Protecting Our WaterGrade 5 Science for Kids

How little fresh water we have, how we clean it and how to save it.

Protecting Our Water helps fifth graders find out how much of Earth's water we can actually use, put the steps of water cleaning in order and sort water savers from water wasters. Science with a real-world mission.

  • Grade 5 · Ages 10–11
  • 3 lessons
  • 3 experiments
  • 12 practice questions
  • About 25 min
Start Learning Free Open the Course
  • Where Is Earth's Water?
  • Water Count
  • Cleaning Water
  • Water Treatment
  • Savers and Wasters
  • Saver or Waster?

Science lab course · Grade 5

Protecting Our Water · Learning goals

What Your Child Will Learn

Find out how much of Earth's water we can use, put the steps of water cleaning in order, and sort water savers from water wasters.

  • Almost all of Earth's water is salty. Only a tiny part is fresh water in lakes and rivers.
  • Water is screened, settled, filtered and disinfected before it reaches our taps.
  • Small habits like short showers and fixing leaks save lots of water.

Why it matters

Why This Matters for Kids

  • Fresh water is rare

    Kids learn that only a tiny part of Earth's water is fresh and available.

  • Clean water

    Learning how water is cleaned shows the science behind every tap.

  • Making a difference

    Kids discover simple habits that save water at home and school.

Inside Protecting Our Water

How the Course Works

Each level has a short read-aloud lesson, an interactive experiment and a mini quiz.

  1. Step 1 · Lesson

    Where Is Earth's Water?

    About 97% of Earth's water is salty ocean.

  2. Step 2 · Experiment

    Water Count

    Imagine all of Earth's water in 100 cups. Let's see how many cups are in each place.

  3. Step 3 · Lesson

    Cleaning Water

    Water from rivers and lakes must be cleaned before we drink it.

  4. Step 4 · Experiment

    Water Treatment

    Let's follow river water as it becomes safe to drink. Put the treatment steps in order.

  5. Step 5 · Lesson

    Savers and Wasters

    Every person can help save water.

  6. Step 6 · Experiment

    Saver or Waster?

    Let's check some habits. Does each one save water or waste it?

Lesson preview

A Peek Inside the Lesson

This is the real lesson text your child hears, read aloud by a friendly voice.

Where Is Earth's Water?

About 97% of Earth's water is salty ocean.

Most fresh water is frozen in ice caps and glaciers or deep underground.

Lakes and rivers hold less than 1%. That's the water we can easily use!

Cleaning Water

Water from rivers and lakes must be cleaned before we drink it.

Treatment plants remove dirt, then kill germs.

Clean water travels to our homes in pipes.

Savers and Wasters

Every person can help save water.

Short showers, fixing leaks and full loads in the dishwasher save a lot.

A dripping tap can waste thousands of liters a year!

For parents

Try It at Home

Learning sticks best when kids use it in real life. Here are simple ideas from this course.

Parent Tip

Do a family water audit for one day: count showers, flushes and dishes. Choose one habit to change together.

Water Count

  1. Fill a jug with 1 liter of water (all of Earth's water).
  2. Take out 3 teaspoons: that's the fresh water.
  3. Just a few drops are lakes and rivers!

Almost all of Earth's water is salty. Only a tiny part is fresh water in lakes and rivers.

Water Treatment

  1. With a grown-up, cut a plastic bottle and turn the top upside down.
  2. Layer cotton, sand and gravel inside.
  3. Pour muddy water through. Don't drink it, but see how much clearer it gets!

Water is screened, settled, filtered and disinfected before it reaches our taps.

Saver or Waster?

  1. Put a cup under a dripping tap for 10 minutes.
  2. Measure the water and multiply to find a whole day.
  3. Tell a grown-up how much a fix would save!

Small habits like short showers and fixing leaks save lots of water.

Practice

Grade 5 Science Practice Questions

Real questions from Protecting Our Water. Try them with your child, then tap to see the answer.

  1. Question 1

    About how much of Earth's water is ocean?

    • A.50%
    • B.10%
    • C.97%
    Show answer

    97%

  2. Question 2

    Why must water be treated?

    • A.To remove dirt and germs
    • B.To make it salty
    • C.To make it cold
    Show answer

    To remove dirt and germs

  3. Question 3

    Which habit saves water?

    • A.Leaving a tap dripping
    • B.Taking a short shower
    • C.Hosing the driveway
    Show answer

    Taking a short shower

The full course has 12 questions with instant feedback, stars and rewards. Create a free account to play them all.

Protecting Our Water · Questions from parents

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this course for?

Protecting Our Water is a grade 5 science course for kids ages 10–11. That is Year 6 science in the UK and Year 5 in Australia. It also works well for review in the next grade, or as a challenge for a confident younger learner.

What will my child learn?

Find out how much of Earth's water we can use, put the steps of water cleaning in order, and sort water savers from water wasters. Along the way they practice: Almost all of Earth's water is salty. Only a tiny part is fresh water in lakes and rivers; Water is screened, settled, filtered and disinfected before it reaches our taps; Small habits like short showers and fixing leaks save lots of water.

How long does the course take?

About 25 minutes in total, split into 3 short levels. Most kids finish it over two or three sessions. Progress is saved, so they can stop any time and pick up where they left off.

Is this course free?

Protecting Our Water is part of SkillBloom Premium, which unlocks every course in every subject. Each subject also has free courses, so your child can try SkillBloom before you decide.

Does my child need to read well to use it?

No. Every lesson has a friendly read-aloud voice, questions are read aloud too, and the pictures help kids follow along. Confident readers can turn the voice off.

Can we use it for homeschool?

Yes. SkillBloom is built for homeschooling families. Kids work through lessons, games and quizzes on their own, and the parent dashboard shows what they finished and which skills need more practice. It works on phones, tablets and laptops.

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