Lesson Summary

“One Well” is a CitizenKid book that discusses the interconnectedness of the water of Earth. This nonfiction read leaves students with the enduring understanding that every raindrop, lake, underground river and glacier is part of a single global well. Each page takes the reader through an aspect of water on Earth, through developing background information and reveals some challenges. Background info: water cycle, aquatic habitats, and how plants and animals use water. The challenges: uneven distribution, access to, demands on and the pollution of water. This comprehensive text ends with a call to action towards water conservation.

Using their knowledge of water on Earth and the Engineering Design Process, students will propose a way to decrease water consumption or increase its availability to areas which have little access to water.

STE or Math Standards

• Science Standard: 5-ESS2-2. Describe and graph the relative amounts of salt water in the ocean; fresh water in lakes, rivers, and groundwater; and fresh water frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps to provide evidence about the availability of fresh water in Earth’s biosphere.
  • State Assessment Boundary: Inclusion of the atmosphere is not expected in state assessment.

  Note: This book could also be used for standard 5-ESS2-1 (Water cycle)​

ELA Standards

• Grade 5 Speaking and Listening Standards [SL]

  Comprehension and Collaboration

  Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Video

One Well: The Story of Water Earth by Rochelle Strauss