LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Read about a teen who is inspiring others to recycle water; identify issues related to water scarcity as well as solutions.

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 8: Advocate for personal, family, and community health.

 

CASEL: Social awareness

KEY VOCAB

droughts

scarcity

channels

Lesson Plan: Making Every Drop Count

Shreya Ramachandran Is Spreading the Word About Water Recycling

Table of Contents:

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Building Comprehension and Vocabulary

4. Expanding SEL Opportunities

1. Preparing to Read

Before you read the article “Making Every Drop Count,” ask your students the following pre-reading question:

What are some common ways that people waste water, and how can you use it responsibly?

2. Reading and Discussing

  • Have your students read the article “Making Every Drop Count” independently; read the article out loud to them; or have students take turns reading the three sections out loud (The Inspiration, The Action, The Outcome). 
  • After they’ve read the article, revisit the pre-reading question. Have their answers changed?
  • Next, have your students answer the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking questions, either working in small groups or independently.


Close-Reading Questions
The following questions can be shared in printable or interactive form from the Resources tab. 

  1. Where did Shreya first see the impact that water scarcity can have, and what did she experience there that made her want to do something about this problem?
  2. What is “grey water”, and what can it be used for?


Critical-Thinking Questions

  1. Imagine you have to stand in line for your daily supply of water. How would the way you use water change?

  2. Which of the methods of water recycling from the article seems easiest to implement? Which method might be tricky to implement, and why?

3. Building Comprehension and Vocab

Check students’ comprehension of and engagement with the story with the following assessment tools:

  • Quiz

  • Vocab Builder

4. Expanding SEL Opportunities

Continue the learning journey with the following extension activity:

In GREY WATER CHALLENGE, have students commit to recycling water in two or three ways over the course of a week, and document the challenge by making a TikTok video. When the challenge ends, have students share their videos and reflect on whether they’ll continue recycling water long-term. 

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