A year of water learning

            Five schools in Cameroon have been engaging with the Water Module for a whole school year, using readings and learning activities as a focus for environmental club meetings. Below we present some reflections from the pupils who have taken part. With follow-up funding from the University of Oxford ESRC Impact Acceleration Account, the good news is that the learning is going to continue for a further year in these schools and be extended to 11 more.

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Enhancing interest in science

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“…the environmental club has made me improve in all my science subject especially biology […] It has helped me to decide that I will do science in my further classes to come which is from Form 4 > Upper Sixth.”

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“The experiment on evapotranspiration was so far my best because I saw the “magic of science”. It was really fun to take part in, and so amazing.”

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“…the one that I like the most was the water test because I love doing experiment and working with laboratory equipment and doing it myself getting to use my knowledge in chemistry and in the water module that is under water chemistry.”

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Learning together and sharing knowledge about managing water risks

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“The reason why I like the group is because of the groupwork exchanges of knowledge and the boosting of skills needed in life.”

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“What I particularly like was the test of water. This is because it teaches me many things and it let me carry an experiment because in Form 1 we are not allowed to do such and it let me know one thing I never knew the water may look clean but it may not be suitable for drinking. The most interesting thing was how we discuss and carry out experiment and all this make you learn many things.”

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“There was another interesting topic which helped me a lot because in our area the water system is not really good. But the water module helped me because in our house time I go home we always fall sick but this time we did not. The water module help me in chapter four I love that chapter water quality. The steps for purification on water helped me because I understood that chapter very well. The steps are:

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-Source protection; I tried to keep the water safe because normally surface water can be protected than groundwater. 

-Sedimentation: I added a chemical that could make the particles settle to the bottom and I filtered the water. 

Disinfection: I boiled the water after I finished because there was no chlorine in the house.

-Safe storage: This was the last thing I did. I kept the water in a clean container and kept it in the house for drinking. 

 

And this date we have not been sick because [of] water. I did all this with my sister since she is science student she understood what I was doing and help me and all of us are healthy.”

 

Building new ambitions and behaviours

 

“The most impressive thing, experience that happened to me was the 1) acquiring of new knowledge, 2) Viewing the world with H20 as dominant image and I’ve never viewed my world like that. […]

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New knowledge gives me hope, cultures, warm and love, inspires me, brings people together, causes my brain and muscle to work through creativity. It made me think about the water word a lot. It mostly inspired me to think about the careers involved with as main objective like a secretary for a CEOs office in a seaport, guard in a seaport, an engineer that has to do with H20.”

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“[The school] has improved on the sanitary conditions of H2O such as in clean the pump everyday by picking of papers around it and clearing all the sewage and dirt.”