Eliciting Human Values in Water Education
Dr. Lakshmi Seetharam
Institute of Sathya Sai Education San Pedro Philippines
Why start with small children?
Time required to change a Habit
The MDGs
The MDGs serve as a blueprint for building a better world – adopted by 189 nations & signed by 147 heads of State and governments.
The 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015.
They have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest.
Water Investments Needed Yesterday
US$8 billion needed annually over the next decade to meet only Target 10 for safe drinking water and sanitation in the Asia-Pacific region
Essential services index
700 million people in Asia still don’t have access to safe drinking water.
1.9 billion people in Asia do not have sanitation services.
The rich use 400-500 liters of water/person/day; the poorer nations use 20 liters/person/day.
By 2025, at least 3.5 billion people (50% of the world) will face water scarcity.
Globally, mortality rate of children of mothers with no education is 2.2 times higher.
2 million children die of water related diseases (1 in 5 children die before the age of 5) each year.
Diarrhoeal disease is responsible for the deaths of 1.8 million people every year.
We need 4.25 million more health care workers & 1.9 million more trained teachers.
Water and Environment
Over pumping of ground water exceeds natural recharge rates by 160 billion Cubic meters a year.
30% of worlds major water sheds have lost ¾ of their original forest cover.
Water losses in irrigated agriculture amounts to 25-40% of water used in agriculture.
Water for health & sanitation
A typical Curriculum
Water Biology
Knowledge of central role of water in health
Quality of health depends on quality of water
Water borne diseases
Role of Water in hygiene & Sanitation
Water Pollution & treatment
Water Facts
Messages from Water
Water and Values
Water Biology
Physical and chemical properties of water - What properties of water make it the prime ingredient of life?
Various forms of water (solid, liquid, gas)
Water as a universal solvent
Water is the medium for many reactions
Is water a source of life?
What is the role of water in supporting life?
Is there a life form involving no water?
Is there a method to determine total water content?
Can water be created by simply combining hydrogen & oxygen?
Role of water in health
Necessary for digestion, absorption & elimination
Natural air-conditioning system
Key Role in Metabolism
Water and Weight Loss
Amount of Water Lost everyday
Dehydration & Water Retention
The Thirst Reflex
Maintenance of Body Temperature
Kidneys & Joints
The Spinal column & The Brain
During Pregnancy
Water as a ‘medium’ for all reactions in the body
Quality of Health Vs quality of water
Only 1% of the Earth's water is available for drinking
Natural Water Cycle
Composition of water
What can be found in drinking water?
Where does it come from? What are the sources of drinking water?
How is drinking water treated?
What happens if I drink contaminated water?
Who is responsible for the drinking water quality?
What can I do to help protect drinking water?
Water borne diseases
Detailed coverage of selected prototype disease
Methods of assessing occurrence of water borne diseases
Principal methods of controlling the propagation of water borne diseases
Chemical agents & their interactions with pathogens
How nutrition deficits may alter susceptibility to pathogens
Improved Hygiene & Sanitation results in…
Reduced episodes of diarrhea
by up to 40%, deaths by up to 60% and child stunting by up to 50%.
The simple act of washing hands at critical times can reduce diarrhoeal episodes by up to 33 %.
Food hygiene can reduce diarrhoeal episodes by up to 70%.
Convenient access to safe water alone can reduce episodes of diarrhea by up to 15%.
Source - "A Framework for Action on Water and Sanitation" by World Summit on Sustainable Development - Johannesburg 2002 - United Nations, August 2002
Hygiene improvement
Sustained practice of safe hygiene behaviors.
Improved awareness and skills for maintenance of household water security.
Support for healthy environments.
Convenient access to sanitary toilet facilities.
Convenient access to sufficient quantities of safe water for drinking and personal/domestic hygiene.
Water for Hygiene
& Sanitation
Impact of Pollution on water
Importance of treating Waste water
Water purification
Emergency & disaster sanitation
Ecological alternatives in Sanitation
Water Facts
How much water should I drink?
Which is better – Hard Water or Soft Water?
Water vs. Other Beverages
Water Habits While Growing Up Can Fight Obesity
Drinking Water as a beverage is Smart Economically
Organic/Inorganic Minerals in water
Messages from Water
When a water molecule crystallizes, pure water becomes a pure crystal. But contaminated water may not crystallize as beautifully as pure water.
High-speed photography of various frozen water samples exposed to specific concentrated thoughts/ music/ visual images/ words, reveals a change in the molecular structure.
Water covers a large portion of our planet and our physical bodies. So the impact of our thoughts and feelings will play a large part in the way our environments get created, both globally and personally.
Messages from Water
Power of words
Power of Music
Power of Prayer
Water and Values
Water cannot be created, unlike electricity. It is a gift.
