Water in Our Lives

Overview

This 45-minute lesson is designed for a small class of 6 students with Year 7 age but working at approximately Year 2 level. The students have attention and behavioural challenges, so the lesson is highly practical, sensory, and inclusive to maintain engagement and ensure success. The focus is on understanding water as a natural resource and recognising various daily uses of water.

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Learning Objective

To describe how water is a natural resource and explain how we use it in our daily lives.

This links explicitly to the National Curriculum for England Key Stage 1 geography standards:

• "Understand and describe the importance of natural resources, including water."
• “Identify and describe how everyday activities depend on natural resources.”

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Curriculum Links

• National Curriculum KS1 Geography:
  • Explore local environment and resources.
  • Use simple vocabulary relating to physical geography (water, natural resources).
  • Recognise how people use the environment for daily needs.
• Every Child Matters:
  • Encouraging active participation and fostering ‘Enjoy and Achieve’.
• SEND Considerations:
  • Structured practical activities with clear instructions.
  • Sensory learning and movement breaks.
  • Small group engagement to support peer interaction.

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Resources Needed

• Transparent bowls or containers, one per student
• Water (tap water or coloured with food colouring for visual appeal)
• A variety of everyday objects involving water use (e.g., small watering can, sponge, cup, toy boat, jug)
• Picture cards showing water uses: drinking, washing, watering plants, cooking, cleaning
• Tray or mat to prevent spillage
• Large visual poster illustrating the water cycle simplified (optional)
• Whiteboard or flipchart with magic whiteboard markers
• Timer or visual timer (like a sand timer)
• Reward stickers or stamps for participation

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Lesson Plan Outline

1. Welcome and Introduction (5 minutes)

• Greet students warmly; settle them with a clear visual timetable on display.
• Briefly explain today’s lesson: “We’re going to explore water – where it comes from and how we use it every day.”
• Use simple gestures and visuals: Show a bowl of water and a picture card of the Earth with water to introduce water as a natural resource.

2. Sensory Exploration Activity (10 minutes)

• Each student receives a tub of water and is encouraged to explore it using hands and objects provided (sponges, jugs).
• Guide them to notice the feeling of water (cold, wet, flows). Use vocabulary like "wet," "cool," "move," "pour."
• Prompt with questions: “What happens when you pour water? Can you make the water move? What is water good for?”
• Encourage short verbal or non-verbal answers (thumbs up/down, pointing to pictures).

Behavioural support: Use a visual timer to set focused “explore time” and provide immediate praise using stickers.

3. Matching Game: Water Uses (10 minutes)

• Show picture cards one at a time (e.g., person drinking water, washing hands, watering flowers).
• Invite students to match objects from their tubs to the picture cards (cup for drinking, sponge for washing, watering can for plants).
• As a group, discuss each picture in simple terms: “We drink water to stay healthy. We wash to be clean.”
• Use a whiteboard to write the key words with simple drawings or symbols.

4. Practical Mini-Washing Task (10 minutes)

• Set up a “washing station” on trays: small pieces of cloth or paper towels, water tubs, and sponges.
• Instruct students to wash the “dirty” cloths using water and sponges.
• Reinforce vocabulary: washing, clean, water helps.
• Rotate and support students needing assistance.

Movement Break: Allow students to shake out cloths or do an action song about water (“Splish splash, wash your hands!”).

5. Recap and Reflection (7 minutes)

• Use the whiteboard or a large picture of water uses and ask students to point to the ones they remember.
• Go through each: “Why do we need water? What did we do with water today?”
• Allow simple verbal responses or use visual cue cards for communication support.
• Provide positive feedback and hand out reward stickers.

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Assessment & Differentiation

Student Ability	Strategy	Assessment Method
Emerging communicators	Use PECS cards, gesture prompts	Observed participation
Needs physical support	Hand over hand for pouring/washing, tactile cues	Task completion with help
Ready for verbal input	Encourage short answers, simple sentences	Verbal responses

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Behaviour and Attention Strategies

• Clear, simple instructions with visual supports.
• Frequent positive reinforcement and short bursts of activities.
• Use of a visual timer to structure time and transitions.
• Incorporate movement and sensory breaks after focused tasks.
• Maintain a calm, supportive environment with minimal distractions.

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Extension Ideas/Home Learning Suggestions

• Encourage students to look for different uses of water at home with family support.
• Create a simple water diary with pictures showing when they drink or use water that day.
• Explore local environment with a short walk to notice water features (pond, tap) if possible.

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Teacher Reflection Prompts

• Which activity kept students most engaged?
• How did the sensory experience affect attention and participation?
• Were the visual aids sufficient to support understanding?
• What behaviour strategies worked best during hands-on tasks?
• How can this lesson be adapted for different learning needs next time?

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This lesson plan provides a tactile, multi-sensory experience tailored to SEN students, linking directly to UK curricular expectations and emphasising natural resources through a highly accessible, memorable approach.