PAGE 1: How we will learn OVERVIEW ======== Water conservation means using water carefully so that it is not wasted and there is enough for people, animals and plants. In this sub-strand you will learn how water is wasted, how to reduce, reuse and recycle it at home and at school, and why those habits matter. ## Strand 2.0: Matter Sub-strand 2.3: Water conservation Suggested lessons: 12 ## What this sub-strand covers • Meaning of water conservation • Methods of conserving water (cover: Simple examples of Reducing water wastage, Reusing water and Recycling water) • Importance of water conservation ## Source • KICD Grade 4 Science and Technology Curriculum Design (Revised 2024) — Strand 2.0 Matter, Sub-strand 2.3 Water conservation ## Learning outcomes By the end of the sub-strand, the learner should be able to: a) explain the meaning of water conservation in the environment b) describe methods of conserving water at home and school c) outline the importance of conserving water at home and school d) develop interest in conserving water at home and school ## Key inquiry questions 1. Why is it important to conserve water? ## Learning experiences • brainstorm on how water is wasted at home and school • discuss with peers the meaning of water conservation • explore their locality and observe how water is conserved • discuss with peers ways of conserving water • discuss the importance of conserving water • practise responsible use of water at home and school • Project: Prepare posters to sensitise the community (school and home) on the importance of water conservation ## Core competencies • Critical thinking and Problem Solving: The learner practises responsible use of water at home and school as they explore their locality and observe how water is conserved with peers. • Citizenship: The learner identifies water wastage as a problem affecting society and sensitises the community on the importance of water conservation. ## Values • Integrity: The learner practices how use available water sparingly as they explore their locality and observe how water is conserved. ## Pertinent and contemporary issues • Socio-economic issues; financial literacy: The learner learns how to reduce cost of water by reducing water wastage as they explore their locality and observe how water is conserved. ## Links to other learning areas • Agriculture and Nutrition: The learner uses knowledge of appropriate water conservation practices in irrigation such as adopting drip irrigation and mulching. PAGE 2: Lesson 1: How water is wasted — Ways water is wasted at school LESSON 1: HOW WATER IS WASTED ============================= ## What you will learn • Identify ways water is wasted at home and at school. • Explain the difference between using water and wasting it. Curriculum outcomes: b) describe methods of conserving water at home and school ## Introduction A tap left running while you look for a cup can send many litres down the drain. Nobody drank that water or washed with it. It was wasted. ## Notes Using water means the water does a needed job: drinking, cooking, washing, watering crops or cleaning. Wasting water means the water is lost or dirtied without doing a useful job. ### Ways water is wasted at home A tap or pipe that leaks drips all day and all night. Leaving the tap open while you brush your teeth or soap your hands uses more water than a cup or a basin. Washing a compound or a bicycle with a running hose uses more water than a bucket. Taking more drinking water than you finish, then pouring it away, is waste. A tank or drum without a cover lets water get dirty, and dirty water is often thrown away. ### Ways water is wasted at school Learners sometimes leave washroom taps running. Leaking pipes near the kitchen or the tanks are ignored. Water fights and playing with drinking water waste water that others need. Watering flower beds at noon, when the sun is hottest, lets much of the water dry up before it reaches the roots. ### Dirtying water is also waste Throwing rubbish into a river, a dam or a water tank makes the water unsafe. People then cannot use it for drinking or cooking. Washing clothes or vehicles in a small stream can dirty the water for everyone downstream. PAGE 3: Lesson 1: How water is wasted — Example 1 ### A first look around you Stand by a tap and watch. Is it closed tightly? Are there wet patches that show a leak? In many parts of Kenya, the dry season makes rivers and stored water low. Wasted water is water a family or a class may need later. List the wastes you see before you try to stop them. The next lessons show what to do. ## Key words • waste water — to lose or dirty water without using it for a needed job • leak — a hole or loose joint through which water drips or runs out ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A learner leaves the tap running while brushing teeth. Another learner puts water in a cup, closes the tap, and brushes. Who is wasting water? Working: 1. The running tap sends unused water down the drain. 2. The cup uses only the water needed for brushing. 