Filter Activity Instructions

EWB Water for the World
Water Filter Activity
Objectives
Subjects: Science,
1. To introduce students to the global issue of access to
Geography, Social Sciences
clean drinking water
2. To make students enthusiastic about technology and its
Time: 30-45 minutes
role in human development
Materials
The following is a list of materials you need for this activity:
• 1 2-litre plastic bottle per group
• 1 500-mL plastic bottle per group
• 1 cup of fine sand per group
• 1 cup of coarse sand per group
• 1 cup of fine gravel per group
• 1 cup of coarse gravel per group
• 1 cup of activated charcoal per group
• 1 cotton balls per group
• 1 transparent plastic cup per group
• 1 small piece (about 10 cm2) of cheese cloth per group
• 1 rubber band per group
• Monopoly money
• Photocopies of country profiles and instruction handouts
• Luxury items – such as candy (make sure to check with the teacher first!), or pencils for
country groups to buy
Here are some suggestions of where you can find the materials you need:
Material Where to find it
2-litre plastic bottles Recycling bins on recycling day
500-mL plastic bottles Recycling bins on recycling day
Buckets or plastic bins Hardware store
Charcoal, activated Aquarium store
Cheese cloth Kitchen or car cleaning section of Canadian Tire
Cotton balls Drug store or dollar store
Gravel (Coarse) Hardware store in the garden section (e.g. Home Depot)
Gravel (Fine) Hardware store in the construction section (beside cement)
Plastic cups Grocery store
Rubber bands Office supply store
Sand (Coarse) Hardware store in the construction section (beside cement)
Sand (Fine) Hardware store in the garden section
Advance Preparation
1. Prepare the materials.

• Cut the bottoms off the 2L bottles so they are ready for making filters
• Cut the cheese cloths into 10 cm2 pieces
• Breakdown the charcoal into granules with a hammer
• Prepare “dirty water”; add approximately 2 tablespoons of soil or mud to 500-mL of
water.
2. Assemble country packages.

• Each group will receive a handout that includes a country profile, instructions on how to
make the water filter, and an amount of Monopoly money based on the table below:
Country Monopoly Money

United States $1000
Canada $500
South Africa $100
Cameroon $50
Ghana $40
Malawi $20
**Note: these amounts are based on the country’s GDP, however is not an accurate
percentage of the GDP.
Procedure
1. Put the filter materials in an easily accessible area at the front of the class (the “store”)
2. Divide the students into working groups (4-5 students per group). Distribute a country
package to each group.
3. Explain to the students that they are to make a water filter as outlined on their instructions
sheet. They may purchase the materials they need from the “store” using the Monopoly
money that they have been given. Groups may choose to spend their money on luxury items
– you may want to limit this to groups with high GDPs.
4. After about 20 minutes, have a representative from each group come up to the front of the
room and demonstrate their water sample OR have the groups put their filters up at the
front and go through the debrief while the filters are running.
5. Follow-up the activity with a discussion on how the activity relates to the real world. Follow
the slide and script provided.
Sources:
CIA The World Factbook
BBC Weather Centre
Statistics Canada
General UNITED STATES
General
Area: 9,826,630 km2 Population: 303,824,646
Urban: 77.2%
Rural: 22.8%
Main Language: English Growth Rate: 0.88% per year
Water Resources
Rainfall: 940 mm Total water use
Domestic: 13%
Total water
1600 m3/cap/year Industrial: 46%
withdrawals:
Agricultural: 41%
Health
Life expectancy: 78.1 years

Infant mortality rate: 6 infant deaths/1000 live births
Literacy
Adult literacy: 99% of population age 15 and above
Economy
GDP per capita
$45,800
(PPP US$)
Overseas Development Assistance (Aid)

% of GDP 0.16%
Instructions – United States

Instructions
1. Loosely put a cotton plug in the neck of the cut bottle, then cover the neck of the bottle
with a piece of cheese cloth secured with a rubber band.
2. Pour a 1-cm layer of fine sand over the cotton plug, followed by activated charcoal, 1-cm
of coarse sand, fine gravel, and coarse gravel.
3. Clean the filter by slowly and carefully pouring through 1-litre of clean water (over a
bucket).
4. Place the filter over a plastic cup. Now, test your water filter by pouring half of the dirty
water through the filter.
Cost of Materials
Activated Charcoal $50/cup Rubber Band $5 each
Cheesecloth $5/square Sand, Coarse $20/cup
Cotton $5/ball Sand, Fine $20/cup
Gravel, Coarse $10/cup Water, Clean $50/litre
Gravel, Fine $10/cup
Instructions – United States

CANADA
General
Urban: 78%
Rural: 22%
Main Language: English, French Growth Rate: 0.83% per year
Water Resources
Rainfall: From 250 mm in Yellowknife, NWT Total water use
to 2415 mm in Prince Rupert, BC
Domestic: 20%
Total water
withdrawals:
Agricultural: 12%
Health
Literacy
Economy
GDP per capita
$38,400
(PPP US$)
Overseas Development Assistance (Aid)

