Water Conservation

LESSON 5

Children explore ways to conserve water and conduct a fun experiment, followed by creating art inspired by rain and water.

Any of the books previously used in this unit.
Stopwatch
Art supplies for raindrop mobile or you can explore more ideas here.

Raindrop Mobile

Cardboard or paper to create cloud and raindrop template
Fabric, felt, or paint
Wax paper
Crayons
Pencil Sharpener
Needle and thread
Sewing Machine (optional)

Materials

Familiarize yourself with the book "Cloudette" by Tom Lichtenheld.
Prepare materials for the cloud spotting activity, including printing the cloud spotter printable.

Preparations

Guide children in reflecting on previous lessons about clouds and water, fostering connections between concepts.

Facilitate discussions on the importance of water and water conservation, encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving.

Provide clear instructions and support for conducting the handwashing experiment.

Objectives for Teachers

Objectives for Children

Children understand why water is important for life and how it sustains living things.

Children learn simple ways to conserve water in daily activities.

Children conduct a hands-on experiment to visualize saving water while washing hands.
Children create artwork inspired by rain and water to reinforce the importance of water conservation.

Collect and Connect

Practice saying the poem “The Waterfall Song” together with the actions you came up with.

The Waterfall Song

Beneath the waterfall I hear,

A Nixie singing bright and clear.

Her voice so sweet and friendly too,

It merges with the water blue.

Streaming over wood and rocks,

It gurgles as the week frog croaks!

Springtime joy and springtime rain,

The waterfall sings its sweet refrain.

-Betty Jones

Activity Flow

Begin by reflecting on the previous lesson about clouds and identifying different types of clouds. Encourage children to recall the story of Cloudette and her adventures. Use the following questions to spark their memory:

What do you remember about the different types of clouds we discussed?

Can you recall any specific clouds from the story of Cloudette?
How do clouds help us predict rain?

2. Transition to discussing the importance of water. Ask children why they think water is important and necessary for life. Encourage them to think back on the stories and lessons from previous days to discover reasons why water is crucial. Here are some questions you can ask to guide their exploration:

Why do we need water?
How do plants and animals use water?
What did we learn about the water cycle and how it helps everything stay alive?

3. Next, introduce the concept of water conservation. Explain that conserving water means using it wisely and not wasting it. Ask your child if they can think of any ways we can save water. Then share simple ideas on how we can conserve water in our daily lives, such as turning off the tap while brushing teeth or taking shorter showers.

4. To help children visualize the concept of saving water, conduct a simple experiment. Children will compare the amount of water used when washing their hands with the tap on versus turning the tap off while soaping their hands. Guide them through the following steps:

Hand Washing Experiment

Have children wash their hands as they normally would, with the tap running.
Set a timer for 30-60 seconds and measure the amount of water used during this process using a large bowl.
Next, instruct children to wash their hands again, but this time, turn the tap off while soaping their hands.
Measure the amount of water used during this second round.
Compare the two amounts of water used and discuss the difference.

5. Wrap up this lesson by engaging in an art activity inspired by rain and water. Encourage children to express their appreciation for water and share what they enjoy about it while they create. Once their artwork is complete, display it as a reminder to conserve water. Below, you'll find instructions for creating a raindrop mobile, or you can explore more ideas here.