Importance of Conserving Water

In this lesson, students learn about the importance of water conservation as it relates to a changing climate, create a timeline of Native Hawaiian sustainability practices, and promote a law to address water conservation in their community.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students learn about the importance of water conservation.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn where their drinking water comes from, calculate their water footprint, and learn about Native Hawaiian sustainability practices to conserve water.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students review past water conservation policies as inspiration for creating and promoting new conservation policies.

Positives

• This lesson aligns with Hawai'i's Nā Hopena A'o HĀ-BREATH Framework.

• Students observe the importance of water conservation with digital and non-digital resources.

• Students observe how Native Hawaiians conserve water and analyze how humans have impacted freshwater sources.

• Students use their creativity to develop a water conservation law for their community based on previous water conservation laws.

• This lesson can be taught in a social studies classroom discussing civics or Indigenous communities.

Additional Prerequisites

• Teacher can print the Timeline Cards in advance and tape them around the classroom.

• Teacher will need to print the Student Documents in advance because students will tape their responses to the Assigned Year Questions to the wall for the gallery walk.

Differentiation

• Teacher can provide students with a time limit for the gallery walk.

• Students can work individually or in pairs during the Investigate and Inspire sections.

• Optional activity: Students can evaluate how much water they use at home by comparing their family’s water bill to water usage in the average home. Students can create a family goal to reduce water usage, discuss and implement solutions, and observe if the family’s water usage decreases.

• Optional Activity: Students can compare Hawai‘i’s rating with other states using this resource.
  

There is currently a water crisis affecting many nations worldwide, and it is crucial to conserve water in light of the changing climate. In this lesson, students learn how to calculate their water footprints and develop their capacity to come up with creative water policies and solutions for the effective regulation and management of Hawai'i's water resources. With the help of this lesson, other U.S. states could be able to adopt these methods as well. The videos and other teaching aids come from reliable sources, and this lesson passed our science review after we carefully fact-checked its contents.

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.

Supporting Standard

• English Language Arts
  • Reading: Literature (K-12)
    • RL.MF.6.6 Compare and contrast information or texts to develop a coherent understanding of a theme, topic, or issue when reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text.

Note On Standards:

This lesson is aligned to SubjectToClimate standards. Review the aligned standards directly in the lesson plan document and teacher slideshow.