Embodied Water Curriculum Activity
Activity DETAILS
YEAR LEVELS
Curriculum Links
The Embodied Water activity raises awareness of the hidden yet most significant portion of our water footprint, e.g. the water required to grow, manufacture and transport products that we commonly use and eat. Students will be asked to classify the different forms that water takes as a resource by looking at different ‘every day’ items and matching these with the amount of embodied water it contains.
Water Footprint, Water Use, Virtual Water, Conservation, Life Cycle
1. Introducing the concept of hidden/virtual/embodied water
2. How much water it takes to produce something
3. Understanding the extent of our true water footprint
Formative
1. Participation in the Embodied Water activity
2. Participation in the Discussion questions above
1. Mix and Match
Virtual or embodied water is the measurement of the amount of water used to produce each of the goods and services we use. Match each of the items (e.g. hamburger, paper, t-shirt) with the cards indicating the equivalent amount of embodied water required for the item’s production and manufacture
2. Discussion
1. Which three everyday items contain the most embodied water? Why do you think this is the case?
2. Suggest reasons for why the production of beef requires so much water?
3. How might food production affect local water environments?
4. How might this activity affect the decisions people make about what they consume?
5. What is one way we can reduce the amount of embodied water required to produce the things that we consume? (e.g. 5Rs: Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)