| Grade Level: |
Subject Areas |
| High
School |
- Economics
- Environmental Science
- Marketing
- Mathematics
|
Description: Water
is our greatest investment. Poet Emily Dickinson is credited with, "Water
is taught by thirst." This quote exemplifies a major reason why many
of us don't understand the seriousness of our growing water scarcity problem.
Many of us believe water is infinte and our inherent
right. We use it wouthout considering the impact. Perhaps this mentality
is most eveidnet in the emphasis we place on bottled water. Despite our
preference for bottled water or tap water, it is essential for us all to
change the way we look at water and the conveniences related to our use
of water. Students will explore the phenomenon of bottled water.
Go directly to:
| Skill
Areas |
- Time Management
- Research
- Comparative Analysis
- Advertising / Marketing Principles
- Stock market Analysis
|
| Vocabulary |
- Portfolio
- Stock Market
- Water Scarcity
- Aquifer Depletion
- Dow Jones Industrial Average
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
|
| Class
Time |
|
Goals and objectives
|
Materials and Equipment
- Daily Newspaper
- Bottled Water
- Internet
- "Troubled Waters" Video
|
Learners will become familiar with issues regarding the bottling of
water
Learners will take a closer look at the major manufacturers of bottled
water
Learners will develop an understanding of the issues regarding the pros
and cons of the bottled water industry and track the stock of several
manufacturers
Learners will connect issues of environment, sales, production, people,
and business with the bottling of water. Through these lessons, students
will become attuned to topics included
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Teaching
Preparation
To
understand the vast nature of this problem, think for a moment about some
facts:
"Oceans cover two-thirds of the planet and account for about 97% of
its water…but it's salt water - unfit from human use. Close to 2%
of the remaining water remains locked in frozen polar ice sheets and glaciers.
That means only a fraction of 1% of usable water is available for the entire
planet.
This fraction of 1% has to meet the needs of an exploding world population;
feed the water appetite of growing economies; and ensure that children do
not have to suffer and die needlessly." Dr. James Leutze, "Troubled
Waters: The Illusion of Abundance"
To be certain, without water, life as we know it would not be possible.
Water sustains our existence, yet we take it for granted. And Dr. Leutze
states, "We use water in and for nearly everything: industry, agriculture,
human consumption and recreation. Water cleanses, refreshes, and renews
us and the world…"
Tap water vs. Bottled water
Ask the average American, and you’ll find that bottled water ranks
‘top’ choice. Why is that? Is it that bottled water tastes better,
is safer, or is any better for you? It seems that bottled water has become
its own industry, generating billions of dollars in sales each year.
Put it in perspective:
Consider the cost of a gallon of gasoline. Today, you might spend $1.35-2.50
for one gallon of gasoline.
Now, let's compare that to bottled water.
A 16-ounce bottle of water costing $1.09 equates to $4.36 a gallon. That
makes gasoline look like a real bargain! We spend billions of dollars on
our personal refreshment. The average American
citizen actually drank an average of 20 gallons of bottled water.
The bottled water industry is rapidly growing each year - and is quite lucrative.
In 2002, Americans spent nearly $7 billion on bottled water. According to
a report provided by the Beverage Marketing Corporation it has been estimated
that by the year 2005, "the bottled water industry estimates that sales
will total $8.8 billion annually."
It will surprise you to know, however, that this growing marketplace of
refreshment is controlled by just a few companies in the US. Among the highest
rated manufacturers of bottled water you will find the Coca-Cola, Pepsi,
and Nestle Corporation. These companies produce most of the bottled water
distributed in the US today.
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Student Activity
Read
article: Bottled
water may be costly in some unexpected ways by Emily Gersema from the
Associated Press.
Consider the environmental issues regarding bottling water in a 1-2 page
reflection:
- Water scarcity
- Aquifer depletion
- Waste
- Recycling
Want to learn more about the debate between bottled water and tap water?
Visit the following sites for more information on this debate and complete
a 1-2 page reflection on the information you find:
Think about the following:
- Is drinking bottled water simply a matter of taste?
- What are the effects of so many people choosing bottled water over
tap water?
- What if bottled water was no longer available? What might happen? Read
more about the bottling of water and regulations from the International
Bottled Water Association (IBWA).
Write a 1-2 page reflection based on the contents of the IBWA Model. Think
about the following things:
- Should North Carolina accept the IBWA model for the production of bottled
water?
- How does the process of monitoring affect the way bottled water is manufactured,
produced, and/or sold?
- Do you think the model of the IBWA is enough to protect the interests
of bottlers and consumers? What could be added or removed?
Research three of the major manufactures of bottled water: Coke, Pepsi,
and Nestle.
- What bottled water product(s) do these companies produce?
- Do these companies have specific marketing campaigns?
- Is there information concerning policies regarding bottling, commitment
to the environment or consumer, or company practices in the US and other
countries?
Read the article Basics:
Stocks and answer the following questions in a 1-2 page reflection:
- What is a stock?
- Why do companies issue stocks?
- How do investors make money?
- What is the Dow Jones Industrial Average?
- Why do companies split stocks?
- Why has October historically been the cruelest month for investors?
Making an “Investment”
Water is truly an investment for everyone. Water sustains our daily lives.
As you consider the issues surrounding water as an investment, learn more
about real stock investments as you complete the following tasks:
- Track the stock growth/decline of Coke, Pepsi, and Nestle over a
5 week period.
- Use information from each company’s website or the New
York Stock Exchange to obtain this information.
- Track the growth by using Microsoft Excel. A sample spreadsheet
[MISSING FILE? / "STOCK LESSON"
folder] has been created for you.
- Read a daily paper (local or national) to keep track of current
events related to change in market prices.
- Create a chart illustrating the growth of each individual company’s
stock.
- Create a chart comparing the growth of all included company’s
stock.
- You can register online with the New
York Times to read current articles about changes in the stock market
related to Coke, Pepsi, and Nestle for deeper understanding of issues
related to stock growth/decline.
5. Reflect on what you have learned in a 3-4 page essay on the following
questions:
- Why should we invest in water? Is the investment only monetary?
- Should there only be a few companies manufacturing or producing
the bottled water in America? Why or why not?
- What are some negative environmental factors that the bottling of
water can produce? How can these negative factors be changed?
- Do you think bottled water is better than regular tap water? Why
or why not?
Evaluation
Successful completion of this project includes reflections from each lesson.
Final product contains graphs and charts from the data collection of stock
growth/decline.
Students can generate portfolios to document and record work and reflections.
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Extension
“
I think it's a trend, it's a fad, it's something that people have
turned to as a healthier choice than maybe soda or this kind of thing,
but certainly it would be more cost effective to be drinking more
of our publicly supplied water...”
Sandra Postel
Director
of the Global Water Policy Project, Amherst, MA |
If
Americans are more inclined to drink bottled water as opposed to tap water,
how can we ensure water quality? Find out more about bottled water regulation
- begin by researching laws, standards, and regulations. Visit http://www.epa.gov/water/
for more information.
Compare regulations of 'tap' water quality at the local, state and federal
level to those of bottled water.
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Additional
Resources
Aquafina
(Pepsi Product)
http://www.aquafina.com/home.html
Dasani (Coca-Cola Product)
http://www.dasani.com/
Poland Spring (Nestle Product)
http://www.polandspring.com/
Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water (Nestle Product)
http://www.arrowheadwater.com/
The New York Stock Exchange
http://www.nyse.com/
Beverage Marketing Corporation
http://www.beveragemarketing.com/home.htm
EPA Water Homepage
http://www.epa.gov/water/
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