Topic inquiry is the study of social studies which includes history and geography. Students are taught inquiry skills as part of curriculum across the subjects and develop the ability to question, think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, make decisions and adapt to change.
Why is the yellow river yellow?
Where does the water we use come from and where do they go?
How much water does every person consume dail
These are the questions from Grade 4 Students at the beginning of the study in geography unit. They got to explore Human – environment relationship based on learning the geography of China.
With the help of teachers, students started to focus on comparing different rivers and the relationship between human life and water sources. From our discussions the following was considered: how to identify reliable water and non-reliable water through water testing. Through the inquiry, teachers encouraged students to think and learn from the real world, thus we went to the sewage treatment factory.
At the sewage treatment factory they learned a lot about daily water waste, alongside how much water is used, but it wasn’t enough. They kept wondering as to why people pollute water knowing that it is a scarce resource. For example, a student was confused as to why our current water situation is not improving when we and others were educated about how we impact our environment. students began to compare the water drinking habits across the world and think about the reasons why water is polluted and wasted. Meanwhile, they decided to track how much water they waste at home to see where improvements can be made. Finally, they decided to launch an initiative called “Water Wise Hero” which aims to engage more people to use water wisely and encourage them to take care of the scarce resource that is important to humans.
To launch an initiative has been taken as the summative assessment test of this unit. Students worked as a team and delivered speeches with different ways. Teachers created the rubric for the assessment to scaffold students’ learning. Students’ work has been evaluated through these four items: the skills of collecting information, problem-solving, the performance of public presentation and co-operation. Both teachers and students attended the evaluation.
To engage more people into using water wisely, every student in the group did their best to collaborate positively. They tried to deliver their messages through various ways such as giving a speech, making posters, role-playing, conducting experiment and playing games.
Do not keep the tap open when you wash your hands, only open it to briefly before you use soap and to rinse your hands at the end.
Use the water that you used to clean vegetables。
Take short showers instead of a long bath or shower.
Don’t play with water.
Reduce the frequency of a car wash and wash it with less water.
You can also keep a refillable water bottle on you so you don’t need to use a plastic water bottle.？
You can of course also help by giving the village in Yunnan a donation directly. The donation will be used to help build a water system to provide them with reliable drinking water. It does not matter how small the donation is, every bit helps. Xiexi Charity Foundation of our school will transfer the money to the water information platform MyH2O and follow up the usage of donation.
To engage more people, tell them about what they learned and encourage them to waste less water and use it wisely. E.g. When you brush your teeth, use a cup of water instead of keeping the tap open.
To engage more people, tell them about what you learned and encourage them to waste less water and use it wisely.
Grade 5 students actively respond to the initiative
The initiative started from class then to the whole school and students learnt from practice and reflection. Teachers created online survey to measure the impact of this initiative, as well as helped students collect more feedback. The online survey showed the high participation in “When you brush your teeth, use a cup of water instead of keeping the tap open.” Besides, there are many other good solutions has been given, for example: Instead of pouring away the water after you clean the fish tank or vegetables, use them to water plants; use a basin to collect water when you wash dishes. After Initiative, many students want to share what they have learnt and engage more people into using water wisely.
Some of the students participated in the donation to help the villagers who is living in the place with serious water problems to improve their water environment. So far, we have raised a total of 19263 yuan, which has been transferred to MyH2O platform through Xiexi foundation. They will be implement the donations, which will be used to purchase water purifiers and water sale machines, build the water stations and so on. We will follow up the progress and share with everyone in time.
By learning this unit, students realized how human-environment interaction works. Although the initiative is over, never stop being a water wise hero. We should start from ourselves to improve water environment. Great things start small, action speaks louder. Let’s work together and make change happen.
Water Wise Hero Delegation
Students awarded for their outstanding effort in cooperation, researching, problem-solving and public presentation
At last but not least, we want to appreciate the Education Support from our society. They are Long Ting Sewage Treatment Co.,Ltd; Xiexi Charity Foundation and Water Information Platform MyH2O.