The Lakes South Morang College Newsletter CURRICULUM
SOLVING WATER PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD YEAR 7 HUMANITIES EXCURSION TO WHITTLESEA TECH. SCHOOL
ANITEJ, ANGAD & CHARLEE – YEAR 7
On Tuesday, 17 th June, Year 7 students had the opportunity to take part in a workshop at Whittlesea Tech in Epping. The excursion was part of our Humanities unit ‘ Water in the World ’ where the focus was on learning different ways we can help save water in our communities. The experience opened our eyes to how small innovations and creative thinking can make a big difference especially when it comes to an issue as critical as water pollution and scarcity. When we arrived at Whittlesea Tech, we quickly put our bags in a locker and made our way to the auditorium. The Whittlesea Tech staff then told us what we were doing and where we would do it. We would be using what we had learnt in Humanities to solve an existing problem related to water pollution. We were split into 3 groups and moved to different spaces.
Each group were introduced to the design process. There were 5 stages: Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test.
We started with empathise , where we thought very broadly about the issue of water pollution. We listed different types of pollution and different types of effects and consequences of those pollutions.
We then moved on to define , where we narrowed it down to one type of pollution and one consequence to focus on and create a solution for. We wrote a sentence that outlined our issue and consequence.
Ideate was the next step. In this step, we brainstormed solutions for the issue. We then ‘ cross - pollinated' our ideas with the other classes by going to a different room and writing our ideas on a sticky note and putting them on the other people ’ s paper. We then used those ideas to choose one to prototype . This is where we chose one idea to build a solution for. We drafted our ideas on a blank paper, creating story boards and blueprints for our ideas. We then created that idea out of card paper and different craft items.
Once we were done, we tested our creations in a marketplace walk. This is where we all walked around looking at each other ’ s pieces and asking questions to the one group member that stayed back.
My chosen topic was agricultural runoff, which is when excess water from farms carries chemicals and waste into rivers and other water sources. I wanted to find a way to address this challenge while also supporting organic and sustainable farming. My solution was to design a mobile app that helps farmers track and manage their water usage in eco - friendly ways. Using Canva, I created a design for the app interface. The app includes features such as alerts for rainfall, advice on natural fertilizers, and tips for minimising runoff. The goal is to encourage farmers to use water organically and more efficiently without harming the environment. Reflecting on the day, I felt proud of what I was able to create and inspired by the ideas shared by others. Learning about water - saving techniques and having the chance to present a tech - based solution really helped me see how innovation and environmental care can go together. - Anitej
The staff from Whittlesea Tech were impressed with our designs and it was great to see the ideas other groups had. The trip to Whittlesea Tech was one of the best we ’ ve had this year. We learnt a lot about pollution and how important it is to protect our water and it was really fun applying what we have learnt at school to a real - life situation and process.
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