Round and round the water goes game

The Round and Round the Water Goes game is designed to engage students to learn all about the urban and natural water cycle. It is based on the game FlushBack, our innovative AR adventure that can be played at Scienceworks that brings to life the rich history and remarkable engineering of the heritage-listed Spotswood Pumping Station. The game also builds on students’ understanding of the importance of sewerage systems and how they fit into the water cycle. Year level suitability: Year 5-10

What your students will need 

• Instructions explaining how to play the game
• Print out of the gameboard on two A3 sheets of cardboard or paper
• Print out of reward and penalty cards back-to-back so they are double-sided and cut into individual cards
• Print out of question cards printed back-to-back, so they are double-sided and cut into individual cards
• Multiple print outs of blank question cards printed back-to-back so they are double-sided.
• Links to useful websites to help write their question cards (see below).
• Recyclable materials to create game pieces, designed to represent water droplets from all around the home.
• Coloured markers or pencils
• paper
• Dice
• Clear or transparent sticky tape

What to do

Ask students to:

1. Choose a partner and work in pairs.
2. Design water droplet game pieces using recycled materials. These will be used to move around the game. Each water droplet represents water usage from different areas in a home. The representation of water droplets can be from the laundry basin, toilet, bathroom basin, showerhead, hose, kitchen sink or washing machine. Each player needs three identical game pieces each.
3. Research and write at least 20-30 (multiple choice) question cards that will teach or test fellow students all about the water cycle (urban and natural). Refer to the examples of question cards already created for you for guidance. For every correct answer, the player moves forward two spaces. For every incorrect answer, the player moves back two spaces. Some suggested websites are provided to get you started on your research.
4. Check your questions and answers with your teacher before you create your final question cards using the clean question card template provided.
5. Print out the gameboard on two A3 sheets of paper (or cardboard).
6. Once your question cards have been completed, cut these out.
7. Print out all cards (question cards, penalty cards and reward cards) back-to-back so they are double sided.
8. Play the game, have fun while learning all about the water cycle.
9. Swap question cards with another group and play the game again.

Useful links to help students write the question cards

• The desalination plant - Australia
• Stormwater management
• Recycled water production | Melbourne Water - Western and Eastern Treatment Plants
• Melbourne Water WTP (Western Treatment Plant)
• How we’re taking action | Melbourne Water – Recycled water
• Producing Recycled Water (Melbourne Water)
• Where does your sewage go? (Melbourne Water)
• Sewerage | Melbourne Water – The importance of Sewage
• Sewer spills/Melbourne Water
• What is a fatberg? Museums Victoria
• How can you help? – What you can and can’t flush down a toilet
• Natural and urban water cycle | Melbourne Water
• Drip Trip: the game | Melbourne Water – online game that teaches you about the water cycle
• Securing our water supply / Melbourne Water – What we are doing to secure Melbourne’s water supply
• The Spotswood Pumping Station – The history and all you need to know about the Spotswood Pumping Station video
• All you need to know about the Spotswood Pumping Station - webpage
• Purple taps/Yarra Valley Water – More information about purple taps
• The natural and urban water cycle (Melbourne Water)

Curriculum links

Science

• Science as a human endeavour   (Year 5-10)
• Earth and Space sciences (Year 7-8)

Geography

• Water in the world (Year 7-8) 

History 

• Historical significance (Year 5-10)
• The modern world and Australia (Year 9-10)

Design and technologies

• Technologies contexts (Year 5-10)
• Technologies and society (Year 7-10)

Critical and creative thinking 

•  Meta-cognition (Year 5-8)

Personal and social Capability 

• Collaboration (Year 5-8)