Welcome to the annual Birmingham Water Works School Program! On this webpage, we will provide educational resources at the fifth-grade level informing what our world would be like without one of the most crucial components of all life on Earth, all within our social channels.
The goal of our program is to demonstrate all of the ways how water is essential to our everyday lives through fun activities that can be enjoyed safely from home. You'll have access to educational videos, experiments, and interactive activities regarding water conservation, filtration, environmental practices, and more. We’re also introducing our contest that gives students a chance to win a number of prizes!
“A World Without Water” Contest: Students will have three separate opportunities to submit a creative entry -- video, essay, or poster. A prize will be awarded for the winner in each category! See rules for details and how to participate.
Lesson 1: Healthy Lifestyle
Here, we are discussing how water is crucial for not only health and hygiene but also its importance in the ongoing fight against the spread of COVID-19.
- Download the A World Without Water workbook.
- Read the Healthy Lifestyle lesson in the workbook.
- Download the Wash Your Hands activity and perform the experiment.
- Watch the Handwashing Experiments (Part 1 and Part 2) from the Weather Channel
Lesson 2: My Water Company: In this lesson, we will discuss the processes that make the water that comes into your home clean for you to drink and use.
- Open your workbook and read the My Water Company section.
- Watch this video on the history of the BWWB.
- Watch this video on how the BWWB filters your drinking water.
- EPA Drinking Water Activities for Students & Teachers
- Solve this maze to get Willy Waterdrop from the filter plant to your home!
Lesson 3: Go Green: The third lesson focuses on how water is imperative to the well-being of our environment, and how the impact of preventing water waste can help the environment.
- Open your workbook and read the Go Green section
- Fill out the Water Usage Worksheet
- Complete the Matching Game: How Much Water?
- Fill out the Water Calculator to determine your water footprint!
Lesson 4: Celebrate Water: Discover the possibilities of how water can be used for ours and the world’s benefit while demonstrating how water interacts with other objects and substances through fun, entertaining experiments.
- Open your workbook and read the Celebrate Water section
- Solve the Water and You Crossword Puzzle
- Watch these videos of Water experiments that demonstrate the capabilities of what all water can do!
- 10 Amazing Water Experiments from Drew the Science Dude
- 16 Amazing Water Experiments from Mr. Hacker
- 20 Easy Water Experiments from 5-Minute Crafts
Lesson 5: Leak Detectives
In this lesson, students will learn how to locate and pinpoint various household leaks that can prevent tens to hundreds of gallons of water waste.
- Open your workbook and read the Fix-A-Leak Week section
- Do the Toilet Test
- Complete the Water Word Search: generated here with clues from workbook
Test Your Knowledge: Now that we’ve completed all of the lessons, test your knowledge by completing our online quiz!