Lesson Plan: WASH BEHAVIOURS

Transcription

1 Lesson Plan: WASH BEHAVIOURS Lesson Description This hands-on card game helps participants understand how local water, sanitation, and hygiene practices impact health and the environment. Why Use It? This game allows participants to: 1. Discuss common North American water, hygiene and sanitation practices to determine examples of healthy and unhealthy WASH (water, sanitation & hygiene) behaviours. Materials 25 cards with scenes. Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down & Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down Water Drop cards (1 of each). These materials are for one set of cards. Depending on the group size you may want to have multiple sets. We recommend a maximum of 5 people per group. Preparation Print and cut individual cards. Optional: Laminate cards. How to Play 1. Show participants 1-2 cards and explain that each one has a different scene that shows water and sanitation practices. 2. Explain that WASH stands for Wa, water, S, Sanitation, and H, hygiene. These three things are essential for people to remain healthy. 3. Explain that the object of the game is to determine if the picture on each card represents a healthy WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) behaviour. 4. Show participants the Water Drop cards and explain that they must sort the cards into three piles Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down and Sort of, in response to the question, Are these people practicing healthy WASH (water, sanitation & hygiene) behaviours 1

2 a. Thumbs Up Cards that show behaviours that are healthy and/or protect water. b. Thumbs Down Cards that show behaviours that are unhealthy and/or are harmful to local water sources. c. Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down - Cards that show behaviours that both healthy and unhealthy for health and/or the environment or cards that they are unsure about. 5. Divide participants into small groups of 4-5. The number of each group will depend on how many participants there are and how many card sets you have. 6. When the groups have completed sorting their cards, lead a discussion about each card (see Discussion Notes for key points about each card). a. Ask participants to defend where they categorized each card and why. b. Encourage discussion and let groups respond to questions raised by other groups. 7. Ask participants to discuss common behaviours in their community and consider whether these behaviours are similar to any practices identified in the cards. 8. Discuss ways of eliminating the unhealthy practices identified in your local community. Keep a record of suggestions made. 9. Make a list of actions participants can take to address unhealthy WASH behaviours. Note: If youth are motivated to take action on local or global WASH issues, please find out more about Wavemakers action projects on our website: Facilitator Notes During the activity, avoid prompting or directing the choices of the group. If participants ask you specific questions, redirect the questions back to the group for a response. If the group is unable to interpret any one drawing, suggest that they set it aside. 2

3 Discussion Notes Card Discussion Notes 1 Front Yard Resources: The rain barrel in this image will help the homeowners reduce their water consumption. The front yard is filled with local plants that required less watering then a grass lawn. Rock and gravel in the garden will also help with drainage. Yard Smart Yard (City of Calgary) Lawns & Water Conservation (City of Calgary) Home water usage (City of Calgary) 2 Weed Control The man in this image an is using an herbicide to kill weeds on the lawn. Herbicides are chemicals that can be very harmful to people, animals (like dogs) and the environment. In this image that the herbicide is going down the storm drain. In many Canadian communities, water (and any sediment or chemicals it carries) that enters a storm drain is not treated and ends up in rivers and lakes. 3 Glass of Water The boy in this image is getting a drink of water. It is important to note that in Canadian cities, tap water is treated and tested making it very high quality drinking water. Consider highlighting with participants the benefits of tap water over bottled water. Resources: Calgary Drinking Water (City of Calgary) Video: The Story of Bottled Water 4 Washing Dishes The boy in this image is washing his dishes in the sink and the dishwasher is half full (Dishwashers use less energy and less water than washing by hand). Share the following water saving tips: o Run the dishwasher on full, on the "light" cycle and turn off the "heated drying" option. This will help to conserve energy and water. o Scraping food, rather than rinsing dishes, will also conserve water. Handwashing vs Dishwashers (David Suzuki) 5 Boy and Girl Camping #1 The outhouse in this image is very close to the river. This means that there is a danger of human waste leeching into the river. The girl in the image is washing her dishes in the river which could contaminate the river water. The food on the table is uncovered making it susceptible to flies (and the bacteria and disease that the flies can transmit). 3

