Teacher & Student Materials > Quenching a Thirsty Planet
What can society do?
60-100 minutes
Students will understand that designing and picking solutions to the water situation is not a clear-cut process, and governments must consider what is available to them and the best for their populations’ well-being when making these decisions.
Students will first divide the responsibility of solutions into government actions, personal decisions, and technological innovations to understand that there is a shared responsibility for managing the water crisis. Students will analyze the ways four different countries use and manage their water while considering the economic resources, natural resources, and technologies available to these countries that have led to the current practices and culture surrounding water.
It would be beneficial for students to have already watched the Netflix documentary “Explained: The World’s Water Crisis” as part of lesson set 3.
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Materials: 4.1 What can society do?
Materials: Sticky notes
After the previous three lesson sets, students should understand that there is a water crisis and it can affect them; now, we want to turn students attention toward solutions. Therefore, this discussion is designed to get students thinking about how we, as a society, can go about valuing water without taking it away from vulnerable populations.
Pass out three sticky notes to each student.
Students will then answer the question on slide 4, “What do you think should be done to address the water crisis?” Students need to generate three different responses to the question and then bring their completed sticky notes to you . You can give out extra sticky notes to students who have a lot of ideas to make the exercise more fruitful.
Students will then complete an activity called affinity mapping. As students bring you their sticky notes, divide them into piles. One pile for each group. Once all students have brought you their notes, redistribute a pile to each group.
Instruct students to work in their table groups to categorize these solutions into three groups: government policy, personal decisions, and technology innovation.
In some cases, teachers can allow the students to form their own categories. Use teacher discretion as the best way to instruct students.
Lastly, ask students to share what they put in each category.
Discuss why the ideas fit within the category and if it was challenging to decide how to classify them.
Small group discussion
This part of the activity encourages students to look at what is available to governments as they make difficult decisions: economic considerations, natural resources, and available technology.
As students think through the Mexicali example from the documentary, they should unpack the government’s decisions using these three considerations as a class. In the next activity, students will be asked to do this type of analysis independently or in small groups.
Materials: The World & Its Water reading & student chart
In the activity “The World & Its Water,” students will read a short paragraph detailing how a country uses its water. Students will then use that information to complete the chart that asks students to consider the economic factors, natural resources, and available technologies that each government must consider. The purpose of this activity is for students to realize that the water crisis is caused by and dependent on many different factors. There is no one approach to dealing with water. It’s a complicated issue.
The activity is set up in a way that students can complete the entire set independently, or you can arrange for the jigsaw method. In the jigsaw method, each group of students will be in charge of reading and completing the questions for one country. At the end of an allotted time, students will share either as a whole group or in their small groups what they learned, and the other students will record their findings on their own charts.
Summary of Netflix’s Explained: The Worlds Water Crisis (if you did not watch it):
The episode sheds light on the increasing strain on water resources due to factors like population growth, industrialization, and agriculture, highlighting the unsustainable practices that contribute to this crisis. For instance, the series examines the water scarcity issues faced by Mexicali, a city in Mexico’s arid region. Mexicali relies heavily on water for agricultural activities, but due to climate change and unsustainable water use, the region has been experiencing severe water shortages and declining groundwater levels. The series also dives into the impact of climate change on the water cycle, examining how changing weather patterns, droughts, and floods further exacerbate the challenges. With a strong emphasis on solutions, the documentary showcases innovative technologies and approaches that address the crisis, such as desalination, water recycling, and conservation practices. It also raises critical questions about the need for international cooperation, policy reforms, and equitable access to clean water resources.
Water management decisions made by governments require careful consideration of economic factors, natural resources, and available technologies. In the United States, economic factors play a significant role in water management decisions. The country has a diverse economy with sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism heavily reliant on water resources. For instance, in arid regions like California, water allocation is crucial for agriculture, which contributes significantly to the state’s economy. The government must balance the economic benefits of water-intensive industries with the need to protect natural resources and ensure water availability for other sectors and ecosystems.
Israel, a country known for its innovative water management practices, faces the challenge of scarcity due to its arid climate. Economic factors heavily influence its water policies, as water scarcity necessitates advanced technologies for efficient water use. Israel has invested in desalination plants, wastewater recycling, and precision irrigation techniques. These technologies help optimize water usage and reduce economic costs, ensuring sustainable water availability for agriculture, domestic use, and industrial purposes.
The Ivory Coast in West Africa boasts abundant water resources, but economic factors and population growth pose challenges. The country’s water management decisions must consider equitable access to water for urban and rural areas, as well as for economic activities such as cocoa farming and industrial production. Balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability is crucial to prevent overexploitation and pollution of water resources.
In India, a country with diverse climates and varying water availability, economic factors and natural resource considerations are of utmost importance. The agriculture sector, which accounts for a significant portion of India’s economy, heavily relies on water for irrigation. However, water scarcity in certain regions and increasing water pollution pose challenges. The government must formulate policies that incentivize water conservation practices, promote sustainable agriculture, and invest in technologies like drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting to ensure efficient water use.
These examples highlight the importance of considering economic factors, natural resources, and available technologies in water management decisions. Governments must carefully evaluate the potential economic benefits, environmental impacts, and societal implications of their choices. By understanding these factors, teachers can help students grasp the complexities involved in water management and foster a broader perspective on the challenges faced by different countries in utilizing and protecting their water resources.
Class Discussion & Affinity Mapping can be shortened to a class discussion using the same questions as probing questions. Following that discussion, the teacher-led discussion about how Mexicali handled its water crisis will help to prepare students to do the next activity. The point of these first two activities is to help students see that governments make choices about how to use and protect their water based on what they have available to them. The Mexicali example from above is a perfect example to do as a class before learners are asked to do it on their own.
The World & Its Water activity can be implemented in a few different ways. The reading can be dense, and if students are asked to complete all four passages, it can be quite fatiguing. Therefore the jigsaw method could be very effective for this activity. The method involves dividing students into small groups and assigning each group a specific piece of information or a topic to become experts on.
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