Lesson-1 on Mni Wiconi (Water is Life): Understanding the Problem of Water Contamination

Students investigate a scenario of water contamination in a fictional community. They define the engineering problem of dirty water and explore the cultural and ecological significance of water through the lens of indigenous principles. This lesson introduces students to the concept of water contamination and the need for purification, grounding the learning in a real-world problem and connecting to Indigenous knowledge about the land and water. Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Scenario: Students receive a letter from a fictional community whose water source has become cloudy and is making people sick. They are tasked with becoming “Water Engineers” to investigate the problem and propose a solution.