% of GDP 0.29%
Instructions – Canada
Instructions
1. Loosely put a cotton plug in the neck of the cut bottle, then cover the neck of the bottle
with a piece of cheese cloth secured with a rubber band.
2. Pour a 1-cm layer of fine sand over the cotton plug, followed by activated charcoal, 1-cm
of coarse sand, fine gravel, and coarse gravel.
3. Clean the filter by slowly and carefully pouring through 1-litre of clean water (over a
bucket).
4. Place the filter over a plastic cup. Now, test your water filter by pouring half of the dirty
water through the filter.
Cost of Materials
Instructions – Canada
SOUTH AFRICA
General
Urban: 57%
Rural: 43%
Main Language: English Growth Rate: -0.5% per year
Water Resources
Rainfall: 464 mm Total water use
Domestic: 31%
Total water 3
264 m /cap/year Industrial: 6%
withdrawals:
Agricultural: 63%
Health
Life expectancy: 42 years

Infant mortality rate:: 58 infant deaths/1000 live births
Literacy
Economy
GDP per capita
$9,800
(PPP US$)
Instructions – South Africa

Instructions
1. Loosely put a cotton in the of the cut bottle, then cover the neck of the

with a of cheese
secured with a band.
2. Pour a 1-cm layer of fine sand over the cotton plug, followed by activated

, 1-cm of
sand, fine , and
gravel.
3. Clean the filter by slowly and carefully pouring through 1-litre of water (over a
bucket).
4. Place the filter over a plastic cup. Now, test your filter by
half of
the dirty through the filter.

GRAVEL

SAND
ACTIVATED

CHEESE

Cost of Materials
Instructions – South Africa

CAMEROON
General
Area: 475,440 km2 Population: 18,467,692
Urban: 49%
Rural: 51%
Main Language: French, English Growth Rate: 2.2% per year
Water Resources
Rainfall: 1,000 – 1,750 mm Total water use
Domestic: 18%
Total water
withdrawals:
Agricultural: 74%
Health

Literacy
Adult literacy: 67.9% of population age 15 and above
Economy
GDP per capita
$2,100
(PPP US$)
Instructions – Cameroon
Instructions
1.
put a

plug in the of the cut
, then

the of the
with a of cheese
secured
rubber .
2.
a 1-cm of fine sand
the cotton plug,

by
charcoal, 1-cm of
sand, fine gravel,

gravel.
3. the filter by

carefully pouring
clean
water (
bucket).
4. Place the over a plastic cup. Now, your water filter by pouring
of the dirty water through the filter.

GRAVEL

SAND
CHARCOAL

CHEESE

Cost of Materials
Instructions – Cameroon
GHANA
General
Urban: 38%
Rural: 62%
Water Resources
Rainfall: 1,000 mm Total water use
Domestic: 24%
Total water
withdrawals:
Agricultural: 66%
Health

Literacy
Economy
GDP per capita
$1,400
(PPP US$)
Instructions – Ghana
Instructions
1.
put a cotton neck of the cut

, then

neck of the
a piece of cheese

with a rubber band.
2. Pour a 1- of fine sand over the

plug,

activated
, 1-cm of
, fine gravel, and coarse

3. Clean filter
and carefully
-l of clean
water (over a bucket).
4. filter over a plastic .

, test
water filter by
pouring of the dirty through the filter.
COURSE
ACTIVATED

CHEESE

Cost of Materials
Instructions – Ghana
MALAWI
General
Urban: 15%
Rural: 85%
Water Resources
Rainfall: 875 - 1250 mm Total water use
Domestic: 15%
Total water
withdrawals:
Agricultural: 80%
Health
Life expectancy: 43 years

Literacy
Economy
GDP per capita
$800
(PPP US$)
Instructions – Malawi
Instructions
1. Loosely

in the
cut

, cover of
with
of cloth a .
2.
a -cm
fine
cotton ,
followed charcoal,
coarse , gravel,

.
3. Clean by
pouring 1-
litre
clean (over bucket).
4. Place over a cup.

, test
water
by pouring
dirty
the
filter.

GRAVEL
COARSE
CHARCOAL

CLOTH
Cost of Materials
Instructions – Malawi

Filter Activity Instructions

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EWB Water for the World

Water Filter Activity

1. Prepare the materials.

2. Assemble country packages.

Country Monopoly Money

Main Language: English Growth Rate: 0.88% per year

Life expectancy: 78.1 years

Overseas Development Assistance (Aid)

Instructions – United States

Instructions – United States

Main Language: English, French Growth Rate: 0.83% per year

Overseas Development Assistance (Aid)

Main Language: English Growth Rate: -0.5% per year

Life expectancy: 42 years

Instructions – South Africa

Instructions – South Africa

Main Language: French, English Growth Rate: 2.2% per year

Life expectancy: 53.3 years

3.  the filter by 

Main Language: English Growth Rate: 1.9% per year

Life expectancy: 59.5 years

 put a cotton   neck of the cut

2. Pour a 1-  of fine sand over the 

4.   filter over a plastic . 

Main Language: English Growth Rate: 2.4% per year

Life expectancy: 43 years

4. Place    over a   cup. 

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3. the filter by

put a cotton neck of the cut

2. Pour a 1- of fine sand over the

4. filter over a plastic .

4. Place over a cup.