Water Planet Challenge

Comments

@Matt Christopher (EarthEcho International)

Matt,

Great suggestions about expanding the acid rain lesson to include titrations. Thank you for your endorsement of Daniel's inquiry-based suggestion. Future Water Planet Challenge lessons will take this approach- we really appreciate your feedback. Thanks!

May 16, 2011, 10:04 PM

@Daniel Zielaski (EarthEcho International)

Daniel,

Thank you for your detailed description of how you have used Water Planet Challenge resources in your classroom and THANK YOU especially for your offer to help us adapt these lessons to be student inquiry based. I would love to learn more about how you used the sample electric bill and addressed wind power. If you would be interested in discussing, please contact Kyra Kristof at kyra@earthecho.org. Thank you!

May 16, 2011, 9:59 PM

@Soetarno (EarthEcho International)

Soetarno,

It's so exciting to hear that these materials have made their way to East Java Indonesia. Please keep us posted on your work- we would love to know more about what you and your students are doing. All the best!

May 16, 2011, 9:52 PM

@Beth Kirsling (EarthEcho International)

Beth,

So glad to hear that the materials complimented your unit of study. If your class engages in action as a result, we would love to hear about it. Thanks!

May 16, 2011, 9:49 PM

@Kerri Poniatowski (EarthEcho International)

Kerri,

If you and your students are interested, we would love to find a way to share their presentations and/or persuasive speeches with other students and educators. Please contact Kyra Kristof at kyra@earthecho.org if you would like to discuss this? Keep up the great work!

May 16, 2011, 9:47 PM

Matt Christopher

I have really enjoyed using the effect of acid rain with my students. I expanded the lesson plan to include titrations and it really helped the students understand dilution and using pH meters. They were amazed that an acid can form with a direct addition of acid to a water source. They also were amazed at how it is impossible to make an acid neutral by dilution. I agree with Daniel above about 100% inquiry. That is how I run my classroom and I think this is very beneficial to all students.

I hope I can video my students and their inquiry using a Flip Video. I have heard they are cool.

Matt Christopher

Westview

San Diego, CA 92105

mchristopher@powayusd.com

April 28, 2011, 10:48 AM

Daniel Zielaski

Hello!

I am currently teaching a unit on Gas Laws and have scoured your web based resources in order to provide relevant connections for my students. For example, this morning I will be teaching students an introductory lesson on the properties of gases. In order to frame the lesson and captivate my students with a relevant topic I have decided to focus on natural gas and the potential benefits that such a resource may hold for the Earth's population. As a warm-up/introductory activity I pulled a great deal of content from your High School - Investigating How Electricity Is Generated lesson. The essential questions are great and really helped me to connect the concept of "properties of gases" to student interest. Further, I have incorporated a sample electric bill (found online) and plan on discussing the merits of wind power (which relates to gases since wind is really just an energy wave among gases)!

The materials were great and I definitely plan on using them again. In fact, I have bookmarked your website and included it on a school list of science resources.

NOTE: I couldn't use the lesson as is because it relied heavily on the "teacher" explaining a great deal of content to students. I have created lesson/units that are based on 100% inquiry instruction and therefore must focus on student self development of knowledge. However, the lesson did serve as a perfect template. Further, if you are interested in transforming these lessons into versions that are based on student independent or group inquiry please let me know - I'd be more than happy to help!

Thanks for the resources and I hope this puts me in the running for the free flip cam!

Best,

Daniel Zielaski

Chemistry Teacher

Phelps ACE SHS

Washingon, DC

daniel.zielaski@dc.ogv

202.471.0631

April 28, 2011, 6:34 AM

Beth Kirsling, St. Martin of Tours, Franklin, WI

Thank you for these resources. We are just conpleting our unit on Electrical Energy and a science fair project on the same. Your materials are a great wrap up for what we are studying.

