EWB Water for the World Water Filter Activity Objectives 1. To introduce students to the global issue of access to clean drinking water 2. To make students enthusiastic about technology and its role in human development development
Subjects: Subjects: Science, Geography, Social Sciences Time: 30-45 minutes
Materials The following is a list of materials you need for this activity: 1 2-litre plastic bottle per group 1 500-mL plastic bottle per group 1 cup of fine sand per group 1 cup of coarse sand per group 1 cup of fine gravel per group 1 cup of coarse gravel per group 1 cup of activated charcoal per group 1 cotton balls per group 1 transparent plastic cup per group 1 small piece (about 10 cm2) of cheese cloth per group 1 rubber band per group Monopoly money Photocopies of country profiles and instruction handouts Luxury items – such as candy (make sure to check with the t he teacher first!), or pencils for country groups to buy • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Here are some suggestions of where you can find the materials you need: Material Where to find it 2-litre plastic bottles 500-mL plastic bottles Buckets or plastic bins Charcoal, activated Cheese cloth Cotton balls Gravel (Coarse) Gravel (Fine) Plastic cups Rubber bands Sand (Coarse) Sand (Fine)
Recycling bins on recycling day Recycling bins on recycling day Hardware store Aquarium store Kitchen or car cleaning section of Canadian Tire Drug store or dollar store Hardware store in the garden section (e.g. Home Depot) Hardware store in the construction section (beside cement) Grocery store Office supply store Hardware store in the construction section (beside cement) Hardware store in the garden section
Advance Preparation 1. Prepare the materials. Cut the bottoms off the 2L bottles so they are ready for making filters Cut the cheese cloths into 10 cm2 pieces Breakdown the charcoal into granules with a hammer Prepare “dirty water”; add approximately approximately 2 tablespoons of soil or mud to 500-mL of water. • • • •
2. Assemble country packages. Each group will receive a handout that includes a country profile, instructions on how to make the water filter, and an amount of Monopoly money based on the table below: •
Country United States Canada South Africa Cameroon Ghana Malawi
Monopoly Money $1000 $500 $100 $50 $40 $20
**Note: these amounts are based on the country’s GDP, however is not an accurate percentage of the GDP. Procedure 1.
Put the filter materials in an easily accessible area at the front of the class (the “store”)
2.
Divide the students into working groups (4-5 students per group). Distribute a country package to each group.
3.
Explain to the students that they are to make a water filter as outlined on their instructions sheet. They may purchase the materials they need from the “store” using the Monopoly money that they have been given. Groups Groups may choose to spend their money on luxury items – you may want to limit this to groups with high GDPs.
4.
After about 20 minutes, have a representative from each group come up to the front of the room and demonstrate their water sample OR have the groups put their filters up at the front and go through the debrief while the filters are running.
5.
Follow-up the activity with a discussion on how the activity relates to the real world. Follow the slide and script provided.
Sources: CIA The World Factbook BBC Weather Centre Statistics Canada
UNITED STATES
General
General Area:
9,826,630 km2
Population: Urban: Rural:
303,824,646 77.2% 22.8%
Main Language:
English
Growth Rate:
0.88% per year
940 mm
Total water use
Water Resources Rainfall: Total water withdrawals:
3
1600 m /cap/year
Domestic: Industrial: Agricultural:
13% 46% 41%
Health Life expectancy: Infant mortality rate:
78.1 years 6 infant deaths/1000 live births
Literacy Adult literacy:
99% of population age 15 and above
Economy GDP per capita (PPP US$)
$45,800
Overseas Development Assistance (Aid) % of GDP
0.16%
Instructions – United States
Instructions 1. Loosely put a cotton plug in the neck of the cut bottle, then cover the neck of the bottle with a piece of cheese c heese cloth secured with a rubber band. 2. Pour a 1-cm layer of o f fine sand over the cotton plug, followed by activated charcoal, 1-cm of coarse sand, fine gravel, and coarse gravel. 3. Clean the filter by slowly and carefully pouring through 1-litre of clean water (over a bucket). 4. Place the filter over a plastic cup. Now, test your water filter by pouring half of the dirty water through the filter.
Cost of Materials Activated Charcoal Cheesecloth Cotton Gravel, Coarse Gravel, Fine
$50/cup $5/square $5/ball $10/cup $10/cup
Rubber Band Sand, Coarse Sand, Fine Water, Clean
$5 each $20/cup $20/cup $50/litre
Instructions – United States
CANADA
General Area:
9,984,670 km2
Population: Urban: Rural:
33,212,000 78% 22%
Main Language:
English, French
Growth Rate:
0.83% per year
Water Resources Rainfall:
From 250 mm in Yellowknife, NWT to 2415 mm in Prince Rupert, BC
Total water 1386 m3/cap/year withdrawals:
Total water use Domestic: Industrial: Agricultural:
20% 68% 12%
Health Life expectancy: Infant mortality rate:
81.2 years 5 infant deaths/1000 live births
Literacy Adult literacy:
99% of population age 15 and above
Economy GDP per capita (PPP US$)
$38,400
Overseas Development Assistance (Aid) % of GDP
0.29%
Instructions – Canada
Instructions 1. Loosely put a cotton plug in the neck of the cut bottle, then cover the neck of the bottle with a piece of cheese c heese cloth secured with a rubber band. 2. Pour a 1-cm layer of o f fine sand over the cotton plug, followed by activated charcoal, 1-cm of coarse sand, fine gravel, and coarse gravel. 3. Clean the filter by slowly and carefully pouring through 1-litre of clean water (over a bucket). 4. Place the filter over a plastic cup. Now, test your water filter by pouring half of the dirty water through the filter.
