what a waste Research
what a waste Research project How is water processed before it reaches our homes? - Trace the path of water from rain into your school or house What happens to the waste water that leaves our homes via the sewage system? - Can you see where waste water leaves your house or school? - Do you know where your nearest water treatment plant is? How is waste processed to make it safe? - Find out about waste water treatment. - What solid and liquid materials must be made safe? - What turns materials from harmful waste into safe materials? What happens to the materials when they are processed? - What material are produced as a result of treatment? - What are they used for? What alternative toilet systems are there that people in the developing world might use? - Do all toilet systems work like ours do? - What happens when there is no water supply or sewage system? What is the impact on health and wellbeing when toilet systems are introduced in these communities? - Do they cause any problem? - Are there health or wider social implications? What is the link between standing water and malaria? - Find out about how Malaria is spread - What part does water play in the spread of Malaria? What is being done to reduce the spread of Malaria? - What can individual people do? Washing with plants Practical project Initial research to find out what plants might work well. - What sorts of plants are used in products you can buy? - Are there groups or families of plants that appear to work well? - Use nature books and biology guides to identify key plants. Deciding how you will find out if they affect bacteria. - What methods could you use? - Use textbooks/ the internet/ teachers and technicians to find out What measurements might you take that will help you decide which is the most effective plant? - What could you measure and record to see if there is a difference? - How could you present your measurements? Does the way you process the plant make a difference? - Think of different ways of extracting plant materials. - Try testing to see which is the most effective. What safety precautions must you take when working with bacteria? - This is important, what risks might there be? - Put together a risk assessment to ensure you are doing this safely. Is a single experiment good enough? - How will you make your tests fair? - Will you need to repeat anything? Can you collaborate with other groups to verify your findings? - Collaborating will enable you to see if you get the same results and others, and if not think about why not. - You might be able to test more plants if you share your results. - Collecting data from more than one group could help you get better results.
top toilets! Communication project What low tech but effective sanitation solutions are there? - Look at different types of toilets used across the world. - Which ones do not require plumbing and sewage systems? How do these systems work, what materials are required and how much time and effort is needed to build them? - Look for diagrams, descriptions and videos online How will the maintenance of these systems be organised - What ongoing maintenance do these systems need? - How often do they need servicing - Do they need a skilled person to do that? Why do these systems benefit groups such as the elderly or women in particular? - Why might these groups need special consideration? - What additional problems might they face that others don’t? What problems might going to the toilet in the open cause? - Imagine yourself in this situation, what would you feel? - What are the health consequences? - find out about ‘flying toilets’ Which groups are the hardest to persuade and why? - Identify different groups, Why might they take a different view? What economic benefits might the community gain from developing such systems? - Think about the consequences of the systems not being there? - What problems might they solve? - How would this enable people to work more, grow more or earn more? Useful Links www.unicef.org/wash/index_wes_related.html Information about common water and sanitationrelated diseases www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/health/ Information on Global Goal 3 ‘Health and Wellbeing’ www.bit.ly/40-shocking-facts-about-water Interesting facts and statistics on water www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCKsU4bPFOQ Video on why Global Goal 6 is important in eradicating poverty www.wateraid.org Information about the challenges of water and sanitation www.practicalaction.org/improved-toilets-3 Sanitation systems used in different countries Health and safety Please do encourage students to take out their own risk assessments if they are carrying out a practical project or a survey, then check them yourself. CLEAPSS will provide any advice should you need it. www.cleapss.org.uk Does defecation into standing waste water have other disease implications? - Think about diseases that stagnant water might encourage. - Are any of these significant problems in the developing world?
