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The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Thirst by Varsha Bajaj

Lesson Set 2 - Dharavi, a Slum of Mumbai

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�Lesson Set 2: Dharavi, a Slum of Mumbai

Thirst by Varsha Bajaj

A 3rd/4th/5th grade STEM lesson

Patricia Patchin

9/24/24

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Notes for teachers

  • Context: These lessons build equitable knowledge for students before reading the book Thirst by Varsha Bajaj. This is the second in a series of STEM lessons that will be based on this novel.
  • These lessons will take multiple days to complete
  • Students will work alone and in a group setting
  • Emphasis is to have all students have equitable background knowledge on water scarcity before starting the novel
  • Lesson Set 1 Lesson Set 3 Lesson Set 4

List of Materials

  • Thirst by Varsha Bajaj

Lesson 1

  • Slideshow, Crayons/Colored Pencils, Blank World Map included in slideshow

Lesson 2

  • Infographics (Two included with lesson), Worksheet, Access to Canva

Lesson 3

  • Paper, scissors, tape/glue stick, pencil, worksheet

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Arizona Science and Math Standards

4.E1U3.9 - Construct and support an evidence-based argument about the availability of water and its impact on life.

4.MD.A.3 Apply the area and perimeter formulas for rectangles in mathematical problems and problems in real-world contexts including problems with unknown side lengths.

Science and Engineering Practices

● ask questions and define problems

● develop and use models

● plan and carry out investigations

● analyze and interpret data

● use mathematics and computational thinking

● construct explanations and design solutions

● engage in argument from evidence

● obtain, evaluate, and communicate information

Arizona ELA Standards

4.RL.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

4.W.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

4.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly

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Objective(s):

Today we will create background knowledge about Dharavi.

Today we will learn create a numbers of Thirst poster with Canva.

Today we will create a small section of Dharavi using area, perimeter, and volume.

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Agenda (lesson time)

Day One (45 minutes)

Review slideshow of Dharavi, a Slum in Mumbai

Day Two (45 minutes)

Using information from the slide show along with the book Thirst, students will create a Numbers of Thirst poster on Canva.

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Agenda (lesson time)

Day Three (45 minutes each day)

Teach area, perimeter, and volume

Day Four (45 minutes each day)

Create a small section of Dharavi using area, perimeter, and volume

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Intro/Driving Question/Opening

What is water scarcity?

What types of water scarcity are there?

How does water scarcity affect Dharavi?

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

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Dharavi Slum

Mumbai, India

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Dharavi is located in Mumbai, India

It is often referred to as a slum.

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60% of the Mumbai’s population lives in these areas referred to as slums.

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There are roughly 869,565 people per square mile living in Dharavi.

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The main form of transportation to Dharavi is the train. Though popular, 8-10 people per day die while riding on these trains due to overcrowding.

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Dharavi’s commercial section consists of small factories for recycled plastic, aluminum, and paint canisters along with clothing, leather work, and manufactured parts for appliances.

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The workers of Dharavi’s commercial area are paid very little and work in very dangerous and toxic conditions.

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Dharavi’s commercial area generates around 665 million dollars per year.

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The Mahim River runs within the boundaries of Dharavi. It is used to dump trash and waste material. It is very foul smelling and toxic.

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The residential area of Dharavi is a maze of very narrow passageways wide enough for two people to pass and are dark from the overhangs of buildings and tangled power lines above it.

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Every fifteen feet along the lane is a doorway leading to a house which is roughly a 4x4 meter room. Within the room is the kitchen, living room, and bedroom for an entire family.

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Though many of the houses have electricity, they do not have running water or toilets. It is estimated that there is one toilet per 500 people. Many use the river, streams, or out in the open.

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Dharavi has chlorinated water supply managed by the government, but most people live in the “non-notified” slums and are not allowed to legally tap into this system. Many tap illegally into this very delicate and fragile system.