3. Unused water that runs away is waste. Answer: The learner who leaves the tap running is wasting water. ## Worked examples ### Example 2 A pipe under the school tank drips into the soil all weekend. Is this use or waste? Working: 1. Nobody is drinking, cooking or washing with that water. 2. The drip continues even when school is closed. 3. A leak that is not repaired is waste. Answer: It is waste. The leaking pipe should be reported so it can be repaired. ## Activity: Find where water is wasted You will need: Notebook, Pencil 1. Brainstorm in a group all the ways water can be wasted at home and at school. 2. With your teacher, walk to the taps, the tank, the kitchen and the washrooms. Do not play with the taps. 3. Record leaks, running taps and any water being used carelessly. 4. Add two ways water is wasted at your home. 5. Share the list in class and tick the problems learners can help to stop. ## Practice 1. What is the difference between using water and wasting water? 2. Give two ways water is wasted at school. 3. Why is throwing rubbish into a river a way of wasting water? ## Answers to practice 1. Using water means it does a needed job. Wasting water means it is lost or dirtied without doing a useful job. 2. Any two: taps left running, leaking pipes, water fights, or watering plants in the hot midday sun. 3. The water becomes dirty and unsafe, so people cannot use it. ## Summary • Wasted water does not do a useful job. • Leaks, running taps and playing with water waste water at home and at school. • Dirtying a water source wastes water for everyone. PAGE 4: Lesson 2: The meaning of water conservation LESSON 2: THE MEANING OF WATER CONSERVATION =========================================== ## What you will learn • Explain the meaning of water conservation. • Give an example of conserving water in the environment. Curriculum outcomes: a) explain the meaning of water conservation in the environment ## Introduction After you have seen taps left running, the next question is what to do instead. The careful use and protection of water has a name: water conservation. ## Notes Water conservation means using water wisely and protecting water sources so that water is not wasted. The aim is to have enough clean water for people, animals and plants now and later. ### What conservation includes Conservation is more than closing a tap, though closing a tap is part of it. It includes: - Using only the water you need. - Repairing leaks so stored water is not lost. - Keeping rivers, wells, tanks and dams free of rubbish and dirty soap. - Collecting rainwater instead of letting it run away unused. - Reusing water for a suitable second job, such as watering flowers. ### Conservation in the environment The environment is everything around us: air, soil, plants, animals and water. A river, a school tank, a roof that catches rain and a jerrycan carried from a well are all part of how water moves through the environment. When we conserve water, we look after those places. Covering a well stops dirt and animals from falling in. Planting grass and trees near a stream holds the soil so mud does not fill the stream. ### What conservation is not Conservation does not mean refusing to drink or to wash. Your body needs clean drinking water, and washing hands with soap prevents disease. Conservation means not using more than the job requires, and not spoiling the water that is left. When you explain water conservation, use a full sentence: it is the careful use and protection of water so that it is not wasted. PAGE 5: Lesson 2: The meaning of water conservation — Agree on a meaning ## Key words • water conservation — using water wisely and protecting water sources so that water is not wasted • water source — a place water comes from, such as a river, well, spring, dam or rain ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A learner says water conservation means never using water. What is a better explanation? Working: 1. People, animals and plants must use water to live. 2. Conservation means using it carefully. 3. It also means protecting sources so water stays clean. Answer: Water conservation means using water wisely and protecting water sources so that water is not wasted. ## Worked examples ### Example 2 A class covers the school water tank and fits a tight tap. How is this water conservation? Working: 1. A cover keeps dirt out of the stored water. 2. A tight tap stops leaks. 3. Clean water is saved for drinking and washing. Answer: They are protecting stored water and stopping it from being wasted through leaks and dirt. ## Activity: Agree on a meaning You will need: Manila paper, Marker 1. Discuss in pairs what you think water conservation means. Each pair writes one sentence. 2. Read the sentences aloud and combine the best ideas. 3. Check that your class sentence includes careful use and protecting water sources. 4. Under the sentence, list three examples from home or school. 5. Copy the meaning into your exercise book. PAGE 6: Lesson 3: Reducing water wastage — At the tap ## Practice 1. What is water conservation? 2. Give one example of water conservation in the school environment. 