Nearly one billion people lack access to safe water and 2.5 billion do not have improved sanitation. The health and economic impacts are staggering.
  • $25 provides water for one person for life

Stay informed with email updates.

Lesson Plans

Water.org launched school curriculum materials for World Water Day, March 22. Aligned with national standards, the lesson plans and mini-units include elementary, middle and high school levels. Funding for this global water supply curriculum project was provided by the Open Square Foundation.

Stand-alone lesson plans are part of larger units that cover a broad scope of subjects including English, science and technology, and social sciences like geography, civics and economics. Classroom activities cover everything from poetry seminars and vocabulary-building worksheets to science and math lessons about potable water availability.

Full Curriculum Downloads
Download the Full Elementary Curriculum
Download the Full Middle School Curriculum
Download the Full High School Curriculum

Elementary Curriculum
1.0 National Curriculum Alignment: Elementary School
2.0 “Water is Life” Global Water Awareness Mini-Unit (Grades 3-5)

  • 2.1 Supporting Materials: “A Drop in the Bucket” Lesson Plan
  • 2.2 Supporting Materials: Global Water Awareness Fact Sheet
  • 2.3 Supporting Activity: Global Water Awareness “Vocabulary Safari Search”
  • 2.4 Supporting Materials: Global Water Awareness “Vocabulary Safari Search” Key
  • 2.5 Supporting Activity: “Water is Life” Website Search Activity
  • 2.6 Supporting Activity: “Hot Water” Game Instructions
3.0 Water is Life, Water is Poetry Seminar (Grades 3-5)

  • 3.1 Supporting Materials: Water is Life, Water is Poetry Seminar Instructions
  • 3.2 Supporting Materials: Water-Inspired Poem Selections
4.0 “Water Has Many Uses” Mini-Unit (Grades K-5)

  • 4.1 Supporting Activity: “Water Has Many Uses” Family Questionnaire
  • 4.2 Supporting Activity: “Water Has Many Uses” Collage Instructions
  • 4.3 Supporting Activity: “Water Has Many Uses” Tracing Worksheet
  • 4.4 Supporting Activity: A Drop of Water Writing Activity
  • 4.5 Supporting Materials: Global Water Awareness Fact Sheet
5.0 “World-Water Hero!” Lesson Plan (Grades K-5)

  • 5.1 Supporting Materials: Global Water Awareness Fact Sheet
6.0 “Traveling for Water” Mini-Unit (Grades 3-5)

  • 6.1 Supporting Materials: Global Water Awareness Fact Sheet
  • 6.2 Supporting Materials: Global Water Awareness “World Tour”
  • 6.3 Supporting Activity: Global Water Awareness Chart
  • 6.4 Supporting Activity: “Traveling for Water” Quick Math Questions
  • 6.5 Supporting Activity: “Traveling for Water” Maze

Middle School Curriculum
7.0 National Curriculum Alignment: Middle and High School
8.0 (Middle School) “Global Water Crisis” Mini-Unit

  • 8.1 Supporting Materials: Bangladesh
  • 8.2 Supporting Materials: Ethiopia
  • 8.3 Supporting Materials: India
  • 8.4 Supporting Materials: Kenya
  • 8.5 Supporting Materials: Honduras
  • 8.6 Supporting Assignment: Global Water Crisis Survey Chart
  • 8.7 Supporting Assignment: Global Water Crisis “Water Commons Lab”
  • 8.8 Supporting Materials: Global Water Crisis Basics Fact Sheet
  • 8.9 Supporting Assignment: Global Water Crisis Reading for Comprehension Questions
9.0 (Middle and High School) Water-Aware Portfolio Instructions
10.0 (Middle School) “Walking for Water” Mini-Unit

  • 10.1 Supporting Materials: Water-Aware Fact Sheet
  • 10.2 Supporting Assignment: Water-Aware Reading for Comprehension Questions
  • 10.3 Supporting Assignment: Water-Aware Word Search and answer key
  • 10.4 Supporting Materials: “Women Bear the Weight of Water”
  • 10.5 Supporting Assignment: Women Bear the Weight of Water Reading for Comprehension Questions

High School Curriculum
11.0 National Curriculum Alignment: Middle and High School
12.0 (Middle and High School) Water-Aware Portfolio Instructions
13.0 (High School) “Mock Muck” Mini-Unit

  • 13.1 Supporting Materials: Mock Muck Data Worksheet
  • 13.2 Supporting Materials: Water-Aware Fact Sheet
  • 13.3 Supporting Assignment: Water-Aware Reading for Comprehension Questions
  • 13.4 Supporting Assignment: Water-Aware Crossword Puzzle and answer key
  • 13.5 Supporting Assignment: Water-Aware Persuasive Essay
14.0 (High School) “Hydro-Technology” Mini-Unit

  • 14.1 Supporting Materials: “Blue Planet Blues” Article
  • 14.2 Supporting Assignment: “Blue Planet Blues” Reading for Comprehension Questions
  • 14.3 Supporting Materials: Examples of Water Collection Hydro-Technology Document
  • 14.4 Supporting Materials: “Dangerous Waters” Article
  • 14.5 Supporting Assignment: “Dangerous Waters” Reading for Comprehension Questions
  • 14.6 Supporting Materials: The Early History of Water Sanitation Document
15.0 (High School) “Rising Tensions over the Nile River Basin” Activity

  • 15.1 Supporting Materials: “Rising Tensions over the Nile River Basin” Article
  • 15.2 Supporting Assignment: “Rising Tensions over the Nile River Basin” Reading for Comprehension Questions
  • 15.3 Supporting Assignment: Tragedy of the Water Commons Activity

Additional Resources