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To flush or not to flush ... that is the question. Is the wastewater treatment program in most towns and cities really the most efficient way to deal with waste? The fourth installment in a series of seven videos about the world's water supply has high school environmental chemists explore the process of sewage treatment. The resource also introduces them to the composting toilet, a water-friendly design used extensively in areas with no localized wastewater program.
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Concepts
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Instructional Ideas
- To add depth to the lesson, ask the class to describe what they know of life before indoor flushing toilets and relate this to the conditions present in countries with little to no public sanitation
- As an extension, have partnered learners research other methods of sewage processing that could have a positive impact on a city's clean water supply
Classroom Considerations
- Pupils with little knowledge of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria may need some further explanation to fully understand the wastewater treatment process
Pros
- The animations provide plenty of detail to show the variety of steps needed to ensure the result of wastewater treatment is good, clean water
- There are many suggestions throughout the video for alternative methods to the current sewage treatment method in use, laying the foundation for student research and experimentation
Cons
- None