The Portal Opens Up…A Hill
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Mountain to Climb:
Imagine you live in one of the countries where clean water is not even to come by. Let’s say you fill a 10-liter container of water at the nearest well. You now have to walk 2 miles home but your jug of water has a crack in it and water is dripping out at a rate of 2ml every yard you walk. You need to figure out: how much water will you have left when you return home?
Seeking the Peak:
- How to measure capacity/liquid volume in the metric system
- How to measure length/distance in the U.S. Customary system
Beyond the Peak:
- Article and Video: The Waterman of India
- Article: One Woman’s Mission to Fix Liberia’s Water Crisis
- Video: Water for South Sudan
- Video: Water for Life
Books
- Novel: The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind –
When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba’s tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season’s crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family’s life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William’s windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land.
- Picture Book: Clean Water for Elirose –
Maria and her friends love all kinds of drinks, but when they learn a girl their age doesn’t even have clean water to drink they set out to help. Read about all the great ways these kids help to make a difference and how you can to.
- Picture Book: I Walk For Water –
A children’s book for all ages about an African boy’s daily walk for water. It educates children about the world water crises and solutions for them to engage and act. Written in a fun rhyming verse with beautiful illustrations, I Walk For Water can capture the hearts and minds of anyone.
Reaching the Peak:
Once you think you have reached the peak of this mountain, ask an adult for permission to leave us a reply explaining how you arrived at a solution. Your reply may not appear right away – don’t worry! – it has been sent to Portal Peak for review and will be posted soon. Remember, there is no need to give an email, your last name, or a website when leaving your reply, just leave those parts blank. For more information, head over to the Navigator’s Base Camp.
portalpeak.org 