Clean Water & Sanitation #3 – Authentic learning task “Your home water”

Author(s)

Daniela Bergamotti

Institution(s)

IREN

The aim of this activity is to engage students in an analysis of locally distributed waters, encouraging collaboration to build and evaluate knowledge. The authentic learning task involves the student group in the evaluation of analytical certificates of their home/school waters, with analysis, assessment and critical considerations on the characteristics of specific tap waters and the related impact on human health.

Age

  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19

Topic

  • Clean water and sanitation

Duration

  • Between 2-5 hours
Other tagscase study contextualization cooperative work evaluation rubric experts from the industry inquiry learn in the lab problem-based learning teachers

First, students are given some background information on drinking water (certificates of analysis, water hardness: limits and evaluation methods, water characteristics, health effects) and are given a to-do list including the details of the assigned task.

Then, students collect samples of their home/school tap water and analyse them in the school lab, comparing the analytical results with the certificates of analysis made public by the local water company.

Lastly, an online presentation on the task results is held, also with the assistance of experts from the local water utility analytical laboratory.

Students’ resources

Evaluation rubric “Your home water”

Teachers’ resources

  • Water hardness scale
  • To-do list “Your home water”
  • Analytical procedures for determination of total hardness in water
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Authentic learning task “Your home water” – Student materials (English)

Authentic learning task “Your home water” – Teacher materials (English)

Authentic learning task “Your home water” – Student materials (Italian)

Authentic learning task “Your home water” – Teacher materials (Italian)

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