Cost of Materials Activated Charcoal Cheesecloth Cotton Gravel, Coarse Gravel, Fine
$50/cup $5/square $5/ball $10/cup $10/cup
Rubber Band Sand, Coarse Sand, Fine Water, Clean
$5 each $20/cup $20/cup $50/litre
Instructions – Canada
SOUTH AFRICA
General Area:
1,219,912 km2
Population: Urban: Rural:
43,786,000 57% 43%
Main Language:
English
Growth Rate:
-0.5% per year
464 mm
Total water use
Water Resources Rainfall: Total water withdrawals:
3
264 m /cap/year
Domestic: Industrial: Agricultural:
31% 6% 63%
Health Life expectancy: Infant mortality rate::
42 years 58 infant deaths/1000 live births
Literacy Adult literacy:
86% of population age 15 and above
Economy GDP per capita (PPP US$)
$9,800
Instructions – South Africa
Instructions 1. Loosely put a cotton in the of the cut bottle, then cover the neck of the with a of cheese secured with a band. 2. Pour a 1-cm layer of fine sand over the cotton plug, followed by activated , 1-cm of sand, fine , and gravel.
water (over a 3. Clean the filter by slowly and carefully pouring through 1-litre of bucket). 4. Place the filter over a plastic cup. Now, test your filter by half of the dirty through the filter.
R VEL
ACTIVATED
SAND
CHEESE
Cost of Materials Activated Charcoal Cheesecloth Cotton Gravel, Coarse Gravel, Fine
$50/cup $5/square $5/ball $10/cup $10/cup
Rubber Band Sand, Coarse Sand, Fine Water, Clean
$5 each $20/cup $20/cup $50/litre
Instructions – South Africa
CAMEROON
General Area:
475,440 km2
Population: Urban: Rural:
18,467,692 49% 51%
Main Language:
French, English
Growth Rate:
2.2% per year
1,000 – 1,750 mm
Total water use
Water Resources Rainfall: Total water withdrawals:
3
61 m /cap/year
Domestic: Industrial: Agricultural:
18% 8% 74%
Health Life expectancy: Infant mortality rate:
53.3 years 65 infant deaths/1000 live births
Literacy Adult literacy:
67.9% of population age 15 and above
Economy GDP per capita (PPP US$)
$2,100
Instructions – Cameroon
Instructions 1. put a plug in the of the cut , then the of the with a of cheese secured rubber . 2. a 1-cm of fine sand the cotton plug, by charcoal, 1-cm of sand, fine gravel, gravel. 3. the filter by carefully pouring water ( bucket). 4. Place the over a plastic cup. Now, of the dirty water through the filter.
clean
your water filter by pouring
GRAVEL
SAND CHARCOAL CHEESE Cost of Materials Activated Charcoal Cheesecloth Cotton Gravel, Coarse Gravel, Fine
$50/cup $5/square $5/ball $10/cup $10/cup
Rubber Band Sand, Coarse Sand, Fine Water, Clean
$5 each $20/cup $20/cup $50/litre
Instructions – Cameroon
GHANA
General Area:
239,460 km2
Population: Urban: Rural:
23,382,848 38% 62%
Main Language:
English
Growth Rate:
1.9% per year
1,000 mm
Total water use
Water Resources Rainfall: Total water withdrawals:
3
44 m /cap/year
Domestic: Industrial: Agricultural:
24% 10% 66%
Health Life expectancy: Infant mortality rate:
59.5 years 52 infant deaths/1000 live births
Literacy Adult literacy:
58% of population age 15 and above
Economy GDP per capita (PPP US$)
$1,400
Instructions – Ghana
Instructions 1. put a cotton neck of the cut , then neck of the a piece of cheese with a rubber band. 2. Pour a 1- of fine sand over the plug, , fine gravel, and coarse activated , 1-cm of
3. Clean filter and carefully water (over a bucket). 4. filter over a plastic . , test through the filter. pouring of the dirty
COURSE
-l of clean water filter by
ACTIVATED
CHEESE
Cost of Materials Activated Charcoal Cheesecloth Cotton Gravel, Coarse Gravel, Fine
$50/cup $5/square $5/ball $10/cup $10/cup
Rubber Band Sand, Coarse Sand, Fine Water, Clean
$5 each $20/cup $20/cup $50/litre
Instructions – Ghana
MALAWI
General Area:
118,480 km2
Population: Urban: Rural:
13,932,000 15% 85%
Main Language:
English
Growth Rate:
2.4% per year
875 - 1250 mm
Total water use
Water Resources Rainfall: Total water withdrawals:
3
78 m /cap/year
Domestic: Industrial: Agricultural:
15% 5% 80%
Health Life expectancy: Infant mortality rate:
43 years 90 infant deaths/1000 live births
Literacy Adult literacy:
63% of population age 15 and above
Economy GDP per capita (PPP US$)
$800
Instructions – Malawi
Instructions in the cut 1. Loosely , cover of with of cloth a . 2. a -cm fine cotton , followed charcoal, coarse , gravel, .
pouring 13. Clean by litre clean (over bucket). 4. Place over a cup. , test water by pouring dirty the filter.
GRAVEL CHARCOAL COARSE
CLOTH
Cost of Materials Activated Charcoal Cheesecloth Cotton Gravel, Coarse Gravel, Fine
$50/cup $5/square $5/ball $10/cup $10/cup
Rubber Band Sand, Coarse Sand, Fine Water, Clean
$5 each $20/cup $20/cup $50/litre
Instructions – Malawi
