Overview


Key aims

The key aims of The Water School are to:

• Encourage schools to carry out a Water Audit using the supplied software

• Introduce and explain changes which conserve water and so save money

• Foster responsible attitudes to water use by the pupils

• Encourage the pupils to apply their knowledge and understanding to global water and environment issues

• Raise awareness of the value of water as a key part of healthy living

• Raise awareness of issues related to water as a key part of healthy living

• Enhance and enrich the requirements of the National Curriculum

• Offer opportunities for children to work with adults other than teachers.


What does the website provide?

• Everything required to support water conservation work in the school

• Water Audit software for 'short-term' classroom use and metering software for 'long-term' use

• Guidance and background information

• Information for children's independent research into water conservation

• Activity and information sheets for pupils

• Four water-related fun games for pupils

• Links to other water and environment-related websites.


Background

The Water School website itself does not claim to cover all of the curricular areas that follow, but educational professionals will be able to see where a wider study of water conservation provides opportunities for valuable learning experiences.

The Water School website is based on the highly successful ‘Water in the School’ website. The original site was solely a teacher resource whereas this new version includes on-line activities for children, including water-related information, a games room with fun activities and access to the rooms of the school where they learn about the old inefficient water-using items and the modern water efficient items.

There are Info and Activity Sheets in The Teacher's Information which challenge the pupils to find the library-based information for themselves. We have also provided you with the Water Audit software and extensive curricular information.

This website has been redesigned to complement The Water Family on-line game (www.thewaterfamily.co.uk), which has proved to be extremely popular with children both at school and at home. The Water Family was shortlisted for the Environment Agency Water Efficiency Awards 2007 in the DfEs 'Inspiring Change' category.

Acknowledgement

The site developers wish to acknowledge the kind permission of Eco-Schools to use a large part of their booklet, 'Water - towards a sustainable lifestyle' by Ewan McLeish, as the basis for the Teacher's Background Information section of the website. In some places additional material has been added to make the information more relevant to the website and to the water conservation activities which are suggested.