Third grade Lions of Aberdeen Elementary School “Imagine a Day Without Water” and learn about the value of water

Most Americans do not realize that they use about 82 gallons of water every day, but the third graders at Aberdeen Elementary School sure do! As part of Hampton master gardener water steward Pam Henifin’s “Imagine A Day Without Water” project, students became water detectives, tracking all the ways they used water at home—from brushing their teeth and taking showers to washing dishes and flushing toilets. They recorded and calculated their findings to see just how much water they really use in a day.

 

In early October, Henifin and Betsy McAllister, fellow master gardener and HCS STEM teacher specialist, visited these curious young scientists to explore the global challenge of limited drinking water. With the support of Aberdeen’s amazing third grade teaching team—Bianca Bemley, Iyana Council, Ajah Mooring, and Jaz Sedgwick—students dove into hands-on learning through two Project WET activities. They were able to see the small amount of the total water on the planet that is safe and available for drinking through “A Drop in the Bucket.” Students created a “water user connectivity web” to visualize how interconnected our water use really is as a part of “Water Works.” Each student received a water use journal, generously donated by HDR, a global professional services firm, and spent the next several days tracking their water usage.

 

The learning didn’t stop there. The third grade team embarked on an exciting field trip to Hampton Roads Sanitation District’s (HRSD) SWIFT Research Center—the Sustainable Water Initiative For Tomorrow—to see innovation in action. There, students discovered how HRSD treats wastewater to drinking-water standards and put their engineering skills to the test in a hands-on water filtration design challenge led by HRSD staff.

 

The SWIFT field trips took place on October 15 and 16, just in time for the U.S. Water Alliance’s national “Imagine A Day Without Water” celebration on October 16—a national campaign that reminds all Americans of the essential role water plays in our lives. Katherine Hafner, environmental reporter for WHRO, joined the students and teachers at SWIFT October 16. Her story can be found here.

 

Inspired by their experiences, Aberdeen’s third grade Lions proudly shared what they learned about water stewardship with their families and friends. And while October 16 has come and gone, it’s never too late to take the challenge yourself. Ajah Mooring noted, “A world without water can’t survive. Be the reason it never runs dry.” Track your own water usage and be mindful about protecting this precious resource using this water use chart.