TEACHER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR EXERCISE IN FILTERING POLLUTED WATER FOR LESSON 6 OF OPERATION WATER POLLUTION
1. Was there any difference in the water for each group before it was filtered?
- Yes there was: the urban communities rely on having good source water (fairly clean, little to no contaminants). The rural and aboriginal communities often get what the urban communities don’t want and therefore they often have poor quality source water.
2. Why do you think there were different filters used by the communities?
- Urban communities often just filter and chlorinate the water but they may not use a thorough filtering process (something just to get the lumps out)
- Rural communities often just chlorinate the water without filtering it
- Aboriginal communities try to filter and chlorinate the water they have such poor source water more filtering and chlorinating are needed
3. Each group had a different amount of money. Why do think that was?
- Unequal distribution of funds: urban centres get more money and their water usually requires less treatment while rural and aboriginal communities get less money and their water often requires more treatment.
4. How did the groups with fewer funds get the money needed to build the filter?
- Often the communities have to resort to trading goods, selling land or taking in something from the larger communities
- For example, some communities are paid for taking the extra garbage from large cities.
- All the money for water treatment comes from the tax base of the community. Small community means fewer tax payers and therefore less money for water.