13 be water wise all week - pearson...

Foundations • EnvironmEntal citizEnship—lEvEl a | 125

13Water WorriesBe Water Wise All Week

NotesFor the Teacher

• Many areas of the world have been suffering from years of drought, making the soil untillable and even forcing large populations to take refuge in other areas.

• Water shortages often occur in growing communities, because water can not soak through impervious surfaces, such as parking lots, roads, pavement, or rooftops. These surfaces keep rainfall from soaking into the ground and replenishing groundwater and streams that are used for drinking water or fish habitat.

• In some areas of the United States, new home sales require installation of low-flow toilet tank systems, but water-efficient appliances are not yet required in new construction.

FocusEnvironmental

Citizenship

Our need for water grows every year—the amount needed for drinking, bathing, watering crops, and generating electricity increases as the population grows. Using water more wisely can help solve water shortages.

BigI D E A S• Most Americans take for granted the fact that

they can drink water right from the tap or take a shower whenever they please.

• In many parts of the world, water is scarce. In some areas, people walk for miles to fill buckets and containers with water and then carry it home.

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126 | litEracy navigator

13

FOUNDATIONS • ENVIRONMENTAL CITIZENSHIP—LEVEL A | 59

Reading Passage for Lesson #

Reading # Title

Reading Passage for Lesson 13

Water Worries

Photo: © iStockphoto.com/Rob Friedman

1 Did you know that over one billion people do not have access to safe drinking water due to unsanitary conditions? That’s about one in every five people on this planet! Drinking contaminated water can make you sick.

2 In some parts of the world and right here in the United States, water is used at a greater rate than it is replenished by rainfall. In arid regions of the world that are naturally dry with rapidly growing populations, there’s often not enough water to meet people’s needs. In addition, communities often cannot afford the technology that can provide large quantities of clean drinking water. As a result, water is scarce and conservation is crucial.

3 Each of us can work to protect and conserve water in our homes and neighborhoods. Together we can make a difference! You

access the right or ability to use something

unsanitary unclean and unhealthy

replenished replaced or refilled

scarce in short supply; difficult to find


Be Water Wise All Week

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60 | LITERACY NAVIGATOR

Be Water Wise All Week

Photos: © shutterstock.com/Rafa Irusta (top); shutterstock.com/Tim Arbaev (bottom)

can start conserving water today and become water wise in just seven days.

Sunday

4 Start the week o� fresh by � lling a pitcher with tap water and storing it in your fridge. You’ll have a cool, refreshing beverage at your � ngertips, and you’ll save water by not waiting for the tap to run cold each time you and your family members are thirsty.

Monday

5 Water outside only when necessary. If you know Mother Nature plans to water the garden, you won’t have to. It is also a good idea to water early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid evaporation during the warmest part of the day.

Tuesday

6 Don’t let the faucet run. Turn o� the water while you brush your teeth. You’ll save about 100 gallons of water per month once this habit becomes second nature. Does anyone else in your family leave the faucet on when they brush their teeth, shave, etc.?

evaporationthe process of changing from liquid to vapor


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FOUNDATIONS • ENVIRONMENTAL CITIZENSHIP—LEVEL A | 61

Lesson 13Be Water Wise All Week

Photo: shutterstock.com/Mau Horng

Wednesday

7 There is no such thing as a little drip. A leaky faucet with a drip of just 1/16 of an inch in diameter (about this big -o-) can waste 10 gallons of water every day! Stop that drip by replacing worn washers and valve seals with help from your parents.

Thursday

8 Take a shorter shower today. Set a timer for five minutes and get out when it rings. It is also a good idea to install a low-flow shower head. Water savings can really add up when you control the flow; you could save about 450 gallons each month!

Friday

9 Check all the plumbing in your home. Proper maintenance is one of the most effective water savers. Faucet washers are inexpensive and take only a few minutes and a wrench to replace. Check all water taps, hoses, and hose connections for leaks.

Saturday

10 Be aware of how you use water today by keeping a journal. Write down each time you turn on the tap, how long it was on, and what you used that water for. Keeping track of the water you used will make you more aware and teach you to make every drop count.

washers small metal or rubber rings that prevent leaks

maintenance regular work that is done to keep things in working order

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Water WorriesBe Water Wise All Week 13

oBJ

Ecti

vEs • Evaluate and synthesize information from the text, and apply it to discussions.

