City of Water

The second book in the ThinkCities series explores water as a precious, finite resource, tracing its journey from source, through the city, and back again.

Book Genre:

Nonfiction

Audience:

ages 8 to 12 / grades 3 to 7

Written by

Andrea Curtis

Illustrated by

Katy Dockrill

Book Description
Living in cities where water flows effortlessly from our taps and fountains, it’s easy to take it for granted. City of Water, the second book in the ThinkCities series, shines a light on the water system that is vital for our health and well-being. The narrative traces the journey of water from the forests, mountains, lakes, rivers and wetlands that form the watershed, through pipes and treatment facilities, into our taps, fire hydrants and toilets, then out through storm and sewer systems toward wastewater treatment plants and back into the watershed.

Along the way we discover that some of the earliest cities with water systems date back to the Indus Valley in 2500 BC; that in 1920 only 1 percent of the US population had indoor plumbing; that if groundwater is used up too quickly, the land can actually sink; and more. The text is sprinkled with fun and surprising facts — some water fountains in Paris offer sparkling water, and scientists are working to extract microscopic particles of precious metals found in sewage.

Readers are encouraged to think about water as a finite resource, and to take action to prevent our cities and watersheds from becoming more polluted. More than 2 billion people in the world are without access to safe, fresh water at home. As the world’s population grows, along with pollution and climate change, access to clean water is becoming an urgent issue.

Includes practical steps that kids can take to help conserve water.

The ThinkCities series is inspired by the urgency for new approaches to city life as a result of climate change, population growth and increased density. It highlights the challenges and risks cities face, but also offers hope for building resilience, sustainability and quality of life as young people advocate for themselves and their communities.
Post-Reading Activities/ Key Ideas & Details
What Did You Learn?
Did you learn anything new about how water gets to your tap in City of Water? If so, what was it?
Post-Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
Preserving Water
What can you do to preserve and conserve water? Why does the author think it’s so important to do this?
Post-Reading Activities/ Integrated Learning
Where Does Your Water Come From?
Do you know where the water comes from in your city? Is it clean? Can you drink it? Do you?
Post-Reading Activities/ Critical Thinking in Literacy
What Does Your Water Taste Like?
Does the water where you live have a taste? You might not even notice until you go somewhere else and find that it’s different. Do you know what makes it taste the way it does?
Post-Reading Activities/ Critical Thinking in Literacy
What Do You Do to Preserve Water?
What do you do already at home, school or as a community to save water and to ensure it’s clean?
Post-Reading Activities/ Critical Thinking in Literacy
Having No Clean Water
Were you surprised to learn that so many people don’t have access to clean drinking water at home? What do you think this means for their daily life?
Post-Reading Activities/ Critical Thinking in Literacy
Being Close to Water
How does being close to water make you feel? Why do you think this makes some people feel happier? Why would water help improve mental health?
Post-Reading Activities/ Critical Thinking in Literacy
Salt Water vs. Fresh Water
Compare and contrast fresh water and salt water. What are the similarities and differences?
Post-Reading Activities/ Integrated Learning
Research Storm Water
Research how your city treats storm and sewer water before it goes back into the watershed. The author writes about Toronto, where the sludge is turned into fertilizer pellets for farmers and other cities where they are mining for precious metals in the sewage. Does your city do anything like this? Why or why not?
Post-Reading Activities/ Integrated Learning
Mindmap
Make a mindmap or draw a picture with all the things you do on a daily basis that involve water. Start with the obvious, then go deeper. Think about the water involved in making the products you use every day.
Post-Reading Activities/ Integrated Learning
Water Filtration Experiment
The author describes the water filtration process on pages 18–19. Try doing your own experiment like this one on the National Geographic Kids website: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/books/article/water-wonders
Post-Reading Activities/ Integrated Learning
Desalination Experiment
On pages 20–21, the author notes that desalination is becoming more and more common in some coastal areas. Make a list of the pros and cons of desalination as a solution for the future. Try out this experiment: https://www.education.com/science-fair/article/fresh-water-salt-water/
Post-Reading Activities/ Developing & Creating Texts
Our Responsibility to Water
Make a poster to put up in your school or home about why it’s important to save water. Tell other students and family members why we all have a responsibility to preserve it.
Post-Reading Activities/ Integrated Learning
Indigenous Perspectives on Water
Research the way Indigenous people in your region speak, write, sing about and treat water now and in the past. How is it different from how settlers have handled this important resource?
Post-Reading Activities/ Developing & Creating Texts
Persuasive Writing
Write a persuasive letter to someone who thinks they have to drink bottled water even though the water in their city is clean.
Post-Reading Activities/ Developing & Creating Texts
Write a Poem
Write a poem about how water makes you feel. Use descriptive words and be sure to include how it sounds, tastes and smells.