WATER: A WALK AROUND THE EARTH'S RESOURCES We live in a thirsty world. We take water for granted. We waste it. 71% of the Earth surface is covered by it and yet so many countries are unable to provide citizens with clean , safe drinking water. Water scarcity is quickly becoming the issue of our time because it is an abstract concept to many but a stark reality for others. It is necessary for students to understand and appreciate the importance of this colourless, odorless and tasteless element. All the countries participating in this Project are lucky to inhabit places with ready access to fresh water. We do not have problems of supply and we do not have to walk long kilometres to get it for our own consumption, needs, livestock, agriculture and industry. We are fortunate, but a short distance to water is, however, not always a positive factor. Our project arises from the need to raise awareness among the students towards the care and respect of our environment and the control of this resource, which we do not give the true value it deserves but it is a real treasure. The OBJECTIVES we intend to achieve, although varied, are significant: 1.To carry out a research study to check the situation of our own hydraulic resources and those of our partner countries and find different solutions to improve the situation, once the problems in each area have been analysed. We will also take a walk through history to discover how the use or misuse of water has evolved up to the present moment 2.To get our students to develop a responsible attitude towards global environmental problems so that in the future they become adults with a critical sense 3.To promote teamwork, help among equals, the acceptance of different opinions and mutual respect 4.To learn different methodologies, which will contribute to the students’ as well as the teachers motivation. With this project we will also encourage the continuity of the pupils in the educational system , avoiding early dropout and arousing their interest in the learning process 5.To support and reinforce the teaching and learning of foreign languages through exchanges with students and teachers from other countries 6.To contribute to the development of European consciousness through material and educational exchange and the mobility between the different countries 7.To improve mathematical competence through the interpretation of data and charts 8.To encourage the use of ICT to promote innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship activities 9.To learn how to organize their own mobilities, fostering entrepreneurship and life skills such as: digital, mathematics, social, autonomy and personal initiative 10.To improve the image of our schools as an entity open to the European Community All the PARTICIPANTS in our project share a common view of the purpose of education in a European context.The project is addressed to students aged 15 to 17 and will have a duration of two academic years (2020/2022). The partner countries are: Poland, Serbia, Finland, Turkey and Spain (Coordinator). Although the number of people participating in the mobilities is small, we plan to include all the students at School as well as teaching and non-teaching staff, families and Local authorities. The more people who are aware of the importance of the good use we give to water, the more benefits we will obtain. ACTIVITIES are grouped into 5 blocks: 1. Water cycle 2. Water in agriculture and industry 3.Responsible consumption: Water in our homes and at school 4. Water storage transport for final consumption and treatment 5. Water recycling We mean to use an active and participative METHODOLOGY trying to keep into the educational system all those students at risk of early dropout, encouraging teamwork, respecting everyone's opinions by using the slogan:" Debate, DO NOT argue!" and using updated new technologies: Google Site, Google Forms, Edpuzzle, tricider, bubbl.us and padlet. Not only will we use a Project-Based-Learning approach, but also Problem-Based-Learning,Thinking-Based-Learning, Competence-Based Learning and Cooperative Learning so that students develop critical thinking and creativity, improve their problem-solvig skills, increase their motivation and develop thinking skills Our RESULTS: 1.Posters and murals 2.Exhibition of the pictures presented in the photography contest 3.A web page and a Twinspace that include all our activities 4.A guide about the importance of the rational use of water 5.Interactive Game to raise social awareness of the benefits of a good use of water and the respect for the environment We seek an IMPACT in our society. Our project is open-ended, it can be reused, modified, extended and disseminated by anyone interested in it. Local Institutions and other schools will be informed. We think the dissemination is fundamental if we want to create a better world. This awareness of protecting and caring our planet will be the most potential longer term BENEFIT
We live in a world in great need of water, 71% of the earth's surface is water and yet in many countries it is unfeasible to obtain clean drinking water. Our students need to understand and appreciate the importance of this transparent liquid. The project arose from the need to create social awareness about respecting and caring for our natural resources, in particular, drinking water, which we do not give the value it deserves but which is a treasure. The objectives of the project were: 1.To carry out a research study to check the situation of our own hydraulic resources and those of our partner countries and find different solutions to improve the situation, once the problems in each area have been analysed. We will also take a walk through history to discover how the use or misuse of water has evolved up to the present moment 2.To get our students to develop a responsible attitude towards global environmental problems so that in the future they become adults with a critical sense 3.To promote teamwork, help among equals, the acceptance of different opinions and mutual respect 4.To learn different methodologies, which will contribute to the students’ as well as the teachers motivation. With this project we will also encourage the continuity of the pupils in the educational system , avoiding early dropout and arousing their interest in the learning process 5.To support and reinforce the teaching and learning of foreign languages through exchanges with students and teachers from other countries 6.To contribute to the development of European consciousness through material and educational exchange and the mobility between the different countries 7.To improve mathematical competence through the interpretation of data and charts 8.To encourage the use of ICT to promote innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship activities 9.To learn how to organize their own mobilities, fostering entrepreneurship and life skills such as: digital, mathematics, social, autonomy and personal initiative 10.To improve the image of our schools as an entity open to the European Community The activities were divided into 5 blocks. The first year we worked on the water cycle. A Google Form was created to find out the pupils' prior knowledge about water. Afterwards, the pupils made a model of the water cycle which they presented to the pupils of the 1st year of ESO. Afterwards, the participants went to the science lab to do experiments with water. Afterwards, they made up stories of an imaginary journey through the water cycle and a Kahoot was made to consolidate their knowledge. After these motivational activities, presentations were made about water storage. Then, an Excel file was created with graphs about the rainfall in different areas of Spain in the last 5 years. To put all this into practice, we went on an excursion to visit rivers, torrents and streams. In the second block, water in agriculture and industry, a prezi was made to contrast traditional water collection techniques with modern ones and we celebrated water day by drawing drops to decorate the centres. Graphs were made to show water consumption in agriculture and industry and we investigated the impact of hydroelectric plants on the environment. In the second year we worked on block 3 responsible consumption and block 4 water storage. We analysed water bills and compared them in the mobilities, made a questionnaire on water saving, studied water purification systems, made pamphlets including water saving tips at home and created pictograms to motivate people to save water at school. The students also made videos comparing the need for water in underdeveloped countries and the waste we make in developed countries. In the last year of the project we worked on block 5 recycling. Special Education students created a vertical vegetable garden using recycled materials. PowerPoints were created on different methods of water purification, activities on the use of water in public places (municipal swimming pools, water parks, etc.) and the desalination process, water treatment in recycling plants and an Escape Room was created. All activities were evaluated through questionnaires carried out in blocks. In 2019 we did the mobility to Serbia and in 2021-22 we went to Turkey, Spain, Finland and Poland, as we could not go in 2020 due to COVID. As long-term results and benefits, we can conclude that we have succeeded in raising local, national and international awareness about water consumption. The website where we put up all the activities will continue to be operational and we have made diffusion in local newspapers. Thanks to this project we apply small measures to save water, such as the installation of flanges on the taps in the centres. In short, we are moving towards a process of change that will help us to be better citizens.