Water-Wise Cities

Global Citizenship e-Classroom for Students Around the World

Explore why water matters to you and the world!

Name:
School / Site:

Collaborations and e-Classroom

On the Global Scholars website (learn.globalcities.org), you will communicate and share exciting digital
projects with your peers in cities around the world. Global Scholars classes are divided into several groups
called collaborations; ask your teacher which one is yours!

Name:
My collaboration is:
I can find the Global Scholars website at
learn.globalcities.org
My username is:
Hint to remember my password:

GLOBAL SCHOLARS

Table of Contents

Tools for Getting Started

Collaborations and e-Classroom ........................................................ 2

Global Scholars Pledge .................... 4

Internet Safety Agreement ................ 5

Global Scholars Activity Key ............................................................... 6
Introduction to International Peers and Cities.................. 7-14
Unit 1
Why Water?........................... 15
Unit 2
A Safe Sip ............................. 27
Unit 3
Water Alert! ........................... 42
Unit 4
Sink or Swim ......................... 55
Glossary ......................... 65

Global Scholars is sponsored by Global Cities, Inc.

2014 Global Cities, Inc. All rights reserved.

GLOBAL SCHOLARS

Global Scholars Pledge

As a Global Scholar, I am part of a community of Global Scholars
around the world.
As a Global Scholar, I have access to the Global Scholars website
where I will:
COMMUNICATE online with my peers in other cities and countries.
EXPLORE my city and cities around the world.
CREATE multimedia projects and digital presentations.
As a responsible Global Scholar, I promise to:
TEACH others about myself, my city, and my culture.
LEARN about other people, cities, and cultures.
RESPECT the ideas, opinions, and beliefs of others.

GLOBAL SCHOLARS

Internet Safety Agreement

The Internet can be a great tool for learning, communicating, and connecting with the world. As with any
tool, its important to know how to use it safely and effectively. Read these safe surfing habits before
starting your Global Scholars activities online!
1. Protect your privacy.
As a Global Scholar, you will be talking online to students around the world and sharing information about
yourself and your city. All of this will take place within the secure Global Scholars e-Classroom. Outside of this
website, never share personal information such as your full name, photographs of yourself, passwords, your
address, email or phone number.
2. Dont talk to strangers.
Sometimes people on the Internet pretend to be someone elseand it can be really hard to tell if they are
being honest. Other than communicating with your peers in the Global Scholars e-Classroom, you should not
communicate with anyone over the Internet during program time.
3. Only visit websites approved by your teacher.
Make sure your teacher knows which websites you are visiting. If youre not sure if a website is safe, ask!
4. Tell an adult.
If you see anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, report it to your teacher immediately.
5. Zero tolerance for cyberbullying.
Using bad language, arguing, threatening, or making fun of anyone online is a serious offense. If you see or
receive anything hurtful or inappropriate over the Internet, tell a teacher immediately.
6. Plagiarism is unacceptable.
Plagiarismcopying other peoples words or ideas
without giving credit to the authoris not acceptable.
There are many correct formats to use for citing
sources. For Global Scholars, make sure to include the
title, author/organization, and date published (for print
resources) or viewed (for websites). See page 15 for an
example!
7. Check your sources.
Not everything you read on the Internet is true, so youll
need to use your judgment to evaluate the sources
you find. Check out the Resources page in the Global
Scholars e-Classroom for tips!
8. Add your own ideas!
What other ideas do you have about how to use the
Internet safely and effectively? Share suggestions with
your classmates!
Student Signature
Date

GLOBAL SCHOLARS

Global Scholars Activity Key

The icons below represent the different activities youll do this year as you explore exciting
global issues and communicate with your international peers. Look for them throughout this
workbook to see whats coming up next!

Online Discussion

Post your thoughts, ask questions, and share your research with
other students in the e-classroom. Check out the guidelines for
great responses on page 11 of this workbook!

Research

Investigate important topics and answer key questions by using

online or print resources, or by conducting interviews with people in
your city and around the world. Use your findings to improve your
city and educate your international peers.

In-Class Activity

Work with your classmates to complete an activity, play a game, or

have a group discussion.

Digital Project

Create a multimedia project to share your ideas and research with

Global Scholars across the globe. Post projects in the e-classroom,
and view and respond to projects from other classes.

Brainstorming

Think about a topic or question, generate ideas, and discuss your

thoughts with your classmates. Record your ideas before sharing
with your international peers or creating a new project!

GLOBAL SCHOLARS

Introduction
Welcome
to Global Scholars!
As a Global Scholar, you will work together with classes from different cities around the world.
Along with your international peers, you will explore each others cities, investigate key urban
issues, and take action to improve your cities. This group of classes working together is called
a collaboration. Today youll find out where the classes in your collaboration are located and
introduce yourself and your city to this diverse group!

Where in the world?

Record the names of the cities in your collaboration below. How many of them can you locate
on a map?
Cities in my collaboration:
______________________________ ______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________

GLOBAL SCHOLARS

Introduction
Introductions!
Introduce yourself to the Global Scholars community you will be working with throughout the
year! Share some of the great activities and places that make your city unique and exciting.

What makes a city?

Before introducing your city, discuss with your class

what cities around the world have in common.
From small cities to large ones, coastal cities to cities
located in deserts, what do we all share? Does every
city have similar schools, parks, transportation, and
businesses? With all of the things we share, what
makes your city a unique and exciting place to live?

