Duration: 45 minutes
SPIRIT Skills:
- Curiosity, sense of wonder and openness
- Critical Thinking
- Flexibility
- Resilience
- Problem-solving
- Connectedness
Brief Description:
The teacher introduces the topic through a fictional but realistic story: “Once upon a time, there was a little boy/girl named Lary/Mary. On a hot summer day, they went hiking with their family. After walking for a long time, they ran out of drinking water. Nearby, they found a puddle – but the water looked dirty. ‘How could we drink from this water if it’s dirty?’ – the child asked. And so began their engineering adventure…” Following the story, the teacher initiates a discussion by asking questions such as: Why can’t we drink just any water we find? How do you think we could clean it? What would you do if all you had was dirty water? Do you think we can solve a problem like this ourselves? The goal is to spark interest, establish a personal connection, and introduce the idea of inquiry-based learning. Students are invited to share their own experiences, brainstorm ideas together, and begin thinking about possible solutions.
How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills
The activity develops several SPIRIT skills in an authentic, hands-on way
- Curiosity: The story context and guiding questions spark children’s sense of wonder about water and the environment.
- Critical thinking: Students challenge everyday assumptions (e.g., “tap water is always clean”) and evaluate which filter designs work best.
- Problem-solving: They experiment with different materials and methods until they find effective solutions.
- Resilience: Trial-and-error builds persistence; failed attempts are reframed as opportunities to improve.
- Empathy and Valuing people and nature: By reflecting on communities without access to clean water, learners connect their work to real human and environmental needs.
- Connectedness: Group work fosters collaboration and helps children see their role in contributing to shared, global challenges
What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?
- Students recognize that solving a problem begins with asking the right questions.
- They are able to formulate and test hypotheses (e.g., “I think the gravel will catch the dirt”).
- They develop critical thinking by questioning everyday assumptions about water quality and problem-solving by testing and revising different filter designs.
- Their oral expression based on personal experience improves (e.g., sharing what they know or think about water with peers).
- They realize that effective solutions don’t require being a scientist — they begin with curiosity, creativity, and collaboration.
- The activity also strengthens social skills: learners practice listening, turn-taking, and constructive group discussion, which are complementary to cognitive skill growth.
Academic/Curriculum Objective connection
- Environmental Studies: water use, pollution, importance of clean drinking water
- Language and Literacy: storytelling, understanding and discussing a heard text
- Natural Sciences: identifying problems, hypothesis formulation
Materials and tools needed for implementation
- The story (told aloud, illustrated, or with props/puppets)
- Pictures of various types of water sources: tap water, bottled water, swamp, puddle
- Chalkboard or flipchart for collecting key terms
- Drawing paper, notes sheet, chalk or markers
- Concept map of key terms (e.g., water – clean – polluted – filter – materials)
Preparation notes
- Practice telling the story beforehand; optionally add drama elements (e.g., role play)
- Prepare printed or digital images of different water types
- Plan open-ended guiding questions
- Arrange classroom seating in a circle or small groups to encourage participation
- Collect and display key terms on the board to support learning in the next phases
Guided Questions
- Where do you usually get your drinking water?
- Have you ever seen dirty water? What was in it?
- Which water would you choose to drink from? Why?
- How do you think we could clean up a puddle?
- Why is it important to always drink clean water?
- What can happen if we drink polluted water?
Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)
- What was the most interesting part of the story for you?
- Did you say something today that you hadn’t thought about before?
- What challenge do you think we’ll face today?
- Do you believe your group can solve a problem like this?
Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges
- For shy students: Offer them the option to draw or just listen first, they can join in later when they feel ready.
- For highly energetic students: Use structured question–answer formats to channel their energy productively.
- For quiet classrooms: Use direct, labelled questions to gently invite responses (e.g., “Lary, what would you do in this situation?”)
- To support diverse responses: Use visual prompts and pictograms to aid thinking and expression.
- As a warm-up: Play a quick activity like “Show me what a thirsty person looks like!” or “Draw the dirtiest water you’ve ever seen!