Water around the world
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain why water is essential for human life and I can identify some of the causes and consequences of people not being able to access water.
Key learning points
- Humans need water to stay alive: for drinking, eating, washing, growing crops, energy production, trade and more.
- Most settlements were built around rivers for access to fresh water and trade.
- People around the world do not have equal access to clean, safe water.
- Lack of access to clean water has consequences for people including death and disease.
Keywords
Energy - Energy is the power used to make things work, for example to provide heat or light or to operate machinery.
Trade - Trade is the buying and selling of goods and services between people, companies and countries.
Disease - Disease is an illness or sickness caused by poor health, infection or harmful substances, but not by injury or accident.
Settlement - Settlements are places where groups of people live and work.
Common misconception
That everyone, all around the world, can easily access clean fresh water whenever they need it.
In the UK, it is easy to take water for granted because it comes out of the tap. This isn't possible in all communities. In some places, water is very scarce. People may have to travel miles to reach water as they do not have taps in their homes.
Teacher tip
Many charities such as WaterAid and Oxfam work to increase access to safe clean water for people all around the world. Pupils could visit websites to investigate what such charities do, there are also ideas for ways to fundraise for them if this is possible in your setting.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these everyday tasks uses water?
Q2.How many days do you think humans can survive without water for?
Q3.Where is a gutter located on a house?
Q4.Match the words to the descriptions.
Q5.What type of water do we get from taps in our homes?
Q6.What do we call the water that is left after it has been used for a task like washing dishes?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.How do humans use water?
Q2.Humans survive without water.
Q3.Which of these is the best location to build a new settlement?
Q4.What does this map tell us about water supply around the world?
Q5.Poverty is a cause of lack of access to water. This is when people or countries do not have enough ....
Q6.One of the biggest problems caused by lack of clean water is the spread of ....
To help you plan your 3 geography lesson on: Water around the world, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 geography lesson on: Water around the world, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 geography lessons from the The water cycle: why is it important? unit, dive into the full primary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.