3. Why is refusing to wash your hands not water conservation? ## Answers to practice 1. Using water wisely and protecting water sources so that water is not wasted. 2. Examples: closing taps, repairing leaks, covering a tank, or not throwing rubbish into a water source. 3. Conservation means using the water you need wisely. Washing hands prevents disease and should still be done, without leaving the tap running. ## Summary • Water conservation means using water wisely and protecting water sources. • It includes closing taps, repairing leaks, harvesting rain and keeping sources clean. • It does not mean stopping the water we need for drinking and washing. LESSON 3: REDUCING WATER WASTAGE ================================ ## What you will learn • Describe ways of reducing water wastage at home and at school. • Practise one way of using less water. Curriculum outcomes: b) describe methods of conserving water at home and school; d) develop interest in conserving water at home and school ## Introduction The smallest change is often to use less in the first place. A cup of water for brushing teeth does the same job as a tap left open for a whole minute. ## Notes Reducing water wastage means stopping the losses and using a smaller amount for the same job. It is the first method of conserving water. ### At the tap Close the tap tightly after every use. While you soap your hands or brush your teeth, turn the tap off, then open it again to rinse. Put drinking water in a cup instead of letting it run. Tell a teacher or parent as soon as you see a leak. A small drip wastes water all day. Do not try to repair a pipe yourself. PAGE 7: Lesson 3: Reducing water wastage — Rain that would otherwise run away ### When washing and cleaning Use a basin or a bucket instead of a running hose. Wash vegetables in a bowl, not under a running tap. Rinse clothes in just enough water. Mop a floor with a bucket and cloth rather than throwing water across the room. ### When watering plants Water early in the morning or in the evening, when the sun will not dry the water at once. Direct water to the soil at the roots, not onto the leaves in the hot sun. A layer of dry grass or leaves on the soil, called mulch, keeps the soil moist so you water less often. Farmers also use drip irrigation, which gives water slowly to each plant, so little is lost. ### Rain that would otherwise run away A clean drum, tank or bucket under a roof collects rain. That rain can be used for washing and for plants, which reduces the amount taken from a tap or a well. Keep the container covered. Choose one of these habits and keep it for a week. Reducing wastage also reduces the money a family spends on water. [DIAGRAM] TYPE: svg ALT: Closing the tap reduces water wastage PAYLOAD: CAPTION: Closing the tap reduces water wastage [/DIAGRAM] ## Key words • reduce water wastage — to stop leaks and use only the water a job needs • mulch — a cover of dry grass or leaves on soil that helps the soil stay moist • drip irrigation — a way of watering that gives water slowly to the roots of each plant ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A school garden is watered at noon with a hose. Suggest two ways to reduce the water wasted. Working: 1. At noon the sun dries water quickly. 2. Watering in the morning or evening wastes less. 3. A bucket at the roots, or mulch, uses less than a hose. Answer: Water early or late, and use a bucket at the roots or mulch the soil. A hose left running wastes more. ## Worked examples ### Example 2 A tap drips in the washroom. What should learners do, and what should they not do? Working: 1. A leak wastes water until it is repaired. 2. Learners should report it to a teacher. 3. They should not try to mend the pipe themselves. Answer: Report the leak to a teacher. Do not repair the pipe yourself. PAGE 8: Lesson 3: Reducing water wastage — Answers to practice ## Activity: Practise using less water You will need: A cup, A basin, A tap the teacher has approved, A chart to record the habit 1. Discuss ways of reducing water wastage at home and at school. 2. At the tap, show the class how to wet the toothbrush, close the tap, brush, then open the tap to rinse using a cup. 3. Each learner chooses one habit to practise this week, such as reporting leaks or watering plants in the evening. 4. Record the habit on a class chart. 5. At the end of the week, tell the class what you did. ## Practice 1. Give two ways to reduce water wastage when brushing your teeth or washing hands. 2. Why is it better to water plants in the evening than at noon? 3. What should you do when you see a leaking pipe? 4. How does mulch help to reduce water wastage? ## Answers to practice 1. Turn the tap off while brushing or soaping, and use a cup or basin instead of leaving water running. 2. At noon the sun dries the water quickly, so less water reaches the roots. 3. Report it to a teacher or parent. Do not try to repair it yourself. 