"Wonders of Water" Project

A Village Filmmaker Exchange Program showcasing works of rural filmmakers from around China took place in Yongji this month. Guan Ai students had a chance to dialogue with a rural Tibetan filmmaker named Wang Zha after viewing his documentary film Water which captures scenes of water in his hometown. Fifth grade students discussed their impressions of the film and made comparisons with people's attitudes about water, water usage and water pollution in their village. The students created a concept map detailing the many water-related issues in the local area, and split into groups according to their research interests. One group went to the Yellow River to learn about how it is diverted to nearby cities for industrial use. Another learned about pollution of the Sushui River. The group researching the topic "The Water of Our Village" interviewed the former village head about the evolution of water technology in the village from a hand-cranked well to the current mechanical well and water tower. Another group looked at the everyday uses of water and wasting of water in the school and village.

On the evening of May 20th, Wang Zha came to Houjiazhuang Village (where Guan Ai School is located) for a showing of his film to villagers and students. After that, fifth graders presented their own research findings. Teachers and villagers were impressed by the students' work, which included their own hand drawn maps showing the course of the Yellow River and Sushui River through Yongji, diagrams of pumps and dams in the Yellow River, stories of how each household of the village came to have a water tap in their home and much more. Students were surprised to see how much local water has changed, especially in terms of worsening pollution. They took this opportunity to encourage villagers and schoolmates to conserve and protect local water.