Water and Environment

The teacher resources in this collection raise student awareness of the problems facing children with inadequate access to clean water.

The PK-2 Water and Sanitation unit has been featured in an article in Social Studies and the Young Learner, published by the National Council for the Social Studies.

UNI35174 © UNICEF/NYHQ2000-0578/ Noorani Bangladesh, 2000.

Download PDF of Unit & Lesson Plans:

PK-2

3-5

6-8

9-12

Plan
Read
Watch
Listen

Lesson 1: The Big Picture Students will: 1) Become aware of the centrality of water and sanitation in our daily... Lesson 1: The Big Picture 9-12 Lesson 1: The Big Picture Lesson 1: The Big Picture Students will: 1) Become aware of the centrality of water and sanitation in our daily lives. 2) Become familiar with the challenges facing people without ready access to safe water and sanitation. 3) Discuss the work UNICEF is doing to bring water, sanitation, and hygiene to children.	Lesson 1: The Big Picture Students will: 1) Become aware of the centrality of water and sanitation in our daily... Lesson 1: The Big Picture 6-8 Lesson 1: The Big Picture Lesson 1: The Big Picture Students will: 1) Become aware of the centrality of water and sanitation in our daily lives. 2) Become familiar with the challenges facing people without ready access to safe water and sanitation. 3) Discuss and better understand the work UNICEF is doing to bring water, sanitation, and hygiene to children.
Lesson 2: Water and Sanitation in the U.S. Students will: 1) Become aware of the human, economic, and environmental risks of unclean... Lesson 2: Water and Sanitation in the U.S. 9-12 Lesson 2: Water and Sanitation in the U.S. Lesson 2: Water and Sanitation in the U.S. Students will: 1) Become aware of the human, economic, and environmental risks of unclean water and inadequate sanitation. 2) Become familiar with the issues of water scarcity in the United States. 3) Discuss approaches to addressing the problem both locally and globally.	Lesson 2: Water and Sanitation in the U.S. Students will: 1) Become aware of the human, economic, and environmental risks of unclean... Lesson 2: Water and Sanitation in the U.S. 6-8 Lesson 2: Water and Sanitation in the U.S. Lesson 2: Water and Sanitation in the U.S. Students will: 1) Become aware of the human, economic, and environmental risks of unclean water and inadequate sanitation. 2) Discuss how simple steps such as hand washing and water treatment can dramatically decrease disease.
Lesson 3: You Can Be Part of the Solution Students will: 1) Compare and contrast water and sanitation issues in the United States... Lesson 3: You Can Be Part of the Solution 9-12 Lesson 3: You Can Be Part of the Solution Lesson 3: You Can Be Part of the Solution Students will: 1) Compare and contrast water and sanitation issues in the United States and other parts of the world. 2) Become familiar with ways they can take action to address the global water and sanitation crisis. 3) Brainstorm and strategize the best way youth can take action in their communities.	Lesson 3: You Can Be Part of the Solution Students will: 1) Become familiar with ways they can take action to address the global... Lesson 3: You Can Be Part of the Solution 6-8 Lesson 3: You Can Be Part of the Solution Lesson 3: You Can Be Part of the Solution Students will: 1) Become familiar with ways they can take action to address the global water and sanitation crisis. 2) Brainstorm and strategize the best way youth can take action in their communities.

Real Lives: Angola

Growing up Fatima needed to collect water for her family every day, and the trek to water was...

Real Lives: Angola, Africa

3-5 6-8 9-12

Real Lives: Nicaragua

Volunteers have helped make Piedras Grandes Nicaragua a safer place to live and have educated...

Real Lives: Nicaragua

6-8

The Big Picture: Basic Needs Basic Rights

Clean water is a necessity for life, yet nearly one billion people do not have access to
...

