In School Programs

3rd Grade – Clean Water Program

The Clean Water Program is designed to teach students about clean water by reviewing the water cycle and the components of rain, water vapor, and surface waters. Students will learn about the unique properties of water, specifically its use as a solvent, by observing/smelling/tasting a cup of distilled water. Also, students will observe the harmful effects of water pollution through a watershed model that demonstrates how everyday chemicals and materials can cause pollution. Hot cocoa and juice mixes are used to represent these hazardous materials, and students can assist in distributing the products over the model. Water is then sprayed on the model to show how pollutants runoff into the water supply when it rains, and students are able to witness these negative effects.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of participating in Clean Water Program, the student will be able to:

• Identify physical properties of water (Unit 5 curriculum, third grade).
• Identify sources of water pollution and explain why some things dissolve in water and others do not (Unit 5 curriculum, third grade).
• Identify components and describe features of the Water Cycle (Illinois leaning standard 12.E.1a).
• Analyze how specific personal and societal choices that humans make affect local, regional, and global ecosystems (Illinois learning standard 13.B.2f).
• Identify ways people depend on and interact with the physical environment (Illinois learning standard 17.C.1a.).
• Identify different characteristics of hazardous household materials.