4 6 Boy and Girl Camping #2 In this image, the outhouse is further from the river minimizing the likelihood that human waste will leech into the river. The food on the table is covered, protecting it from flies. The girl in the image is collecting water from the river. This water may be unhealthy as there is no evidence that the girl is planning to treat the water she is about to drink. Drinking Water in the Great Canadian Outdoors (Canadian Government) 7 Long Shower 8 Handwashing The person in this image is taking a long shower. A five-minute shower with an older showerhead can use over 100 litres of water. Water Saving Tips for Homes (City of Calgary). The girls in the image are washing their hands, which is a healthy behavior. Highlight the fact that one of the girls left her tap running. The Benefits of Washing your Hands (Canadian Government) 9 Recycling The classroom in this image has a recycling program. The boy and girl in the image, however, are sharing the same water bottle. This means that there is a possibility for the transmission of viruses. Consider also discussing the benefits of reusable bottles rather than recycling one-use water bottles. Video: The Story of Bottled Water 10 Washing veggies The woman in this image is washing the vegetables before eating. This behavior helps to ensure that the vegetables are clean and ready to eat. There is a water smart garden in her front yard which uses less water than a lawn. The woman in the image has filled the sink with water, rather than running the water. 11 Boy Camping The boy in this image is washing his dishes away from the river. This helps to ensure that he does not contaminate the river with the dish detergent and food. The food on the table is covered and protected from flies. The boy has set up a Tippy tap system which allows him to wash his hands without contaminating the river. In the background, there are flies are hovering around animal feces. Tippy Tap 12 Coughing #1 The girl in this image is coughing into her sleeve helping to contain the sneeze and stop the spread of the virus. She is also cleaning her hands with hand sanitizer. Cover your Cough (Government of Manitoba) 4

5 13 Boat Check The man in this image is stopping to check his boat for zebra mussels (Zebra mussels are an invasive species that harm local lakes and rivers). Resources: Information on Zebra Mussels (Alberta Parks) How & Why Zebra Mussels are harmful (Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers) 14 Dog Walk The girl in this image is walking her dog in the park and she is picking up her dog s poop. Notice that the snow is melting into the storm drain. Any fecal matter left in the snow would go down the drain and contaminate local rivers or lakes. Resources: Dog waste (Metro Vancouver) Scoop on Poop (Canada s Public Health Leader) 15 Cows in Field The cows in this image are fenced in, keeping them away from river. Between the cows and the river are natural plants/habitat that help to protect the river from erosion and contamination. Riparian Zones (Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada ) 16 Mountain biker The mountain biker in this image is riding on the trail and using the bridge to cross the river. There are there tracks in the river from an ATV. Riding or driving through rivers disturbs the river s ecosystem and contaminates the water supply with sediment. Motorized Vehicles on Trails (Alberta Environment & Parks) 17 Bottle Water The girl in the image is purchasing bottle water while the boy in the image is re-filling his reusable water bottle. Consider discussing the benefits of tap water over bottled water. Video: The Story of Bottled Water 18 Coughing #2 The boy in this image is coughing into his hands. This is a good opportunity to discuss how germs can be spread through coughs. Cover your Cough (Government of Manitoba) 19 Brushing Teeth The boy in this image is leaving the tap running while brushing his teeth. In order to conserve water, it is recommended that the tap is turned off while brushing teeth. Household Guide for Water Efficiency (Canadian Government) 5

6 20 Watering Lawn The man in the image is watering his lawn on a hot and sunny day. Watering a lawn in the heat of the day can be very inefficient much of the moisture will evaporate in direct sunlight. The best time to water the lawn is early in the morning or late at night. Other water conserving advice (City of Calgary) 21 Drugs down Toilet The woman in this image is flushing her expired drugs down the toilet. When harmful chemicals and hormones are flushed down toilets, they are very challenging to filter out, and can impact our rivers, lakes and drinking water. Danger of drugs down toilets (CBC) 22 Boat in Lake The boat in this image has zebra mussels on it, and it is close to a water treatment plant. In the image, there are also zebra mussels on the inflow pipes at the plant. Invasive species, like zebra mussels, can have a significant impact on water treatment plants (clogging of pipes, etc.). Resources: Zebra Mussels and Water Treatment (City of Toronto) 23 Car Wash The man in the image is washing his car in the driveway. Soap and water is flowing into the storm drain. In many municipalities it is illegal to wash your car using soap due to the impact on the city water supply. Car washes are a better way to conserve water and ensure that storm drains are not contaminated with harmful chemicals. Resources: Article: Fines for Washing Car on Street (CBC) Bylaws related to storm water (City of Calgary) 24 Cows in River In this image, the cows are grazing in river. This practice can damage the river ecosystem, speeding up erosion and adding sediment to the river. The cow feces near the river also contaminates the water. Fencing livestock vs not fencing (Agriculture & Agri-food Canada) 25 Mechanics The mechanics in this image are pouring vehicle waste (potentially oil products) down the drain in the shop. This waste can enter the storm drain and pollute rivers, lakes and water sources. Autoshops deal with a number of harmful chemicals, and often have a process for disposing of these chemicals safely. 6

7 Are these people practicing healthy WASH (water, sanitation & hygiene) behaviours?

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