Activity Introduction

Quick summary: Students explore the plumbing in their school, its location and the purpose for various taps. They use a house plan to investigate water in and around homes. They suggest the location of pipes and where they might place a water tank.

Key lessons and understandings of activity:

  • Interpreting a house plan and locating various features on the plan. Linking points together with the fewest number of lines. The water outlets can be found at locations where the water is needed. 

Australian Curriculum Mapping

Content descriptions:

Year 1 Mathematics

  • Give and follow directions to familiar locations (ACMMG023)

Year 1 Science

  • People use science in their daily lives, including when caring for their environment and living things (ACSHE022)

Year 2 Mathematics

  • Interpret simple maps of familiar locations and identify the relative positions of key features (ACMMG044)

Year 2 Science

  • People use science in their daily lives, including when caring for their environment and living things (ACSHE035)

Syllabus Outcomes: ST1-11LW, ST1-9ES, MA1‑1WM, MA1-15MG, MA1-16MG.

Topic: Water

Year levels: 1 and 2

Indoor or outdoor activity: Indoor

Time required: 30 mins

Learning areas addressed: Geography, Mathematics

Level of teacher scaffolding: Assist students in interpreting the plan and working out its features.

Resources required: Colour markers, printed activity sheet.

Homework and extension opportunities: This activity includes opportunities for extension.

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

Activity outline

Super quick school tap tour

How many taps can students find in the school, including the school grounds, in five minutes? The rules are:

1. All the students need to go as a group.

2. They must not run, only walk.

3. They can only go to rooms or other locations where they are normally allowed. They must obey all the usual rules.

4. They must see the tap to be able to count it.

5. They have five minutes only and then they must stop counting.

Ask students to plan how they can count as many taps as possible in five minutes around the school. Go over the rules and confirm them, including not going into adult toilets. If they want access to the staff room, they will need to knock on the door and wait for a teacher to provide permission (even though you will be with them).

Ask students to plan out how they will most efficiently go around the school counting taps. How will they record the number of taps they have seen?

At the end of the tour dis

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Student Worksheet

1. Locate every spot where there might be a water outlet inside the home. Make a colour mark at each of these locations.

2. Where would you locate taps in the garden? How many taps are needed? Use the same colour to place a number of taps in the garden.

3. Where would be the best place to locate a water meter so it can be read for the water bill?

4. Use a different colour pen to connect the water meter to all the taps. Try and use as few pipes as possible by linking water outlets together.

5. Where around the house can a water tank be placed without covering a window or having to alter some of the building? It doesn’t matter if it is on a garden bed. Students can choose the shape of their water tank. Draw the water tank in the chosen location. Link the water tank with the toilet using a different colour pencil to the other pipes.

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