Summer SAVY, Session 4 Day 1, Water and Weather (1st – 2nd)
Greetings parents!
Today was a really fun day! We had to go over the expectations and procedures at the beginning of class, and we did some activities to get to know each other. We then got into the science of water! Our attention grabber (and first foray into science hypotheses) was to try to figure out why popcorn pops. Ask them!
One of the most important things we learned today is that about 70% of the Earth is made of water, but out of that water, 97 % is saltwater, which is not drinkable. Only 3% is fresh water, and out of that, less than one percent is located in accessible water. Glaciers have fresh water locked in, and there is underground water, but we really can’t access much fresh water. Our bodies and environment have to have water to survive, and in our discussion, they were shocked when a student pointed out they can live longer without food than water! Wow!
We learned about the Dead Sea, which is so full of salt that nothing lives there. Then we talked about where the water that we drink comes from. You would be surprised at some of the answers! They didn’t know where the water they use comes from! It might be fun for you to show them examples of filtered water versus tap water, or explain how the pipes transport water from the treatment plant and then back again.
Finally, we had to create a filter to filter water to simulate how to filter dirty water to clean (Scenario: we are stranded on an island and need clean water). We used cotton, sand, rocks, paper towels, tape, straws, and coffee filters. They had to try their own design, and then after observing how the filter performed, they wanted to try again tomorrow. So, tonight, ask them what they are thinking about regarding what kinds of materials would make a better filter.
They did a great job. and I can hardly wait to see what they come up with!
Have a great night!
Dr. Mall