Lesson Overview
Students will study global access to clean water and apply the engineering design process to develop a solution to water purification. First, they will investigate issues surrounding clean water access around the world. Next, they will work in STEM teams to complete a multi-part investigation into water issues in a region of their choosing. They will first assume the role of research analysts specializing in resource management in order to explore water issues, and then shift to become engineers as they develop and build a system to purify water. Finally, they will work as public affairs experts to create a short multimedia presentation explaining their research into water problems and their engineering solution for water purification.
Throughout the lesson, students will use their Engineering Portfolios to keep track of their research, complete the engineering design process and plan out their presentations. It is recommended that teachers print copies of the portfolios in advance. A printable version (recommended) of the portfolio can be accessed from the Student Resources section. As an alternative, an editable Word document is also available if teachers would like students to type directly into the document. [If this option is used, be aware that pagination may change based on the length of students' responses. In this case, students should refer to the titles on each portfolio page to ensure that they are working on the page that corresponds to the online activity.] Some activities that involve sketching or completing graphic organizers may still need to be printed and completed offline.
