Calculating Water Around the World

Anna Brainerd

Let’s explore the world’s water while reviewing percentages, ratios, and fractions!

Content Area: Mathematics

Grade Level:6

Summary: Using water facts, students will apply their knowledge of percentages, ratios, and fractions.

Target: Given facts about water, students will be able to answer questions about percentages, ratios, and fractions with 100% accuracy.

Standard:CCSS.Math.Content.6.RP.A.3.c Find a percent of a quantity as a rate per 100 (e.g., 30% of a quantity means 30/100 times the quantity); solve problems involving finding the whole, given a part and the percent

Resources: http://water.epa.gov/learn/kids/drinkingwater/water_trivia_facts.cfmhttp://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/indoor.html

Teacher Information

Basic Water FactsRemember that a fraction can also be represented as a percent or ratio. For example,1/4 is the same as1:4 and 25%.

• About 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water.

• Saltwater makes up 97% of the Earth’s water.

• 30% of freshwater is in the ground.

Total WaterSaltwaterFreshwater

97%

3%

http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/about-world-water-day/world-water-day-2014-water-and-energy/en/

Click the link to learn more about World Water Day.

What about the water we drink?

25% of bottled water comes from the same place as tap water.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se12y9hSOM0

Click the link below to watch a video to learn more about bottled water.

Water in Your Life

Americans use about 100 gallons of water per day while Europeans use only 50 gallons per day.

The average water faucet flows at a rate of 2 gallons per minute.

On average, 70% of the water used by Americans is used indoors.

http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/indoor.html

Click the link for tips on using water every day.

Question #1

30/100 3/10 3/100

If the water on Earth is 97% saltwater, how much of the water is freshwater? Choose the correct fraction.

Correct! Great job! You understand that 3%

converted to a fraction is 3/100.

Question #2

2:1 100:50 1:50

Recall how much water Americans and Europeans use every day. What is the simplest ratio that correctly represents this relationship of Americans to Europeans?

Correct! You know that the ratio is 100:50, so it

can be simplified to 2:1.

Question #3

60:1 120:1 2:1

If a faucet runs at a rate of 2 gallons per minute, how many gallons would be used if the faucet ran for one hour? Choose the correct ratio of gallons to hours.

Correct! You understand that you must multiply

2x60 to get 120 gallons which makes the ratio 120:1.

Conclusion WOW! We have learned so much about

water, and you have shown you are a master of fractions, percentages, and ratios!

Incorrect. Sorry, that is not the correct answer. Reread the question and try again.