4. Mulch covers the soil and keeps it moist, so the plants need watering less often. ## Summary • Close taps, use a cup or basin, and report leaks. • Water plants early or late, and use mulch or drip irrigation. • Collect rainwater so less water is taken from taps and wells. LESSON 4: REUSING WATER AT HOME AND SCHOOL ========================================== ## What you will learn • Explain what it means to reuse water. • Describe safe ways to reuse water at home and at school. Curriculum outcomes: b) describe methods of conserving water at home and school ## Introduction The water you used to wash tomatoes is still water. It is not clean enough to drink, but the flowers outside the kitchen can use it. That second job is reuse. PAGE 9: Lesson 4: Reusing water at home and school — Example 1 ## Notes Reusing water means using water again for another suitable job before it is thrown away. The water is not always clean enough for the first job, but it can still be useful. ### Safe water to reuse Water used to wash fruits and vegetables can water flowers and trees. Water used to rinse rice or potatoes can do the same. Leftover drinking water that has not been sipped from a shared cup can water a potted plant. Rainwater collected from a clean roof can be used for washing floors, cleaning tools and watering crops. ### Water to reuse with care Water from rinsing clothes or utensils may contain soap or a little oil. A small amount of soapy water can be used to wash a floor or a latrine floor. Do not pour strong soapy water or oily water onto vegetable gardens. Soap and oil can harm plants and soil. Let very muddy water settle, then pour the clearer water onto flowers, not into a drinking container. ### Water you must not reuse for home jobs Do not reuse water from the toilet. Do not reuse water that has chemicals, fuel, medicine or animal waste in it. Never reuse any of this water for drinking, cooking or washing food. If you are not sure, ask an adult and do not drink it. ### At school The kitchen can keep a bucket for vegetable-washing water and empty it onto the school flowers at the end of the day. Learners should not carry drinking water away to play with, but unfinished clean water from a lesson, such as water used to show volume, can water plants if it has no chemicals in it. Reuse saves the clean water in the tank for drinking and cooking. ## Key words • reuse water — to use water again for another suitable job • suitable — right and safe for that purpose ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A learner has a basin of water used to wash sukuma wiki. What is a safe way to reuse it? Working: 1. The water is not clean enough to drink. 2. It has no strong soap or chemicals. 3. Plants can use it. Answer: Use it to water flowers or trees. Do not drink it. ## Worked examples ### Example 2 Water from a toilet is poured onto the vegetable garden. Is this a correct way to reuse water? Working: 1. Toilet water contains germs. 2. Those germs can get onto food crops. 3. Toilet water should not be reused at home in this way. Answer: No. Do not reuse toilet water on vegetables or for any home job. PAGE 10: Lesson 5: Recycling water in simple ways ## Activity: Plan a second use for water You will need: A chart with two columns: First use and Safe second use, Pencil 1. Discuss with your group what reuse means. 2. List water from washing vegetables, rinsing utensils, a leaking roof during rain, and a science lesson that used clean water. 3. Write a safe second use for each, or write Do not reuse if it is unsafe. 4. Add toilet water to the chart and agree that it is not reused at home. 5. Share one reuse you can start at home this week. ## Practice 1. What does it mean to reuse water? 2. Give one safe way to reuse water at home. 3. Why should toilet water not be poured on a vegetable garden? 4. Can water used to wash tomatoes be used for drinking? Explain. ## Answers to practice 1. To use water again for another suitable job. 2. Water used to wash vegetables or fruit can be used to water flowers or trees. 3. It contains germs that can make the vegetables unsafe to eat. 4. No. It is not clean enough to drink, but it can water plants. ## Summary • Reuse means giving water a second suitable job. • Vegetable-washing water and clean rainwater can water plants or be used for cleaning. • Do not reuse toilet water or water that contains chemicals, and do not drink used water. LESSON 5: RECYCLING WATER IN SIMPLE WAYS ======================================== ## What you will learn • Explain the meaning of recycling water. • Describe a simple way used water can be cleaned for a suitable use. Curriculum outcomes: b) describe methods of conserving water at home and school ## Introduction Reuse gives the same water a second job at once. Recycling goes one step further: the used water is cleaned, then used again. At Grade 4 the cleaning is simple, and the water is still not for drinking. ## Notes Recycling water means cleaning used water so that it can be used again. The cleaning removes some of the dirt. It does not always remove germs. That is why recycled water from a classroom activity is used for floors and flowers, not for drinking or cooking. PAGE 11: Lesson 5: Recycling water in simple ways — Recycle, reuse and reduce ### A simple cleaning method Pour muddy water through a clean cloth into a