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In this lesson we will explore the importance of clean water for our health.

Which is the most valuable: A. a bar of gold B. a house C. a bucket of clean water D. a casket full of diamonds

Let’s think! Which is the only one we couldn’t live without?

Of course …..

Did you know that 2/3 of the human body is water?

You can live without food for several weeks, but you would survive less than a week without water.

It is necessary for everything the body does It carries our food and waste in and out of our cells It keeps our temperature at the right level.

To stay in good health we need to drink 8 glasses of water a day (2 litres)

Most people do not drink enough water. If we don’t drink enough we can suffer from: oHeadaches oPoor concentration oTiredness oKidney infections oConstipation

and yet ……. One out of every five people in our world does not have access to clean water!

And every fifteen seconds another child somewhere dies from a disease carried in dirty water

Every time we flush the toilet we use ten litres of water. That is the daily supply for most people in the developing world …. If they are lucky!

And yet …. The charity WaterAid has worked out that clean water and toilet facilities could be provided for only $30 per person!

The charity knows that many women and children in developing countries spend hours each day walking miles to collect dirty water. Carrying heavy water containers takes up valuable time and energy. It stops children from going to school, and reduces the time in which they could be making a living.

Water Aid works with local people to bring clean water to their communities using cheap methods which are cheap and easy to maintain.

But there is much to do …. and at the rate things are going more than will be lost before everyone in the developing countries has access to clean water.

More and more people will be forced to leave their homes in search of clean water Click here to find out more about WaterAid

If you think you are too young to do anything about it…… click here!

To find out more about our most precious resource ….. Click here

Teefa’s Teasers How many glasses of water should we drink every day to stay healthy? Why is water so important for good health What could happen if we drink dirty water? How does lack of water prevent children from getting an education?

Glossary Precious – something very important to us Valuable – something with a lot of worth Survive – stay alive Maintain – keep up Cycle – Something that keeps happening again and again

Activities to complete this lesson include : Rate this lesson here.here Click on the image above to view and/or download learning activities. building a water filter condensation experiment ‘how to save water’ homework activity

Useful Web Links p - Water Aid primary school teaching resources on water around the worldhttp:// p - All about Water Aid! - quizzes, facts and educational resources on the world’s water supplywww.knowh2o.org - Online Water Conservation game for childrenhttp:// _day_2009.aspx - Assembly and lesson plans for World Water Day 22 nd March each yearhttp://learn.christianaid.org.uk/Other/Events/world_water _day_2009.aspx - The Sustainable Schools project and resources for schoolshttp://

If you enjoyed this lesson, why not try: Saving the Rainforest How charities undertake preventative action to safeguard the environment. How leaves produce oxygen. Diamond poems. The art of Henri Rousseau. The Earth in Our Hands How deforestation and burning fossil fuels is harming the environment. How to reduce our ‘carbon footprints’.