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Description
This resource is a simulation designed for students to explore the challenges of equitable access to clean water. It connects directly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 6, emphasizing that water is a human right. Participants are divided into family groups and assigned roles, receiving water tokens, worksheets, and containers to simulate collecting and transporting water from different regions of a fictional country.
The simulation is structured in three phases:
- Setting the Stage – teachers introduce the fictional country and the three regions, Rivertown, Flowville, Parched Plains with varying levels of water access
- The Action – five game rounds where families fetch water, encounter event cards, face risks, and manage resources
- Community Meeting and Debrief - a debrief session where participants reflect on their experiences. Families share experiences, discuss obstacles & recommendations, and reflect on real-world implications.
Throughout the activity, each region presents different levels of access, cost, and risk, while event cards introduce real-world challenges such as pollution, drought, and water privatization. In later rounds, the game simulates the entry of private companies and the imposition of fees, highlighting how inequalities in water access can emerge. The resource also offers discussion points and real-world examples to deepen understanding of water access issues.
In the final activity, students are encouraged to apply what they have learned and explore ways to take action as engaged global citizens. The guide provides suggestions while also inviting students to propose their own ideas for solutions.
General Assessment
Recommendation of how and where to use it
The resource aims to help students understand how unequal water access impacts communities, the influence of infrastructure, costs, and privatization, and the broader social, economic, and health consequences. The debrief encourages reflection on water as a human right and the roles of individuals, governments, and companies, while fostering critical thinking, communication, and citizenship skills. Teachers are encouraged to adapt the simulation to local contexts, including Canadian and Indigenous water issues, to make the learning experience more relevant. Curriculum links for grades 7 to 10 in Social Studies.
Relevant Curriculum Units
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
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- Alberta
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 8
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- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Freshwater and Saltwater Systems
- Grade 9
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- Environmental Science
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- Environment and Outdoor Education: Environmental Investigations
- Social Studies
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- Issues for Canadians: Governance and Rights
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- Grade 7
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- Science
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- Science 7: Earth and its climate have changed over geological time
- Grade 9
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- Science
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- Science 9: The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them.
- Grade 10
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- Social Studies
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- Social Studies 10 -Canada and the World: 1914 to the Present: Historical and contemporary injustices challenge the narrative and identity of Canada as an inclusive, multicultural society
- Manitoba
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- Grade 7
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- People & Places in the World: Global Quality of Life
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- Science
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- Water Systems on Earth
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- Canada in the Contempoary World: Democracy and Governance in Canada
- Canada in the Contemporary World: Opportunities and Challenges
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- Science 7 Earth Surface Processes: Scientific Literacy
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- Science 9 Ecosystem Dynamics: Learning and Living Sustainably
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- Civics 10: Human Rights
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- Northwest Territories
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- Science 7: Earth and its climate have changed over geological time
- Grade 9
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- Science
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- Science 9: The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them.
- Grade 10
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- Social Studies
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- Social Studies 10 -Canada and the World: 1914 to the Present: Historical and contemporary injustices challenge the narrative and identity of Canada as an inclusive, multicultural society
- Nova Scotia
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- Grade 8
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- Social Studies
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- Social Studies 8 - A Changing Canadian Society: Equity and Inequity
- Social Studies 8 - A Changing Canadian Society: Indigenous Experience
- Grade 9
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- Citizenship 9: Engaged Citizenship
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- Rights & Responsibilities
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- Earth and Space Systems: Water Systems
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
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- The Earth and Space
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- The Earth and Space
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- Social Studies
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- Social Studies 10: Economic Decision Making
- Yukon Territory
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- Grade 7
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- Science
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- Science 7: Earth and its climate have changed over geological time
- Grade 9
- Step 3Select a subject
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Science 9: The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them.
- Grade 10
- Step 3Select a subject
- Social Studies
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Social Studies 10 -Canada and the World: 1914 to the Present: Historical and contemporary injustices challenge the narrative and identity of Canada as an inclusive, multicultural society
Themes Addressed
Air, Atmosphere & Climate (1)
- Climate Change
Human Health & Environment (1)
- Quality of Life
Human Rights (3)
- Gender Equality
- Poverty
- Social Justice
Water (1)
- Water Quality