Our Unit of Inquiry on water wrapped up before the holiday break and the students really seemed to enjoy the scientific nature of it. They practiced their thinking and research skills through a variety of learning experiences aligning with our lines of inquiry and guided by their own inquiry questions. Here are some highlights:
Grade 3 explored how water moves from one place to another in a continuous cycle. They particularly liked the book we read as a class, “Did a Dinosaur Drink this Water?” by Robert E. Wells. The students devised an experiment allowing us to actually watch the water cycle. They placed various water receptacles around the school and measured the volume of water over a period of 24 hours. They concluded that the sun makes the water cycle go because the water containers in the sun had lost the most amount of water.
Michaela, Abhishek and Ali observe the condensation accumulated on their experiment.
Tahlyn and Prisha collect and record data from their experiment.
Understanding the water cycle allowed the students to understand the relationship between this natural resource and its availability for use. They were shocked and surprised to learn that not everyone has water available to them all the time as demonstrated on our water walk. Students used online media and library resources to further learn about how people get water around the world.
The students feel the weight of an average water bucket that children their age often carry in undeveloped rural areas of the world.
Grade 3 drew the conclusion that we all need to conserve water. They wrote persuasive essays convincing others to conserve water and how they could effectively do so in their everyday lives. Courtney states in her essay, “If you save water, you will save the Earth.” While Michael recommends that you, “don’t use the toilet as a garbage bin.” The students even took responsible community action by pledging to make one water smart change in their own lives.
"I pledge to have a 5 minute shower." -Sachin
Grade 3 designed some fantastic water efficient homes based on the principles of water conservation and water distribution. Students worked together to design houses that use at little water as possible. They included details about the water usage habits of those who live in the houses as well.
Trina, Oleg, Spencer and Trina's house design including many water conservation features.
Overall the unit was a huge success with many concepts leading to enduring understanding. Although I had hoped this unit would include a visit to a local water treatment facility (scheduling ultimately became too problematic), I think the children still enjoyed it and had some memorable experiences. Check back soon and see what other exciting things we are doing in Grade 3!