Learning the Value of Accessible Water

February 28, 2020

Academics

GNS

The Grade 2 classes dove in deep to their IB PYP Unit of Inquiry on Sharing the Planet. The students took part in the annual Water Day on February 24 as a way to better understand why water is vital to life and how it is a limited resource.

Leading up to Water Day the students learned that many people around the world do not live with clean running water right in their homes and will go great lengths to find and bring water home to survive.

On Water Day, Grade 2 students experienced a day without readily accessible water. To do that, the students only had access to one water source where they could obtain water. They could not use school taps or bring water or juice from home. They walked nearly 10 minutes from the Beach Campus to locate a “well” and had to pump and carry their supply of water back to the school. Throughout the day, the water was used for flushing toilets, washing, cooking and drinking.

The students had to rely on their energy and use teamwork when they were carrying back their supply of water. Many students teamed up to take turns sharing a load of larger buckets, while some used sticks to better get a handle on their buckets.

Water Day helped with multiple lines of inquiry for the Grade 2 classes, including:

What is it like to search for our water?
What does it feel like to pump and carry a day’s supply of water?
How much water does it take to do everyday chores?
How can we conserve our water supply so it lasts longer?
How much school-learning do we get done when we need to trek, pump and carry water?

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