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Researching information, surveying people, doing water audits, and finding out more about our precious water resources should help students realize that the cost of learning to conserve water is far less expensive than not conserving and having more water shortages and restrictions.
• Learn about xeriscaping. Download the Xeriscape pdf newsletter and follow the plans. Use the blackline master to design a water conserving landscape area. • Download My Water Activities Booklet. This can be used with younger students to help them understand the issues your group is learning about and presenting to others. • Download the Showerlock Holmes Case and have students investigate how much water individuals use a day. This is a simple, interesting way to do a water audit.
• Review facts on water useage and the need to conserve. (Utilize links online and other source materials for this.) It is important that students realize the connection between conservation and the available water supply. • Water Conservation- Kids' Page is a site by Soutwest Florida Water Management with many resources to help you plan an awareness campaign, provide materials for lessons, and lots of information. http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ppr/publications/files/kids.htm
•
Water Conservation Brochures in pdf format including ones on xeriscaping
and 50 Ways to do your part tips brochure. • Find out about local water conservation projects or efforts by clicking on the U.S. map. You may locate a project you can join or find one to replicate in your community. • Emphasize how plants, animals, and people depend on water in order to live. Stress the responsibility of citizens (regardless of age) to protect water resources. When they think what they do doesn't matter, remind them that it is often said that "Every drop counts." • Stress that water conservation is about practices that use less water. A basic foundation of the water or hydrology cycle is needed prior to beginning the activities. Students should also be familiar with some basic facts about water. Have students view "Water for Life" online. •
Hands-on Activities from The Water Sourcebook Designed for use
by teachers, non-formal educators, and water quality professionals.
The Water Sourcebook series covers today's most important water
environment topics. Grades
3-5
• View a list of books and information available at Other Resources in the Bibliography and More which might help you and students as your learn more about water and water conservation.
• List restrictions on water in your area/state/region/country. Discuss why restrictions are in place. List/research conservation efforts for the area (ex. toilet trade-in). How do restrictions relate or translate to community/businesses? Present your findings to other classes or groups. • Look at alternative water sources: reclaimed, desalination, rehydration, reuse. Find out what these terms mean and how they can help with the water problem. • Environmental Education Regional Service Project, Region IV provides valuable information for teachers.The Watershed Information Sourcebook - Reading and Writing Naturally is probably the most valuable.
•
Research water saving devices (online and contact local businesses
which may carry such products) such as waterless
urinals at http://falconwaterfree.com
or High efficiency toilets which details information about these water
saving devices. • Print out a guide to water saving devices and vendors (PDF format) which carry them. Students may want to contact vendors for more information. Links to their websites are given if available. The list of items may stimulate discussions about how many different types of items have been invented to help conserve water and how many of them the public may not even realize exist such as an electric incinerating toilet. •
Look at the Conservation
Chart •
Energy
Star Appliances •
Look into water audits and ways businesses can audit their use,
retrofit costs, and savings. (WAVE software) Prepare graphs to
illustrate water saving through conservation, xeriscaping or water
saving devices. Prepare presentations using information. WAVEsaver
•
Help xeriscape a portion of your school yeard. Use Water
Efficient Landscape Planner - free software to help you plan
a water efficient landscape. Covers guidelines and suggestions
to select the most appropriate plants. Is available in Spanish
as well. • Creating a Water-Wise Landscape provides a brief, easy to understand outline on how to create a landscape which will conserve water. Students can use this information to help parents, schools or local businesses plan their planting for water efficiency. •
Good
List of References
to water sites.
• Prepare brochures, create posters, write articles or letters. Discuss what students can do to help make others more aware of the problem, the need to conserve and possible solutions/efforts which can be part of the solution. Perhaps they might arrange a visit with another class, another school, or business owners to make a presentation of their finding using a PowerPoint show. • Use some of the tips included in 100 Ways to Save Water - Tips on saving water or 50 Ways to Do Your Part to create your brochures or presentations. • Prepare surveys of water use to distribute to parents, schools, and businesses so they can evaluate and/or calculate water use. Target businesses might be hotels in tourist areas.
Water
Waster Challenge has a mathematical challenge for students
and tips
for teachers with information on NCTM standards.The "Water
Waster " challenge requires that children work with the number
and operations content strand of mathematics. They will need to
subtract to find the savings gained by hand washing dishes, then
multiply (or add repeatedly) that savings by the number of times
dishes are washed during the weekend. Figuring out how many washings
and teeth brushings will occur requires good number sense and
computation skills. The challenge is just complicated enough so
that the children need to do some careful thinking about the total
savings.
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