A LONG WALK

TO WATER

WATER FOR SOUTH SUDAN

FILM GUIDE & WEBQUEST
 Teacher Instructions
Thank you for downloading this FREE
activity for the novel A Long Walk to Water
by Linda Sue Park. This product contains a
1-pg film guide sheet for the mini-
documentary Just Add Water, featuring the
real Salva Dut. This documentary has a
run-time of 17:30 and discusses the water
crisis in Sudan and all Salvas organization,
Water for South Sudan, is doing to help the
Sudanese people. The documentary is
available free online on the organizations
website by clicking here. After viewing, if
students have computer access, send them
to Water for South Sudans official website
to learn more about the organization in a 1-
pg webquest. Answer keys included. I show
this documentary and website after the
students finish the book and learn that
Salva was the one drilling the well in Nyas
village the students love seeing the
project is real and they love to see and
hear the real Salva! We even started
collecting spare change in a jar to donate.
Enjoy!
Aligned CCSS RL.7

2014 Erika Forth - For single classroom use only

 Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________
A LONG WALK
TO WATER Just Add Water Documentary
Directions: Watch Water For South Sudans short documentary, Just Add Water. While viewing and after the
film, answer the following questions.

1. Describe the water crisis in South Sudan.

2. In your own words, what is the mission of Water for South Sudan?

3. What inspired Salva Dut to form this organization?

4. How does the dry season in South Sudan impact the South Sudanese people?

5. When planning to build a well, how does Salva involve the community?

6. What challenges does Salvas crew face during their time building wells?

7. What is the message or purpose of this film?

2014 Erika Forth @ TPT CCSS RL.7

 Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________
A LONG WALK
TO WATER Answer Key

1. Describe the water crisis in South Sudan.

Thousands do not have access to clean water. People have to walk great lengths to collect water on a daily basis just
to survive. The water they collect is often contaminated with water borne diseases.

2. In your own words, what is the mission of Water for South Sudan?

Their mission is to transform the lives of South Sudanese by bringing clean, safe water to one village at a time.

3. What inspired Salva Dut to form this organization?

His experience reuniting with his father and seeing him suffer and nearly die from waterborne illness.

4. How does the dry season in South Sudan impact the South Sudanese people?

People must leave their homes to find water to cook, clean, drink, and bathe. This prevents the development of
basic infrastructure such as schools, markets, and medical clinics.

5. When planning to build a well, how does Salva involve the community?

Salva empowers the villagers and involves them in decision making and management/maintenance of the well
when complete. All members of the village help by gathering rocks and pounding rocks into gravel.

6. What challenges does Salvas crew face during their time building wells?

The crews must send members very long distances on very poor roads. It is difficult to communicate with
limited cell phone coverage and satellite phones being too expensive. They cannot drill during the wet season.
They work 7 days a week in extremely hot temperatures. There is no vehicle maintenance locations for
hundreds of miles.

7. What is the message or purpose of this film?

Answers will vary. The purpose of the film is to educate viewers about the water crisis in Sudan, provide
information about the Water for South Sudan nonprofit, and persuade people to donate to the cause. The
message is that South Sudanese people face a dire crisis and we need to help.

2014 Erika Forth @ TPT CCSS RL.7

 Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________
A LONG WALK
TO WATER Water for South Sudan Webquest
Directions: Explore the Water for South Sudan Website located at http://www.waterforsouthsudan.org. Find the
answers to the following questions.

1. Who provides support for the Water for South Sudan project?

2. How many wells has the organization drilled? How many people has this helped?

3. Up to how many hours a day do women and children have to walk to find water? How does this impact their
lives?

4. What is the cost to drill one well? How can you get your name on a well?

5. Where does the water for the well come from? Describe the process.

6. What does the new Hygiene Education team do?

7. What is the H2O Project Challenge?

8. What is Salvas Iron Giraffe Challenge?

2014 Erika Forth @ TPT CCSS RL.7

 Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________
A LONG WALK
TO WATER Water for South Sudan Webquest
Explore the Water for South Sudan Website located at http://www.waterforsouthsudan.org. Find the answers to the
following questions.

1. Who provides support for the Water for South Sudan project?

Volunteers, civic institutions, educational institutions, faith-based institutions, and donors from 50 states and 18
other nations.

2. How many wells has the organization drilled? How many people has this helped?

Most recent answer is 282 wells, helping hundreds of thousands as of May 2016. This portion of the website may
change after publication of this product.

3. Up to how many hours a day do women and children have to walk to find water? How does this impact their
lives?

They walk up to 8 hours a day. Because they are doing this every day, they cannot attend school or do anything
else.

4. What is the cost to drill one well? How can you get your name on a well?

$15,000 is the cost of one well. If you donate $5000, you can share naming rights. Donate the full amount to
get your name on it alone.

5. Where does the water for the well come from? Describe the process.

Drilling 300 ft down reaches an aquifer, which is an underground source of water that does not run out and is not
contaminated.

6. What does the new Hygiene Education team do?

They travel with the drilling team to educate the villagers about how germs are spread and the importance of
washing hands and sanitation.

7. What is the H2O Project Challenge?

It asks participants to only drink water for two weeks, donating the money to the project that you normally
would have saved on beverages.

8. What is Salvas Iron Giraffe Challenge?

Salva is challenging schools to raise atleast $1,000 toward the purchase of a new drilling rig. Their goal is
$50,000.

2014 Erika Forth @ TPT CCSS RL.7

Erika Forth
Secondary Language Arts & Social Studies
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