container. The cloth catches some of the dirt. You can also put clean small stones, then clean sand, in a cut plastic bottle, and pour the muddy water through them slowly. The water that comes out looks clearer. This is a simple filter. Use that water to wash a floor, clean tools or water flowers. The filter does not make water safe to drink. Germs can pass through sand and cloth. Drinking water should come from a safe source and, if needed, be boiled or treated by an adult. ### Where recycling happens beyond school Some towns clean dirty water at a treatment works and use the cleaned water for gardens, parks or flushing toilets. Farmers may use properly treated waste water to irrigate some crops. That work needs special equipment and trained people. It is still recycling, because used water is cleaned and used again. ### Recycle, reuse and reduce Reduce means you use less water at the start. Reuse means you use the water again without much cleaning, such as pouring vegetable water onto flowers. Recycle means you clean used water and then use it. All three conserve water. If you can reduce or safely reuse, do that first. Recycle water that is too dirty to reuse but can be made clearer for a safe job. [DIAGRAM] TYPE: svg ALT: A simple filter makes muddy water clearer. It does not make it safe to drink. PAYLOAD: CAPTION: A simple filter makes muddy water clearer. It does not make it safe to drink. [/DIAGRAM] ## Key words • recycle water — to clean used water so that it can be used again • filter — a material, such as cloth or sand, that traps some dirt as water passes through ## Worked examples ### Example 1 Muddy water is poured through a cloth and sand. The water looks clearer. A learner wants to drink it. What should you say? Working: 1. The filter removed some dirt. 2. Germs can still pass through cloth and sand. 3. This water is not drinking water. Answer: Do not drink it. Use it to wash a floor or water flowers. ## Worked examples ### Example 2 A town cleans dirty water and uses it to water a park. Is this reduce, reuse or recycle? Working: 1. The water was dirty and was cleaned. 2. It was then used again. 3. Cleaning used water so it can be used again is recycling. Answer: Recycle. PAGE 12: Lesson 5: Recycling water in simple ways — Answers to practice ## Activity: Make a simple water filter You will need: A clean plastic bottle cut by the teacher, Clean cloth, Clean sand, Small clean stones, Muddy water, Two containers 1. With your teacher, put cloth, stones and clean sand in the bottle so water can pass through slowly. 2. Pour muddy water through the filter into a clean container. Compare how it looks before and after. 3. Discuss what the filter removed and what it did not remove. 4. Use the filtered water on flowers or to wipe a floor. Do not drink it. 5. Wash your hands. Empty leftover muddy water where the teacher shows you. ## Practice 1. What does it mean to recycle water? 2. Name two materials you can use in a simple classroom filter. 3. Why must you not drink water that has only passed through sand and cloth? 4. How is recycling water different from reusing water? ## Answers to practice 1. To clean used water so that it can be used again. 2. Any two: clean cloth, clean sand, small clean stones. 3. The filter removes some dirt but does not remove germs, so the water is not safe to drink. 4. Recycling cleans the used water before it is used again. Reusing gives water a second job without that cleaning. ## Summary • Recycling water means cleaning used water so it can be used again. • A cloth, sand and stones can make muddy water clearer. • Filtered classroom water is for floors and plants, not for drinking. PAGE 13: Lesson 6: How water is conserved in the locality LESSON 6: HOW WATER IS CONSERVED IN THE LOCALITY ================================================ ## What you will learn • Observe methods of water conservation used in the local area. • Compare those methods with reduce, reuse and recycle. Curriculum outcomes: b) describe methods of conserving water at home and school; d) develop interest in conserving water at home and school ## Introduction People who fetch water remember every trip. Look around your home area and you will see tanks, covered jerrycans, mulched gardens and taps that someone has tightened. Those are conservation methods already in use. ## Notes A locality is the area around your home and school. The ways people there conserve water depend on whether water comes from rain, a river, a well, a borehole or a tap. You can learn the methods by looking carefully and asking adults. ### What you may observe Many homes put a tank, drum or bucket under the roof to catch rain. This reduces the amount of water they must fetch or buy. Jerrycans are covered so that stored water stays clean. Gutters along an iron sheet roof lead rain into a tank. Gardens may have mulch, ridges that hold water in the soil, or bottles that drip slowly beside a seedling. Those methods reduce wastage. Some farmers water early in the morning. In drier seasons, people use each bucket more carefully because the source is far or the river is low. At