Reading guide · Goal 6 · Clean Water
The Water Man
Ages 6 to 14
A free reading guide for families and teachers: questions by age, vocabulary and activities.
About the story
Abril's ears are so sharp that she can hear a call for help from far away, and one afternoon a voice leads her to a coach station in India. There Rajendra, a stubborn young man who cares deeply about the environment, is fed up with superiors who will not give him the means to do his job. He buys a ticket to the last stop of the next coach and ends up in Kishori, a small village in an almost desert-like landscape. The rivers have been dry for decades, crops fail, trees wilt and nearby villages stand empty. The villagers are suspicious at first, but Rajendra's knowledge of Ayurvedic medicine wins their trust. He walks the land and slowly uncovers the causes of the drought: modern wells that do not suit the region, money wasted on dams that dry up, and a powerful opponent that people only dare mention in a whisper. Can a few old men in the village square hold the answer? The story is inspired by Rajendra Singh, known as the water man of India.
Themes to talk about
- Drought and the right to water
- Listening to the wisdom of older people
- Old techniques with modern twists
- Standing up to powerful interests
- Rajendra Singh, the water man of India
Questions to discuss
Ages 6 to 8
- Why does Rajendra buy a ticket to the last stop of the coach?
- What is the village of Kishori like when he arrives? What happens to the crops and the animals?
- How does Rajendra help the villagers before they trust him?
- Who does Rajendra go to in the village square to ask for help with the drought?
Ages 9 to 11
- An elderly man says, 'New things aren't always better than old ones.' What does he mean, and is he right about the wells?
- A woman says a beautiful dress is no good if it is too small for you. What is she really talking about?
- Why do the villagers only talk about the mines in a whisper?
- The volunteers want to give up when they see no results. What does Rajendra tell them? Have you ever kept going when nothing seemed to be working?
Ages 12 to 14
- The employee at the office says the mines provide work for lots of people. How does Rajendra answer him? How would you weigh jobs against water?
- Rajendra admits to the elderly men that he does not know how to tackle the drought. Why is that admission important?
- Explain how a johad works and why collecting water in the rainy season helps in the dry months.
- The epilogue says that one in three people in the world do not have clean drinking water. Research one place where that is true today and what is being done about it.
Words to learn
- drought
- A long time with little or no rain, when water runs short.
- johad
- A traditional earth dam or pond in India that catches rainwater so it can soak into the ground.
- groundwater
- Water stored underground in soil and rock, which wells reach by digging.
- dam
- A wall built across a river or stream to hold back water.
- apathy
- Not caring or not bothering to do anything.
- bureaucracy
- Slow official rules, forms and offices that can get in the way of action.
- Ayurvedic medicine
- A traditional system of medicine from India that aims to heal body and mind.
- peasant
- A person who lives in the countryside and farms a small piece of land.
- sanitation
- Toilets, drains and clean water that keep people safe from illness.
Activities
30 minutes
Catch the rain
Materials
- A shallow tray of soil or sand
- A watering can
- Small stones or modelling clay
Steps
- Make a slope in the tray and pour water down it. Watch how fast it runs away.
- Build a small dam of stones or clay across the slope, like the volunteers' johad.
- Pour the same amount of water again. Where does it collect, and how much soaks into the soil?
- Talk about why the villagers needed water to stay in the land until the dry season.
25 minutes
Ask the elders
Materials
- A notebook
- An older relative or neighbour willing to be interviewed
Steps
- Prepare three questions about how water was used, saved or collected when they were young.
- Listen carefully and respectfully, as Rajendra listens to the old men in the square.
- Write down one idea from the past that could still be useful today.
- Share it with the class or family and decide whether it needs a modern twist.
20 minutes
One day of water
Materials
- Paper and pencil
- A measuring jug (optional)
Steps
- List every time you use water in one day: drinking, washing, flushing, cooking.
- Estimate how much each use takes, measuring a few with a jug if you can.
- Imagine Kishori before the rivers come back: which uses would you have to give up first?
- Choose one way your household could save water this week.
The link with SDG 6
Goal 6 aims to ensure that everyone has access to clean water and sanitation, and Target 6.4 calls for using water more efficiently so that fewer people suffer from water scarcity, while Target 6.b supports local communities in managing their water. The Water Man shows both: the villagers of Kishori, guided by their elders' knowledge, take charge of the rain that falls on their land and bring life back to the fields.
All about SDG 6: Clean Water →Frequently asked questions
What age is The Water Man for?
This guide offers questions for three age bands: 6 to 8, 9 to 11 and 12 to 14. Younger children can follow Rajendra's search like a mystery; older readers can explore how traditional rainwater harvesting works.
Which Sustainable Development Goal does The Water Man cover?
It covers Goal 6, Clean Water and Sanitation, through a story inspired by Rajendra Singh, who helped villagers in a dry region of India bring water back to their land.
Where can we read The Water Man?
The full book is in the Eco Heroes library, available to members with a family or school plan. This reading guide is public and can be used by anyone at home or in class.
Read the whole book
“The Water Man” is in the Eco Heroes library for members with a family or school plan. This guide is public: use it freely at home or in class.