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Over ⅔ of Dharavi households purchase their water from private vendors. The water travels hundreds of meters to reach the slum lanes by motorised pumps that suck water from underground city pipes into hoses. They often only run for a couple of hours a day.

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There is good news! Dharavi is said to be one of the “most educated” slums in india with a literacy rate of 69%.

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Many popular movies have been shot here.

(Slumdog Millionaire, Gully Boy, Pareina Bhootnath Returns)

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A 3-week art fest titled “Dharavi Biennale” is a large contemporary art festival that is held every year in Dharavi.

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Three android apps have been developed by 13-14 year old girls from Dharavi.

Paani Hai Jeevan sends an alert to registered users about their turn to fetch water from the neighborhood.

Women Fight Back is for women’s security.

Padahi Hai Mera Haq help learn the basics of Hindi, Maths, and English.

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One thing Dharavi is most famous for is the “SlumGods”, a hip-hop crew founded by Akash Dhangar.

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Differentiation

Give students structured notes for note taking during slideshow

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Have students create their own notes during slideshow without guided questions.

Have students research the effects of open sewers, lack of toilets, and having to wait in lines for water on the population or people of Dharavi.

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Assessment

Completion of notes

Participation in class discussion

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Intro/Driving Question/Opening

Have you ever seen infographics in a magazine?

What information do infographics provide?

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

By the Numbers- Part 1: Analyzing and Discussing Data (CHARTS)

Display an Infographic on the board.

Guided Questions:

● Based on the title, what is the main idea of the chart?

● Examine the headings, labels, and the chart legend. Describe the elements of the chart. What colors or symbols are present and what do they represent?

● Describe the format of the chart. How is the information displayed?

Now display a second chart or infographic for comparison.

● Summarize the information from the two charts. Is there a pattern or trend that the charts are showing? Are there differences in the data?

● Find the source of the chart. It may be in small print below the image. This should tell you where the information from the chart came from. Is the source reliable? Can you do some

research to check the data from the chart for accuracy? Is

there a date? Could the information be outdated?

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

By the Numbers- Part 1: Analyzing and Discussing Data (CHARTS)

Students respond to the prompt:

  • What do you notice? Discuss what they noticed and prompt students to consider what this may imply:
  • What can you infer from this graph beyond what it shows directly?
  • What do you wonder?
  • Discuss: Are there items you noticed that answer what you wonder? If not, where could you find those answers?

Part 2 - Creating an Infographic

  • After learning how to closely examine and think critically about data, students will explore informational texts to gather, organize, and interpret information to create a visual data representation sharing what they learned from their independent research.
  • Using this worksheet, students will gather information on their topic related to water scarcity or Dharavi.
  • Using Canva, students will create an infographic containing the information gathered during research.

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Assessment

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Differentiation

Give students information to use that includes numerical data to use for gathering research.

Give students a template to use for the infographic.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Have students analyze the infographic made using same questions from classroom discussion.

Write a paragraph about the research student has gathered.

Present information to the class.

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Intro/Driving Question/Opening

Students will be able to find the perimeter, area, and volume of homes created in the paper Dharavi.

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Perimeter

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Area

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Volume

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

Students will create a section of Dharavi using paper, scissors, and tape. Once the section is complete, students will answer questions about Dharavi that include perimeter, area, and volume.

Guidelines for Project

  1. What is the perimeter, area, and volume of the toilet building?

  1. What is the perimeter, area, and volume of one house?

  1. What is the perimeter, area, and volume of two houses?

  1. What is the perimeter, area, and volume of three houses?

  1. Do you see a pattern when adding another house to the equation?

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Differentiation

Have students find the perimeter and area of a home that is mapped out on a piece of paper with given dimensions.

Have a section of Dharavi already created for students to use for questions.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Students will put together all sections created by the class to create a larger section to use for questions on perimeter, area, and volume.

What is the ratio of a paper create home to an actual home in Dharavi.

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Assessment

Completion of section of Dharavi using paper.

Ability to find perimeter, area, and volume.