Practical Action helps local communities in the developing world gain access to services such as water and sanitation, vital for a decent quality of life. Some examples of how they go about doing this and the technologies involved are demonstrated in these videos:

• Dying for a drink - solar powered...

Water for Everyone Everywhere is a workshop designed to encourage pupils to explore the global challenges associated with access to safe and clean drinking water around the world. Pupils learn about the importance of water to people’s everyday lives and the role that engineering infrastructure plays in the...

Water for the World was developed jointly by Engineers Without Borders UK (EWB) and Arup, a global firm of engineering consultants and specialists. There are three resources, investigating issues of water scarcity, sourcing and supply and showing how engineers can help to solve problems. Although initially designed...

In this resource from the European Space Agency, students design and develop an entire space mission to Mars. The objective of the mission is to send a programmed LEGO rover to the surface of the Red Planet to study changes in state of water. Students take temperature measurements and interpret the data collected...

The spacecraft that have orbited around Mars and landed on its surface have shown us (via images and data) that there is no liquid water on the surface of Mars. However, these satellite images have also revealed to us features that appear to have been created or carved out by flowing water. In fact, scientists feel...

Scientists must design and evaluate many ways of extracting water from the lunar permafrost before planning lunar colonies and manned missions using the moon as a base.

In this activity students will construct a solar water collector. Using the collector, students will collect and calculate the amount of...

These fact sheets for secondary aged pupils explore hard and soft water and an activity to test for hard water. They also look at how fresh water is needed for every part of our lives, and how access to clean water is becoming increasingly difficult with a growing population and changing climate so discovering new...

Act 1

A video is shown of an octagonal water tank being...

A measuring cylinder is shown with divisions marked in millilitres. Water is poured at a constant rate into the cylinder. The challenge is to graph the volume of water against time. The resulting graph is linear.

Water volume video

This resource, from Siemens UK, encourages students to appreciate the importance of clean water and the problems that may arise in the absence of it. Students consider soluble and insoluble pollutants and methods of filtration. They then explore contamination by microorganisms, water-borne diseases and the...

These resources from the Institution of Engineering and Technology, produced in association with Fairfield Control Systems, explore the theme of waterways.

In the simulation students can watch a string vibrate in slow motion. You can wiggle the end of the string and make waves, or adjust the frequency and amplitude of an oscillator. The simulation also allows you to adjust the damping and tension.

Sample learning outcomes include:

*Discuss wave...

This worksheet, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), introduces students to the wave equation, giving them an understanding of some of the vocabulary and concepts used. Students use the formula: velocity (wave) = frequency x wavelength to answer the questions on the worksheet.

The...