Classroom
Facts & Activities
Every plant, animal and person needs water to live. A person can live more than a month without
food, but less than a week without water. Our bodies are made of 70-75%water. Water helps us to digest food, cool our
bodies, remove wastes, and clean our eyes. We need to drink 8-10 glasses of water every day to stay healthy.
72% of the Earth is covered in water.
Over 97% of the Earth's water is in the oceans, and 2% of the Earth's
water is stored in glaciers and ice caps.
That leaves less that 1 % of the EarthÕs water available for humans
to use.
MAKING
A WATER FILTER
The
water we drink is purified, or cleaned, before it comes through our taps. The CCWD uses ozone to purify the water
supply in Contra Costa County.
Supplies:
1 coffee can per child or group, sand,
muddy water
Help
each child or group punch 5-10 small holes in the bottom of the can.
Pour
3 inches of sand into the bottom of each can
Observe
the muddy water, then pour it over the sand. Collect the water coming out in a clean container.
Discuss
what is observed about the water coming out of the filter compared to the
water going in. How does this
relate to the water we use every day?
Every day in the United States we drink about 110 million
gallons of water.
THE
WATER CYCLE
Fresh
water is continually recycled through the land, rivers, lakes, seas and air.
The water on Earth today is the same water that's been around since
the dinosaurs time, and the same water that will always be here.
Surface water evaporates from the sunÕs heat and becomes water vapor
in the atmosphere. After condensation,
it then falls back to the Earth as rain or snow and the cycle begins again.
Evaporation:
The process that changes water (a liquid) into water vapor (a gas).
Condensation: The process that changes water vapor (a gas) into water (a
liquid).
Precipitation:
Water from the atmosphere that falls to the ground as rain, snow, sleet or
hail.
Create
a working model of the water cycle for your classroom
Supplies: jar, plants, small dish of water (a bottle cap or shell will
do), soil, sand, small rocks
Layer
the jar with small rocks, then sand, then soil. The jar should be half filled.
Add
plants in the soil and dish of water in the jar
Put
the lid on, put the jar in a sunny place and watch the water cycle in action.
Other
water cycle projects: make a class bulletin board, have students make pictures
or posters, create activity sheets or word games, or have your students act
out the water cycle.
An average family of four in the
U.S. uses 881 gallons of water per week just by flushing the toilet.
You use about five gallons of water if you leave the water
on when brushing your teeth.
.
How Much Water Does it Take?
Flushing the Toilet
5-7 gallons
Taking a Shower
25-50 gallons
Taking a Bath
36 gallons
Washing Clothes
35-60 gallons
Washing Dishes (machine)
10 gallons
Brushing your Teeth
2 gallons
Washing your hands
2 gallons
Watering the Lawn (per minute)
5-10 gallons
TOP
TEN LIST
Ask
your students to list the top 10 water uses in and around their classroom
and households. Write it on the
board as a class project or have each child write their own. Now have them rank the list in order of
importance. Discuss how much
water each person and each family uses.
Where do they use it? Encourage
your students to do at least one thing each day that will result in a savings
of water. Keep a class chart
for a week or more of every time someone consciously uses water wisely.
Remember, every drop counts!
The average person in the United States uses over 100 gallons
of water each day
BE
A LEAK DETECTIVE
A
leaky faucet can waste over 100 gallons of water a day! Go on an adventure around the school to find leaky faucets.
First see if they just need to be turned off tighter.
If they keep leaking, tell the custodian.
Get special permission to enter the kitchen and staff rest-rooms as
a class.
!
WATER CONSERVATION TIPS!
When
you are not using the water, TURN IT OFF!
Never
put water down the drain when there may be another use for it, such as watering
a plant or garden or cleaning.
Turn
off the water while you're brushing your teeth or washing your hands.
Check
for and repair leaky faucets and toilets.
Take
shorter showers.
Use
your dishwasher and washing machine only for full loads.
Keep
a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator so you don't waste water
getting it cold.
Plant
drought resistant trees and plants.
Use
a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks.
Use
a bucket and hose nozzle when washing your car.
Water
the lawn only when it needs it. If
you step on the grass and it springs back up, it doesn't need water. If it stays flat, it's thirsty. Remember not to water if itÕs raining
or in the heat of the day!
Don't
use the toilet as a wastebasket.
Remember
to Use Water Wisely!