Nations are many, earth is one; Oceans are many, water is one – We are all ONE.
Water is used universally not just for physical cleansing, but psychological and spiritual cleansing.
Water is essential not only for human beings, but for all life on earth.
Water has energy balancing properties.
Lakes/rivers/springs have the unique ability to heal and energize.
Natural Water Cycle teaches that life is a cyclic process, what you do comes back to you. As you sow, so you reap.
Water washes all dirt as well. Let us wash away our bad qualities.
Water can be compared to wealth. While fire has the quality that it always rises to the top, water has the quality that it always flows from top to bottom. Just as water flows from top to bottom until it equalizes, wealth needs to be distributed from those that have to those that do not have. Wealth if not distributed, will not be of much use just as water that does not flow, stagnates and starts stinking after a while.
Lessons from the Ocean
The sea never stops working. The waves ceaselessly come to the shore, depositing some dry twig, shells, or any garbage.
Be like the ocean, constantly at work, striving for purity and keeping itself clean.
All water originates from the ocean & strives to reach back to its source.
The ocean never crosses its limits though the rivers flow constantly into it.
The ocean has within itself all hidden treasures.
The heart of the ocean is always calm though the waves are pounding on the surface.
Waves in the ocean are all of varying sizes and varying heights – so also are we. Though our appearances are so varied, we are made up of the same life giving water.
Water lies in every ocean, Water lies under the ground
Water is a gift of Nature, Let’s work to care for Nature.
Water! Water! Let’s save water each day
Water! Water! Let’s start saving today!
Water is more precious than silver
Water is more precious than Gold
Water is most essential for life
Let’s not take water for granted!
Water! Water! Let’s save water each day
Water! Water! Let’s start saving today!
Listen well while I tell you a story;
Of the flowers, leaves and trees that grow;
Of the waves & the oceans that flow;
Nature is kind and giving!
Let’s learn, not earn,
Let’s give, let’s live.
Earth and Air are found everywhere;
Water & Fire are here and there;
All that’s in the world is for free;
Can we ever pay a fee!
Nothing is useless,
Everything is priceless.
No one is useless,
We are priceless.
Introduction to methodologies in eliciting Values
Methodologies
Direct approach
Indirect approach
Thematic approach
Human values cannot be learnt from lectures or textbooks. Those who seek to impart values to students must first practice these values. If a pupil has a vice, he alone suffers from it; if a teacher has a vice, thousands are polluted.
Eliciting Human Values in the Classroom
Song
Getting Better, Getting Better, Getting Better everyday.
Everyday, in every way
I am getting better,
this I pray.
Water, Precious Water
65-70% of human body is made up of water. Purity of Water is essential for good health.
Water Education
Do not waste water, every drop counts.
70 % of the body is made up of water.
80 % of the baby’s body is made of water.
7/10th of the brain is made up of water.
Water is LIFE.
Water Education - English
Discuss a day when taps run dry –
Project work
Essay
Debate
Story
Sharing experience
Extempore speech, etc.
Water Education - Math
Three fourth of the earth’s surface is covered with water. What percentage is it?
97 % of the Earth’s surface is made up of salty water, 2 percent is ice. If the remaining is fresh, what percent is it?
The average daily consumption of a family is 500 litres out of which 100 litres is used for cooking and drinking, 100 litres for watering the garden, 200 litres for sanitation and washing. What is the percentage of daily consumption for sanitation and for wastage?
Water Education - Physics
Explain the generation of electrical energy by building a dam across a river so that the water is trapped in the form of a lake behind the dam and is allowed to fall through the pipe to turn the turbine.
Children can make models on how Potential energy/mechanical energy is converted to electrical energy.
Water Education – Biological sciences
Osmosis
Evaporation
Transpiration
Respiration
Water as a medium for all metabolic reactions.
Take a lesson from the Sun
who shines his light on everyone
Or the rain that falls on every single shore.
No distinction of our race
Or the color of our face
Nature’s gift is there for all men rich or poor.
Chorus: Love all, Serve all,
Understand that love and peace is what we need.
Love all, Serve all,
In every single thought, word, and deed.
Bear all and do nothing,
Hear all and say nothing,
Give all and take nothing in return.
Love is giving and forgiving,
Self is getting and forgetting,
Serve all in the spirit of pure love.
What is VIDYA
A guide book of teachers
Table contents
Theory on Education in Human Values
25 Lessons plans by subjects
www.zpdee.net/~seetharam/vidya
Contact the Institute of Sathya Sai Education, San Pedro
Be like me… endowing
one & all equally with...
W – Wealth of Health…
A – Attribute less & Adaptive…
T – Totally Transparent…
E – Ever providing…
R – Retaining my identity always!