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Is Sea Water Desalination the Solution for the World’s Water Problems? (Pros and Cons Part 1)

SUBJECTS Language Arts
GRADE LEVEL Junior (4-6) / Intermediate (7-8)
PLEDGE 1 - Protection of Water

Resources Needed:

  1. This lesson is best following the introductory lesson, Is Sea Water Desalination the Solution for the the World’s Water Problems? (Introduction)
  2.  Link to the Water We Doing? and how can we do better (Season 1, Episode 3) podcast, Is Sea Water Desalination the Solution for the the World’s Water Problems? by The Aquatic Biosphere Project 
  3. Podcast transcript (see attachment below)
  4. Cards in 3 colours for display to distinguish nouns, verbs and adjectives, or whiteboard with parts-of-speech categories

Introduction:

  1. Listen to the podcast, Is Sea Water Desalination the Solution for the the World’s Water Problems?
  2. Write down 3 key words from the “Water We Doing?” podcast, e.g., shortage (noun), desalinate (verb), thermal (adjective). Ask students, What do these words mean and why are they important in the podcast we listened to about the desalination of water?
  3. Tell students you chose these 3 words as they are key to understanding the podcast, and also represent 3 parts of speech.

Lesson:

  1. Ask students to read aloud in pairs, using the podcast transcript, and to choose 3 key nouns, 3 key verbs, and 3 key adjectives.
  2. Ask students to write these words either on a shared whiteboard space, divided into categories, or on individual, colour-coded cards, (colours designated by part of speech).
  3. Display the words chosen by the students, omitting repetitions, and discuss why these words are important to communicating the podcast’s message. Leave the vocabulary words up for following lessons.

Follow Up Activities:

  1. Continue with Part 2 of this lesson, Is Sea Water Desalination the Solution for the the World’s Water Problems? (Pros and Cons Part 2)
LESSON ATTACHMENTS