Down
the Drain
In t his a c t iv it y, the participants determine how
much water they use every day in their home life and compare those findings to average values for people in other parts of the world. time required: 30-40 minutes
Mat er ial s N eed ed
INT E ND E D F O R G R A D E S 9 - 1 2
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» a 1-gallon clear container of water » a sheet of newsprint » a marker » a roll of masking tape » copies of the handout titled “Personal Water Use Chart,” found on page 4, one for each participant » pens or pencils, one for each participant » calculators (useful in the interest of time) » for optional Internet-based activity, computer access for each participant or small group
Activity Steps E xp l a i n t hat personal water use is defined as “any water that is consumed or used at the
household level.” Other personal water uses include personal cleaning, kitchen uses, consumption for drinking and cooking, and outdoor yard use. Encourage the participants to begin thinking about the ways they use water in their everyday lives. To build understanding about water quantities, have the participants take a good look at the gallon of water. A s k t he l a r ge gr o up the following questions. Record responses on a sheet of newsprint
and post it where all can see: » What activity in our daily lives consumes the most water?
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» How many gallons per person, per day, do the following activities require? » showering » bathing » brushing teeth » flushing the toilet » washing dishes by hand » using a dishwasher » using the clothes washing machine » watering the lawn and garden
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» washing the car (with a hose)
Di s t r i but e a c opy of the handout found on page 4, a pen or pencil, and a calculator to
each participant. Review the answers to the questions from step 2 as noted on the chart. Then ask the participants to complete the remaining sections on their own. Clarify the following before they begin: » Column A is based on each participant’s personal water use. » Column C is column A multiplied by column B. » Values for column D are class estimates from the newsprint. » Values for column E are taken from column C.
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O nc e e v e ry o ne has completed the handout, engage the participants in a large-group discussion using the following questions: » Were you surprised at all by any of your findings?
» How did the group’s estimates compare to the calculated values? » What were the top three ranking activities, in terms of personal water usage? » Use a calculator to find the group average for personal water use per day. Add each total for column C and divide by the number of participants. » How do you think this average compares to the average for water use in all of the United States and the continents of Africa, Europe, South and Central America, and Asia?
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U s e t he f o l l o wing chart to examine daily water use trends around the globe.
Continent / Country
Domestic Water Use* (gallons per day per person)
Africa Egypt Ethiopia Mozambique South Africa
Europe Albania United Kingdom
North America Canada United States
53 3 2 44
71 91 30
137 208 173
Central America
87
Costa Rica Honduras
145 7
South America
75
Peru Venezuela
43 101
Asia Azerbaijan Bangladesh China
6 7
17
31 77 11 16
Ask the participants for possible explanations for the differences. Inv i t e t h e pa rt ic ipa nt s to form pairs and share their responses to the following
question: » How have your feelings about water and water use been altered as a result of this activity? If t i m e p e r m i t s , invite the participants to create graphic representations (pie charts, etc.) to demonstrate their own personal water use trends, group results, the United States’ overall use, and the water use of other countries in the world. Note: If Internet access is available, have the participants try an online game version of the water calculator to interactively compute personal daily water consumption values and view graphical results. Calculators can be found on the Water Footprint Web site and the National Wildlife Federation Web site. (This activity is drawn from Water for All: An Educational Resource for Young People in Grades 9–12. Copyright © 2008 by World Vision Resources, Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716 wvresources@worldvision.org. All rights reserved.) PA G E 3 O F 5
Handout | Personal Water Use Chart Activity
A. Average Number of Times Activity is Done Per Day
B. Given Estimates of Water Use
Taking a shower (10 minutes) (standard shower head)
50 gallons (19 / minute)
Taking a shower (10 minutes) (low-flow shower head)
23 gallons (9 / minute)
Taking a bath
39 gallons
Brushing teeth (water running)
2 gallons
Flushing the toilet (standard-flow toilet)
3 gallons
Flushing the toilet (low-flow toilet)
1.9 gallons
Washing dishes by hand
10 gallons
Running a dishwasher
12 gallons
Doing a load of laundry
31 gallons
Watering the lawn
300 gallons
Washing a car
50 gallons
TOTAL Daily Water Use by Household Member
C. Total Daily Water Use
D. Class Estimates of Daily Water Use
=
=
E. Ranking of Water Use Activities (from Column C)
Source: Water Partners International Handout: Permission to reproduce is granted. Š 2008 by World Vision Resources.
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About World Vision W o rld Vis i o n i s a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to helping children and their families break free from poverty. Our work is motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ. We see a world where each child experiences “fullness of life” as described in John 10:10. And we know this can be achieved only by addressing the problems of poverty and injustice in a holistic way. That’s how World Vision is unique: We bring nearly sixty years of experience in three key areas needed to help children and families thrive: emergency relief, long-term development, and advocacy. And we bring all of our skills across many areas of expertise to each community we work in, enabling us to care for children’s physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being. W o rld Vis i o n Res o u r c e s educates Christians about global poverty, inspires them to social justice, and equips them with innovative resources to make a difference in the world. By developing biblically-based materials for educators and ministry leaders on the causes and consequences of global poverty, World Vision Resources supports the organizational mandate to move the church in the United States to more fully embrace its biblical responsibility to serve the poor.
For more information about our resources, contact: World Vision Resources www.worldvision.org wvresources@worldvision.org
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