Water is for Life Tweedy Elementary School Save the Drop Project Starts at School….

Water is For Life The purpose of this year event is to introduce water conservation to Tweedy Elementary school staff, students, and their families. The target goal is to teach how a drop saved in our bucket during this drought will then result in saving the life of a tree, or a plant. The water may also be reused for other purposes. Students may even generate inventions that their families may bring to our engineering event.

Students are hands on saving drops for our school. Water is for Life... Students are hands on saving drops for our school.

Scenario: According to the Los Angeles Unified School District, “All faucets and drinking fountains that may be used for human consumption or used for food preparation must be flushed for a minimum of 30 seconds prior to the first use of each day.” Tweedy Elementary flushes the faucets daily and I encourage my 5th grade students to collect that water in a bucket. The water collected is then taken downstairs to water our plants that are not connected to a water system. So daily we collect our drops with the very purpose to save the life of our plants and trees at our school site. In understanding this reclaiming of “grey water”, the students are then asked, “What water in your home can be saved in a bucket for reuse?

Water in a Bucket At HOME. Saving Our Plants and Trees

“Project- Save a Drop “Water is for Life” Phase Three: (Jan-March 2017) All grade levels informed/participate in “drop in the bucket” activities. Buckets are handed out to families along with data collecting chart. Contest for all designs for a water system that helps the Garden Club water their mini planters. (possible expenses: Data charts, posters, buckets) Lessons in Class: Students continue the engineering design process. Data collected measuring amount of water flushed and poured onto school site plants and trees. Measurements to be posted at the Tweedy Website. 1. Phase One: (Sept-Dec 2016) Grade 5- develops ideas/ Brainstorm ideas to include chant, logo, events- Community Donations Letters sent out for donations of buckets, ex: Walmart, All American. (possible expenses: buckets) 1. Phase Four: (March-April 2017) Families are invited to “Engineer Night” where 5th grade presents Family Activities- students and families participate in water related activities. (possible expenses: purchase of engineering materials/ event supplies, school poster, buckets, water related materials.) (feedback collected: survey, photo journaling, data collected from “Engineer Night”) Phase Two: (Nov 2016- Jan 2017) Grade 5- Informs/ Educates Throughout School- -Student Council Informed -Staff/Student Body Informed -Grade level engineering/inventions proposed – water collection system to water garden area for school site. (possible expenses: Shirts with logo designed by students, student generated posters, engineering project financed) Lessons in Class: Students are introduced to the “Droplet Story” and how it travels throughout all systems and their environments. (Project WET, DiscoverWater.org) Engineer designs explored.

Save a Drop “Water is for Life” Phase Five: (April-June 2017) Buckets with Stickers/summer calendar generated from school photo journal- Materials Disbursed to families- Data collected from families to be to be collected by students. All students invited to participate at the annual Science/Engineering Fair. (possible expenses: summer calendars, buckets, stickers, shirts) (feedback collected: Tweedyes-lausd-ca.schoolloop.com- online data collected, photos uploaded) To Be continued

Our Water Project Needs Containers SAVE A DROP SAVE A LIFE Students have already started writing draft letters to our local stores in the South Gate community. We are asking for a donation of a variety of containers, for example buckets,jugs with caps, and pitchers. All these have the same purpose….

“What water in your home can be saved in a bucket for reuse?”

Students generate their own chant. They are already preparing a Cheerleading group that will perform their chant. Performing Arts

Tweedy Elementary School Students will teach their families how to conserve water. Our project will motivate all grade levels, k-5th, to save a drop. Contact Ms. E Martinez Tweedy Elementary School