Dear Parents, 31st October, 2008.

Ourthird Primary Years Programme Unit of Inquiry is called Waterworks. This unit is about Sharing the Planet and involves an exploration of our rights and responsibilities as we strive to share the finite resources; with other people and other species; of individuals and communities human and animal; of relationships within and among them.

Please review the details of the unit below so that connections can be made between home and our learning at school.

Central Idea:
Water is essential to life.
An Inquiry Into:
  • the sources of water
  • how water is used and why it is vital to life
  • protecting water supplies
Teacher Questions:
What needs water?
What is a living thing?
Where does water come from?
Why do living things need water?
How can we protect our sources of water? /

In order to make this a truly rich unit, we encourage all parents to make connections related to the unit outside of school. Some things to try:

Ask specific questions about activities done in class and excursions to NeWater and the reservoir.

Encourage your family to discover ways that you can save water in your home.

Visit the library to find some books about living things, water, the water cycle and different ecosystems.

Discuss things that are living and non-living. Many students might identify television, movies, music, computers, mobile phones and technology as things that are alive.

Explore what water can do: dissolve, absorb, erode, evaporate.

Try some water experiments at home.

Discuss the concepts of drinking tap water and bottled water.

Google water pollution and discover ways in which the oceans and rivers can be polluted and ways to prevent this problem.

Find out how much water a member of your family drinks in one day and uses in one day.

Explore whether a bath takes more water or a shower.

Explore whether the dishwasher takes more water than washing the dishes in the sink.

How can you recycle water in your home?

How can we save water at school?

List all the things that need water to survive.

Find out how various animals and plants manage with just a little water.

Vocabulary List – Grade 1

WATERWORKS

This is a list of some of the vocabulary that will be used in class during this unit. You might want to review this list in your child’s mother tongue. Even if your child is fluent in English, understanding the vocabulary in more than one language furthers his/her learning and encourages him/her to make broader connections.

Throughout this unit encourage your child to discuss what we have seen on class trips or during lesson activities. Also, if you discover some exciting things whether it be a story book, poster or news article, please send them along to school as the children love sharing what they have learned with the rest of the class.

living
water cycle
rain
snow
ice
river
lake
ocean
sea / desert
rainforest
arctic
waste
save
care
flood
drought / solid
liquid
gas
steam
evaporate
absorb
dissolve
rainbow
reservoir
animals

If you have any questions about this unit or anything we are working on in class, please contact your classroom teacher.

Kind Regards,

Grade One Teachers

Susan Blanche and Carol Hein