Unit 2: Water Wonders

Lesson 2: Understanding Water Waste

Year Level: Year 1
Subject: Social Sciences
Curriculum Strand:
Social Studies – Level 1: Students will understand that people have different roles and responsibilities as part of their participation in communities.

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🌊 WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Recognise what water waste is
• Explore how people waste water in everyday activities
• Understand why it's important to save water

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✅ Success Criteria

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Describe at least one way water is wasted at home or school
• Suggest one idea for saving water
• Participate in a class discussion about why we need to protect our water

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⏰ Lesson Duration: 30 Minutes

Number of Students: 8
Setting: Whole-class and small-group based learning

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🧠 Prior Knowledge

Students have explored where water comes from in Lesson 1 and discussed how it is used in their daily lives. They’ve created a basic water flow map from rain to tap.

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📚 Resources Needed

• Large storytelling mat or carpet space
• Picture book: "Water, Water Everywhere" (NZ-themed, dyslexia-friendly large font version available)
• Visual cards showing examples of water use (pouring a glass of water, brushing teeth, garden hose running, car wash, leaking tap)
• Two buckets (labelled “Wasteful” and “Wise”) and laminated water droplet cut-outs
• Plastic cups and a jug for demonstration
• Student reflection worksheet (with pictorial prompts and fill-the-gap sentence starters)

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📖 Lesson Outline

1. Mihi & Settling (3 Minutes)

• Begin with karakia
• Welcome students and review WALT
• Quick reminder of what we learned last time: “Where does water come from?” (Allow a few students to share)

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2. Story Time – Hook (6 Minutes)

• Read "Water, Water Everywhere" aloud

  📘 Dyslexia-friendly adaptation tip: Use large font version, sit close to students, and point to key images while reading)

• Pause to highlight wasteful practices in the story (“What’s happening here? Is that wasting water?”)

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3. Interactive Activity – Sort It Out! (10 Minutes)

• Explain the “Wasteful or Wise?” activity
  • Show a visual card (e.g. a clip of a running tap while brushing teeth)
  • Ask: “Do you think this wastes water or saves it?”
• Students take turns placing a droplet in the correct bucket after identifying the image as ‘Wasteful’ or ‘Wise’
• Encourage friendly discussion: “Why did you choose that bucket?”

🎯 Differentiation Strategy:

• Images are used as visual supports for ESOL or neurodiverse learners
• Offer a verbal prompt or rephrase for those needing more support
• Pair less confident readers with a peer to interpret image cues together

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4. Mini Water Demo – Experiential Learning (5 Minutes)

• Pour water from a jug into two cups – one overflowing, one just enough
• Ask: “Which one is wasteful? Why?”
• Engage discussion around how even small changes can help save water

💡 Extension Idea:
Ask advanced learners: "What might happen if we keep wasting water like this every day?" Support them in hypothesising.

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5. Reflection – Thinking as Kaitiaki (5 Minutes)

• Hand out the student worksheet (includes sentence starters: “I can save water by…”, “Water is special because…” + simple drawings to colour)
• Support students as needed with word prompts or scribing

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🌱 Differentiation Strategies

• For ESOL and neurodivergent learners: Use visual supports and model responses using simplified vocabulary and gestures
• For dyslexic learners: Worksheets use dyslexia-friendly font (e.g., OpenDyslexic), minimal text with pictorial clues
• Peer Support: Buddy up learners to share ideas before responding

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🚀 Extension for Advanced Learners

• Create a "Water Saver Superhero" character who helps others reduce waste. They can draw the hero, name them, and share one hero action.
• Suggest how water saving might look in another place (e.g., marae, swimming pool, park)

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📌 Key Vocabulary

• Waste
• Save
• Kaitiaki (guardian)
• Tap
• Water

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🧭 Teacher Notes

• This lesson builds on learning from Lesson 1 of the “Caring for Our Water” unit
• Emphasis on developing early civic awareness through the theme of kaitiakitanga (guardianship)
• Builds toward the final lesson where students will create their own Water Kaitiaki poster to share with whānau

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🪣 Post-Lesson Options

• Leave the “Wasteful or Wise?” buckets in the room with new images during the week as a learning station
• Encourage students to "catch" water saving moments at home and share during morning hui

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Kaiako Reflection Prompt:

“How did students demonstrate their understanding of water waste today? Were their ideas rooted in personal experience or new learning?”

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This lesson is designed to not only meet curriculum targets but to foster a deep awareness of water care in our youngest ākonga, linking local context with global issues in an age-appropriate and hands-on way.