well·ness at The Commonwealth Resources

well·ness at The Commonwealth is a ‘living’ installation that features an emergent and participatory research opportunity that is engaging a diverse range of global citizens of all walks of life to critically examine the precarity of water and establish a collective accountability framework.

As a living installation, the resources listed on this page and the research opportunities available will continue to evolve.

How to Navigate Resources

well·ness at The Commonwealth resources provide open access to all exhibition materials and an evolving set of resources that seek to promote participatory research, learning explorations, and, most importantly, action that leads to water stewardship and well·ness. Resources are organized into the categories outlined below. We welcome your suggestions for additional resources and look forward to your feedback and participation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

well·ness at The Commonwealth Exhibition Boards | View and/or download the complete set exhibition boards below.
Educator Resources, lesson plans and tools designed specifically for educators.
Resources related to the Four Quadrants of well·ness at The Commonwealth
- Quadrant 1 | Water Value, learn more about the value of water and the cost of modern day water usage.
- Quadrant 2 | Watershed + Infrastructure Resources, learn more about the Great Lakes watershed and the Constructed Ecology of Absence and its impact on our city’s water infrastructure.
- Quadrant 3 | Well, learn more about Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle’s Well projects, pumps, and wells.
- Quadrant 4 | Solutions + Future Visions, explore the books that inform Sweet Water Foundation’s practice of Regenerative Neighborhood Development and inspire future visions for solutions to promote well·ness at The Commonwealth.

Exhibition Boards

Access to all well·ness at The Commonwealth exhibition boards is available below. Click the center for full screen viewing.

Educator Resources

In our research and preparation for well·ness at The Commonwealth, we discovered a wealth of educational resources to support learning on topics of water and wellness. This non-exhaustive list provides a starting point for educators, caregivers, and concerned citizens to share information with others.

Presentations, posters, and games to support learning about water footprint created by the water footprint network.

Middle school and high school Earth science lesson plans on how water use is impacted by students’ food choices and shopping habits.

The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Water Science School offers info on many aspects of water. Also available in Spanish and Chinese.

Our Water Crisis Lesson Plans, for grades K-12, are packed with engaging lesson for students. — Our Water Crisis Lesson Plans, for grades K-12, are packed with engaging lesson for students.

A compilation of K-12 lesson plans and website resources for educators.

Detailed lesson plan on the availability of fresh water on Earth and the methods that can be used to purify and conserve it, including videos.

Designed for use by teachers, non-formal educators, and water quality professionals, The Water Sourcebook series covers today's most important water environment topics. — Designed for use by teachers, non-formal educators, and water quality professionals, *The Water Sourcebook* series covers today's most important water environment topics.

List of water-related terms compiled from a number of sources to support water science education.

QUADRANT 1 | Water Value

Below you will find foundational texts, tools, guides, infographics, and links to organizations and websites critically examine the value of water and the implications of modern, everyday water usage. From the values’ manifesto, We The Publics… - to - the Water Footprint Calculator - to - Public Lab’s connected community, the Water Value resources provided below share critical information, guides, and tools informing readers about water conservation, preservation, and equitable access so that we may become part of the solution.

We the Publics: A manifesto to restore democracy and truth in the republic | — **We the Publics: A manifesto to restore democracy and truth in the republic** |

Water Footprint Calculator | Calculate your water footprint! — **Water Footprint Calculator |** Calculate your water footprint!

Water Footprint Product Gallery | Calculate the water footprint of the food and beverages you consume.Water Footprint Network — **Water Footprint Product Gallery** | Calculate the water footprint of the food and beverages you consume.
**Water Footprint Network**

**Drinking Water 123: A Guide for Local Officials and Community Leaders**

Understand the predatory bottled water marketing tactics -- and how the bottled water industry negatively impacts people and the environment.

Access info and resources from Chicago’s special-purpose district responsible for treating wastewater and providing stormwater management for residents and businesses.

Public Lab is a community and a non-profit, democratizing science to address environmental issues that affect people.

Understand the disparity between the water rich nations versus the water poor nations to encourage changes in personal choices to conserve water around the world.

QUADRANT 2 | Watershed + Infrastructure

Dive deeper into materials, maps, and articles about the Great Lakes watershed, water flows, reversal of the Chicago River, and the neighborhood context of water access and quality on Chicago’s South Side.

Design Research for Inland Water Territories | Mary Pat McGuire, Jessica M. Henson

How Chicago Reversed Its River: An Animated History | WTTW

Learn about intensive flushing to clean your home’s drinking water pipes.

The Illinois State Water Survey conducts state-of-the-art research and collects, analyzes, archives, and disseminates data and technical information, including detailed water maps.

Floods, Carp, and Crap: The Environmental Impacts of The Chicago River Reversal | WBEZ | By Carson Vaughan

Black homebuyers in Chicago lost at least $3.2 billion in today’s dollars because of racist real estate policies and predatory contracts between 1950 and 1970.

CMAP Regional Flood Sustainability Index identifies priority areas across the region for flood mitigation activities.

Brain-damaging lead found in tap water in hundreds of homes tested across Chicago

The Plunder of Black Wealth in Chicago | Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity

Chicago Area Waterway System | Metropolitan Water Reclamation District

Request a FREE residential water sample collection kit to test your water.

Mapping Inequality | Redlining in New Deal America Interactive Map

QUADRANT 3 | Well

Learn more about Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle’s Well 41°47'25"N - 87°37'38"W project and the pumps displayed at the well·ness at The Commonwealth exhibit.

Well by Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle — *Well* by Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle

Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle Brings 500 Gallons of Water to Los Angeles | KCET | Marissa Gluck

QUADRANT 4 | Solutions + Future Visions

Sweet Water Foundation’s work and future visions are inspired and informed by the wisdom of elders, Indigenous peoples, and the writings of Boggs, Douglass, Friere, Gorz, Schumacher, and many others. A few of SWF’s Core Texts are shared below with link to FREE PDF version where available.

In the spirit of Sweet Water Foundation’s practice of Turning Wastes to Resources, the well·ness at The Commonwealth exhibit includes Bottle-Ponics demonstration systems to hack the plastic waste generated from water and soda bottles. Detailed illustrations of these systems are provided below.