Western Treatment Plant Explorer : Teacher Resources : Resource 8
Resource 8
Sewage in the suburbs ¹
Below is a map of part of a suburb. You are going to work with the map using a 'three-level guide'². The reason three-level guides are used is that they help you and your group members make certain that you understand the information and are not just copying words to answer a question.
Each student will decide whether each statement in the three-level guide is true or false. After that, your teacher will arrange small groups so you can discuss your decisions with others.
A typical urban sewerage system.
Task
While you are discussing the statements from the three-level guide, remember the following important things about discussions.
- Let everyone have a say - your turn will come.
- Listen carefully and don't interrupt - what is being said may be reported back to everyone in your name, so make sure you know what is going on.
- Ask questions or disagree with a point, only after another group member speaks - make a note if you think you might forget your question.
- Your teacher may tell you the jobs that must be taken by group members. Sort these out first - if you meet in the same group, regularly swap jobs around but be kind to people who are shy or don't have a particular skill. Jobs can be: recorder, reporter, timer, chairperson, chief stirrer and so on.
- Keep your own three-level guide in front of you. It will help you to understand each other and help the group to keep to the point.
The three-level guide
| Level 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| a | Sewers are shown by thick black lines. | true/false |
| b | Water supply main pipes are shown by white lines. | true/false |
| c | There are likely to be more than: | |
| (i) 10 cisterns in the map area | true/false | |
| (ii) 20 cisterns in the map area | true/false | |
| (iii) 50 cisterns in the map area | true/false | |
| (iv) 100 cisterns in the map area. | true/false | |
| d | Main collecting sewers run through front gardens. | true/false |
| e | Water supply mains run along the streets in front of houses. | true/false |
| Level 2 | ||
| a | There are hundreds of blocks like the one on the map in large cities. | true/false |
| b | Main collecting sewers can be the same size as household sewer pipes. | true/false |
| c | All houses have fresh water supplied and sewage taken away. | true/false |
| d | All of the houses in the map area seem to use fresh water to flush toilets. | true/false |
| e | Rain water also runs into the sewers. | true/false |
| f | Greywater from clothes, body and dish washing needs to be treated as carefully as sewage from the toilet. | true/false |
| g | Houses may have four totally separate sets of pipes for different things. | true/false |
| Level 3 | ||
| a | Sewage would need to be treated before it could be used on the garden. | true/false |
| b | Clean, fresh water is not necessary for flushing away toilet wastes. | true/false |
| c | Sewage would need to be treated before it could be re-used for toilet flushing. | true/false |
| d | Regulations will need to be changed before greywater can be re-used in the home. | true/false |
| e | The public will need to change its attitudes before wastewater can be used again rather than being flushed down the sewer. | true/false |
Remember: Discuss each statement with others and try to reach agreement about whether the statement is true or false. Some statements are true; some are false; others are rough estimates and others are to make you work out your own opinion!
¹ Based on an activity from: Keith McTaggart and Paul Saddler 1993, Flushing Dunnies, Melbourne Water and Science Teachers Association of Victoria.
² Morris, A & Stewart-Dore, N 1986, Learning to Learn from Texts, Addison Wesley.