S10-30008

Life Straw

The Vestergaard LifeStraw helps people in areas without clean water. It filters out harmful things from dirty water, making it safe to drink. This is important for staying healthy, especially in emergencies or poor countries. People can use it to drink water from rivers or lakes, removing bacteria and parasites. It has made a big difference for those in need, with Vestergaard working with governments and organizations to distribute LifeStraws to communities, schools, and places in need. This gives people control over their water quality and protects their health.

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Activity Time

STEM Concept

Subject & Grades

Metacognition

minutes

All

K-5th

Connections between STEM Concepts, Learning Targets and Standards

Learning Objective

Students will identify and apply many metacognitive techniques to everyday situations.
Students will understand how these skills relate to their confidence and success.

Success Criteria

Students will be able to explain why metacognition is an essential skill needed for life.
Students will identify and use the appropriate metacognitive strategies and techniques.
Students will apply metacognitive techniques to arrive at a practical solution.

Pathway 1 : Students participate in STEM education that combines all STEM subjects and

prioritizes STEM processes and practices.

Pathways 3: Staff members and leaders regularly engage in STEM-focused professional development.

Pathway 9: Students display their knowledge through practical assessments and improve their self-assessment and monitoring skills.

STANDARD 1: Learners engage in STEM learning experiences that integrate all STEM disciplines with an emphasis on processes and practices associated with STEM .

STANDARD 7: Learners engage in self-directed STEM learning guided by professional staff members who are effective facilitators of learning.

STANDARD 9: Learners demonstrate their learning through performance-based assessments and have opportunities to develop self-assessment and self-monitoring skills.

Activity Introduction

Watch this video about The Vestergaard Life Straw and how it helps people in places without clean water. It filters out harmful things from dirty water so it's safe to drink. This is important for staying healthy, especially in countries with emergencies or poverty. People can use the LifeStraw to drink water from rivers or lakes, even if it's not clean. It removes bacteria and parasites, making the water safe to drink. It has made a big difference for many people in need. Vestergaard works with governments and organizations to distribute Life Straws to communities, schools, and places in need. This empowers people to have control over their water quality and protects their health.

[Click image to enlarge]

Prompts for group activities

Metacognitive skills help you think about different situations

How does understanding how the Life Straw cleans water make you feel about drinking it?

How can thinking about how you learn, help you understand more about the LifeStraw and its impact?

How does thinking about the LifeStraw make you think about the importance of clean water for people all over the world?

Step 1: Watch the video

Life saving straws

Activity Tips

Remind the students to write down words they don’t understand or questions that immediately come to mind about the topic they’re watching.
Tell them to be ready to share with their group.

Step 2:
Group Session

After the video, divide students into groups of 3 or 4 and let the students begin their discussions while you circulate; it’s all about what THEY think and feel. Ask them to listen carefully to their friends as they might have different opinions to them.

Step 3:
Assessment

Ask the students:

Ask the students who they believe the best listeners and best team players are from this activity.
Ask them to justify their answers in a simple sentence.
Explain to them that the idea is everyone improves both their listening and teamwork skills over time.
Ask the students to summarize the video in 6-8 words only.