school you may see a duty roster for closing taps, a tank with a lock, or flowers watered with kitchen water. That kitchen water is being reused. PAGE 14: Lesson 6: How water is conserved in the locality — Ask and record honestly ### Match what you see to the three methods Catching rain and repairing leaks reduce wastage of water you would otherwise lose or have to collect again. Pouring washing water onto bananas is reuse. A community system that cleans dirty water and uses it on fields is recycling. Your class filter is a small example of recycling. ### Ask and record honestly Do not invent a dam or a borehole that is not there. Write only what you see or what a parent or teacher confirms. Note one method the locality does well and one place where water is still wasted, such as an open tap or rubbish in a stream. Then suggest a simple improvement learners can support. ## Key words • locality — the area around your home and school • rainwater harvesting — collecting rain, usually from a roof, and storing it for later use ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A home has a drum under the roof and waters bananas with water used to wash utensils. Which conservation methods are these? Working: 1. The drum catches rain that would run away. That reduces the need to fetch other water. 2. Utensil water is used again on the bananas. 3. The second action is reuse. Use it only if the water is not full of strong soap or oil. Answer: Rainwater harvesting reduces wastage. Watering bananas with utensil water is reuse. PAGE 15: Lesson 7: Why conserving water is important ## Worked examples ### Example 2 Learners see rubbish in a stream they use for washing. What improvement can they suggest? Working: 1. Rubbish dirties the water source. 2. Protecting a source is part of conservation. 3. People should stop throwing waste into the stream and remove litter safely. Answer: Keep the stream clean by not throwing waste into it, and organise a safe clean-up with adults. ## Activity: Observe conservation in your locality You will need: Notebook, Pencil 1. With your teacher, walk around the school and look for tanks, gutters, mulch, closed taps and any reused water. 2. At home, observe or ask an adult how water is collected, stored and used a second time. 3. Record only what you really see or are told. Draw one method. 4. Label each method reduce, reuse or recycle. 5. In class, share one good method and one waste you still noticed. ## Practice 1. What is rainwater harvesting? 2. A farmer puts dry grass around tomato plants. Which conservation method is this, and why? 3. Why should you record only the conservation methods you have seen or confirmed? ## Answers to practice 1. Collecting rain, usually from a roof, and storing it in a tank, drum or bucket. 2. It reduces water wastage because mulch keeps the soil moist. 3. A report should describe your real locality, not methods that are not used there. ## Summary • Look for tanks, gutters, mulch, careful watering and second uses of water. • Match each method to reduce, reuse or recycle. • Record what is really done in your locality and note where water is still wasted. LESSON 7: WHY CONSERVING WATER IS IMPORTANT =========================================== ## What you will learn • Outline the importance of conserving water at home and at school. • Connect water conservation to people, crops and costs. Curriculum outcomes: c) outline the importance of conserving water at home and school ## Introduction A school that empties its tank on Monday may have nothing for drinking water on Thursday. Conservation matters because the water we waste is the water we may need next. PAGE 16: Lesson 7: Why conserving water is important — For animals and crops ## Notes Water has many jobs, and there is not always as much as we want. Conserving it keeps those jobs possible. ### For people We need water to drink, cook, wash our bodies and wash our hands. Handwashing with soap prevents disease, so saving water does not mean stopping hygiene. It means the tank still has water when it is time to wash. In places where people walk a long way to a well or buy water by the jerrycan, every wasted litre is another trip or another cost. ### For animals and crops Cattle, goats, chickens and other animals need drinking water. Crops fail if the soil stays dry. Conserving water at school and at home leaves more for animals and gardens. Mulch and drip irrigation help crops use the water they are given. A forest or a line of trees near a stream can help hold water in the soil, so looking after plants supports water conservation too. ### For money and fairness When a home or school pays for piped water, leaks and running taps increase the bill. Using less water reduces that cost. This is a practical kind of financial care. Saving water is also fair: water you do not waste is water a neighbour, a younger learner or a family downstream can use. PAGE 17: Lesson 7: Why conserving water is important — Example 1 ### For the future A river or a tank that is cared for today can still supply water in the dry season. Rubbish and leaks spoil that chance. Conservation is a habit of integrity: you use what you need even when nobody is watching the tap. These reasons belong in any talk or poster you make about water. ## Key words • hygiene — keeping yourself and your surroundings clean to stay healthy • dry season — a time of the year when little rain falls and water sources can become low ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A family buys water in jerrycans. Give two reasons why they should conserve it. Working: 1. Each jerrycan costs money and takes effort to fetch. 