Water Conservation Science Circus, Student Card Activity # Title: Runaway Runoff 1) Farmers use many different chemicals

to help their plants grow and to kill bugs that might eat their plants. Sprinkle some oregano on the area labeled Farm to represent these chemicals. 2) In big cities, a lot of oil, grease and other chemicals get on the ground. Put a few drops of food coloring on the area labeled City to represent these chemicals. 3) Now, sprinkle a little bit of dirt across the land to represent loose soil. 4) Make it rain by pouring water into the cup with holes in the bottom and moving over the land. Make sure you get rain on every part of the land. Answer these questions: 1) Where did the water go after it rained? Why? 2) What changed about the water after it touched the land? Why did this happen? 3) What does this tell us about water pollution? Why is it important to protect water, and how can we do it?

Water Conservation Science Circus, Teacher Card Title: Runaway Runoff Grade Level: 3 Standards: Virginia Science SOL 3.9d The student will investigate and understand the water cycle and its relationship to life on Earth. Key concepts include a) the energy from the sun drives the water cycle; b)processes involved in the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation); c) water is essential for living things; and d)water supply and water conservation. Materials: Watershed model constructed from -1 disposable roasting pan -floral foam -aluminum foil Oregano Brown food coloring Cup of dirt Container of water Cup with holes punched in the bottom Preparation: Assemble the watershed model by sculpting floral foam in the shape of landforms, placing these landforms in the disposable roasting pan, and molding aluminum foil over top of the floral foam. Discussion questions: How did the water look before it touched the oregano, the dirt, and the food coloring? How did the water look after it touched the oregano, the dirt, and the food coloring? Where did the dirty water go? If there were real people living on this land, would they be able to drink the water? If there were real plants and animals living on this land, how would the dirty water effect them? What does this model tell us about how pollution travels? How could the people in this land protect the water?

Modified from http://serc.carleton.edu/eslabs/drought/2a.html

Water Conservation Science Circus, Student Card Activity # Title: Every Drop Counts 1. Pretend that Cup 1 is a leaky faucet. Have one partner put a finger over the hole in the bottom of Cup 1 while another partner adds water from the tub until the cup is full. 2. Keep the hole covered with a finger, but move Cup 1 so that you are holding it over the measuring cup. 3. Set the timer for one minute, then press start, and remove your finger from the hole. Let the water drip into the measuring cup until the timer goes off. Empty the leftover water from the leaky cup back into the tub of water so it does not make a mess. 4. Record how much water is in the measuring cup. Then empty the water from measuring cup back into the tub of water.

Then, answer these questions: 1. How much water do you think would be wasted by a leaky faucet in a day? 2. What else might waste water in our classroom or at your house? 3. How much water do you think you use each day? 4. How could you use less water? If you have time check your estimation for question 3 using the website that is up on the computers. Think about how many times you do each of these activities in one day, enter the information, and press the button that says, submit your answer. Record how many gallons a day you use. Why is it important to protect water, and how can we do it?

Water Conservation Science Circus, Teacher Card Title: Every Drop Counts Grade Level: 3 Standards: Virginia Science SOL 3.9d The student will investigate and understand the water cycle and its relationship to life on Earth. Key concepts include a) the energy from the sun drives the water cycle; b)processes involved in the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation); c) water is essential for living things; and d)water supply and water conservation. Materials: a measuring cup a cup with a hole in the bottom a tub of water a timer computers with the website http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/sq3.html loaded on the screen Discussion questions: What do you use water for at your house? What do we use water for at our classroom? How much water do you think it takes to do these activities? How might we accidentally use water? What does this tell us about leaky faucets? Why might it be bad to leave a faucet dripping? Do you think the results would be different if the size of the hole changed? How? How could you reduce the amount of water you use at home? How could we reduce the amount of water we use at school? Source "Investigation 3: How Can We Save and Protect Water?" DiscoveryWorks: Earth's Water. Parsippany, NJ: Silver Burdett Ginn, 1996.

Water Conservation Science Circus, Student Card Activity # Title: Lets clear this up! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Fill the cup with water. Add two spoonfuls of soil and some twigs. Pour the dirty water on top of sand mixture in the funnel labeled with a 1. Write down what happens to the water after it goes through the funnel. Fill the cup with water again. Add two spoonfuls of soil and some twigs. Pour the dirty water on top of the gravel mixture in the funnel labeled with a 2. Write down what happens to the water after it goes through the funnel.

Then, answer these questions: 1. Did you notice any differences between the water that went through funnel 1 and the water that went through funnel 2? Explain. 2. Which mixture cleaned the water the best? Why? 3. What other materials might be able to clean water? Why is it important to protect water, and how can we do it?

Water Conservation Science Circus, Teacher Card Title: Lets clear this up Grade Level: 3 Standards: Virginia Science SOL 3.9d The student will investigate and understand the water cycle and its relationship to life on Earth. Key concepts include a) the energy from the sun drives the water cycle; b)processes involved in the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation); c) water is essential for living things; and d)water supply and water conservation. Materials: 2 filters constructed from o two plastic soda bottles o cheese cloth o sand o gravel o 2 rubber bands a cup a tub of water a container of dirt and twigs Preparation: Make the two filters by cutting two plastic soda bottles in half. Remove the lids from the top halves and use a rubber ban cover the pouring holes with cheese cloth. Flip the top halves over and rest them inside the bottom halves. Label them with the numbers 1 and 2. In filter 1, pour a sand mixture. In filter 2, pour a gravel mixture. Discussion questions: How is what happens to the muddy water in this activity like what happens to rainwater when it falls on the ground? What might make water harmful to humans, plants, and animals? What in nature might help to clean these harmful things from water? What can people do to clean water that has harmful materials? Source "Investigation 3: What things in Water Can be Harmful?" DiscoveryWorks: Earth's Water. Parsippany, NJ: Silver Burdett Ginn, 1996.