It is hard to believe we are at the end of our first semester already! Even though it is just a four-day week, we are not slowing down one bit.
This week we will learn how water is cared for and cleaned as it comes to and leaves our homes, return to Jackson Bottom Wetlands and begin a paper-mache project.
Yeah…I said “week.”
The Swallows have completed their Mystery Track Animal research project. (Check out their posters adorning the Level 1 hallway)
This week, the Swallows will apply their knowledge of their animal to design a 3-D model out of paper-mache. Monday, students will begin by drawing their featured animal and then creating an armature from recycled materials. Beginning as early as Tuesday, Swallows will add paper-mache layers to their critter with hopes to have the layers done and drying over the weekend so we can paint and add details next week.
Wednesday morning, we travel to Clean Water Services Facility in Hillsboro to learn how water is treated to and from our homes. This marks the shift in our water focus from wildlife and water cycle to water use and conservation.
Thursday is a day we have all been looking forward to: our Jackson Bottom Wetlands winter monitoring. This Thursday at 9:30a.m., we will reunite with our Bulldog buddies (St. Thomas More 2nd Grade class) and begin 3 rotations to collect data about this wetlands and the current restoration efforts. This is one of three seasonal surveys that the buddies will conduct of the restoration and surrounding areas. In June, the students will presents process and conclusions to surrounding public, media, experts and Jackson Bottom staff. More on this event as it nears…
Check out our Jackson Bottom Blog for a refresher on this project.
http://stewardsofjacksonbottomwetlands.blogspot.com/
Check out our Jackson Bottom Blog for a refresher on this project.
http://stewardsofjacksonbottomwetlands.blogspot.com/
Friday I will be busy writing report cards for the semester. While I am doing this, here is your job:
Tracking Water Usage at Home
Goal: To calculate the amount of water the student’s family uses during a weekend or a full 2 days.
Procedure:
1. Place tally sheets next to the places in the house where water is being used.
a. The tally sheets should be made by the student for their individual house based on number of faucets or bathrooms (make it convenient by having a place on the tally sheet for each water source).
b. They should be used to record information like how many times the a faucet was used to wash hands, how many times the toilet was flushed, how showers or baths were taken, and how many loads of clothes were washed.
2.Each person in the house will write down on the tally sheet each time they use water.
a. Record the number of times the water activity was done. (ex: number of showers, toilet flushes, loads of wash, etc)
3.The student/family will collect the tally sheets after 48 hours and add up all the times for a faucet, shower, etc.
4.Then multiply the times by the estimated water used for each specific activity to determine the number of gallons used. For example if washing hands occurred 25 times in the house, then the student/family will multiply the 25 by the 1 gallons per wash to get the amount of water used in gallons.
Shower: 30-60 gallons/time
Bath: 30 gallons/time
Flush toilet: 6 to 8 gallons/time
Washing machine: 30 to 60 gallons/time
Teeth brushed: 2 gallons/time
5.The student/family will then total the gallons used for each type of usage to get the water used by the household in 48 hours.
6.The student/family will take the gallons used in 48 hours and divide by 2 (cut that number in half) to determine the number of gallons used in one day.
7.Next the family will divide the daily gallon usage by the number of people in the household to determine the water usage per person per day.
8. Make sure to report back to your class!
(WATCH FOR A PAPER COPY OF THIS COMING HOME WEDNESDAY!)
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