A Little Cup Will Do You!
Karen Franz
Woodrow Wilson Elementary
Manhattan, Kansas


Overview:
This activity will help students develop an understanding of where their cities water supply comes from and how they can make an impact on conserving the water they use.
 
Grade Level: Grades 4 - 5

Time Needed: 2-3 class sessions over a one-week period
 
Geographic Theme:
Location - Relationships within Places: Human and Environment
 
Kansas Social Studies Standard for Benchmark, Grade Levels 5-K:
The student will understand the connections among people, places, and environments in the local community, Kansas, the United States, and different nations in the world.

National Geography Standards, Grade Levels K-4:

#14

 The geographically informed person understands how human actions modify the physical environment.

Outcomes:
The student will:
  1. Understand the need to conserve the water from their water supply source.
  2. Practice conserving water in a daily routine activity.
  3. Convey the message of conservation to other students in their school.

Performance Objectives:

  1. Students will locate their city or town on an aquifer map of Kansas and determine if their city or town lies on the High Plains Aquifer.
  2. Students will locate the water supply source for their city or town.
  3. Using a chart, students will compare the amount of water they use when brushing their teeth while letting the water run, compared to the amount used when putting the water in a cup.
  4. Using a poster, students will construct a poster that conveys the message of conservation to other students.
Vocabulary (see Glossary):
Alluvial valley
Aquifer
High Plains Aquifer		 Ogallala Aquifer
Recharge

Materials Needed:
One plastic cup per student
One calibrated strip to match the cup used
AIMS (1988) activity sheets
Overhead of High Plains Aquifer area in Kansas
National Geographic magazine from March, 1993
World Book Encyclopedia: Topic: Water. Subtopic: Sources of supply.
Kansas Groundwater Information: Sheet provided

Procedure:

  1. Discuss water and its importance to living things.
  2. Using the overhead of the High Plains Aquifer map, locate your county and approximate position of your city or town.
  3. Ask students where they think their city obtains its water. (Use background information from the World Book and from the Kansas Ground water Information Sheet.) You may also check with your city's water department. Optional: Visit your city's water treatment center.
  4. Using National Geographic magazine as a resource, discuss the need of conservation of water in your area of Kansas. Brainstorm conservation ideas that students can do and list their ideas.
  5. Discuss the fact that most people allow the tap to run while brushing their teeth, people usually use 7,680 ml of water to brush twice a day. Show this amount.
  6. Tell the students that they are going to be water savers, and they are to brush their teeth using a cup of water (240 ml).
  7. Have each student make a calibrated cup using the instructions from AIMS (1988), pages 9-10.
  8. Instruct students to measure the amount of water they use while brushing their teeth, using a cup of water (240 ml), each a.m. and p.m. Be sure students know how to fill out the water usage chart.
  9. After one week, have the students total the amounts they used and also the amount saved.
  10. Using the information from what has been learned about the sources and conservation of water, have students make their own water posters. Display the posters so other students in your school can learn about water conservation: a good activity for National Geography Awareness Week!

Assessment:

  1. Observe and record students' ability to locate the city or town on or near the High Plains Aquifer.
  2. Observe students' ability to locate the city or town water source.
  3. Check students' completion of a record of water use for tooth brushing.
  4. Check participation in the poster construction activity.

Resources:

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FHSU Geoscience | Kansas Geographic Alliance
National Geographic Society | Kansas Water Office
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e-mail: pphillip@fhsu.edu

irc staff 11/13/97 (updated kn 06/18/99)
judi 04/19/00
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