Geography and Social Studies

We Are Water Protectors

Global 1 hour
This short children's book is inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America. We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption—a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom, an Anishinaabe/Métis writer whose currently enrolled with the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe, and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade, a Tlingit descendant currently enrolled with the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. Indigenous women are leading voices when it comes to protecting water rights around the globe, and this is an excellent resource for bringing those voices into the classroom!

This lesson includes:
  • A link to where you can buy the book for your classroom: Click here to purchase a copy.
  • A link to the audio-visual version of the book on YouTube: Click here to go to the YouTube video.
  • A link to the author's original "We Are Water Protectors" Activity Kit: Click here for the downloadable kit.
  • A link to an article for educators from "Learning for Justice," about the importance of teaching what Water Protectors are doing and why they are doing it. Click here for the article. 
  • A teacher and student guide of further reflection questions for your classroom and a game called "Risky Business!" This illustrates the dangers our current energy resources can pose to our water resources and communities in the long run. This collection of lessons also includes PDF versions of the slides to walk your class through the game. If you prefer to download a PowerPoint version from Canva, click here.

If you and your classroom would like to take what you are learning out of the classroom and apply your knowledge to building a more just world, H2O for Life offers the opportunity to support creating access to clean water and sanitation around the world. We currently support projects in the Navajo Nation, an indigenous nation that is facing significant water scarcity within the borders of the American Southwest. Our partners at Dig Deep are helping implement projects there. Click here to explore our projects and see how you can become a water protector and water provider!