Activity Introduction

Quick summary: Students have a 10 to 15 minute presentation from a plumber standing around their van, ute or trailer. They are shown and demonstrated some basic tools, find out how a tap is dismantled and a washer changed and get some interesting plumbing stories.

Learning goals:

  • Students learn plumbers have special skills needed for installing and repairing plumbing fixtures.
  • Students understand special tools are needed for repairing plumbing fixtures.
  • Students learn a tap has a number of components, for example, when the tap washer becomes worn, the tap leaks. 

Australian Curriculum Mapping 

Content descriptions:

Year 5 English

  • Clarify understanding of content as it unfolds in formal and informal situations, connecting ideas to students’ own experiences and present and justify a point of view (ACELY1699)

Year 5 Science

  • Scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions are used to solve problems that directly affect peoples’ lives (ACSHE083)
  • With guidance, pose questions to clarify practical problems or inform a scientific investigation, and predict what the findings of an investigation might be (ACSIS231)

Year 6 English

  • Participate in and contribute to discussions, clarifying and interrogating ideas, developing and supporting arguments, sharing and evaluating information, experiences and opinions (ACELY1709)

Year 6 Science

  • Scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions are used to solve problems that directly affect peoples’ lives (ACSHE100)
  • With guidance, pose questions to clarify practical problems or inform a scientific investigation, and predict what the findings of an investigation might be (ACSIS232)

Syllabus Outcomes: ST3-7PW, ST3-4WS, EN3-1A. 

Topic: Water

Year levels: 5 and 6

Indoor or outdoor activity: Indoor/Outdoor.

Time required: 45 mins

Learning areas addressed: Geography, Civics and citizenship, Health and Physical education.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Organise a plumber and a safe location for the students to stand around their vehicle.

Resources required: A plumber, and if possible, a tap that can be assembled and disassembled by students as a post plumber visit activity.

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

Plumbers have a range of very interesting skills and do a wide variety of work. They will also have some interesting tales to tell.

You will need to check if the school has any special requirements if a person comes into the school to do a short presentation. 

Invitation

You will need to source a plumber that is happy to spend about 15 minutes with your students showing them some of their equipment and telling them what they do. Some ideas for sourcing a plumber in priority order:

  • A parent of a student
  • A plumber that does work for the school
  • A friend
  • A plumber from the local community
  • A retired plumber.

15 minutes or less for a presentation means there is not much pressure on the plumber and the students should be able to maintain their interest.

In the 15 minutes ask the plumber to:

  • Introduce themselves.
  • Three or four types of jobs they might do in a day.
  • What they need to do to unblock a toilet (ask them to use discretion), or some othe
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