What’s in Your Water?! Hands-On Lessons for Safe, Lead-Free Drinking Water

Abstract

Join us for a hands-on workshop exploring how Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids curriculum materials engage K–12 students in learning about the importance of clean, safe, and lead-free drinking water. Participants will explore a flexible range of instructional materials, from short, high-impact lessons that can be taught in a single class period to multi-day, project-based learning (PBL) units that support deep, sustained inquiry. Across these materials, students investigate why water is essential, how lead can enter drinking water systems, the health risks of exposure, and actions individuals and communities can take to ensure safer water.
During the session, participants will experience sample classroom activities that span this continuum, such as analyzing real-world data on lead levels in drinking water, examining the health impacts of lead exposure, and designing and testing a simple water filter. Facilitators will highlight how these activities can function as standalone, adaptable lessons or be intentionally sequenced within cohesive PBL units that connect science learning to public health, civics, and environmental decision-making. Educators will also explore how the materials connect to real-world efforts by communities and governments to monitor and improve water quality.
Participants will leave with standards-aligned, ready-to-use resources and guidance for selecting, adapting, and scaling materials to fit their instructional context—whether they are looking for a quick, high-impact classroom experience or a fully built-out PBL unit that supports sustained inquiry, critical thinking, and meaningful real-world connections in K–12 classrooms.