Two Miles for a Drink of Water

Social studies: World history, U.S. history, geography

Science: Health, technology, engineering, ecology

Social-emotional learning: Responsible decisionmaking (analyzing situations), relationship skills (teamwork)

Compare and contrast, key detail, summarizing, drawing conclusions, main idea, problem and solution

Explore Text Features/ Set a Purpose for Reading (10 minutes)

• Direct students to the labels on page 10 that say “Paired Texts” and “One topic, two texts.” Ask students to read aloud the titles and subtitles on pages 10 and 13. Then ask students to identify the topic of both texts. (how two girls in different parts of the world face similar problems getting clean water)
• Point to the photos and captions on pages 10 and 12. Call on volunteers to read the captions aloud. Ask: What is the difference between how Natalia gets drinking water in each photo? (In the photo on page 10, she carries heavy jugs filled with water. In the photo on page 12, she pumps water from a well.)
  
• Point to the “Interview” label on page 13. Call on students to find and identify an example of an interview question and answer in the text.
  
• Ask volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 11 and the Think and Write box on page 13. As they read the article, remind them to look for details that describe the problems facing both Natalia and Mari and how they solve them.
  

Introduce Vocabulary (15 minutes)

• We have highlighted in bold seven terms and phrases that may be challenging and defined them on the page. Preview these terms by projecting or distributing our vocabulary activity and completing it as a class. You may also play our Vocabulary Slideshow.
• Highlighted terms: luxury, precious, developing countries, polluted, crisis, filter, protests
  

Reading and Unpacking the Text

• First read: Students should read the article and interview one time for general comprehension.
• Second read: Ask students to read the article and interview again. Have them identify any details or vocabulary words they don’t understand.

Close-Reading Questions (30 minutes)

• Read the first section of “Two Miles for a Drink of Water.” Why did Natalia leave her home so early in the morning? (key detail) She had to collect water for her family.
• Read “A Luxury.” How do most people in the United States feel about getting and using water? What about people in some other countries? (compare and contrast) Most Americans think it’s easy to get clean water when they need it. However, for millions of people around the world, clean water is a luxury and it can’t be wasted.
• Read “At Last, a Well.” How did the group charity: water help Natalia’s village? (summarizing) The group worked with a local group to build a well for the village with a hand pump.
• How do you think the villagers probably felt about this group? (drawing conclusions) The villagers were very grateful because they had clean drinking water for the first time.
  
• Read “A Better Life.” How is life different in the village since the well was built? (compare and contrast) Villagers rarely get sick, and they have clean water to drink and for bathing. How is life different for Natalia? Natalia goes to school regularly and is an excellent student. She is in charge of a team that watches over the well. She now has a hopeful future. 
• Read “Little Miss Flint.” What made drinking water in Flint, Michigan, unsafe to drink? (main idea) The drinking water was polluted with lead, a metal that can cause health problems, especially in kids.
• What did Mari do to help solve the problems facing her city? (problem and solution) She wrote letters to anyone who could help, including then President Obama. She attended protests.
  

Critical-Thinking Question (10 minutes)

• How were the problems facing Natalia and Mari the same? How were they different? (compare and contrast) Natalia and Mari live in areas where the water has been polluted. Natalia lives in Mozambique, Africa, and Mari lives in Flint, Michigan. Because Natalia’s village didn’t have a well, she had to spend many hours each day collecting water for her family. Mari and her family had to drive to water stations to get clean water. The water in Natalia’s village was dirty and filled with germs. The water in Flint, Michigan, was polluted with lead.
  

• Distribute our Compare and Contrast Activity. Have students complete the activity in pairs.
• Discuss the writing assignment in the Think and Write box on page 13. Remind students to use quotation marks to set off the girls’ dialogue. Students can complete their writing assignment in class or as homework. Ask volunteers to read their imaginary conversations in pairs.