• Use text structure to comprehend text.• Compare information from two texts.• Add to the water protection web and begin a water use journal.

act

ivit

iEs • Explain chronological order as a text structure.

• Introduce the command as a sentence form; explain its use in informational articles, often in headings.• Monitor student discussions for comprehension.• Introduce new vocabulary.

prEp

• Read the article and preview the lesson.• Write domain-related words and their definitions on sentence strips.• Prepare a chart titled Ways I Use Water (or use the visual).

voca

Bula

ry

domain-related helpful (defined in margins)

hydrologic cycle: the circular movement of water as it rains, hails, or snows, seeps underground, runs off into rivers, lakes, or ocean; warms and evaporates to form clouds; rains, hails, or snows…

conservation: the process of using resources carefully to avoid waste or damage and to ensure that some remains

arid: dry; receiving very little rainfall

accessunsanitaryreplenishedscarce

evaporationwashersmaintenance

mat

Eria

ls

For teacher For students

• Chart paper and markers• “Water Worries” video*• “Be Water Wise All Week” (pp. 126–128)

*Available on Community of Learning

• Water Protection Web (p. 56)• “Water Worries” (p. 57)• Ways I Use Water (p. 58)• Water Use Journal (p. 62)• “Be Water Wise All Week” (pp. 59–61) • Environmental Citizenship Vocabulary (pp. 8–10)

Water WorriesBe Water Wise All Week 13

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Water Worries • Be Water Wise all Week13introduction

• Ask students to recall the reading, “Kids can protect groundwater too!” They learned that people can help prevent groundwater contamination by becoming more aware and making wiser choices.

• Ask students to name some contaminants that pollute groundwater. (pesticide and fertilizer runoff; chemicals, paints, and oils from industry; litter; household cleaners, toxins, or medicines poured down the drain)

• Direct students to “Water Worries” in the Student Reader. Tell students they will begin the lesson with a short video. In it an expert discusses an issue just as serious as water pollution—water shortage.

• Direct students to Ways i use Water in the Student Reader and ask them to take a look at the hydrologic cycle diagram. Explain that it is the same diagram they saw in the lesson before last.

– Explain that the expert in the video uses a different term for water cycle. The term is hydrologic cycle. Ask students to listen for it.

hydrologic cycle: the continuous movement of water as it rains, hails, or snows, seeps underground, runs off into rivers, lakes, or ocean; warms and evaporates to form clouds; rains, hails, or snows…

– Write the definition on chart paper and ask students to write the definition on the previous page.

• Play the “Water Worries” video, then ask students the following questions to gauge their comprehension:

Did you hear the expert say hydrologic cycle? What does it mean? (water cycle) What is the sign that the Colorado River is not healthy? (doesn’t run to ocean)

student reader“Water Worries,” p. 57 Ways i use Water, p. 58

58 | LITERACY NAVIGATOR LESSON 13

Ways I Use Water

LakeOcean

Clouds

Precipitation

Runo�

Evaporation

Groundwater

Hydrologic Cycle

Thinking about Water Use

Art: Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc., or its a� liates.

Ways I Use Water, Student Reader, page 58

FOUNDATIONS: COMPREHENDING TEXTS—LEVEL A | 57

Photo: © iStockphoto.com/Kate Payton

Video for Lesson 13

Water Worries

Hydrologic Cycle:

Ecological service: the bene� t some natural process or part of the ecosystem provides; for example, the Colorado River provides an ecological service by delivering freshwater, nutrients, and sediment to deltas

Sediment: soil, sand, gravel, and debris from riverbanks that � ows downstream, often creating mineral-rich soil that is excellent for farming

“Water Worries,” Student Reader, page 57

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What are the two big uses of water, besides drinking? (making electricity, crops)

What was the “good news” you heard at the end? (People can save water!)

– The video is 3 minutes; rewind and play again if desired.

• Set out the Ways i use Water chart where it is visible to all. Ask students to say how they use water and record their comments.

• Have students write the comments in the Student Reader about water use while working as a group.