The Big Picture: Basic Needs Basic Rights

3-5 6-8 9-12

The One Minutes Jr: Save Water! This youth generated video highlights the issue of water conservation. 3-5 6-8 9-12 The One Minutes Jr: Save Water! This youth generated video highlights the issue of water conservation. Download	UNICEF: Climate change and children Alizeta Ouedraogo is a 16-year-old girl from Burkina Faso. This first-hand account provides the... 6-8 9-12 UNICEF: Climate change and children Alizeta Ouedraogo is a 16-year-old girl from Burkina Faso. This first-hand account provides the viewer Alizeta’s perspective on climate change and what she and her classmates are doing to address it in their community. Download
Water and Sanitation in Mozambique Community leaders in Mozambique educating their peers about the importance of water and... 9-12 Water and Sanitation in Mozambique Community leaders in Mozambique educating their peers about the importance of water and sanitation in their communities. Handwashing techniques are extremely cost effective and save lives. Learn more about how the leaders are working with UNICEF to improve health in their communities. Download	Water/Sanitation - occupied Palestinian territory Every child deserves the right to clean water and sanitation. In the occupied Palestinian... 9-12 Water/Sanitation - occupied Palestinian territory Every child deserves the right to clean water and sanitation. In the occupied Palestinian territory, UNICEF is working to provide children with water and sanitation access in their schools. Download
Youth Activism: Doly's Story Learn about Doly, a teenager from Bangladesh who teaches her community about safe hygiene... 6-8 9-12 Youth Activism: Doly's Story Learn about Doly, a teenager from Bangladesh who teaches her community about safe hygiene practices. Download

Cholera Outbreak in Zimbabwe You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly. Play Stop Thousands of people died in Zimbabwe’s 2009 cholera outbreak. Poor access to clean water and... 6-8 9-12 You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly. Play Stop 2009_cholera_zimbabwe_Nigelstory.mp3 Cholera Outbreak in Zimbabwe Thousands of people died in Zimbabwe’s 2009 cholera outbreak. Poor access to clean water and sanitation is a leading cause of cholera.	In the Face of Worst Outbreak in Decades, Children in Cameroon Learn to Fight Cholera You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly. Play Stop Educating school children and young people about cholera and other waterborne diseases is at the... 6-8 9-12 You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly. Play Stop ur9322_cameroon_cholera_128.mp3 In the Face of Worst Outbreak in Decades, Children in Cameroon Learn to Fight Cholera Educating school children and young people about cholera and other waterborne diseases is at the heart of a new campaign, ‘My School Without Cholera’, launched by the government across Cameroon’s three northern regions and supported by UNICEF and other partners, including the private sector. At the recording of this podcast in 2010, the country was facing the worst cholera outbreak in over 20 years. With more than 7,000 cases and some 500 deaths, the need to promote essential hygiene and sanitation practices with clear information is urgent. (http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/cameroon_56562.html)
What Does Achieving the Water MDG Mean for School Children? You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly. Play Stop UNICEF and the World Health Organization recently announced that the world had met the... 9-12 You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly. Play Stop 10705_nycwashinschoolsbsbpodcast55.mp3 What Does Achieving the Water MDG Mean for School Children? UNICEF and the World Health Organization recently announced that the world had met the Millennium Development Goal target of halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water, well ahead of the 2015 deadline. In the lead-up to World Water Day on March 22, UNICEF podcast moderator Femi Oke spoke with Murat Sahin, UNICEF advisor on the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools initiative, and Alexander Schratz, the Executive Director of Fit for School, a Philippines-based non-governmental organization, about how much progress has been made and what this means for children. For more information, see http://www.educationandtransition.org/resources/what-does-achieving-the-water-mdg-mean-for-school-children/.	Youth Delegates at Zambian Climate Conference Take Lessons Home to Their Communities You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly. Play Stop Zambian Children's Climate Conference youth delegate Stan Lengwe, 16, talks about helping his... 6-8 9-12 You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly. Play Stop Zambia_climate_conf_stan.mp3 Youth Delegates at Zambian Climate Conference Take Lessons Home to Their Communities Zambian Children's Climate Conference youth delegate Stan Lengwe, 16, talks about helping his neighbors understand the importance of a clean environment.
Youth-Generated Solutions to Climate Change You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly. Play Stop Young people present policy solutions on the issue of Climate Change to world leaders at the... 6-8 9-12 You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly. Play Stop 12_2009__YouthClimate_podcast.mp3 Youth-Generated Solutions to Climate Change Young people present policy solutions on the issue of Climate Change to world leaders at the United Nations.

Water and Environment

Download PDF of Unit & Lesson Plans:

Background Info: Water and Sanitation

UNICEF Tap Project

Update on the MDGs - Access to Water and Sanitation

Photoessay - Handwashing with Soap Saves Lives

Photoessay - West and Central Africa's Water and Sanitation Crisis

UNICEF Voices of Youth - Environment Forum

UNICEF France: Oceans are Humanity’s Future- Primary School Pack

UNICEF links, Cartoons and Games

Explore

Explore

Explore

Connect & Share

About Us