Understanding Water Access Perspectives

Read this sentence from the passage: “Many children start their morning with a long walk.” What does the author want us to understand by saying this?

• A. Kids in Kenya enjoy walking early in the morning.

• B. Kids are getting exercise to stay healthy.

• C. Getting water takes a lot of time and effort.

• D. Children in Kenya walk for fun.

Read this sentence: “Clean water is something many people take for granted.” What does take for granted mean in this sentence?

• A. To forget to say thank you

• B. To expect something to always be there without thinking about it

• C. To give something to someone else

• D. To throw something away without using it

What is the meaning of the word well as used in this sentence: “With the help of volunteers, they built a well using pipes and a pump.”

• A. Feeling healthy

• B. A hole dug to get water

• C. In a good way

• D. A lucky guess

Why does the author include Miriam’s quote: “Having the well means I can go to school on time”?

• A. To show that Miriam likes school

• B. To show that the well saves time and helps her go to school

• C. To show that she doesn’t like getting water

• D. To explain how wells are built

What is Miriam’s point of view about the new well?

• A. She thinks it is unfair that other kids still have to walk for water.

• B. She feels proud to help build the well.

• C. She thinks the well has made her life better.

• D. She misses walking to the stream.

How is Miriam’s point of view about the new well the same as or different from your own thoughts about water? (Encourage students to compare their own experience with water to Miriam’s and explain.)

What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

• A. To explain how to build a water well

• B. To entertain with a story about a girl in Kenya

• C. To share how one village is solving its water problem

• D. To show how hard life is in all of Africa