• Ask them to think beyond drinking, showering, or brushing teeth. How do they use water at meals, on weekends, or in the yard?

Work time

• Direct students to the article titled “Be Water Wise all Week” in the Student Reader. You can find a copy of the reading on page 126 of this Teacher Edition.

• Ask students how the title relates to the expert’s comments about conserving water? (She used the word wisely when talking about water use.)

• Show students sentence strips on which the words conservation and arid along with their definitions are written. Define the words:

conservation: the protection and care of natural resources

arid: dry; receiving very little rainfall

– Have students find conservation and arid in paragraph 2 of the text, highlight or underline the words, and then write the definitions in the margin.

• Ask students to turn to a partner and say what they think water wise might mean. Share a few responses with the whole class.

• Remind students that they have seen titles in the form of questions, but this title is different. It is a command that the author gives the reader.

• Read paragraphs 1 and 2 aloud, asking students to read along silently.

video“Water Worries” Available on Community of Learning.

student reader“Be Water Wise all Week,” p. 59

scaffold students’ understanding of the importance of conservation using a simple experiment. Use a sink that students can view while you position the handle to emit a tiny drip. Place a container underneath and have students predict the amount of water that will be collected in 24 hours. Use the water to refresh plants.

support English language learners by grouping them strategically. If they have a clear grasp of concepts, group them with students whose vocabulary skills are more advanced than their own.

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Water Worries • Be Water Wise all Week13 – Stop for student reactions. Could people live without the water

they need for normal activities such as washing clothes or dishes? Many people do.

• Ask students to imagine living in a hot, dusty area with no air conditioning, no fan, not even a breeze. Ask:

How would it feel if you could not splash water on your face? Dip your feet in a creek? Run through a sprinkler? Or wash your hands?

• Ask students how the headings in the article relate to the title. Take a few responses. (headings name the days of the week in order to show being water wise all week is day-by-day)

– Authors sometimes organize informational text in order of time.

• Instruct students to read the entire article independently. As they read, they should consider which suggestions are practical for them to do.

– After reading, ask students if the author continued giving commands. (yes, every paragraph begins with a command)

guided practice

• Direct students to the Water protection Web they began in the previous lesson.

• Tell students to reflect on what they learned from the video and the article, then review and revise the word web, as needed. They should draw lines out from the circle for new information, writing key words on the lines as before.

– Allow time for students to work. Circulate and assist students, as needed.

• Direct students to Water use Journal in the Student Reader. The author suggested keeping a water use journal. Tell students to jot down everything they have done since morning that used water.

– Tell students to continue keeping the journal until the next lesson.

student readerWater protection Web, p. 56 Water use Journal, p. 62

62 | LITERACY NAVIGATOR LESSON 13

Water Use Journal

Write down all the ways you have used water since waking up this morning. Continue to keep track of your water use until the next lesson.

Water Use Journal, Student Reader, page 62

connect Reading Informational Text 5 (Craft and Structure).

During Work Time, students read the text and identify details associated with its structure.

Water Worries • Be Water Wise all Week13

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reflection

• Direct students to Environmental citizenship vocabulary in the Student Reader. Ask students to consider where the words conservation and arid belong on the chart.

• Have students work with a partner to determine where the words belong and why. (conservation under citizenship; arid under environmental)

– Tell students to write the words in the appropriate columns, while you post the sentence strips on the class word wall.

• Break the class into small discussion groups of three or four students each.

– Review the points for productive talk and have students discuss:

Consider what your life would be like without all the water you need. How would it change your life?

If we have an abundance of water where we live, why should we conserve or worry about pollution?

– Tell students to use new vocabulary when it fits and to support their comments with information from the video and the reading.

• Debrief with students to review the content of the discussions and to assess the level of productive talk.

• Tell students to reflect on the article and think about the big ideas. Encourage them—tell students that completing my notes will help to bring new information into focus.

• my notes for Lesson 13:

1. Number of people worldwide without access to safe drinking water:

2. A few easy ways to save water:

student readerEnvironmental citizenship vocabulary, p. 8 my notes, p. N13

enhance student understanding and deepen discovery with additional materials.

Visit Community of Learning for information on how to access online resources selected specifically for this lesson.

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