2. The water is needed for drinking, cooking and washing. 3. Wasting it means buying more or going without. Answer: Conserving water saves money and effort, and leaves enough for drinking, cooking and washing. ## Worked examples ### Example 2 Why does watering crops with drip irrigation show the importance of conservation? Working: 1. Crops need water to grow. 2. Drip irrigation sends water to the roots with little waste. 3. The same stored water can cover more plants. Answer: It gives crops the water they need without wasting the supply. ## Activity: Reasons to conserve water You will need: Five cards or five sections of manila paper 1. Discuss in groups why water should be conserved. 2. Write one reason on each card: health, crops and animals, cost, fairness to others, and the dry season. 3. Under each reason, add one example from home or school. 4. Present the cards in an order that tells a clear story. 5. Choose the two reasons you will put on a poster in the next lesson. PAGE 18: Lesson 7: Why conserving water is important — Answers to practice ## Practice 1. Give three reasons why water conservation is important. 2. How can wasting water cost a family money? 3. Why should conservation still leave water for washing hands? ## Answers to practice 1. Any three: so people have water to drink, cook and wash; so animals and crops get water; to save money; to be fair to others; so water lasts into the dry season. 2. They may pay a higher water bill, or they may have to buy or fetch more water. 3. Washing hands with soap prevents disease. Conservation means not wasting water, not stopping hygiene. ## Summary • Conserved water is available for drinking, cooking, washing, animals and crops. • Using less water can reduce the cost of water. • Saving water is fair to other people and helps supplies last into the dry season. LESSON 8: PRACTISING CONSERVATION AND TEACHING OTHERS ===================================================== ## What you will learn • Practise responsible use of water at home and at school. • Prepare a poster that tells the community why water should be conserved. Curriculum outcomes: c) outline the importance of conserving water at home and school; d) develop interest in conserving water at home and school ## Introduction Knowing how to save water helps only if you do it when you are thirsty, when you are washing, and when nobody is standing beside the tap. A poster can remind the rest of the school to do the same. PAGE 19: Lesson 8: Practising conservation and teaching others — A personal habit ## Notes Interest in water conservation grows when you practise it and invite other people to join you. Responsible use means you follow the methods even when it would be easier to leave the tap open. ### A personal habit Choose habits you can keep: - Close every tap you use. - Report leaks the same day. - Drink what you pour, or give clean leftover water to a plant. - Reuse vegetable-washing water on flowers. - Do not play with drinking water or throw it at friends. Keep a simple record for a few days: the habit, and whether you did it. Integrity means the record is true. ### A class habit Agree on one school job, such as checking the washroom taps after break or watering the class plant with used clean water. Take turns so that one person is not doing all the work. Thank learners who report a leak. ### Posters for the community A poster teaches people who do not sit in your lesson. It needs a short message, a clear picture and few words. Good messages include: Close the tap. A leak wastes water. Reuse vegetable water on plants. Do not throw rubbish into the river. Every drop counts. Put posters where people use water: near the tank, the washrooms and the kitchen. You can also take a poster home and explain it to your family. Tell them one reason from the last lesson, such as saving money or having water in the dry season. When you sensitise others, you are helping the whole community, not only your own cup. ## Key words • responsible use — using water carefully because you know other people and living things need it too • sensitise — to help people understand an issue so that they change what they do • poster — a large notice with a short message and a picture ## Worked examples ### Example 1 Write a poster message of not more than six words that teaches people to reduce water wastage. Working: 1. The message should be short enough to read quickly. 2. It should name an action. 