write the group's list of issues on the board for the rest of the class to copy down as their reporter reads out the list.

Part 4: Discuss as a class what the following phrase means:

“The sustainable management of a ren

...
 
- or - to view worksheets

Student Worksheet

Group Brainstorm: What are the world's current water issues?

 Class List: What issues were mentioned by other groups in the class?

Discussion: What does the following phrase mean?

“The sustainable management of a renewable resource”

...
 
- or - to view worksheets

Leave your Feedback

We appreciate your feedback. Let us know what you like or don't like about this activity:

Sorry. You must be logged in to view this form.