Teaching about groundwater in primary schools: experience from Paraguay

Groundwater is the backbone of public water supply in Paraguay but it is threatened by contamination and over-exploitation. To increase the awareness of this crucial resource and the environment in general, a comic book for primary school pupils was developed, accompanied by posters, games and videos. The acceptance of the package was greatly improved by providing teachers with training workshops and a guidebook that allowed them to integrate the material seamlessly into their syllabus. The format of the guidebook was previously harmonized with the Ministry of Education. Identification between the characters of the comic and the audience was fostered by using a country-specific natural and social background. A physical groundwater model was used to increase understanding of the importance of groundwater in the water cycle.