Tiny plastic, precious water, and where it is
Answers are for parents and teachers.
1
List five ways you used water today. Estimate which one used the most water.
Answers differ. A shower or bath usually uses the most water.
2
A family of 4 each takes a 5-minute shower at about 10 litres a minute. How much water is that in all? How much would they save if each shower was 3 minutes?
5 × 10 = 50 L each, so 4 × 50 = 200 L. With 3 minutes: 3 × 10 = 30 L each, so 4 × 30 = 120 L. They save 200 − 120 = 80 L.
3
Draw a pie graph or a hundred-square to show that about 97 parts of Earth’s water are salty and about 3 parts are fresh.
97 squares are coloured for salt water and 3 squares for fresh water.
4
Make a poster with three tips for saving water at school.
Answers differ, for example: turn off taps fully; report leaks; water the school garden in the evening.
5
Explain why plastic litter dropped far from the sea can still end up in the sea.
Rain and rivers carry it downhill and downstream until it reaches the sea.