The Journey of a Drop

Key Topics: Water usage, Saving water, Conserving, Water Cycle

Grade Levels: K- 2nd

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Science Framework

Spanish Lesson Plan

Lesson Video

Lesson Bridge:

Connect this lesson (3) to ‘$1 Million Orange’ (2) by urging students to think about some ways that water is wasted in the food industry. How is water wasted in our own homes? Close the loop by asking students if water-savvy ancient agricultural methods could be applied to modern water usage.

Lesson Overview:  

In this lesson, students will quantify their at-home water usage and predict the amount used in 24 hours. We will discuss water conservation strategies both indoors and outdoors, and students will consider ways in which these strategies can be adopted in daily life.

Suggested Activities and Learning Objectives by Grade Level:

• K-ESS3-3 Communicate solutions that will help reduce the impacts of humans on the water.

Essential Question(s) that Connect CCCs and SEPs:

• How much water do you think we use when we brush our teeth? (Scale, Proportion & Quantity; Asking Questions and Defining Problems).
• What are some ways we could use less water for brushing our teeth? (Scale, Proportion & Quantity; Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions)
• Why is it a good thing to use less water? (Obtaining, Evaluating, & Communicating information).

Materials:

• Gallon jug, liter bottle, and/or 5-gallon bucket.
• Items from home (toothbrush, water canteen, scrub brush)
• Flow of Water Series Garden Journal (optional)

Prep:

• Brainstorm ways you and students use water at home or at school
• You can gather some items from around school that use water(watering can, soap for washing hands, water bottle)

Activity Procedure:

Engage:

Begin by asking students

Think, Pair, Share: What ways do you use water every day

Explore:

Show and tell about different ways you use water. You can display on a table or in a bag the items you use typically with water in your own life like a toothbrush, shampoo, t-shirt, picture of your dog because you wash him, veggies that you water to grow in the garden, etc. Have students go into the garden and look for ways we use water in the garden space

Sentence Frame: We can save water while brushing our teeth by turning off the ______.

Explain:

Who has heard of the Water Cycle? The Water Cycle is a big adventure where water travels around our Earth. It's the process of water moving between the air and the land, and it's been happening for a very, very long time! Without the water cycle, there would be no life on Earth. Let students dance to the Water Cycle Boogie by Banana Slug String Band. Bring jazz hands down for precipitation, up for evaporation, and move hands around like washing a car for clouds, aka condensation

Thumbs up/down: Who thinks water moves through this water cycle slowly?

Water actually takes a very long time to move through the cycle. Sometimes a drop of water can stay in one place,  like a cloud, a river, or underground, for years before moving on to the next step of its journey. When we use too much water too quickly, we can dry up rivers and lakes too quickly. (Tip!Fill a snack-sized baggie with pennies and tell students, ‘This represents all the water on Earth, salt water, fresh water, and water in the atmosphere.’  Take out three and say ‘This is how much of that water is fresh water’. Then put two pennies back and, holding just one, say, ‘This represents the tiny amount of freshwater we actually have access to. That’s why it’s so important to be mindful about how we use it!’)

Think, Pair, Share: How can we try to use less water at home?

It is important to brainstorm ways to try and use less since so many people, plants, and animals need water to survive. Let's learn about some ways we can use less water.

Action:

1. Review your Garden Agreements
2.  Let’s have someone come up and pretend to brush their teeth. What’s one way we could save water while brushing?
   💧 (Turn off the faucet while brushing, and only turn it on to rinse your toothbrush.)
   Have a student act this out for the class.
3. Now, what’s one way we could save water while taking a shower?
   💧 (Try taking shorter showers, or turn off the water while you soap and shampoo.)
   Have another student act this one out.
4.  How can we save water when we wash vegetables in the sink?
   💧 (Fill up a bowl or pot to wash them in instead of keeping the faucet running. When you’re done, you can reuse that water to water outdoor plants or trees.)
5. Garden Tour:
   Now let’s walk around the garden and look for ways we are already saving water!

• If you have a rain barrel, talk about how collecting rain helps us reuse water instead of always turning on the hose
• Mulch helps hold water in the soil so plants don’t dry out as fast
• Drip irrigation gives water slowly and directly to plants’ roots, which uses less water than sprinklers
• Even simple things like watering early in the morning or checking for leaks in hoses can make a big difference

6. Rhyme (for Pre-K and K):
    Let’s finish with a rhyme and movement:
   💧 “Water in the garden” (sprinkle your fingers),
   💧 “Water in the sea” (make waves with your hands)
   💧 “Water inside you” (point out)💧 “And water in me!” (point to your chest).

Reflect:

Think, Pair, Share: What ways are you excited to try to conserve water at home?

Extension/Filler Activities:

• If your garden has a rain barrel, visit that and discuss harvesting rainwater.
• Listen to a fun water conservation song by the Banana slug string band https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YAvrVyYMb0
• decorate posters to put up at the school to encourage teachers and staff to save water.