Abstract:
Water is a global resource issue that requires an interdisciplinary approach. In this
presentation I will report on two examples of how I teach about water in undergraduate
settings. At Boston University (USA) my students engage with water through intimate,
hands-on laboratories and through urban landscape exploration. Here in Sri Lanka (Rajarata
University) I am guiding student water research through an encounter with village tanks,
where we are trying to gain new perspectives on the behaviour of water in the tank
ecosystem. In both settings, careful observation, documentation, and reflection are the
methodologies we use. The goal is to connect intangible characteristics of water with a larger
scientific narrative. But our engagement with water can also connect to non-scientific
endeavors in the humanities and social sciences.