April 27, 2011, 2:00 PM

Kerri Poniatowski

My students used this guide along with doing research on how much water they use in a day, in a week, in a month, in a year. We also used the other guides about realizing what goes down your drain and into your water supply. We discussed the water cycle and how these pollutants change our world, our lives, and the lives of plants , animals , and future generations. The studets are in groups creating a power point as to their water usage, how to aviod pollutings out environment, also including a persuavie speech as to why you should monitoring your water usage.

April 27, 2011, 1:35 PM

@Marybeth (EarthEcho International)

Marybeth,

I would suggest that you start by contacting your local water utility. In many communities, they will either be able to test tap water for you or direct you to an organization that can. Sometimes there is a fee for this, so be sure to ask. In the meantime, you can use the handy "What's in your water?" tool offered by the Environmental Working Group at www.ewg.org/tap-water/home By entering your zip code and the name of your water company, you can find out what pollutants have been found (if any) in your water supply. Hope this helps. Good luck!

April 27, 2011, 9:41 AM

sophia aquino

when can i get the flip cam??

April 26, 2011, 10:53 PM

Marybeth

Loved the video of the story of "stuff" as well as many of the facts. I would like to have students replicate some of the testing of bottled waters vs. tap to drive the point home in the community.... who do we contact to get water tested?

April 26, 2011, 7:13 PM

soetarno said

I am interested in the five stages of action outlined

I will try to do the action of water quality monitoring with my community

and will share with his friends on the water planet

soetarno

Soetarno teachers in East Java Indonesia

March 8, 2011, 5:16 AM

tatiana davis

i really like this im glad i helpt

March 4, 2011, 8:46 AM

selwyn patente

lol

January 25, 2011, 5:33 AM

@Martha Shaw (EarthEcho International)

Martha,

Thank you for your offer to support the Water Planet Challenge. Please contact Mia DeMezza (EarthEcho International's COO) directly at mia@earthecho.org. We look forward to exploring ways we might work together.

December 10, 2010, 1:50 PM

@Kim Geisinger (EarthEcho International)

Kim,

Gladly! Do you have a particular type of service project in mind? Specific skills or subject matter you would like to reinforce? The Clean-Up Action Guide might be a good place to start. You could use this resource to guide your students to conduct a watershed clean-up effort as part of an investigation to understand what types of debris are threatening your river, and then develop a strategy to try to minimize/prevent the improper disposal of these items. If this isn't the type of project you had in mind, please be on the lookout for new Action Guides coming at the end of January, including one that will focus on water quality.

December 10, 2010, 1:49 PM

@Camille Freeman (EarthEcho International)

Camille,

It is wonderful to hear that you would like to bring the Water Planet Challenge to your children's school- thank you! For now, we only have Connection to Me lesson plans for Middle and High School students. However, the Action Guides (including the one that supports a beach clean-up) could be used by 5th/6th grade teachers, and might fit very nicely with the Nature's Classroom field trip you mentioned. We would love to know if Heath Elementary decides to use a Water Planet Challenge Action Guide, and thank you for recommending these resources.

December 10, 2010, 1:48 PM

Martha Shaw

From Cancun COP16 World Climate Summit.. How can we help you with your messaging. Here at the Climate Summit, the message is "there's no PlanetB" How can we share positive ways to understand there's no OceanB? Earth Adv is here to help! Call us.

December 5, 2010, 10:58 AM

Kim Geisinger

Hi, I would like to do a service learning project that circles around a river in our area. I was wondering if you can help me get started!

November 13, 2010, 4:18 PM

Camille Freeman

Hello,

I was very intrigued and interested in finding more about your Water Challenge. I have children who attend the Heath Elementary School and would like to present this challenge to the principle at the school. My oldest daughter is in fifth grade and I think this could be a great learning experience for the class or entire school to take on. This could be something that could lead up to the 6th grade class going to a Massachusettes beach for their Nature's classroom field trip. This is something I feel that could be taught through this year on to the next and so on..... Do you have any What's The Connection to Me Lesson Plans designed to educate Elementary level children. Thank You, Camille Freeman

October 29, 2010, 9:11 PM

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