Website Review: Discover Water

A Review of Discover Water

Summary

Discover Water is a website developed by Project Water Education for Teachers. "Project WET’s mission is to reach children, parents, teachers and community members of the world with water education that promotes awareness of water and empowers community action to solve complex water issues."

Discover Water provides information about the Earth's water in a fun and informative way by combining text with games, quizzes, activities and videos. 

Suggested Grade Levels

This would be a great website for grades two to six. Some of the content is advanced for grade twos and threes, but many of the information sections have an option to have the text read to the viewer.

Curriculum Connections 

This website is great for science research. 

• Grade Two: Exploring Liquids
• Grade Four: Waste and Our World
• Grade Five: Weather Watch

Suggested Uses

This could easily be used as a centre for reading or for science. I had my students do a semi-guided research activity. I provided them with a jot notes form that had some guiding questions. Students were allowed to work independently or with another partner. It took two science lessons.

I demonstrated:

• how the website was set up
• how to have the introductions read aloud
• one activity (reminded them to do each activity ONCE)
• one quiz, these are called What Did I Learn (5 questions each)
• a jot note from the activities done together in the Blue Planet section

Skills Needed Prior to Use

Students will need to know how to get to websites (I had it linked from my class website). They will need to know how to manage the volume to not disrupt others (we use head phones). 

Area of Concern

Students may get overly focussed on the games/activities on the site versus learning about water. Monitoring student work as they use the website should remedy that.