Rainscaping (Low Impact Development (LID) Design Challenge) 

Key Topics/Vocabulary: Human Impact, Stormwater, Runoff, Erosion, Rain (Tank/Capture), Drought, Native Habitat, Rain Garden - Slow it, Spread it, Sink it

Grade Level: K-2nd

Click here for #7 Series Description

Spanish Lesson Plan 

Science Framework

Lesson Video

Lesson Bridge:

Connect this lesson (3) to Invasive and Native Plants (2) by discussing how by encouraging native plant growth, we can reduce water usage and have less wasted water. Close the loop by helping students to make the discovery that native plant establishment on campus and at home can help to remediate drought effects (1).

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students learn about stormwater runoff, identify challenge areas on the school site, and design solutions!

Suggested Activities and Learning Objectives by Grade Level:

• K: Tour Campus or Use pre-cutouts to do LID Design Challenge

• K-ESS3-3 How can people help support the environment?

• 2:

• 2-ESS2-1 What are methods of preventing erosion?
• 2-ESS2-2 How does water shape the land?

Essential Question(s) that Connect CCCs and SEPs:

• How stormwater runoff affects our campus? (Cause & Effect; Constructing Explanations & Defining problems)
• What problems are caused by stormwater runoff?  (Cause & Effect, Asking Questions & Defining Problems).
• How can we solve problems caused by runoff? (Cause & Effect; Constructing Explanations & Designing Solutions).

Vocabulary

Human Impact - Activities that humans do that cause harm to nature.

Stormwater- Water that rains down from the clouds and falls onto streets and sidewalks

Runoff- When there is too much rainwater and the ground floods the water that flows off the land is called runoff

Erosion- When rock or soil is moved or worn down by means of wind, water, or ice.

Rain Tank/Capture - A container to capture rainwater that runs off of roofs

Drought- Dry weather with no rain for a long time

Native Habitat- A place in the world that has a specific environment and where specific animals and plants live

Rain Garden- Gardens planted to encourage rainwater to stay in the ground and not become runoff

Slow it, Spread it, Sink it- A tool we use to remember how to better capture rainwater! Slow it down to let it spread out so it can sink into the ground.

Materials:

• Copy paper or graph paper
• Colored pencils, rulers, compass
• Legend or key template drawn on the board for them to create their own
• Example of a landscape design and elevation from a licensed contractor and architect
• Rainscaping Worksheet (optional; uses glue sticks, scissors, and coloring supplies)
• Rainscaping Worksheet Drawing not cutting(optional)
• Series #7 Garden Journal (optional)
• Review landscape in Slideshow (optional)

Prep:

• Walk the campus and find what rain water run-off problem area you want the kids to redesign.
• Reserve clipboards if working outside and prep with graph paper and pencils.
• Review Low Impact Development and use these local resource as a guide for your own professional development: https://www.centralcoastlidi.org/ https://www.surfrider.org/programs/ocean-friendly-gardens

Activity Procedure:

Engage:

Who knows what the word landscaping means? (Changing the land in an area by planting flowers, and designing paths to make these areas more usable and beautiful!) Can any of you point to areas on the campus that have landscaping?

Explore:

Today, we are going to be talking about Rainscaping. It’s a type of landscaping that helps us save rainwater, prepare for drought, and reduce pollution! Let’s take a moment to see how water flows over the land. Pour a bucket of water on a slope and let students observe. You can also walk around to different places in the garden and pour buckets/cups of water on the ground and observe what happens. Some can pour water on pavement others on the dirt. What happens? Does water carry things with it? Does it soak into the ground or flow? Why might we want the water to soak into the ground?

Sentence Frame: I notice ____________.

Sentence Frame: Water soaks into _________ more than __________ because ____________.

Explain: 

When a large amount of water falls onto a steep slope, most of that water will not sink into the ground. Instead, it will flow down it!  Also, if water lands on a hard surface like the sidewalk, it will flow off or make a puddle. 

Thumbs up/down: Who here has ever jumped in a puddle on the sidewalk before?

We want to slow, spread, and sink water so that it goes back into the soil instead of getting polluted on streets and sidewalks. Let’s say that all together (Slow it, Spread it, Sink it). Little kids will enjoy adding some movements with each phrase. Slow it: Put up your palms. Spread it: spread out your hands. Sink it: Wiggle your fingertips down to the ground in a forward fold.

Think, Pair, Share: Any ideas on how we can do this?

Growing plants is a great way to slow, spread, and sink water! Doing this also helps to stop erosion.

Does anyone here know what erosion is? It is when water, wind, and gravity move rocks and break down the earth. Erosion can damage roads, houses, and even animals! Growing a rain garden can help stop erosion! Another thing that helps soil sink into the ground is having surfaces that water goes through, gravel and wood chips are a good way to make paths in a rain garden.

Action: Rain Garden Tour

1. Review your Garden Agreements
2. Invite students to form a line.
3. Take a tour throughout the school garden or any spot in the school where there are examples of permeable paths (where the water can still get down into the soil). Point out features that help slow water and prevent erosion like terraces and hillside plantings of established hardy plants. Also, point out areas that could benefit from a rain garden.
4. Loop around back to your outdoor learning area.

Reflect:

Raise your hand to share one thing you remember from our rain garden tour with the class. What are some ways to help water soak into the ground? Does anyone remember what erosion means? What do we want to do with the water that falls on our garden (Slow it, spread it, sink it!)? You can do the chant with the movements again especially if you have a TK or K class.

Extension/Filer Activities:

• Create a terrace garden or rain garden at your school. Use gravel, woodchips, etc, to mulch around a selection of native or drought-tolerant plants.
• Rainscaping Garden Journal (optional)
• Water cycle boogie song

This lesson was prepared by One Cool Earth under award

NA20NOS4290033 from the Bay Watershed Education and Training Program

of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S.

Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and

recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect

the views of NOAA or the U.S. Department of Commerce.