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The Great Water Odyssey^SM

• Third-grade overview
• Fourth-grade overview
• Fifth-grade overview
• Try games online
• System requirements
• Contacts

Water Conservation Challenge

Teacher resources

• Water conservation activities
• Envirothon
• Lesson plans
• Grants resources for teachers
• Information links for educators
• Reading, literature connections

Student resources

• Raleigh’s Den
• Snooks’ Cove
• Games
• Inside the World of Macros: An interactive look at macroinvertebrates
• Glossary
• Science fair ideas
• Water facts
• River otters
• Ask a science expert

Water conservation activities

Water conservation activities are a great way to get students and teachers involved in helping their schools save water and save money on their water and sewer bills. Students can be taught valuable lessons in environmental stewardship, while math and other skills are reinforced. Listed below are a few activities that can help schools save water while meeting educational goals.

• Conduct a water audit to
  • Identify leaks
  • Determine if any water fixtures or appliances are not working properly
  • Identify irrigation system problems such as damaged or misdirected spray heads, non-functioning rain sensors or soil moisture sensors
  • Determine how water is used at the school
  Part of the audit can be conducted by students as math and social studies lessons. Facilities and/or maintenance staff would need to conduct audits for mechanical systems, such as the cooling towers or lunchroom areas. Students might participate in this portion of the audit too.
• Monitor water use over time, providing information to staff and students on their water use and water conservation progress.
• Establish a water conservation committee within the school. This committee could look at ways to reduce water use and incorporate water conservation activities into the curriculum.
• Establish student water monitors to assist in reminding students to reduce or not waste water, such as turning faucets off after use or not leaving drinking fountains running.
• Build rain barrels. Although water captured in rain barrels is not sufficient to fully water the landscape, it can be used to water classroom plants, other potted plants, or small landscaped areas.
• Redirect downspouts from paved areas to the landscape.
• Follow watering restrictions.

Classroom lessons

Incorporating water conservation lessons into the schools’ curriculum will help establish a water conservation ethic within the school. They will help to incorporate positive water conservation behaviors into students’ and staff members’ daily habits and potentially create water savings for the school district.

• Many math lessons can be taught when school water use is audited. Conducting a preliminary audit at the beginning of the school year and a post audit before the end of the school year allows comparisons of quantities used and students can graph progress of conservation measures. If monthly water use figures are provided, use can be graphed monthly.
• Writing, art and technology skills can be practiced in developing water conservation messages for posters, the school website or video systems.