Water as a human right
On 28 July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly recognized the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to all human rights.
Module 2: Water Basics
Humanity and geology studies
Background
Water resources on our planet can only be understood within the context of the water cycle: there is only one total amount of water, and the same water continues to move through the different states of solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (steam) in a repeated cycle on the Earth for all time. The sun is the “motor” of the water cycle. On the surface, water flows across the land and underground, settling eventually in rivers, ponds, lakes, and oceans. As the water is heated by the sun, it evaporates and enters the atmosphere in the form of steam to make clouds.
“Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand.” – Guinean proverb
Thematic concepts
Solid, liquid, and gas
When steam in the atmosphere cools, it condenses and, depending on the climate and temperature, returns to the planet in the form of different types of precipitation such as rain, snow, sleet, and hail.
Groundwater
Liquid water found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand, and rock, which is stored in and moves slowly through geologic formations of soil, sand, and rock called “aquifers.”
Activities
2.1
THE PERCENTAGES AND FORMS OF WATER
Time: 50 minutesGoal for Learning: Gain understanding of how water is distributed around the world in different forms and different amounts.
2.2
WATER CYCLE IN A BOWL AND ROLE-PLAY
Time: 50 minutesGoal for Learning: Foster a deeper understanding of the cycle of water on our planet.
2.3
DOES THE SALT COME OUT OF SALT WATER?
Time: 90 minutesGoal for Learning: Learn about freshwater compared to salty water in the context of both ecological balance and human consumption