This short clip provides an imaginative context for investigating the purification of water, using evaporation and distillation. It is ideal for use as a lesson starter in KS2 science. Robinson Crusoe discovers that he can't drink seawater but the sun is beating down and this gives him an idea. He creates a makeshift distillery and makes use of the sun to purify the water so that he can drink it. Pupils can watch the distillation process and are then asked where the drinkable water came from. See the accompanying teachers' notes by primary science adviser John Stringer for further notes explaining the science behind the problems, and suggested extension activities.

Video Series: Lesson Starters
Release Date 2009