Report Copyright Infringement View in OSM UK

Description

Understanding the lack of clean drinking water on some countries, and finding out how to make unclean water safe to drink.

Resources

Water containers; materials for filters; water purifiying tablets, or bleach (plus instructions), or a means of boiling water.

Instructions

Background: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) called for a reduction of the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by half between 1990 and 2015. Yet, an estimated 884 million people in the world, 37% of whom live in Sub-Saharan Africa, still use unimproved sources of drinking water. This activity also develops a life skill, which could be needed in an emergency situation.

Make a water filter: 1. Find or make some dirty water by adding cooking oil, soil etc. Make a filter by cutting a plastic drink bottle in half. Turn the top half upside down so it’s like a funnel. Build your filter in the funnel using layers from very fine such as a coffee filter, and up to gravel and pebbles. Experiment with different layers of filter material to see what is most effective. (Note that a filter will remove dirty particles but it must then be purified to remove bacteria by boiling or adding appropriate water purifying tablets, bleach etc.)

Make a water filter 2: Stretch a piece of fabric over a frame such as a funnel, or ring, and pour the water through this.

Extension:
1. Give patrols all the equipment and challenge them to find a way to filter the water. Compare results.
2. Include the activity as part of a survival wide game.
3. Set up a simulation game: Making Rice the Hard Way Teams collect water and rice to feed their ‘family’. Provide a bucket of “dirty” water coloured by coke or something safe to drink – this represents the well.
Some distance away provide a gas cooker or cooking pot. Guides carry water in a plastic mug or make paper cups) balanced on heads. Meanwhile others are working in a ‘sweatshop’ making little crafts to sell to the tourists. (Items must pass quality control of the ‘foreman’). For every three items, a bean is earned. Three beans buy a small handful of rice to put in the cooking pot. Can the team cook enough rice for their dinner?
Precautions: remind girls that the water is not suitable to drink until purified as well as filtered.

Tags

(none)

Badge Links

This activity doesn't complete any badge requirements