Water, Air and Weather
Primary 2 · Science and Elementary Technology
Water, Air and Weather
Lesson 1 of 3
12 min
Let's begin
Ishimwe wakes up. He drinks a cup of water. His mother pours water into the pot to cook porridge. Then he washes his hands and his face.
The sun is not even high yet. But water has already given him a drink, cooked his food and washed him clean!
Today you will count all the jobs water does at home and at school. Then you will learn how to save it.
Let us walk with Uwase and watch the water.
Count them. That is eight times in one day! And that is only one girl, in one house.
Look again at the words in bold. All those jobs fit into four groups:
Now look around your school. Water is working there too.
Same four jobs: drink, cook, clean, grow. Water is busy all day.
Water does not walk to your house by itself.
Somebody carried that jerrycan up the hill. It is heavy. Your arms ache and your neck aches. In some places, a family pays money at the tap: a few Frw for every jerrycan.
So when we pour water away for nothing, we are pouring away hard work and money.
Mugisha's family used to wash under a running tap. They used 6 jerrycans of water every day.
Now they wash in a basin instead. They use only 4 jerrycans a day.
How many jerrycans do they save each day? Take away to find out.
6 take away 4 is 2.
They save 2 jerrycans every day. That is two heavy jerrycans nobody has to carry up the hill.
And in two days? 2 and 2 more make 4 jerrycans saved. Small savings add up fast.
Tip
Say the handwashing rule like a little song: Wet. Close. Soap. Open. Rinse.
And before you pour water away, ask one question: does this water still have a job to do? Vegetable water can still water a plant.
Answer in your head first. Then look underneath.
Keza's mother puts rice into a pot of water and lights the fire. Which job is the water doing: drink, cook, clean or grow?
Answer: cook. The water is cooking the rice.
Name three ways water is used at your school.
Answer: many answers are right. Drinking water, washing hands, cleaning the floor, cooking the porridge, washing cups, watering the school garden.
Ishimwe uses 3 mugs of water when he leaves the tap running. He uses only 1 mug when he closes the tap while he soaps. How much water does he save?
Answer: 2 mugs. Work it out: 3 take away 1 is 2. He saves 2 mugs every single time he washes.
A tap in the school yard is dripping slowly. Should you worry about such small drops?
Answer: yes. One drop is tiny, but the tap drips all day and all night. Those drops could fill a jerrycan. Tell a teacher so it can be fixed.
Uwase's family carried 5 jerrycans on Monday and 3 jerrycans on Tuesday. How many jerrycans in the two days?
Answer: 8. Count on: 5, then 3 more makes 8. Somebody carried every one of them.
Note
What you learned today:
Quick check
Match each job of water to an example.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
