Lesson: Uses of Water

Year: 3 | Subject: Geography | Time Allocation: 100%

Class/Set: ____________ Date/Term: ____________

LO (WALT): To describe the different uses of water and identify necessary versus luxury consumption.

Success Criteria (WILF):

1. I can list examples of domestic, agricultural, and industrial water use.
2. I can sort water uses into 'necessity' and 'luxury' categories.
3. I can explain why water is a shared resource that must be managed.

1. Starter (10%)

• Activity: The 'Morning Drop' Brainstorm.
• Task: Students work in pairs to list every time they have used or seen water used since they woke up this morning (e.g., brushing teeth, kettle, rain on the window).
• Discuss: Collate ideas on the board. Introduce the concept that water is not just for drinking, but is used in almost every part of our lives.

2. Main Activity (75%)

Teacher Input:

• Define: Introduce the three key categories of water use: Domestic (in the home), Agricultural (on farms), and Industrial (in factories and businesses).
• Model: Use a 'WAGOLL' (What A Good One Looks Like) sorting grid on the whiteboard. Place 'Drinking' in Domestic and 'Watering Crops' in Agricultural.
• Explain: Define the difference between a 'Necessary' use (essential for life/health) and a 'Luxury' use (something we want but do not need to survive).
• Demonstrate: Use the example of a swimming pool. Ask: "Is this domestic, agricultural, or industrial? Is it a necessity or a luxury?"
• Illustrate: Introduce the idea of 'Shared Resources'. Use a visual aid of a single water tank connected to three pipes (Home, Farm, Factory). Explain that if the factory pipe stays open too long, the home pipe might run dry.

Student Task:

• Distribute: The 'Water Usage Sorting Matrix' to all students.
• Task A (Categorise): Students must sort the following list into the correct column (Domestic, Agricultural, or Industrial):
  • Flushing the toilet
  • Cooling machinery in a car factory
  • Giving water to cows
  • Taking a power shower
  • Spraying fields of wheat
  • Making bottled lemonade
• Task B (Evaluate): Students use a green highlighter for 'Necessary' uses and a red highlighter for 'Luxury' uses.
• Task C (Reasoning): Students write one sentence at the bottom of their sheet explaining why a farmer and a factory owner might have an argument if there is a 'drought' (very little rain).
• Support: Provide a pictorial word bank for SEND/EAL learners showing icons for 'Farm', 'Factory', and 'Home'.

3. Plenary (15%)

• Check: 'The Big Vote'. Read out a scenario: "A new golf course wants to use water to keep its grass green, but the local strawberry farmer needs that water for her plants. Who should get the water?"
• Reflect: Discuss the 'British Value' of Mutual Respect and Fair Use. How do we ensure everyone gets their fair share of a shared resource?

4. Resources

• Images of factories, farms, and modern homes.
• Water Usage Sorting Matrix (Worksheet).
• Highlighters (Red and Green).
• 'The Shared Tank' visual diagram.

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⚠ TEACHER’S GUIDANCE

💡 Pedagogical Opportunities

• Oracy Focus: Year 3 students often struggle with the abstract concept of 'Industrial' use. Use the term 'Making things in factories' to bridge this gap.
• Cross-Curricular Link: This lesson links well to Science (States of Matter) and PSHE (Global Citizenship).
• Geography Skills: Encourage students to think about 'flow' and 'interconnection'—key geographical concepts.

✅ Answer Key & Solutions

Task A: Categorisation

Domestic	Agricultural	Industrial
Flushing the toilet	Giving water to cows	Cooling machinery (factory)
Taking a power shower	Spraying wheat fields	Making bottled lemonade

Task B: Necessity vs. Luxury (Standard Guidance)

• Necessity: Flushing toilet, giving water to cows, spraying wheat fields (food security).
• Luxury: Power shower (standard washing is a necessity, but 'power' showers use excess), cooling machinery (can be debated, but often classed as industrial necessity), lemonade (luxury drink vs. plain water).

Task C: Reasoning

• Model Answer: "The farmer and factory owner might argue because if the factory uses all the water to make cars, the farmer's crops will die and there will be no food."

⚠ Safety & Nuance Check

• Sensitivity: Be mindful of students living in temporary accommodation or those who may have experienced water poverty. Frame 'Domestic' use sensitively to include different living situations.