Connect

Log in to the Global Scholars e-Classroom and watch the e-Classroom Tutorial Videos. Next, use
the template below to draft your post, then go to the Introductions discussion to share your ideas.
My name is _________________________ and I live in __________________________ (city, country).
One of my favorite interests or activities:
I love to visit Central Park!
One thing I love to do in my city:

My favorite place to visit in my city:

My city is unique because:

Optional: Attach a photo of yourself or your city to your post!

GLOBAL SCHOLARS

Introduction

Challenge: e-Classroom Scavenger Hunt

After you watch the e-Classroom Tutorial Videos, visit the different e-classroom pages you will use
to communicate with your peers. Search for each of the water animals below. On the line next to
each animal, write the title of the e-classroom page where you found it.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

GLOBAL SCHOLARS

Introduction
Welcome to Global Scholars!

Virtual travel
In your last session, you identified one city in your collaboration that you would
like to visit. Next, learn more by having a video chat with students from this city
or through online research. Record your discoveries below.

Travel Plan
City:

Country:

How long would it take to get there? ______________________________________________

What form of transportation would be fastest? _____________________________________
What bodies of water would you pass along the way? _______________________________

City Facts
Population: _________________________

Climate: ______________________________

Language(s) spoken: _________________________

Bodies of water: _____________________________

Major landmarks: ______________________________________________________________________

When its 12:00 PM in your city, what time is it in the city youre researching? _________________
Places to visit: ________________________________________________________________________
Activities to do: _______________________________________________________________________

Other fun facts!

10 GLOBAL SCHOLARS

Introduction
Responses
A key part of Global Scholars is communicating with the international students in your
collaboration and learning how their experiences compare to yours. Its important to read the
posts from your peers so you can ask them questions and share your own ideas!

Great responses share a few key characteristics:

Specific and fully developed

Cool! is less specific than I think its cool that both of us like to swim even though you
swim in the ocean and I swim in a pool.
Clearly explained

One of my favorite activities is curling, would be a confusing response for anyone who
doesnt know that curling is a winter sport in which players slide a stone across ice.
Explain your response to make sure they understand!
Ask open ended questions rather than yes or no questions

What are your favorite parts of your citys New Years festival? asks for more
information than do you like the New Years festival?
Use full sentences to share ideas

LOL or " dont explain your ideas to your peers! Neither does slang that
students in other cities may not understand.

GLOBAL SCHOLARS 11

Introduction
Try it out!

Read posts from other cities in the Introductions discussion and choose two that you find
interesting or surprising. Write responses using two of the following sentence starters.
After reading your post, I was surprised to learn
A similar activity I like to do in my city is...
Something similar I love about my city is
One thing that is different in my city is

One question I have is...

Hello _______________________________________,
(students name)

Hello _______________________________________,
(students name)

Be the expert!

Dont forget to return to your original Introductions post to answer your peers questions and
share additional places and activities that make your city exciting! You may even inspire students
from other cities to visit in person one day.

12 GLOBAL SCHOLARS

Introduction
Welcome to Global Scholars!
What makes a Global Scholar?
Before you read the overview of Global Scholars on page 14, dicuss the
questions below with your class. After you have brainstormed together, write
down your ideas.
What do you think it means to be a Global Scholar?

What are you most excited to teach your international peers about your city? Why?

Share your ideas!

Record a class video to present your ideas about what it means to be a Global Scholar. Include
the things you are most excited to teach your Global Scholars peers!
Your video should be no more than two minutes long. After you record, embed your video on
the What Makes a Global Scholar? page in the e-classroom. When you have finished, watch
videos posted by other Global Scholars classes. Read the next section to learn more about
Global Scholars and the exciting things well do this year!
What are some things you would like to include in your video? Why?

GLOBAL SCHOLARS 13

Start Your Global Scholars Adventure!

WHO ARE GLOBAL SCHOLARS?
Global Scholars are students like you in cities across the globe. Global Scholars communicate
with their peers across continents and oceans, take an active interest in local and global issues,
and work to improve their cities and the world!
HOW WILL WE COMMUNICATE?
You will use the Global Scholars e-Classroom to share discoveries, ideas, and opinions with your
international peers through online discussions, photos, videos and other exciting digital projects.
THE TOPIC: WATER-WISE CITIES
During the 2014-15 Water-Wise Cities program, you will investigate water and why its so
important to cities around the world. As city residents, water plays an essential role in our lives,
making eveything from our transportation to the food we eat possible. Up to 60 percent of our
bodies are made up of waterwithout it, we simply would not exist!
Despite waters importance, many people often take for granted that clean water will always be
available to meet our needs. In reality, water is a finite resource, and the amount thats available
for us to use is limited. This amount can become even smaller if we dont protect our water and
use it wisely.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
LEARN
In Global Scholars this year, you will explore the key global issues that are impacting water in all
of our cities, including climate change, water use and waste, and pollution.
LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS
You will discover the innovative strategies people all over the world are using to protect water
resources and ensure that all people have access to safe water. You will even come up with
some of your own! Sharing these strategies can inspire action to help improve all of our cities.
TAKE ACTION
You will work with your international peers to
improve water security worldwide. You will
create fun digital projects like documentary
videos to teach students around the world
about water issues. At the end of the year, you
will design your own Community Action Project
to improve water in your city.

14 GLOBAL SCHOLARS