3. Closing taps is a clear action. Answer: Examples: Close the tap tightly. Stop leaks. Save water. ## Worked examples ### Example 2 A learner checks the washroom taps every day for a week and records only the days the taps were closed. How does this show responsible use? Working: 1. The learner is practising a conservation habit. 2. The record is kept honestly. 3. The habit continues, not just for one lesson. Answer: The learner keeps checking and recording a real water-saving habit. PAGE 20: Lesson 8: Practising conservation and teaching others — Conservation posters ## Activity: Conservation posters You will need: Manila paper, Coloured pencils or crayons, Tape or pins 1. Practise one responsible use of water during the lesson, such as watering a plant with leftover clean water or checking that a tap is closed. 2. In groups, choose one importance of water conservation and one method: reduce, reuse or recycle. 3. Make a poster with a short message and a picture. Do not copy a long paragraph onto the poster. 4. Hang the posters near taps, the tank or the kitchen, with your teacher's permission. 5. Explain your poster to another class or to your family and ask them to try one action. ## Practice 1. Give two responsible ways you can use water at school this week. 2. What three things should a good water-conservation poster have? 3. Where should water posters be placed, and why? 4. Why is it useful to sensitise the community about water conservation? ## Answers to practice 1. Any two: close taps, report leaks, avoid water fights, reuse clean leftover water on plants. 2. A short message, a clear picture, and a reason or an action people can do. 3. Near places people use water, such as taps, tanks and the kitchen, so they see the message when they use water. 4. More people then save water, so there is enough for homes, schools, animals and crops. ## Summary • Practise closing taps, reporting leaks and reusing suitable water. • A poster needs a short message and a clear picture. • Sharing the message at school and at home helps the whole community conserve water. PAGE 21: Revision quiz REVISION QUIZ ============= Answer all the questions, then mark yourself on the Answers tab. 1. Water conservation means: A. Never washing or drinking B. Using water wisely and protecting water sources C. Pouring all used water into the river D. Leaving taps open to keep them clean 2. Which action wastes water? A. Closing a tap tightly B. Using a cup while brushing teeth C. Leaving a hose running to wash a bicycle D. Watering plants in the evening 3. A leaking pipe at school should be: A. ignored B. reported to a teacher C. hit with a stone D. left running so the tank stays fresh 4. Using water from washing vegetables to water flowers is: A. wasting water B. reusing water C. polluting the flowers with toilet water D. a way to make drinking water 5. Which water should not be reused on a vegetable garden? A. Water used to wash tomatoes B. Rainwater from a covered tank C. Toilet water D. Clean leftover drinking water 6. Recycling water means: 7. Water that has passed through sand and a cloth is safe to drink. A. True, because it looks clear B. True, because sand kills all germs C. False, because germs can pass through D. False, because clear water is always dirty 8. Why is mulch useful in water conservation? 9. Which is a reason to conserve water? A. So the water bill or the cost of fetching water can fall B. So taps can be left open C. So rivers can be used as rubbish pits D. So crops receive no water at all 10. Give two important uses of water that conservation helps to protect. 11. A good water poster is placed near the school tank and says 'Close the tap'. Why is this useful? PAGE 22: Quiz answers ANSWERS ======= 1. B. Using water wisely and protecting water sources Conservation is careful use and protection of water so it is not wasted. Washing and drinking still happen. 2. C. Leaving a hose running to wash a bicycle A running hose uses more water than the job needs. A bucket would waste less. 3. B. reported to a teacher A leak wastes water until an adult repairs it. Learners should report it, not try to mend it. 4. B. reusing water The water is used again for a suitable job. It is not safe to drink. 5. C. Toilet water Toilet water contains germs and should not be poured on food crops. 6. Cleaning used water so that it can be used again. A filter or a treatment works cleans the water. Classroom filtered water is still not for drinking. 7. C. False, because germs can pass through A simple filter removes some dirt but does not remove germs. Do not drink that water. 8. It covers the soil and keeps it moist, so less water is lost and plants can be watered less often. Mulch reduces water wastage in the garden. Drip irrigation is another method used on farms. 9. A. So the water bill or the cost of fetching water can fall Using less water can reduce what a family pays or how far they walk to fetch water. 10. Any two: drinking, cooking, washing, watering crops, or watering animals. People, animals and crops need water. Conservation leaves enough for those uses. 11. People see the message where they use water and are reminded to conserve it. Posters sensitise the school community. A short message at the point of use is easy to follow.