Spreading disease
Identifying the link between water and the spread of disease
This activity will teach students about the role of water in spreading diseases.
It can accompany our Killer water and Water pollution activities, which explore the dangers of water and the role engineers play in providing us with healthy water supplies.
This is one of a set of resources developed to aid the class teaching of the secondary national curriculum, particularly KS3. It has been designed to support the delivery of key topics within design and technology (D&T) and science (specifically biology).
Activity: Identifying the link between water and the spread of disease
This team-work based activity provides a quick, engaging introduction to a teacher-led discussion focusing on the spread of disease and the importance of water treatment in preventing epidemics.
Students will work in small groups to brainstorm how different diseases spread, writing answers on sticky notes which will be divided into water-related and non-water-related transmission. Although this activity should take only 10 minutes, allow an extra five minutes if using the related short film Safe drinking water.
Download our activity overview for a detailed lesson plan on spreading disease. Students can also take our World water quiz.
The engineering context
Water is crucial to human life, but it can also be a killer.
Drinking and cooking water contaminated with micro-organisms or chemicals, is a leading cause of disease and death across the world. Poor facilities for the disposal of sewage and other waste water can quickly lead to the spread of dangerous diseases.
This resource focuses on how engineers and scientists work to provide us with safe, clean drinking water, efficient and clean methods for disposing of our waste water, and practical drainage solutions.
Suggested learning outcomes
This lesson will explain that clean water supplies and effective methods of waste water disposal are essential for the prevention of disease. Students will be able to recall that dirty water is the world’s number one killer and be able to describe how diseases can be transferred by water. They’ll also be able to explain how uncontrolled diseases can become epidemics.
Download our activity sheet and other teaching resources
The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download (including the video), and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your class’s and your schools’ needs.
You can download our classroom lesson plan below.
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